Pizza Al's near Morgantown, WV

Basic Information:

Pizza: Pizza Al’s

Number of Locations: 5, all near Morgantown, WV or Pittsburgh, PA

Location Reviewed: 192 Jim Street in Granville, WV (in University Towne Center between I-79 exits 153 and 154)

Website: https://www.pizzaals.com/

Date of Review Visit: October 2019

What I Ordered: small (14”) sausage and pepperoni pizza; cherry coke to drink

Price: $13.25 (includes tax and drink)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Pizza Al’s is a hand-tossed crust with medium thickness and a fresh bready taste.  The texture does not stand out, but my pizza was baked to perfection.  Overall, this crust has more good than bad.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: This pizza is rather undersauced, and the sauce contains chunks of tomatoes and tomato peels.  I don’t like finding things in my sauce, and that plus the lack of quantity make it not my favorite sauce.  Score: 3/10.

Cheese: This pizza is definitely not undercheesed.  The cheese comes in a thick, yummy, stringy layer that produces only a little bit of grease.  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The sausage comes in ground up bits that are rather tasteless.  The pepperoni is what some pizza places call old world pepperoni, and it has exactly the right amount of spiciness.  Both toppings appear in average quantity.  Score: 7/10.

Overall Taste: What this pizza has comes together pretty well, but the lack of sauce really leaves a vacant spot on the taste palette.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: The cheese dominates the pizza’s appearance, which is fairly average.

Dining Atmosphere: Pizza  Al’s Granville location has a nice casual dining atmosphere with two large TV’s that were tuned to sports programming on my visit.

Customer Service:  The service is counter service, and it was quick and to the point on my visit.  

Monetary Value: The smallest pizza Pizza Al’s makes is a 14” pizza, and for a 14” pizza with decent quality the price cannot be beat.  Bring a friend or be prepared for leftovers.

The Final Judgment:

Pizza Al’s calls themselves the best pizza in Morgantown, and I can see why. If you are in need of large pizzas, perhaps to feed a large group, Pizza Al’s should be at the top of your list.  It would be part of my regular pizza rotation if I lived near Morgantown.  Score: 83/100.

Lubrano’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Somerset, NJ

Basic Information:

Pizza: Lubrano’s Pizzeria and Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 1830 Easton Avenue in Somerset, NJ (near I-287 exit 10)

Website: https://lubranos.chinesenj.net/index.html

Date of Review Visit: August 2019

What I Ordered: 3 slices of sausage and pepperoni pizza; 2 20oz Dr. Pepper’s to drink

Price: $14.77 (includes tax and drinks)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Lubrano’s only makes large pizzas, but for individuals they sell reheated pizza by the slice.  The crust is thin and crispy, kind of what you would expect for reheated pizza.  While reheated pizza never has the best crust, this crust is near the top of its pizza category.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: True to the New York style, the sauce does not appear in high quantity, but it has a nice tomatoey taste.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: The cheese comes in two types: a layer under the pepperoni and a few shreds scattered atop the sausage.  The bottom layer is thick, stringy, and yummy.  The shredded top layer does not add much to the pizza.  Also, this cheese produces quite a bit of grease.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni has just the right amount of spiciness.  The sausage is a somewhat bland mild Italian sausage, and they used the strips rather than the chunks on my pizza because the chunks were frozen.  Both toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 9/10.

Overall Taste: The overall taste is a little on the flavorless side, but it is not bad for reheated pizza.  Score: 14/20.

Pizza Appearance: The appearance is odd due to the slices of sausage.

Dining Atmosphere: Lubrano’s has a purely functional no-frills dining room.

Customer Service: The service is counter service, and it was fine despite the fact that the menu is very complicated.

Monetary Value: The price seems high, but this was basically dinner for two people.  The pizza slices are big, so in fact the value is pretty good.

The Final Judgment:

Lubrano’s is a nice pizza option, especially if you are in need of large pizzas.  Score: 82/100.

