Many of us eventually get fed up with the usual pizza chains like Dominos or Pizza Hut, but most students do not know there are alternatives.
If you are looking to diversify your pizza options, there are two pizza places I sampled near the Downtown Phoenix campus that will make you skip the chains every time.
The Pizza People Pub has a great dine-in atmosphere with bar seating, normal booths and long couches to give it a lounge-like feel. There is both inside and outside seating available, and the outside patio has gas heaters for the colder nights.
I especially like the atmosphere here because even at its busiest, it still offers a relaxing atmosphere after a long day of classes, without the crowd normally found at a bar or grill on a Friday night.
During the weekdays, the Pub is open until 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on the weekends. They even offer a take-out option so customers can take the deliciousness home.
Although the Pizza People Pub sells more than just pizza, I ordered their most popular item, the "Testeroni" Pizza, which included red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, ground beef, house-made Italian sausage, onion and fresh basil. I also ordered a drink and a dessert.
The pizza was an adequate size for one person and the ingredients tasted fresh. Additionally, the cost was reasonable with their speciality pizzas coming to about $15.
If you are looking for something more unique, you also have the option to create your own pizza based on your taste or dietary restrictions. There are vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options.
I paired the pizza with a Odell Myrcenary Double IPA, which was unfortunately from the can. However, they had a couple of other beers on tap.
Finally, for dessert I had a half-baked chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. I was disappointed because the dessert tasted great, but the size was rather disappointing.
The second pizzeria is called Grand Avenue Pizza Company, located south of the Downtown Campus. Grand Avenue Pizza Company, unlike Pizza People Pub, has more of a mom and pop pizzeria feel and limited inside seating.
They make up for the lack of indoor seating with cozy, unique patio seating. The patio is filled with original sculptures made from scrap metal, and on cold Phoenix nights it has an abundance of heaters throughout the patio.
It is about a mile from the Downtown campus, and it is most accessible by car. Grand Avenue Pizza Company is not only dine-in but also delivers to Taylor Place. The best part is that their hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. every Tuesday through Saturday, which aligns perfectly with the late night outings of a typical college student.
This is especially great for when you get those late night cravings once all the major chains have closed.
What I ordered:
Grand Avenue Pizza Company sells a 12-inch personal pizza, a normal 18-inch pizza to share and they also sell by the slice.
I ordered the "Stallion" which is considered a "signature pie." The Stallion includes red sauce, pepperoni, spicy sausage, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, fresh jalapeños, red onion and shaved parmesan.
The personal pizza was similar to the one at Pizza People Pub, but the one at Grand Avenue Pizza Company had more of a New York style to it, as it had thinner crust but was larger in diameter.
The personal signatures run about $16, but can be cheaper if you create your own.
Final thoughts and decision:
Overall, both were great places to eat and both had their own distinct atmospheres, but my favorite is Grand Avenue Pizza because of its accessibility to college students. It is also easier on the college budget.
The problem that arose at Pizza People Pub is that you can only order personal pizzas, while Grand Avenue Pizza Company allows customers to order a slice, a personal or a larger pizza to share with some friends.
Reach the reporter at jaramo12@asu.edu or follow Jorge Ramos on Twitter.
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