Pie Five is a perfectly OK fast food alternative, I'm convinced this new franchise will do well but rating it on par with say ... Pure? I mean come on, that's simply preposterous!
I found a coupon in my mail box, my first thought was "great, one more pizza franchise, just what Matthews needed!" -Not. The concept looked intriguing: any pizza, any combination of toppings, one price (under $7) so I decided to check it out.
There was a small rush when I got there maybe 20 people ahead of me including kids. The help was hustling as fast as it could, particularly a kid in a black tee who seemingly was hammering down and garnishing everyone's pizza single handed -and feeling the pain. The order process was rushed, customers seemed overwhelmed and tended to say 'that's all' after only a couple of toppings.
Not yours truly, I asked for : classic pan crust, Tuscan marinara, minced garlic (turned out to be prepared garlic in oil), Mozzarella/Provolone blend, spinach, Italian sausage and bacon (both crumbled), red onions and artichoke hearts, sprinkled with parmesan and herbs mix on top. And a Stella with that.
Honestly what I got LOOKED great and was tasty - so it should be considering the toppings I picked. Why only 3 stars? Because quality-wise the toppings were middle of the road - not the worst but not gourmet either - but most of all because of the crust.
I'm not sold on the taste and consistency of this dough formulated to bake in 2 minutes or less - which this was.