Attempt #14 - Zeppelin's Pizzeria

Outside of the Restaurant

The Venue
5300 Edgewood Rd NE, Suite 800
Cedar Rapids, IA  52411
(319) 378-9377

The Menu

Zeppelin’s Pizzeria opened to the public in February of 2012l; so the vibe is pretty fresh.  They put in some cool looking paintings on the wall, with a clean, polished look.  It has seating for 2–4 people with booths and one four person table.  As of 05/22/2012, they offer no specials any night of the week.  This pizza place will give you the impression that it surely is a step up from the local area, with its gourmet pizza selection.   

The Pizza

Chicago Style:  No
Crust Thickness:  Thin

Our group consisted of 6 participants; so we ordered three pizzas.  Two were 12” medium pizzas, and one was large 14” pizza.  We chose:  The Psycho Killer ($19.95:  Pepperoni, Italian sausage, red onions, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives);  a medium veggie pizza ($14.95L  Mushrooms, green peppers, block olives, red onion, Roma tomatoes, broccoli, artichoke hearts) and a medium Taco pizza ($16.95:  Seasoned ground beef, refried beans, lettuce, onions, tomato, black olives, green peppers, nacho chips, and seasoned sour cream). 

The Verdict

The pizza was cut into traditional slices with evenly distributed, toppings.  The pizza selection was small, with only four specialty pizzas (of which, we ordered three!).  The sauce was perhaps the best (in my opinion) that we’ve had yet with a distinct spice with a small twinge of sweetness from the tomato.  The crust was flour-based, hand tossed, and thin which gave the pizza an authentic feel; however, with the Psycho Killer it was soggy in the middle…a common issue with overloaded pizzas.  The Taco Pizza and the Psyco Killer were the favourites among the participants.  The meal was a bit on the pricey side;  Two beers, Two pops, Two Medium 12” Pizzas, One Large 14: Pizza for $70 with tax. The upside is that the venue was basically empty on a Tuesday night, so we got right in, and it also meant we had exceptional service.

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 8.08
Cheese = 7.67
Toppings = 8.00
Sauce = 8.33
Crust = 6.17

Venue = 8.50

The Medium Veggie

The Large 14" Psycho Killer

Closeup of a slice of the Psycho Killer

The Medium 12" Taco

Attempt #13 - The Flamgino

A nice view outside

The room serves as a nice banquet hall

The Venue

1211 Ellis Boulevard Northwest 

Cedar Rapids, IA  52405

(319) 365-1534

The Flamingo is a catering company/banquet hall that is open to the public on Friday nights, starting at 4 PM.  Each week, they put a $3 off coupon in the Pennysaver for a pizza, which is good up to 5 pizzas, according to the waiter ($3 off each pizza, with a limit of five pizzas).  Although this business was badly affected by the Flood of 2008, it got back up to speed, and it looks better than ever!  The place looks great, with new furniture, and remodeled woodwork.  Their brick baked pizza recipe has been around since 1953… 

Beef, Black Olive, Green Pepper, Onion 13 Inch

The Pizza

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Thin

Our group consisted of 6 participants; so we ordered three medium 13” pizzas.  We chose:  Flamingo Conglomeration ($19.50:  Italian sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, black olives, green peppers, onion);  a pepperoni and cheese pizza, and a ground beef, green peppers, and onion pizza.  The topping selection minimal, and the combo pizzas were a bit expensive.  In fact, there were only two specialty pizzas to choose from, the Flamingo Conglomeration, and George’s Gourmet Special ($14.00:  Italian sausage, green peppers, and onion, no substitutes!).  The crust was cracker thin, with a nice snap, after biting into it, and the sauce was sweet, as if they used sun dried tomatoes or sugar additives. Overall, this pizza was one of the thinnest we’ve encountered in the Cedar Rapids area.  The toppings were a little lacking, even on the Conglomeration where it was supposedly overloaded. 

