Thursday, my first choice for a pizza to review was Spinato’s, but it was not to be.
Spinato’s (on Glendale) has been taunting me for some time now. I’ve never driven past it at a convenient time to stop and have a pizza, and, as it is tucked away in an oddly positioned strip mall, it’s very easy to miss.
Much to our surprise, when we arrived Thursday around 7:30, it was packed, there were people standing outside waiting to be seated. As we were hauling two small children, we decided to move onto a backup location, but I was intrigued that they had such a good business on a Thursday night.
When I returned home that night, I began researching Spinato’s. I was surprised to learn they’d been in business in Phoenix since 1974 and had four locations around the valley. How they’d remained under my radar is beyond me.
I also discovered an unusual number of online reviews that were all positively glowing, although the fact that many of them singled out spinach pizza as Spinato’s best was worrying.
And so it was with a lot of anticipation that we entered Spinato’s today, just after they opened for the day.
The restaurant is a nice, family-friendly establishment (In fact, the motto “The Family Pizzeria” is emblazoned on all their tables, so it is the market they cater to.)
Their primary pizza is a Chicago-style thin crust, but they also serve a thick (Siciliano) style. I had the lil’ (7″) thin crust pepperoni, my wife had the 7″ thick crust for comparison. Honestly, we didn’t see much difference in the thickness of the two pizzas, although her had a thicker outer edge and had pizza sauce spurted all over the top like a ketchup-colored dessert frosting.
The Pizza
I’m not usually a fan of Chicago style crusts (thick or thin) because they’re usually more like bread and less like a crust. Spinato’s was no exception. The dough was well-cooked, but soft and puffy, but the flavor was good.
The pepperoni was… unnoticeable. Buried underneath the cheese, I completely forgot it was there until I was halfway through the pizza. The cheese was plentiful and good.
The problem with this pizza was the sauce. It’s sweet, really sweet, and therefore overpowering. It was also laid on heavy.
Buried just underneath a solid layer of cheese, this ocean of sauce tended to flow away from where you bit, forming pressured bubbles of hot liquid that, when ruptured spurted geysers towards innocent passersby.
I burned myself when one jet shot out over my hand like a fountain of blood in a Sam Peckinpah movie. I found myself planning my bites with great care to prevent a repeat.
Still, it was a nice place to eat with friendly staff and efficient service. In spite of the sauce, it was still a pretty good pizza. I’ll recommend it to others with the caveat that the sauce is just too sweet for me.
Cost: 7″ Pepperoni = $5.20, cost per square inch = $0.14 (0.135) making it quite expensive. (The next smallest pizza is 12″ at $8.70 or $0.08 per square inch bringing it down to a more reasonable number.)
Conclusion: Recommended (but beware the sauce!)
Spinato’s has 4 locations, but the review was at:
Spinato’s Pizza
1219 E Glendale
Phoenix, Az
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