Giordano's Pizza

Basic Information:

Pizza: Giordano's Pizza
Number of Locations: around 60 across 9 states, most numerably in Illinois; based in Chicago
Location Reviewed: 10180 Diebold Road in Fort Wayne, IN (just east of I-69 exit 316)

Website: https://giordanos.com/
Date of Review Visit: October 2022
What I Ordered: small Meat and More Meat deep dish pizza (sausage, pepperoni, salami, and bacon); Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $31.64 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

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Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Giordano's offers several crust styles; of course I chose the deep dish.  This crust is a true Chicago-style deep dish crust.  It is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and it is almost as good as any crust I have ever had.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: the sauce is a thick, robust tomato sauce that tastes like real tomatoes.  This is my kind of sauce.  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: the cheese is a thick layer of mozzarella cheese made especially for Giordano's in Wisconsin.  Yum!  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: I have never cared for the taste of salami on a pizza, so I would have preferred they held the salami.  The sausage comes in nice big chunks.  The pepperoni has just the right amount of spiciness.  The bacon is on the salty side.  All toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 10/10.

Overall Taste: The salami taste has never blended in on any pizza for me, and I tasted too much salt with the bacon.  Otherwise, everything comes together very well.  Score: 9.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: This pizza has the classic look of a Chicago style deep dish pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: The Fort Wayne location has a nice, slightly upscale casual dining atmosphere.

Customer Service: I have no idea why it took 45 minutes to make my pizza. Otherwise, the service was fine.

Monetary Value: Honestly, this is the most I have ever paid for a small pizza.  Giordano's makes great pizza, but it will cost you.

 

The Final Judgment:

I really like this pizza, almost as much as fellow Chicago-style classics Uno and Lou Malnati's.  Due to the price, I would save Giordano's for those special pizza occasions.  Score: 90/100.

Raimondo's Pizza in Fort Wayne, IN

Basic Information:

Pizza: Raimondo's Pizza
Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 2608 W. State Blvd. in Fort Wayne, IN (just west of Price Elementary School)

Website: https://www.raimondospizza.com/
Date of Review Visit: October 2022
What I Ordered: large (14") pan pizza with sausage and pepperoni; fountain drink
Price: $16.83 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

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Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

The Macro:

Crust: Raimondo's offers pan and hand-tossed crust options.  I chose the thicker pan crust.  The pizza does indeed have a nice thick pan crust, almost a Chicago-style crust.  It is brown and crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  This crust is excellent.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce appears in adequate quantity, but it is very overspiced.  I tasted the spices more than I tasted the tomatoes, and that is not my style of sauce.  Score: 6/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in above average quantity, but it leaves quite a bit of grease.  Hence, a mandatory deduction applies.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The sausage appears in tiny ground up bits.  It has some spices but no real flavor.  Likewise the pepperoni has a little spice but no real flavor.  Both toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: Several components on this pizza are overspiced, so the overall taste is rather lacking.  Score: 6.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza's appearance is dominated by the crust, as you would expect on a pan pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Raimondo's has a no frills dining area with just some tables and chairs.

Customer Service: The service was friendly and attentive on my visit.

Monetary Value: For a 14" pan pizza, the price is down right cheap. Therefore, the value is high.

The Final Judgment:

My like for this pizza begins and ends with the crust.  I can see why some people like it in total, and I would come here at least occasionally if I lived in Fort Wayne.  Score: 81/100.

Capri's Italian Restaurant in Spartanburg, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Capri's Italian Restaurant
Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 1927 Boiling Springs Rd. (on SR 9 just north of I-85, exit 75)
Website: https://www.caprisitalian.net/
Date of Review Visit: September 2022
What I Ordered: 12" Trifecta Pizza (Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, and applewood smoked bacon)
Price: $17.34 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

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Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Capri's Italian Restaurant is on the thinner side, but it is not a true thin crust.  The crust has a solid bready flavor.  Unfortunately, it is also a little on the hard side, possibly due to overbaking.  Score: 6/10.