The Verdict

Flamingo Conglomeration 13 Inch

The pizza was cut into traditional slices with evenly distributed, toppings.  The pizza selection was very small, and the crust resembled that of cracker consistency.  Given the high price for these pies, I doubt we will be going here just for the pizza in the near future.  The venue was very nice inside, with a helpful staff, a full service bar, and a clean fancy dining area.  In a way it felt odd to be eating pizza at this place…it seemed like the kind of place where you would have a 3-6 course meal at.  My one final word is, if you like thin pizza, this may just be your niche. 

Flamingo Conglomeration Slice

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 6.06

Pepperoni 13 Inch

Cheese = 6.50
Toppings = 6.16
Sauce = 7.33
Crust = 6.17

New!  Venue = 10

Attempt #12 - Bushwood Sports Bar & Grill

The Venue

The Venue

350 Edgewood Road

Cedar Rapids, IA

(319) 390-7140

Bushwood’s in 2012 is clearly a bar; however, it was not always the case.  In fact A few years ago, it was a pizza-focused restaurant.  One thing Bushwood’s clearly haven’t forgotten is how to make an excellent pizza!  On Tuesday nights, a 2 topping medium pizza costs just $7.  Be warned, the parking lot is full at 6:30 PM, so make sure you get there early.  This place is busy on Tuesday nights, so make sure to stake out a table if you have a large group.  The service was stressed, but the pizza, and price easily made up for that. 

The Pizza

Sauerkraut & Beef 14" Medium Pizza

Pepperoni & Onion 14" Medium Pizza

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Average

Our group consisted of 7 participants; so we ordered four medium 14” pizzas.  We chose:  Canadian Bacon/Pineapple, Black Olive/Italian Sausage, Pepperoni/Onion, and lastly a Sauerkraut/Beef pizza.  The topping selection wasn’t the largest (or the smallest) that we have seen, and the combo pizzas were a bit expensive.  Nothing out of the ordinary caught our eye at this point in our pizza quest from the menu.  That’s why we stuck with the 2 topping Tuesday night special.  The crust and sauce were my personal favorite.  An excellent job on those two segments. 

The Verdict

The pizza was cut into traditional slices with evenly distributed, toppings.  This was by far, the best “traditional” (non-Chicago style [deep dish]) pizza most of us have encountered in the area.  The dough had a small hint of sweetness, but it was just the right amount of chewiness/bready feel to it.  The sauce had a pinch of spice, and the toppings and cheese portions were just about right on.  Some of the toppings we choose seemed to have less flavor than other pizzas (for instance the Sauerkraut/Beef pizza was bland compared to the Pepperoni/Onion).  Whatever we ordered, we clearly enjoyed, as shown below by our ratings. This is the highest rated pizza place of the twelve that we have visited.  Zoey’s Pizza in Marion, IA has moved down to #2.

Canadian Bacon & Pineapple 14" Medium Pizza

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 8.86
Cheese = 9.50
Toppings = 8.50
Sauce = 9.36
Crust = 9.00

Italian Sausage & Black Olive 14" Medium Pizza



Attempt #11 - Leonardo's Pizza

The Venue

2228 16th Avenue Southwest 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404

(319) 364-5537 

Very few restaurants have been around in the Cedar Rapids, IA area longer than Leonardo’s Pizza.  For over 50 years, this place has been feeding people at all hours of the day.  On Monday nights, the deal is a large 2 topping 16” pizza and a pitcher of pop for $13.  Sadly, none of their specialty pizzas fit under this category.

A view of the inside of Leonardo's. Notice all of the awesome leather!!

The most unique thing about this place is the atmosphere.  It seems to be a cross between a 1930’s mobster club with its large red leather cushion booths. Even the walls are lined with black cushiony leather.  Some say it resembles that of a strip club with its brass poles which hold up little windows which serve to separate the booths and tables.  If you haven’t been to this restaurant, I would highly suggest to make the trip, for the unique atmosphere alone..plus their food is pretty good.  I recall that their waffle fries were outstanding!

