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| Cheese & Pepperoni slices at Upper Crust Pizzeria |
Upper Crust Pizzeria's first foray into the nation's capital didn't work out as planned (the Pennsylvania Avenue, NW space was taken over by Custom Fuel in 2013) but that didn't spell the end for the popular Boston chain. They regrouped, and opened two new locations in the DMV (Arlington and the U Street Corridor.) Coupon in hand, I stopped by the latter for a quick slice(s) last night, and came away totally impressed.
Ambiance: It's a tight fit, but nice & clean with chill music (D.H.T., OneRepublic) and a few fancy fixtures. Outdoor seating too, for nicer weather.
Food: I ordered two slices (one cheese, one pepperoni) and couldn't have been happier. The crust is pencil thin, but there's a great char underneath. It was heated perfectly, and delivered to my seat (nice touch) in mere minutes. Tastewise, it's delicious (especially the pepperoni.) No grease whatsoever, and bursting with flavor. The aforementioned pepperoni was nice & crispy. Perfect balance of cheese and sauce (not too much of either) and overall, very clean and easy to handle.
Service: Good service is hit or miss in this neighborhood (especially fast casual) but once again, I was very impressed. Warm greeting? Check. Coupon? No problemo. In fact, the cashier (Samuel) even applied it to the more expensive ($3.59 vs. $3.25) slice, which may not sound like a big deal... but really is. Bonus points for coming around the corner to deliver my slices straight to my seat. Superb.
Overall: I'm not a big fan of (very) thin crust, but Upper Crust Pizzeria packs a lot of flavor into their delectable slices. Truth be told, it takes two slices to fill you; but they're not that expensive, and they offer creative combos (including a Slice of the Month) as well as 25 different specialities/full pies. Open until 3 AM, Friday & Saturday nights.