Sauce: This pizza is rather undersauced, but what sauce I did find had a rich tomatoey flavor.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: The cheese comes in a thick layer of white goodness, and it appears to be mozzarella or provolone.  The cheese appears in plenty of quantity and produces very little grease.  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The Italian sausage is very spicy, and the spices even leave an aftertaste.  This sausage is way too spicy for my taste palette.  The Canadian bacon has a nice delicate ham-like flavor.  The applewood smoked bacon comes in tiny bits and tastes like regular bacon to me.  All toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 7/10.

Overall Taste: The spiciness of the Italian sausage really dominates all of the other flavors, so this score is not as high as it could be.  That's too bad, because some of the other flavors are worthy of coming out more.  Score: 7.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The toppings dominate this pizza's appearance, as they do on any multi-meat pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Capri's has a nice casual dining atmosphere with touches of elegance such as cloth napkins and a hostess to take your name when you arrive before announcing that your table is ready.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive on my visit.

Monetary Value: This pizza is not cheap, but the price is reasonable for a dining experience this good.

 

The Final Judgment:

Capri's is fairly popular, and deservedly so.  But for the spiciness of the Italian sausage, this pizza would be a real winner.  Score: 81/100.

Papa Johns Pizza, Epic Pepperoni-Stuffed Crust

Basic Information:

Pizza: Papa Johns Pizza
Number of Locations: many nationwide
Location Reviewed: 3014 N. Main Street in Anderson, SC
Website: https://www.papajohns.com/

Date of Review Visit: August 2022

What I Ordered: large (14") Epic Pepperoni-Stuffed Crust pizza

Price: $15.25 (pizza only; includes tax)

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Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: My usual view of Papa Johns' crust is a mixture of good and bad: I like the fresh bready taste, but I find the crust too bulky.  Enter the pepperoni-stuffed crust.  As the name suggests, they bake both pepperoni and cheese into the crust.  The cheese blends better with the crust than with Pizza Hut's stuffed crust, and I really like this combination.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: Papa Johns is well-known for using sauce that is way too sweet.  It even tastes too sweet to me, and I like sweet sauces.  Aside from the sweetness, the quantity and texture are quite appealing.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: Like the crust, the cheese also has a rather bland taste, but this pizza does not suffer from severe undercheesing or greasy poor quality cheese, the two things that make for bad cheese.  Thus, this area grades out fairly high.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The only topping is the pepperoni, which of course appears both in the crust and atop the pizza.  The pepperoni is not overly spicy, and it blends nicely with the sweetness of the sauce.  The pepperoni appears in high quantity.  Score: 8/10.

Overall Taste: Everything works together rather well here.  The overall taste seemed a little on the salty side to me.  I could not tell if the saltiness was from the cheese, the pepperoni, or both.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: The ample cheese and toppings give this pizza an appealing appearance.  The large crust is a bit unappetizing, but knowing there is cheese and pepperoni inside helps.  I have always thrown out the infamous peppers and garlic sauce that come with every Papa Johns pizza.  That fact does not directly impact the appearance of the pizza, but I needed to mention it somewhere.

Dining Atmosphere: Like most Papa Johns locations, this location does not offer dine-in, and therefore atmosphere is not applicable.

Customer Service: The service was quick and friendly on my visit.

Monetary Value: Granted I got this pizza while it was on a promotional special, but this pizza has above average quality for a pretty low price.  Therefore, the value is quite high.

 

The Final Judgment:

Papa Johns is my favorite national pizza chain, and they delivered a nice pizza here.  You should try this one while it is still on promotional special.  Score: 84/100.

Fyre Pizza in Anderson, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Fyre Pizza
Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 148 Civic Center Blvd. in Anderson, SC (across the street from the baseball fields and The Trails Disc Golf Course)

Website: https://www.fyrepizzaco.com/
Date of Review Visit: August 2022
What I Ordered: 14" pizza with pepperoni and Italian sausage
Price: $16.34 (pizza only; includes tax)

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Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Fyre Pizza is not too thick and not too thin.  In terms of texture, it is nice and crispy on the outside, but it is more tough than chewy on the inside.  I can't say this is one of my favorite crusts.  Score: 4/10.

Sauce: Fyre offers several sauces to choose from, but I chose the traditional red sauce.  This sauce doesn't have a lot of flavor, and it doesn't appear in much quantity either.  Score: 3/10.

