The Pizza Factory

Arrival:

When I got to the restaurant, I was met with immediate service. The girl at the front desk was nice. Very prompt. Too many times do I see an inattentive host or hostess at the restaurants I visit. They sat me down almost immediately. The server was very welcoming, and though I was alone, I was treated with just as much respect as a table with a family. That’s not to say that they spent just as much time with me, but this server wasn’t working just for tips- they cared about the service they were giving.

First Reaction:

I visited the Lindon location, and on the outside, it looks classic. The inside though, is very dated. The tables are older, kind of peeling their veneer, and the walls have obviously been painted over several times. There were burns around one of the outlets in a main wall. All together, these things made me feel like this restaurant is long overdue for a complete overhaul. As it stands, it might just crumble to bits if the wind blows too hard. Despite all of this, it appears to be clean, and it passes the under-the-table gum inspection.

I was set in a room that doubled as the all-you-can-eat salad bar room, away from the majority of the diners. I visited around dusk, so the whole room was lit by the west-facing windows. I was very comfortable, and was eager to try the food. I spent a bit of time people-watching. The majority of the people in the restaurant were middle-aged parents with a few children with them. I could tell that the visit was one they had made several times earlier, and the visit was likely a regular family visit. There’s something to be said for restaurants that can keep regular customers over the years.

The Food:

Some meals come with a breadstick before the meal arrives, and it seems like the majority of those who visit end up getting them. They cook their breadsticks by twisting dough around wooden dowels, and setting them in the oven. (Be careful! Don’t eat the whole thing before your food arrives, otherwise you’ll not have enough room for anything else!) I opted for a meaty marinara sauce to dip it in. These breadsticks were perfect! Perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored and at the perfect temperature to eat right off the bat. When you go, consider getting a bouquet of breadsticks for the family. (And make sure to bring your family.)

I ordered a medium pizza, half BBQ, and half Supreme, as those were the server’s favorites.

Here are some of the notes I jotted down as I was eating:

• I can taste the tomato in the barbecue sauce.
• Real mozzarella.
• Pizza cut all the way through. (Awesome! … and surprisingly rare.)
• Very thin bacon, makes for a crispy pizza topping.
• Perfectly formed crust,
• They use corn meal.
• Quality sausage, seared by the oven
• It looks like the chicken is grilled in-house
• Crusts alone.... Leave something to be desired, as the corn meal dries your mouth.

It’s worth noting that I dipped the crust in the leftover marinara sauce, and it was fine.

Oftentimes, the sauce is either too pasty and leaves a bad taste in your mouth, too salty, not spicy enough, or any number of other things could be wrong with it. The pizza sauce at The Pizza Factory is great. Not too salty, not too pasty, but just right. It doesn’t draw attention to itself, but it contributes to the bigger picture of the pizza.

Now, I’m going to talk about my least favorite part of the whole visit. I know that I might be grasping at straws here, but hear me out. The crust didn’t contribute to the pizza as a whole, besides being the bland means for which the quality toppings are delivered to the mouth. Allow me to let you in on a secret about me. I… hate… cornmeal. I can’t stress that enough. I HATE… cornmeal. It’s a lazy man’s way to prevent a pizza from sticking to the pan where it’s cooked. It is crunchy, but doesn’t contribute to the overall taste of the pizza like bacon. (Of course what can compare to bacon?) It detracts from the taste by being the first thing that hits your tongue, you can’t help but get it all over your fingers as you’re eating, and it gets everywhere. I swear I once found cornmeal in my pockets after visiting another pizza place that used it.

Altogether, I would deem my visit a pleasant experience.

If you don’t mind cornmeal, there’s no reason you won’t absolutely fall in love with the Pizza Factory.


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