(pizzahut.com) – Ballard/Crown Hill
How I heard of this place: Pizza Hut, to me, is the epitome of greasy, American pizza. While I know I have known of it and sampled it on numerous occasions throughout my life, one time it really struck me was in Gibraltar – when out of nowhere, my travel companion and I spotted the symbol we were all too familiar with in the States, the red and white, the roof, the symbol of American cuisine, in Spain.
Type of cuisine: Having started (from what I recall) as an all-American, family pizza place, the Hut has branched out to offer pasta, wings, p’zones, breadsticks and dessert. It’s all greasy. It’s all quick. It’s all heavy. It’s all weighed down by pounds and pounds of cheese. It’s all-American!
Ambiance: This particular location is more of an order to take away or for delivery. My dining companion and I stopped there to place an order to take out after two of our other choices were closed due to the heavy snowfall and icy road conditions of the night. Fluorescent lights illuminate the space, two walls of which have floor-to-ceiling windows to gaze out onto the dark, snowy November night. One booth and another table with chairs is available for patrons wishing to stick around and enjoy a meal; but seem to be catered to staff wanting a seat while on break. The order counter and kitchen space is large and extends as far back as the eye can see, while the order/seating area is small and meager. Posters advertise the new menu items and discounted specials, including the cheesy bites pizza, which, in our case, worked.
What I ordered: We had two coupons. One included a no-purchase-necessary box of cinnamon sticks ($3.99), a freshly baked treat, loaded with cinnamon and sugar, and served with white icing for dipping. The second was a buy-one-large, get-a-one-topping-medium-for-free. So our order included a large pepperoni pizza ($18) with a stuffed crust and a free supreme with the cheesy bites crust. The specialty supreme pizza was topped with tomato sauce, regular cheese, pepperoni, pork sausage, beef, mushrooms, green bell peppers and onions.
What I loved: My favorite part was the cheesy bites along the edges of the supreme, which also satisfied our hunger immediately! The vegetables came in plenty and the cheese not scarce in either of our orders. The pepperoni pizza was amply supplied with pepperoni and the sweet dough crust offered a nice complement to the abundance of cheese and salty meat.
Why I loved it: It was quick. It was greasy. It was the perfect comfort meal on the first real snow day of the season. It was the perfect complement to an evening of sitting on the couch and watching the first season of “Pushing Daisies” into the wee hours of the morning.
Cost: Average ($12-$20 for a specialty pizza, depending on size and special deals/discounts; coupons available online)