Damgoode Pies

4.6 / 5

If you talk to anyone in Little Rock who knows their pizza, they'll likely bring up Damgoode as a must-try.  This pizzeria began where the original shop still stands, a cramped 2-story, only 1000sq.ft. building cozily located in the heart of Hilcrest/Heights on Kavanaugh Blvd.  And despite their expansion to 3 other locations, this was the one I had to visit.

Damgoode's claim to fame comes from three things: 1. Their vast array of sauces and sauce combinations (Original Red, Alfredo, Pesto, Spicy White, Spicy Alfredo, Tomato Basil, Pesto Cream, Garlic Butter, and Pink!); 2. The quality of their toppings (you wont taste processed meat or canned veggies here); and 3. Their Stuffy pie.  So, as is tradition, I ordered a Supreme Stuffy pie with Pink sauce.  MMMmmmmmmm

As you can see from my pizza above, this is no ordinary pizza. "Stuffy" pays tribute to the traditional Chicago stuffed crust pizza (with twice as much food) for only a few dollars more.  It consists of a thin, bottom layer of dough with a hand-rolled crust and another, thick layer of dough on top.  Sandwiched inbetween is your cheese and alllll the fillings.  And trust me, Damgoode does not skimp on the toppings when you order a Stuffy.  For instance, if you get Pepperoni, the bottom layer of dough is covered with pepperonis on top of pepperonis until there is no dough exposed.  And thats just one topping. 



The Pink sauce is a mix between the spicy white and the original red and dang is it tasty with just enough kick.  You really can't go wrong with anything on this menu, and the atmosphere is edgy, yet relaxed (I heard jam bands like Widespread Panic on the stereo when I walked in, gotta love it).  Great for lunch too where you can get a 6", a side salad, and a PBR (or any other drink) for under $7.  By far our favorite place so far and have already been back multiple times, getting a 4.6/5.

www.damgoodepies.com

U.S. Pizza Co.

3.8 / 5

Our next stop on our list of 'zas was U.S. Pizza Co.  I frequented the Rodney Parham location back in high school and couldn't wait to get some of their crispy pizza and salad (one of the few, if only, pizza places that I actually WANT salad; or else it's just wasting valuable pizza space in my stomach).

Ken and I's "MeatZa."  MMmmmm

Ken and I decided to split the MeatZa(above); a smorgasbord of all things hearty and manly: Beef, Sausage, Italian Sausage, Canadian Bacon, Sliced Pepperoni, with Mozzarella cheese, and baked with their special marinara sauce (they also have a white alfredo, pesto, and an olive oil sauce which are good, too). 

If you're a thin & crispy pizza lover then pick up your phone and order U.S. Pizza, now.  You can tell they still use those stone hearth ovens, the St. Louis style crust flakes off into pita chip-like crisps; perfect for dipping in ranch and/or marinara.  The toppings consisted of quality meats, and I especially enjoyed the spicy seasoning to the italian sausage.  Our Official Scientific Grease Test(ha) showed the pie had a little bit of grease for flavor, but not very much at all.  Overall, this was a pretty delicious pizza pie. 

Uncle Sam wants YOU to try this pizza

 (as long as you pay the sales tax, too) 

U.S. Pizza for this particuar pie gets a 3.8 out of 5, not the best pizza, but definitely a damn good one.  And make sure to try their salads or some of their pizzas with other sauces (ie. the Dan's Favorite).  See you next time!

www.uspizzaco.net

-SR

Jim's Razorback Pizza

3.3 / 5

This young, sports-themed pizzeria located in West Little Rock (with multiple locations in central Arkansas) is a great place to meet up, grab a beer, and watch a game on one of their dozen flat-screen TV's or on their projecter.  They also have daily brew/food specials, lunch deals, and eight or so arcade games to choose from, including a mini basketball hoop (my personal favorite). 

This was a return visit for me and I brought Ken along for our lunch break. Their 'Thick Crust' is a Sicillian-style, square pie with a good deal of cheese and sauce. It's tasty and filling. A good value, especially if you enjoy hearty, cheesy pizza, but it's no more than a slightly above-average pizza pie.

On this day, Ken went with the 'Thin Crust,' an almost St. Louis-style piece with little sauce and a quarter-inch layer of cheese baked into a cratered crust. Ken chose Pepperoni, Sausage, and Mushroom (his actual pizza is pictured above). He noted that the less sauce and cheese really brought the flavor of the toppings out, especially their pepperoni, which had a nice kick to it. Overall, a pretty well styled pizza.

Jim's Razorback includes a decent salad bar, too. I'm mentioning this because they have a House dressing that is completely different from any salad dressing I, or Ken, has ever tasted. It's a mustard yellow color but has a very oily consistency with pepper speckled throughout. I felt like this dressing had four different flavors, it starts out really sweet, then more bold and vinegar-y flavors come in, and finally a spiciness kicks you in the tongue about 5 seconds later. In fact, Ken was in the middle of saying that he didn't taste any spice before interupting with, "Ooooh, damn, there it is."

For pizza, I'd rate it around a 3 but the atmosphere/experience convinces me to bump Jim's Razorback  Pizza up to a 3.3 out of 5.

http://www.razorbackpizza.com

-SR