This might be the perfect season for a scrumptious, juicy, mouth-watering slice of pizza, but I did this back in November 2012; it was the first category I did. I couldn’t wait to eat pizza from three different restaurants in the same week. It’s a wonder I am not fat (big smile).
When one hears the word pizza, Guyana isn’t the place that comes to mind, but we certainly do have variety.
Remember that each restaurant was reviewed based on Environment, Customer Service, Efficiency and Food, with1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. I kept it simple and made it as fair as possible: I ordered a cheese pizza.
Pizza Hut
I have known Pizza Hut on Vlissengen Road my entire life. Of course when I walked through that door I knew I should be looking at the place as if it was the first time I had seen it, but I couldn’t help it. Memory showed me that Pizza Hut has been sliding downhill for years with little or no attempt to halt it. From over used plates and forks to retired tables; and I felt worried for the children who dared to go into the ‘play pen’.
Customer service is not the best but they are some nice wait staff. One such was the female who kept up a friendly conversation with me, while assisting me as I stood at the cash register pretending to ponder which pizza I wanted. And of course there was her opposite; a woman behind her fidgeting as she served drinks and shouting to the cooks at the back in a conversation unrelated to pizza!
I sat down and waited for my pizza that came roughly 15 minutes later. The reason I wasn’t frustrated was because I kept looking at a display screen that updated me on the process of my cheese pizza. What did get me upset was several huge fans on the ceiling bellowing like bulls.
What the restaurant lacked in appearance, it made up for in food. Although the pizza had a thick layer of dough, it was cheesy enough to create a balance. I had a personal pan pizza, which was cooked to perfection.
Environment: 1, Customer Service: 3, Efficiency: 4, Food: 4. Total Review: 3 Stars.
Mario’s Pizza
Fairly new to Guyana, Mario’s Pizza has made quite an impression on teens and young adults for its soothing, comfy atmosphere. The homey feeling is welcoming and the minute I walked through the doors the smell of cheese hit me.
The cashier looked at me with a straight face but her tone was satisfactory. To put her to the test, I changed my order several times before she put it into the cash register but she showed no sign of frustration. I realised she was not grumpy, just not a smiley person.
When I sat down was when I felt it – cramped. Quiznos had taken up a quarter of Mario’s but I pushed it off my mind as the smells of food enveloped me.
I gradually grew tired of waiting. It was well over 20 minutes before I got my pizza. The taste is very distinct from that of Pizza Hut’s; thinner crust and a little too oily for my liking.
Environment: 4, Customer Service: 4, Efficiency: 3, Food: 4. Total Review: 4 Stars.
Pizza Boys: Diamond Branch
Pizza Boys is a baby compared to other restaurants. Small in size, a year old and always leaves an unforgettable impact, it is a pity this Trinidadian restaurant is miles south of Georgetown in the bustling East Bank village of Diamond.
The restaurant shares a building with JR Burgers and Royal Castle; together the unified organisation is called Diamond Food Court and it is a pretty little nest. Do sit on the wooden picnic like area outside if you don’t mind the heavy roar of traffic. If you do, inside is quite serene.
I ordered a cheese pizza and the smiling employee thanked me. I was never thanked for buying food before so I said “You’re welcome” in the geekiest tone ever. I only waited for about five minutes, so I assume they just heated the pizza.
I admired the environment, even though I felt I should not be rating it, as it is a shared space. I didn’t eat the pizza at the restaurant though.
The cheese pizza was half of everything I saw in the display: thin to the point of being crispy but delicious to the point of slapping oneself.
Of the three pizzas, I found this one to be the most unusual, but in a good way.
Environment: 5, Customer Service: 3, Efficiency: 4, Food: 4. Total Review: 4 Stars.