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| 16" Large Sausage Pizza |
As a rule, I try to avoid pizza delivery, but $8.99 for a 16" one-topping pie is hard to resist. Paisano's Pizza left some coupons/vouchers in our lobby; and a rare night at home allowed me the opportunity to finally try the #1 Pizza in DC, Maryland and Virginia (as voted by WTOP listeners.) I came this close to stopping by their Georgetown location a few days ago. The same pizza I ordered tonight would have cost me $14.79 + tax. I got it for $8.99 + tax and a $3 delivery surcharge (plus a $4 cash tip.) Looking back, it would have been cheaper to carry out, but way less convenient. Price notwithstanding, the more important question is... did it taste good? Read on.
Delivery: Paisano's website is a bit outdated, and didn't allow you to order from the Georgetown location. That's a big oversight, but calling (202) 298-6800 was a breeze, and allowed me the chance to confirm the $8.99 special price. The order taker was easy to understand, and very friendly. It only took a few minutes to place (and pay for) my order. Initial delivery time estimate? 40-45 minutes. Actual time? 24 minutes. Even the delivery guy was nice, so Grade: B+ (fast delivery = very impressive.)
Food: Good and bad. The cheese and sauce tasted unremarkable, and the thin crust was paper thin (too thin, even for me) but crispy. No char on the base, but good tasting sausage (and tons of it.) Apparently, Paisano's is very generous when it comes to toppings: Three cheers! I'd prefer a slightly thicker crust and more sauce. In fact, there wasn't even enough sauce to evaluate (I even lifted up the cheese, but nada.) Perhaps, it was just an oversight. Let's hope so. Grade: C.
Value: 16" is a lot of pizza. A lot. I couldn't finish half of it, which means (hopefully tasty) leftovers tomorrow. $8.99 is a great price; but when you factor in the $3 delivery charge and tip, some of the luster starts to wear off. Grade: B-.
Overall: My first Paisano's pie was better than average; but is it #1 in the DMV? No way. Customer service and delivery were top notch, and there was lots of sausage; but I probably won't order it again. Close to a B-, but taste is everything, and that's where this pizza falls a little short. Grade: C+.