Capone’s Pizza Bar in Branford, CT

Basic Information:

Pizza: Capone’s Pizza Bar

Number of Locations: 2, both near Branford, CT

Location Reviewed: 2400 Foxon Road in North Branford, CT

Website: https://www.caponespizzabar80.com/

Date of Review Visit: August 2019

What I Ordered: small (12”) pizza with sausage and pepperoni; Coke to drink

Price: $13.83 (includes tax and drink but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Capone’s calls their pizza New Haven-style pizza, which apparently means a thin crispy crust with skimpy toppings.  The style and texture of the crust are fine, but my pizza was overbaked with a hard, blackened crust.  This crust is a good idea that needs better execution.  Score: 7/10.

Sauce: The sauce does not appear in a lot of quantity, but it has a nice tomatoey taste.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: Capone’s uses a tasty cheese blend that includes some yellow cheese: the orange you see on the pizza in the picture below is cheese, not grease.  The cheese appears in good quantity too, and it is the strength of this pizza.  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The toppings are applied rather sparsely, and both the sausage and the pepperoni have a hint of spiciness.  The toppings that exist do the job as best they can, but the pizza could use more of them.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: This pizza could be fantastic, but the lack of toppings and the burnt crust really keep this score down.  Score: 7.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza’s appearance is odd due to the orange cheese.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining area has a nice casual dining atmosphere with Al Capone-style decorations and big TV’s tuned to sports shows.  They also have a bar side to the dining room that the Baptist I am did not utilize.

Customer Service: The waitress did not pay me a lot of attention even though I was the only customer in the dining side of the restaurant.

Monetary Value: The quality is pretty high, and the price is not crazy given that you are in Connecticut.  Also, this is a 12” pizza, not an 8” or 10” pizza most places call a small.  Overall, the value is pretty high.

The Final Judgment:

I like Capone’s, but it could be so much better.  Score: 80/100.

Bertucci's Pizza

Basic Information:

Pizza: Bertucci’s Brick Oven Pizza and Pasta

Number of Locations: 23 across 7 states, mostly in the northeast; based in Boston, MA

Location Reviewed: 280 School Street in Mansfield, MA (near I-495 exit 12)

Website: https://www.bertuccis.com/

Date of Review Visit: July 2019

What I Ordered: small (10”) pizza with sausage and pepperoni; Coke to drink

Price: $18.48 (includes tax and drink but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Bertucci’s is crispy but not as thin as you would expect for a brick oven pizza.  The crust has a nice texture with some cornmeal baked into the crust.  My pizza was baked the perfect amount.  What’s not to like?  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: This pizza features a Pizzeria Uno-style sauce with juicy chunks of tomatoes.  The sauce appears in high quantity, and it has a fantastic tomatoey taste.  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: This pizza is slightly undercheesed, and what cheese does exist is a rather bland mozzarella.  On the bright side, it does not produce much grease.  Score: 7/10.

Toppings: Bertucci’s calls their chunky sausage a sweet Italian sausage, and their characterization is accurate even though it has only a slight sweet taste.  The pepperoni is slightly spicy, but the spiciness builds on your taste palette as you eat more of the pizza.  Both toppings appear in adequate but only adequate quantity.  Score: 8/10.

Overall Taste: The spiciness of the pepperoni clashes a little with the sweetness of the sausage.  The sauce really saves the day.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza is asymmetrical in shape, and the large chunks of sausage dominate the appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: Bertucci’s has a nice casual dining area with comfortable seats.

Customer Service: The service was prompt and friendly.

Monetary Value: Even for a 10” brick oven pizza in New England, this pizza is very overpriced relative to what you put in your mouth.

The Final Judgment:

Bertucci’s makes a nice pizza, but in the brick oven category I like Brixx more.  Score: 82/100.

Wicked Good Pizza in Rhode Island

Basic Information:

Pizza: Wicked Good Pizza

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 12 Nooseneck Hill Rd. in West Greenwich, RI (just north of I-95 exit 6)

Website: https://www.wickedgoodpizzari.com/

Date of Review Visit: July 2019

What I Ordered: small (8”) pizza with sausage and pepperoni; 20 oz. Dr. Pepper to drink

Price: $9.99 (includes tax and drink)

Photos:

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Wicked Good Pizza makes thick crust pizza, but the texture is odd for a thick crust pizza: it is completely chewy with no crispiness at all.  My pizza was baked exactly the right amount, but the texture really sets this crust back.  Score: 5/10.

Sauce: The sauce appears in slightly above average quantity and has a nice tomatoey taste.  I like it.  Score: 9/10.

