According to the company website, the chain originated in Upstate New York in the 1960s before soon relocating down to Forest Park, Georgia. I can't say that most New Yorkers regard the Upstate area as the hub for great pizza, so maybe thats how they wound up in the South.
Anyway, I should first off note that Johnny Brusco's is more of a restaurant that serves pizza rather than a pizzeria. My buddy Kevin and I were greeted by a waitress who took our orders. Kevin ordered one of the lunch specials, a pepperoni slice with side salad and a drink ($5.75). I ordered a cheese slice ($1.95), and took the waitress' recommendation for her favorite specialty slice, which was The Gourmet (a whopping $4.95). According to the menu, The Gourmet comes packed with fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes, black olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese -- interesting, at the very least.
All three of our slices were about average in length but particularly thin. I will say theres a clear difference between making a thin crust pizza and making a pizza that cuts costs on production, and these slices were unfortunately the latter. This may be less of the franchiser's fault and more of the entire franchise itself -- we weren't aware Johnny Brusco's was a chain until after we had left. Still, in its defense the cheese pizza had a nice crisp to it and an alright consistency between cheese-sauce-crust.
The slice's flimsiness was most noticeable with toppings. The grease from Kevin's pepperoni slice easily seeped through its crust, making it hard for him to hold it up straight. While the toppings were generous on my Gourmet slice, the subpar crust made it impossible to hold without toppings falling off onto the plate. Its a shame, because after struggling through half the slice I was finally able to notice that it was quite tasty.
The Verdict:
The Plain Cheese Slice: The slices are smaller than you'd like, and are especially thin in size. Still, theres a good mix between cheese, sauce and crust, with nothing overwhelming the other. 3/5
Toppings: I got the feeling some of the toppings on my Gourmet, the artichokes in particular, were from a can but they certainly did not cheap out on the quantity (see above) and they all blended together very well for a fresh taste. 3.5/5
Value: $1.95 isn't bad for a cheese slice these days, even at its thinner size -- but $4.95 is a bit outrageous no matter what the toppings are (I could also tell that the slice was simply a plain cheese with toppings put on after the fact). As for my friend's "Lunch Special", I would say there are better deals out there than $5.75 for a slice and small salad. 2/5
Overall: I'm going to give this place the benefit of the doubt and note that slices and lunch specials -- the main focus of this blog -- aren't really their thing. Perhaps this is more inclined for taking some of your kids out on a weekend after church (I do live in the suburbs, after all) As for me, between the problems with the slices and higher costs, I will probably be taking my slice business elsewhere. 2.5/5
5349 Ballantyne Commons Parkway
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 321-1700
5349 Ballantyne Commons Parkway
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 321-1700
