California Pizza Kitchen

Basic Information:

Pizza: California Pizza Kitchen

Number of Locations: nearly 200 worldwide
Location Reviewed: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Concourse A
Website: https://www.cpk.com/
Date of Review Visit: April 2025
What I Ordered: Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage pizza, hold the mushrooms; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $25.98 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at California Pizza Kitchen is thin but not too thin.  It has a dry almost pita-like taste.  The texture is on the hard side, and the large number of blackened areas are apparent in the photo above.  This is not my favorite kind of crust, but it is passable for what it is. Score: 5/10

Sauce: This pizza doesn't have a lot of sauce, but what sauce it does have has a pleasant tomatoey taste. Score: 7/10

Cheese: The cheese is 100% mozzarella.  This pizza doesn't have a lot of cheese, but the cheese it does have has an inoffensive flavor and doesn't produce much grease.  Score: 6/10

Toppings: The menu calls the sausage spicy, but I found it to be not particularly spicy and with unremarkable flavor.  The pepperoni comes in large thin slices and has nice flavor with just enough spiciness.  Maybe I should have ordered only the pepperoni.  Score: 6/10

Overall Taste: Despite the scores above, this pizza offers an interesting mix of pleasant flavors, but it just needs more of multiple things.  Score: 7/10

Pizza Appearance: This pizza's appearance is on the bare side with many ugly blackened areas in the crust.

Dining Atmosphere: This location has a nice dining area in a quiet corner of the airport.  SLC is a palace of an airport, one of my favorite airports anywhere.

Customer Service: My pizza took longer than expected to arrive, but the server was friendly and attentive.  Fortunately I had a long layover between flights.

Monetary Value: The price is an airport price, i.e. crazy high, but the quality is passable.  Thus, the value is decent but no better.

The Final Judgment:

Possibly best known for their frozen pizzas, which are available in grocery stores everywhere, California Pizza Kitchen makes a flavorful pizza that lacks in appearance and substance.  I didn't regret coming here on my layover en route to Hawaii, but you can find better pizza options outside of airports almost anywhere.  Score: 68/100

Pizza Hoss in Knoxville, TN

Basic Information:

Pizza: Pizza Hoss

Number of Locations: 3, all on the north side of Knoxville, TN
Location Reviewed: 7215 Clinton Highway in Powell, TN
Website: https://pizzahoss.com/
Date of Review Visit: March 2025
What I Ordered: small (10") The Big Hoss Specialty Pizza (4 meats pizza); Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $13.15 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Pizza Hoss is thicker then you would expect for a southern pizza.  The texture is nice and crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside.  My pizza was baked the perfect amount.  Excellent! Score: 10/10

Sauce: The sauce has a fresh tomatoey taste.  This pizza is slightly undersauced but only slightly.  Score: 9/10

Cheese: The cheese appears in sufficient quantity and has a pleasant if unremarkable flavor.  It produces some but only some grease, and hence only some of the mandatory 2-point grease deduction applies.  Score: 9/10

Toppings: The Italian sausage has a nice fresh pork flavor with just a little spiciness.  The bacon has nice flavor and is not even a little salty.  The Canadian bacon and pepperoni are OK but less remarkable.  All toppings appear in sufficient quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The sauce, sausage, and bacon really shine and combine to produce a flavorful pizza.  Score: 9.5/10

Pizza Appearance: As usual for an all-meats pizza, the toppings dominate the pizza's appearance.  The thick and wide crust makes the pizza look less appetizing than it is.

Dining Atmosphere: Pizza Hoss offers a casual dining room with mostly high chairs.  I would prefer some lower more standard seating.

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

Monetary Value: For such a good pizza, the price is surprisingly low, and hence the value is pretty high.

