Naked means natural, according to Naked Pizza, located in Bethesda at 4914 Del Ray Avenue. 10 grain crust, prebiotic agave fiber and probiotics allow Naked Pizza to back up their tough talk; but will it taste good? I stopped by yesterday to get the culinary 411.
The space is small, but clean and brightly lit... bathed in white. Dan, the cashier was friendly and polite, and took my order for a lunch special > 2-topping 10" pizza with a drink for just $8! Now that's special. He told me it would take 10 minutes to prepare my order; and rather than wait inside (they have a couple of window seats,) I went outside into a cozy oasis/dining area nestled between Naked Pizza and another building. Talk about great space utilization... brilliant!
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| Outdoor dining Oasis |
10 minutes on the dot, my pizza arrived. Dan delivered my pizza to my table and told me to enjoy my lunch (good service!) My first impressions were... looks nice, but corporate. There's no way somebody just rolled this crust out: Where's the love? Speaking of crust, it was a bit flimsy but all 10 grains were present and accounted for. Pizza sauce was bright red and zesty, although the cheese was nothing to write home about. Neither was the sausage, although there was plenty of it. Red onions were nice and fresh, and once again in abundance. Overall, nothing really stands out... aside from the fact that it's allegedly healthy.
That said, I loved the service and value (one of the best lunchtime specials in Bethesda) and the outdoor dining spot was comfortable and serene. The pizza is solid, not spectacular; but weigh in the intangibles, and you have a winner.
Atmosphere: B+ (Not at all what I expected. Very nice.)
Crust: B- (I prefer thinner, and less cookie cutter-esque)
Toppings: B- (No complaints)
Service: B+ (Impressive)
Value: B (Great price, and I love the Boylan Cane Sugar Cream Soda!)
Overall: B (Not the best pizza, but they do wonders with a small space)