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of cheese.  The blend seems to be a rather flavorless 100% mozzarella, and it leaves slightly more grease than I would prefer.  Score: 7/10.

Toppings: Both toppings appear in thin slices, and neither has a lot of flavor.  They do appear in high quantity.  Score: 7/10.

Overall Taste: The best tasting thing on this pizza is the sauce, which means that the overall taste is fairly unremarkable.  Score: 7/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza has a well-balanced appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining area is a set of stools with a counter, which made me happy that I ordered carryout.

Customer Service: The service was counter service, and it was to-the-point and quick.

Monetary Value: The pizza quality is not great, but the price is pretty low.  Therefore, the value is above average.

The Final Judgment:

With nothing exceedingly wicked or good, Wicked Good Pizza is a solid pizza option but no more.  Score: 76/100.

Chester's Pizzeria in Hamilton, OH

Basic Information:

Pizza: Chester’s Pizzeria

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 2929 Dixie Highway in Hamilton, OH (at the corner of SR 4 and Bobmeyer Rd.)

Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Chesters-Pizza-100063781013445/

Date of Review Visit: June 2019

What I Ordered: small (8”) pizza with sausage and pepperoni

Price: $8 (includes tax but not drink)

Photos:

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust on Chester’s pizza is not the thickest crust I have eaten, but I still classify it as a thick crust.  The crust has great texture: gold and crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside.  The blackened cheese on the edge provides fantastic flavor.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: This pizza has plenty of sauce.  The sauce has a nice thick texture and a great tomatoey taste.  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of cheese.  The cheese tastes like some nice fresh provolone, but it leaves slightly more grease than I would prefer.  Score: 9/10.

Toppings: Both toppings appear in satisfactory quantity, but neither the pepperoni nor the sausage has a lot of flavor.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: The cheese and sauce combine to give this pizza a fabulously rich taste.  No matter what toppings you order, you will get a flavorful pizza.  Score: 9.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks like yummy pizza with plenty of cheese and sauce.

Dining Atmosphere: (not applicable: Chester's is carryout only.)

Customer Service: The service was friendly and prompt.

Monetary Value: Rarely do you see pizza this good for this cheap.  Only the fact that this is an 8” pizza as opposed to a 10” pizza prevents a perfect score.

The Final Judgment:

I was born in Hamilton, OH, and my birth-town’s signature pizza comes through with flying colors.  Miss Chester’s at your own peril.  Score: 93/100.

Gerry's Pizza Italian Restaurant in Rockford, IL

Basic Information:

Pizza: Gerry’s Pizza Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 7403 Argus Dr. in Rockford, IL (beside Red Roof Inn)

Website: https://www.gerryspizza.net/

Date of Review Visit: May 2019

What I Ordered: 10” thick crust pizza with pepperoni and sausage

Price: $11.47 (includes tax but not drink or tip)

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Gerry’s Pizza offers thick and thin crust options.  As will come as no surprise to any regular reader of this blog, I chose thick.  Unlike many thick crust pizzas, this crust is thick under the entire pizza, not just around the edges.  The crust has a lot of body, but it is a little too crispy and bulky in places.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: This pizza has plenty of sauce, but the sauce has a strong garlic taste that overpowers any tomato taste and pretty much every other taste on this pizza.  I’m not a fan of garlic, and therefore I am not a fan of this sauce.  Score: 4/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in excellent quantity, and it is a stringy mozzarella that does not leave a lot of grease.  I like it.  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The sausage and pepperoni both appear in high quantity, but neither one has a lot of independent flavor.  Score: 7/10.

Overall Taste: The taste of garlic really overpowers everything else.  That’s too bad because there are some other good things going on here.  Score: 7/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks like a nice thick crust pizza with the odd but not unheard-of square cut pattern.  

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered carry-out, but Gerry’s has a large dining area with a single TV tuned to game shows on my visit.

Customer Service: The service was friendly and fine.

Monetary Value: The price is fairly high considering all I ordered was a 10” pizza with no drink.  Better value can be found elsewhere.

The Final Judgment:

Gerry’s is not the best pizza in Chicagoland, but it’s not bad.  I prefer Lou Malnati’s or Uno’s to Gerry’s.  Score: 77/100.