The Pie Pizzeria

She said:

Not knowing what to expect, we soon discovered that The Pie is mostly a self-serve kind of joint. Customers order and pay at the counter, get their drinks from the soda machine, and help themselves to plates, napkins, and utensils from a cubby. When an order is ready for pick-up from the counter, your name is called over an intercom.

My impression was that The Pie was aiming for a hip, urban vibe, and they were successful. This was evidenced by the black industrial-looking ceiling, the faux brick walls splattered with graffiti, skateboards and snowboards used as wall art, and a mix of alternative and classic rock blasting from the speakers. Think Green Day, The Killers, CCR, and the like. The other thing to note is that everything was dark. It felt like being at a nightclub on a Saturday evening.

Anyway, we ordered a Half-Baked Cookies and Cream, a chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, and a Maraschino cherry—minus the whipped cream because the kitchen had run out. It was a tasty dessert, and the serving was ample enough to satiate the sweet tooths of 2-4 people.

After digging into the dessert, our pizza was ready. The Pie’s Combo consisted of pepperoni, smoked ham, salami, Italian sausage, linguica, ground beef, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. Although the toppings were generous, the linguica was unexpectedly spicy and I would have preferred a slathering of extra sauce. I’d say that the pizza was fine. Average. I think I was expecting something a bit more extraordinary.

He said:

Nestled between the South Jordan City Hall and a County Library branch, The Pie Pizzeria performs one of the most important civic duties: serving pizza! We entered the building to find an entryway with walls entirely adorned with awards, covering up the ever-present graffiti. “The Pie,” as it is known, has annual awards going back to the 1990s, a sign of both its popularity and longevity. Moving on, we discovered that we would have to place our order at the counter, as Kathy mentioned.

We took a moment to peruse the menu on the wall. It was hard to decide what to get just by reading the names of the pizzas on the board. We would have liked to examine a menu in hand before ordering. You might want to check out their website before you go, as it has both pictures and descriptions of their offerings. There were plenty of options, a good mix of traditional as well as more exotic pizzas.

We stuck with something typically American, The Pie’s Combo. They also offered less typical pies, such as a Greek pizza and they had a Thai version, as well. Their current specialty is The French Quarter Pie, with Cajun sausage, shrimp, basil pesto, Feta cheese, and “voodoo marinara”. I was intrigued by the Bacon-Berry Pie but wasn’t able to read its description until later. Had I realized that it wasn’t kidding about the berries . . . well, I don’t know if I would have tried it. I would have had to persuade Kathy to go along with it. Still, I would have been tempted, just for the novelty. The Bacon-Berry Pie features a sweet strawberry-balsamic sauce, oven-roasted chicken, bacon, Feta cheese, and a topping of chopped cilantro and fresh strawberries. Maybe next time.

We filled our glasses from the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine and then went upstairs, which has a larger dining area than the main floor. The upstairs area did have its own service nook, with napkins, plates, and utensils, but it would have been nice to have a second beverage machine upstairs to make refills more convenient.

Kathy mentioned the graffiti on the walls, but it was more than a few artful sprays of paint. Nearly every portion of the walls was covered in scrawling names, sketches, and other commemorations, enshrining people’s pursuit of pizza. They scrawled on the walls, railings, and light fixtures. I suspect The Pie encourages patrons to add their own memorials, but Kathy and I didn’t know the custom, so we abstained. We probably wouldn’t have participated, anyway. On top of the graffiti was a variety of pop cultural décor. The X-Games featured into some of it. I also saw some music and movie sketches, but nothing too current. I liked the charcoal portrait of John Belushi’s character, Captain Wild Bill Kelso from the movie “1941.”

We began with the gooey chocolate chip cookie topped with ice cream. We told them not to wait for the pizza to be ready, so we started with dessert. The cookie filled the bowl, which was almost too hot to handle. There was more than enough ice cream for both of us to finish. Kathy took the sole Maraschino cherry, of course. I would think that a double serving deserves more than a single cherry.

When they called our name, I picked up our 12-inch combo pizza. It had a bready crust, nicely browned and neither doughy nor overcooked. They did not skimp, for an abundance of toppings sat upon the pie. The vegetables were fresh. I enjoyed the flavors. I wouldn’t have noticed that they sauce was light, but now that Kathy mentioned it, I agree that more wouldn’t have gone amiss. The thick crust and generous toppings meant that half the pizza was sufficient for the two of us. We boxed the remainder and took it home.

Conclusion:

We found plenty of patrons even shortly after the lunch hour had begun, a testament to The Pie’s popularity. The Pie Pizzeria is definitely a casual place, but it has plenty of character at a reasonable price.