The Final Judgment:

Pizza Hoss is a "big hoss" on the Knoxville pizza scene.  They make a fantastic pizza that is now my favorite pizza in Knoxville.  Score: 93/100

Giovanni's Italian Restaurant in Palestine, TX

Basic Information:

Pizza: Giovanni's Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 2027 West Oak Street in Palestine, TX (near US 79 and Loop 340 on the west side) (31.74693, -95.65360)
Website: https://www.giovannisitalianrestaurantpalestine.com/?utm_source=gbp
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: small (12") pizza with sausage and pepperoni; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $20.46 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust on the pizza at Giovanni's Italian Restaurant is crispy but not hard.  In fact, it has a light airy texture with a slight bready taste.  My pizza was baked the perfect amount.  I like this crust.  Score: 10/10

Sauce: This pizza is slightly undersauced, but the sauce it does have has a nice fresh tomatoey taste. Score: 8/10

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of cheese, and it does not produce much grease.  Perfecto!  Score: 10/10

Toppings: The sausage comes in tiny ground up bits and has a pleasant fresh pork flavor.  The pepperoni is unremarkable.  Both toppings appear in sufficient quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The sausage and tomato sauce carry the day; I just wish there was a little more of each. Score: 9/10

Pizza Appearance: This pizza has a white appearance and looks more bland than it is.

Dining Atmosphere: Giovanni's has a pleasant casual dining atmosphere.  Live Italian music added a touch of class on my visit even if I didn't care for the music.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive even though they were busy when I came here early on a Sunday afternoon.

Monetary Value: The price is high, but the quality is also pretty high.  Thus, this pizza offers decent value.

The Final Judgment:

For a small town pizza restaurant, Giovanni's makes a flavorful pizza and offers a nice dining experience.  If I lived near Palestine, I would come here regularly.  Score: 89/100

Bella Sera Italian Restaurant in Marble Falls, TX

Basic Information:

Pizza: Bella Sera Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 701 N. Highway 281 in Marble Falls, TX
Website: https://www.bellaseratx.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: large (16") pizza with pepperoni and sausage
Price: $18.49 (pizza only; includes tax but not drink or tip)
Photos:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza at Bella Sera Italian Restaurant has a New York style crust.  It has a soft bready texture, but it is very thin underneath.  My pizza was baked just the right amount.  This crust is not exemplary, but it's not offensive either.  Score: 7/10

Sauce: I could taste something Texas in the sauce, but I'm not sure if it was spice or peppers.  It has a different flavor; not bad but different.  The sauce appears in acceptable quantity.  Score: 8/10

Cheese: The cheese is 100% mozzarella.  It appears in decent quantity but also produces a decent amount of grease.  Score: 7/10

Toppings: The sausage is of the horrible pellet variety, but at least it has a little flavor and spiciness.  The pepperoni comes in nice thick slices with a pleasant seasoned pork flavor.  Both toppings appear in acceptable quantity.  Score: 8/10

Overall Taste: There is just enough flavor from the sauce and the toppings to avoid being bland without being overspiced.  Score: 9/10

Pizza Appearance: The pizza's appearance is fine if you can get over the pellet sausage.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered carry out, but Bella Sera has a large dining room with a pleasant dining atmosphere.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: The price is a little high for this quality of pizza but only a little.

The Final Judgment:

For a small town pizza place, Bella Sera makes a very nice pizza.  If you find yourself in Marble Falls, I recommend taking a bella sera, which is Italian for beautiful evening, and dining here.  Score: 81/100

Slow Rise Slice House Pizza in Waco, TX

Basic Information:

Pizza: Slow Rise Slice House

Number of Locations: 2, both near Waco, TX
Location Reviewed: 1620 North M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.
Website: https://www.slowrisewaco.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: 2 slices of The Butcher (5 meats pizza); fountain drink
Price: $12.92 (includes drink and tax)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Slow Rise Slice House sells whole New York style pizzas and pizza by the slice.  Having nowhere to store leftovers, I ordered pizza by the slice.  The crust has the usual hard, over-crispy texture of reheated pizza, but I've had worse crusts in that regard.  At least the crust is strong enough to hold all of the toppings.  Score: 6/10

Sauce: This pizza does not have much sauce, but what sauce it does have has a fresh tomatoey taste.  Score: 7/10

Cheese: This pizza has a decent amount of cheese.  The cheese doesn't have much flavor, but it also does not produce much grease.  Score: 9/10

Toppings: The sausage appears in small wads and has a nice fresh taste.  The bacon has a pleasant pork flavor without being too salty.  The ham, pepperoni, and hamburger don't add much flavor.  The toppings appear in adequate quantity.  Score: 8/10

Overall Taste: There isn't a lot of sausage or bacon, so the overall taste is a little on the bland side, plus the crust is too hard.  Score: 7.5/10

Pizza Appearance: As usual for an all-meats pizza, the toppings dominate the appearance.  The pizza comes in nice large slices that fill the tray.

