Springfield Pizza, part one
I have decided, in the name of expanding my own horizons ever so slightly and having something, no matter how petty, to do, that I will taste the product of every locally owned pizza restaruant here in Springfield, MO. Mostly in order to track my progress, and also to help me remember which ones are worth going back to, I’ll be posting reviews here.
For a start, let’s throw out some Big Chains, just to get them out of the way:
Pizza Hut is probably my favorite national chain. I like the sauce, I like all their crusts, I like the toppings, I like the sides. In the Dark Days before 2019 when Everything Delivery came to Springfield, the choices for pizza delivery (or food delivery in general) basically came down to the Hut, Domino’s, or Papa John’s, and the Hut was my default.
Papa John’s is...not bad? I actually prefer their crust and some of their toppings (dat ham, mmmm) to Pizza Hut, but the sauce is bland and there’s just something lacking in most of their product. Like they could be great, if they just tried a little harder, but they don’t.
Domino’s...man, Domino’s is the Perfectly Serviceable of Big Chain Pizza. I won’t turn down a slice of their product, but I probably won’t reach for it if there are any alternatives. Everything about their product is just not as good as the competitors, even if only barely. Sorry, Domino’s. But hey, you’re cheap and you’re edible and that got me through some times in my early twenties.
Recently we got a Bellacino’s, and man are they good. They’re more expensive than most, but you definitely pay for quality. The sauce is nice and tangy, the toppings taste fresh, and the crust is something else. It’s like they use bread dough instead of pizza crust...so airy and fluffy. And the grinders! If you haven’t eaten one of their Cubans, you’re missing out.
The newest Big Chain in town, that I know of, is Marco’s, and they’re another hit. A soft, thin crust perfect for folding, a well seasoned sauce and a selection of toppings you don’t get elsewhere. Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t.
There’s a Godfather’s in Nixa that delivers to my apartment, barely. I found their product perfect fine. Not great or stand out in any way, but...perfectly fine.
And that’s it for Big Chains, as far as I can recall. Next we’ll start with local places I’m discovering, or rediscovering after some time away. If you’re reading this and you’re local to Springfield MO, feel free to drop me a line regarding places I should check out.