Cheese: Fyre offers several cheeses to choose from; I chose the three cheese blend.  I tasted more mozzarella than any other cheese, but it appeared in high quantity and produced very little grease.  The cheese is the strength of this pizza.  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The Italian sausage has some spiciness, but otherwise it is of the tasteless pellet variety.  Likewise the pepperoni adds little flavor.  Both toppings appear in decent quantity, but the quality is severely lacking.  Score: 4/10.

Overall Taste: The cheese seemed to be the tastiest part of this pizza, and therefore I was very unimpressed with the overall taste.  Maybe it would be better with different sauce or toppings.  Score: 5.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: This pizza has a respectable appearance with plenty of cheese.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered take out, but the small dining room featured chair-and-table seating.

Customer Service: The service was quick and friendly.

Monetary Value: For average-priced pizza, the quality is not that great.  Therefore, the value is not that great either.

The Final Judgment:

Fyre Pizza doesn't exactly light my fyre.  In this part of town, I prefer Davinci's and Red Tomato over Fyre.  Score: 65/100.

Cutter's Pizzeria in Oxford, AL

Basic Information:

Pizza: Cutter's Pizzeria
Number of Locations: 2, both in east-central Alabama
Location Reviewed: 1781 Hamric Drive East in Oxford, AL (at the corner of US 78 and Coleman Road)

Website: https://cutterspizzeria.com/
Date of Review Visit: March 2022
What I Ordered: handtossed small (10") meat lover pizza, Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $13.18 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

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Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Cutter's Pizzeria offers several pizza/crust options.  Because I was by myself and had no way to store leftovers, I chose the handtossed, which is the only option the menu lists with a small size.  The handtossed crust has a fantastic chewy texture.  It is thick on the outside but not thick enough on the inside to support all of the toppings.  I'm not really a fan of handtossed crusts, but I liked this crust more than I thought I would.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: This pizza is somewhat undersauced, and the sauce that does exist has little tomatoey flavor.  Score: 4/10.

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of cheese, but it produces a decent bit of grease.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: This pizza has plenty of toppings, but none of them carry a lot of flavor.  The sausage is only spicy, and the pepperoni is unremarkable.  My favorite of the three meat toppings is the ham, which appears in large lean slices.  Score: 8/10.

Overall Taste: Except for some spiciness in the sauce and sausage, nothing really excites the tastebuds here.  Score: 7/10.

Pizza Appearance: My pizza had an evenly cut topping-dominated appearance, as you would expect for a meat lover pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Their Oxford location offers a rather plain dining experience with only some TV's for decor or entertainment.

Customer Service: The service was poor: the servers seemed more interested in talking to their friends than serving customers.

Monetary Value: The quality is not great, but the price is fairly low.  Therefore, the value is not bad.

The Final Judgment:

Cutter's makes a passable if not excellent pizza.  I would like to try some of their other crust options.  At this price point, it belongs as part of your pizza rotation, but it probably won't make the top of your pizza list.  Score: 75/100.

Cucina 100 Wood Fired Italian in Fountain Inn, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Cucina 100 Wood Fired Italian
Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 100 S. Main Street in downtown Fountain Inn, SC

Website: https://www.cucina100.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2022
What I Ordered: 12" Trifecta Pizza (Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, and applewood smoked bacon); Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $17.23 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

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Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: As stated in its name, Cucina 100 makes pizza in a wood fired oven.  This crust is thicker than you would expect for wood fired pizza.  It has a fantastic crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside texture, and it has none of the burnt taste you frequently find with this kind of pizza.  This is one of the best wood fired crusts I have ever had.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: This pizza is fairly undersauced, and what sauce does exist has more of a spicy taste than a tomatoey taste.  I can't say I care for this sauce.  Score: 4/10.

Cheese: On the other hand, this pizza has plenty of cheese.  It seems to be 100% mozzarella or provolone, and it produces very little grease.  What more could you want?  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: As usual for a meats pizza, the toppings make or break the pizza.  The sausage comes in thick round slices, and it tastes like Johnsonville mild Italian sausage, which is a little too spicy for a pizza sausage according to my taste.  The Canadian bacon has a nice slightly sweet ham-like taste, but the applewood smoked bacon has less flavor than the bacon topping on other pizzas I have had.  All toppings appear in excellent quantity.  Score: 9/10.