Dining Atmosphere: Here's where Slow Rise shines: they have a great, large outdoor patio overlooking the Brazos River.  I have reviewed over 180 pizza places, and this may be the most scenic place I have ever eaten pizza.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: Slow Rise offers solid pizza at a reasonable price, and the counter service saves on the tip.

The Final Judgment:

Slow Rise is a popular dining spot, and for good reason.  If you order carry out, you will miss what makes this place special.  I really enjoyed dining here even though the pizza is slightly above-average at best.  Score: 83/100

Roma Italian Restaurant in Texarkana, AR

Basic Information:

Pizza: Roma Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 511 E. 51st Street in Texarkana, AR (north side of I-30 just east of the state line)
Website: https://www.romaitaliantexarkana.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: large (16") pizza with Italian sausage, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $24.91 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5  stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza at Roma Italian Restaurant has a New York style crust with a nice crispy texture and medium thickness.  The crust is very blackened underneath, which suggests my pizza was slightly overbaked, but only slightly.  Score: 9/10

Sauce: This pizza has plenty of sauce, which is odd for New York style pizzas.  The sauce is slightly overspiced, but only slightly.  Score: 9/10

Cheese: This pizza comes with a nice layer of yummy, stringy cheese.  The cheese appears in adequate quantity and doesn't produce a lot of grease.  Perfecto!  Score: 10/10

Toppings: The Italian sausage is lightly spiced and appears in large yummy chunks.  The pepperoni is unremarkable.  The Canadian bacon tastes like fresh city ham, as it should.  All toppings appear in adequate quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The spices in the sauce slightly overpower the other flavors on this pizza, but overall everything works together pretty well.  Score: 8.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The pizza's appearance is a little bare around the edges, especially for a 3 topping pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Roma has a nice casual dining atmosphere with pleasant music, lighting, and a touch of class.  I enjoyed eating here.

Customer Service: I really enjoyed the service; it was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: above average quantity plus above average price equals average value.

The Final Judgment:

I had some tasty pizza and an enjoyable dining experience at Roma.  This pizza is some slightly better toppings and a slightly better sauce away from being elite.  Score: 88/100

Pizza Artista in Southern Louisiana

Basic Information:

Pizza: Pizza Artista

Number of Locations: 5, all in southern Louisiana
Location Reviewed: 219 St. Nazaire Road in Broussard, LA (near the Home Depot at US 90 and Albertson's Parkway)
Website: https://www.pizzaartista.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: personal (10") pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and bacon
Price: $14.99 (pizza only; includes tax but not drink or tip)
Photos:

Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Pizza Artista offers several crust options; of course, I chose the thick option.  The thick crust option has only average thickness.  It has a tough texture, but it is not particularly crispy.  The crust doesn't have a lot of flavor, bready or otherwise.  Maybe I should have ordered the thin crust option this time.  Score: 3/10

Sauce: The sauce has a pleasant tomatoey taste, and it appears in adequate quantity.  This is the strength of this pizza.  Score: 10/10

Cheese: The cheese is 100% mozzarella, and therefore it tastes rather bland.  The cheese appears in only average quantity, but it does not produce much grease.  Score: 6/10

Toppings: The sausage is the horrible pellet sausage.  The pepperoni has average flavor and a smidge of spiciness.  I almost didn't order the bacon, but I'm glad I did: it has a chewy texture and is not even a little salty.  The toppings appear in above average quantity.  Score: 7/10

Overall Taste: The overall taste is pretty average, as nothing adds any real flavor except maybe the sauce and the bacon.  Score: 6.5/10

Pizza Appearance: This pizza's appearance is marred by the wide ring of bare crust around the outside.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered take out, but the Broussard location has a medium sized casual dining area with a small gaming area.

Customer Service: The customer service was quick and attentive; my order was prepared very fast.

Monetary Value: The price is on the high side, especially considering the quality is not the best.

The Final Judgment:

Pizza Artista makes a passable pizza, but it could be much better with some better toppings and crust.  Maybe they should use a little less artista and a little more culinary skill.  Score: 69/100