Overall Taste: The sauce and the Italian sausage combine to produce a little too much spice for my taste.  The more intricate flavors get covered up by the spiciness.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: My pizza had a perfectly-baked even appearance dominated by the toppings.

Dining Atmosphere: Cucina 100 has a nice dining area in a row of old brick buildings that has housed many things before this restaurant.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive on my visit.

Monetary Value: The price is fairly high, but the quality is also fairly high.  Therefore, the value is about average.  Cucina 100 only makes 12" pizzas, so you cannot gain a price advantage by ordering a larger size.

 

The Final Judgment:

Far better than your average small town pizza, Cucina 100 deserves a spot in your pizza rotation.  I would definitely come here but maybe not too often due to the price.  Score: 83/100.

Johnny's Pizza House in Northern Louisiana

Basic Information:

Pizza: Johnny's Pizza House
Number of Locations: around 45, mostly in Louisiana

Location Reviewed: 6138 Greenwood Road in Shreveport, LA (west side of Shreveport near I-20 exit 10)
Website: https://www.johnnysph.com/
Date of Review Visit: December 2021
What I Ordered: small (10") pizza with sausage and pepperoni; fountain drink
Price: $12.80 (includes drink and tax)

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Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza at Johnny's Pizza House has a thin crust similar to Donatos, a pizza from Ohio I like very much.  The crust has a nice crispy texture, and my pizza was perfectly baked.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: This pizza features plenty of sauce that has a nice tomatoey taste.  Fantastic!  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: This pizza is slightly undercheesed, but the cheese still produces a decent amount of grease.  Thus, the mandatory grease deduction applies, plus a little more.  Score: 6/10.

Toppings: The toppings appear in above average quantity, but neither topping has much independent flavor.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: The cheese and toppings have very little taste, and they keep the overall taste score well below what it could/should be.  Score: 7.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: This pizza has a well-balanced square cut appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: The location I visited has a nice casual dining area.

Customer Service: The counter service is quick and friendly.

Monetary Value: Johnny's Pizza House offers pretty good quality for a low price, so the value is excellent.  The counter service also helps save on the tip.

 

The Final Judgment:

I really wanted to like this pizza, but the cheese and toppings just aren't elite.  Therefore, this pizza is good but a notch below the best.  Score: 86/100.

Heat Pizza Bar in Tuscaloosa, AL

Basic Information:

Pizza: Heat Pizza Bar
Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 2250 6th Street in downtown Tuscaloosa (east side of the Transit Authority parking garage)
Website: https://heatpizzabar.com/
Date of Review Visit: December 2021
What I Ordered: Meat Lovers pizza (10"); Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $15.66 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

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Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Heat Pizza Bar makes wood-fired pizza, and hence this pizza features a thin blackened crust.  My pizza was baked the perfect amount.  This is not my favorite type of crust, but it is pretty good for what it is.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: The sauce is where the heat is, and it overpowers any tomato flavor in the sauce and pretty much everything else on this pizza.  I prefer sweet sauces to hot sauces, so this sauce does not score well on my taste palette.  Score: 5/10.

Cheese: The cheese is 100% mozzarella, so the taste is fairly bland.  Also, this pizza is somewhat undercheesed.  Fortunately, the cheese does not produce much grease.  Score: 5/10.

Toppings: Toppings are usually the centerpiece of a meat lovers pizza, but that is not the case here.  This pizza has plenty of toppings, but they have no unique flavor, or maybe the toppings' flavors get overpowered by the spiciness of the sauce.  Score: 7/10.

Overall Taste: The spiciness of the sauce overpowers everything else, so the overall taste is uninspiring.  Score: 6/10.

Pizza Appearance: This pizza has the usual bare and blackened appearance you would expect from a wood-fired pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Heat Pizza Bar offers a nice cozy but modern dining area.

Customer Service: The service was a little slow, and I was the first person in the door on a Monday evening.

Monetary Value: Even for wood-fired pizza, this pizza is way too expensive for what you put in your mouth.

The Final Judgment:

Based on the number of people who were there on the Monday evening I was, Heat Pizza Bar is popular, but the "heat above everything else" taste is not for me.  Score: 68/100.