 

16" Large Chicken Fajita.

The Pizza

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Average

Our group consisted of 7 participants; so we ordered two large 16” pizzas, and one 13”.  Each extra large specialty pizza cost around $19 apiece, with the medium coming in at around $14.  The menu listed about 8 specialty pizzas to choose from.  From this selection we choose the following: 

16" Large Ruben.

1.      Combo - Sausage, Mushrooms, Pepperoni, Green Pepper & Onion.

2.      Ruben – Sauerkraut, three cheeses, and beef served with Thousand Island salad dressing (on the side).  This was the most flavorful of the bunch.

3.      Chicken Fajita –Fajita-style Chicken, sauteéd Green Peppers & Onions w/three cheeses.

A bonus is that they were more than willing to split ½ and ½ on the pizza’s giving us a variety; however, due to the number of participants, we decided to keep each pie to a single flavor.  My favorite was the Ruben…five of us preferred this pizza when compared to the other two.  The remaining two pizzas each received one vote. 

The Verdict

13" Medium Combo Pizza.

The pizza was cut into traditional slices with evenly distributed, toppings.  There may have been an excess of cheese, which made the pizza a bit greasy.  In some cases the crust was a little soggy.  The flavor from the Ruben was outstanding…the best Sauerkraut pizza I’ve encountered to date.   The Combo was what you would expect…a meaty pizza that could use a bit more flavor or spice.  The Chicken Fajita was good; but not memorable though.

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.

Here's a closeup of the Combo!

Overall = 6.71
Cheese = 6.14
Toppings = 7.28
Sauce = 6.14
Crust = 4.42

Here's a closeup of the Chicken Fajita!

Attempt #10 - Michello's Pizzeria

The Venue

808 7^th Avenue

Marion, IA  52302

(319) 377-5787

Michello’s Pizzeria has a few amazing specials each Monday and Wednesday nights—their specialty large 16” pizzas go on special, buy one, get the second one (of equal or lesser value) for half price.  On Wednesday’s all pizzas are 25% (which is essentially the same offer, without the one pizza restriction).  The restaurant is a popular among locals…most people seem to have their pizza delivered.  They have a few tables in the dining room area, with the maximum seating to be around 30 people.  The place has a very homey feel to it-the kind of feel that you get from a locally owned joint that treats their customer’s well.  The staff was very accommodating to our needs. 

All 12 taste testers (Well, 11 since I'm taking the picture...)

The Pizza

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Average to Thin

Our group consisted of 12 participants; so we ordered EIGHT large 16” pizzas.  Each extra large specialty pizza costed around $16 apiece, with every other one coming in at $8. 

1.      Margheritta - Light pizza sauce, fresh basil, fresh tomato slices & a sprinkle of sea salt, fresh mozzarella and fresh garlic.

2.      Rustica - Full flavored and spicy. Imported Italian tomatoes, fresh garlic, goat cheese, mozzarella cheese, shaved parmesan, capers and basil.

3.      German - Pizza sauce, bratwurst, sausage, sauerkraut & cheese.

4.      Gyros - Light pizza sauce, gyros meat, tomato, onions, cheese and side of cucumber sauce.

5.      Chicken Philly - Light pizza sauce, grilled chicken, onions, mushrooms, peppers, mozzarella & cheddar cheese.

6.      Mexican - Pizza sauce, spicy ground beef, jalapeno, mozzarella, cheddar, tomato and cilantro.

7.      Tropicana - Pizza sauce, pineapple, Canadian bacon, mango & cheese.

8.      Mediterranean - Pizza Sauce, Italian Sausage, pepperoni, black olives, green olives, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

My favorite was either the Gyro or the Chicken Philly Pizza.  My wife, Nicole, preferred the Mediterranean (because of the olives) and some others strongly preferred the Rustica (because of the goat cheese).  The Mexican was also a kicker…the spiciness of the jalapeño’s really kicked in!  This was a good pizza to counter the sweetness of the Tropicana.

German, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Chicken Philly, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Gyro, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Rustica, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Margheritta, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Mediterranean, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Mexican, 16" Extra Large Pizza

The Verdict

The pizza was cut into squares, which gave us a more “traditional” feel when digging in, plus it allowed us to sample multiple pizzas with ease.  The toppings were evenly distributed, and the cheese was just about right.  For some of us, the pizza was not as thick and saucy as they would have liked.  Everyone loved the variety of all the unique styles and toppings of pizzas.  Some of the common complaints I heard were that the pies needed more sauce and the sauce itself needed a bit more spice to it.  The crust was a bit too thin for some of us, in a couple of cases the center pieces were a bit soggy.  The restaurant offers a wide selection of interesting pizzas, with very delicious toppings-it scored some of the highest ratings in the topping category that we’ve ever seen!

Tropicana, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 7.75
Cheese = 7.58
Toppings = 9.00
Sauce = 6.25
Crust = 5.50

Attempt #9 - Riley's Cafe

The Venue

515 Williams Blvd

Fairfax, IA 

(319) 845-5040

Riley’s Café used to have their own pizza joint located in the back of their Fairfax restaurant’s business, however, it has since conciliated into one business.  Each Monday night, their specialty large 16” pizzas go on special, so instead of $12.99, the price drops to $8.00 for a pie.  The restaurant has a heartland, home cookin’ feel to it, lightly decorated with old memorabilia.  They have large booths that could easily fit three people in each side, perfect for a family.  This is the only location that still serves pizza.  For those of you who don’t know, Riley’s has two other locations in the Cedar Rapids area, one on Center Point Road, and another on 1^st Avenue NE in Cedar Rapids. 

The Pizza

“The Hawaiian Delight” [toppings:  ham, pineapple]

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Thin

Our group consisted of 5 participants; we ordered just two large 16” pizzas.  The first was called “The Carnivore” [toppings:  pepperoni, italian sausage, canadian bacon, ham, hamburger], and the second was “The Hawaiian Delight” [toppings:  ham, pineapple].  My favorite was the meat loaded carnivore; however, others preferred the hawaiian, since Italian sausage isn’t always the most appetizing to some.  

Cross-section of "The Carnivore"

The Verdict

The pizza was cut into squares, which gave us a more “traditional” feel when digging in.  The toppings were plentiful, and the cheese was just about right.  For some of us, the pizza was not as thick and saucy as they would have liked.  The crust was New York style, so all those thin crust lovers might be in for a treat.  It wasn’t super thin though, and certainly not crispy.  There was a slight amount of breadyness to it which made this pizza on par with that of Miguel’s (in my opinion).  Overall, it is a great value for the $8 price.  I would go back and order another pizza, especially after a long day from work on a cold Monday when I didn’t want to cook. 

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 8.0
Cheese = 8.2
Toppings = 8.6

Attempt #8 - Xavier's Cocktail Lounge

The Venue

1401 1st Ave SE

Cedar Rapids, IA

(319) 364-9313

Each week Xavier’s has a ad in the PennySaver for ½ price on all medium (12”) pizzas from 4:30 – close on Tuesday night.  We decided to give it a try, with our largest pizza attempt to date, totaling 10 participants.  This longtime Cedar Rapids establishment has been in business for 35 years, and the pizza is a well known staple in the community.  The restaurant itself had a full service bar with several booths and tables.  It made the place a bit tight for groups of 8 or more, as the dining area was only two main rooms.  Old antique collectables were hung on the wall, that seemed reminiscent of an Applebee’s (but not as corny), or maybe Tic Toc, which is another local Cedar Rapids restaurant. 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

The Pizza

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Thin

Because of our large group, we ordered six medium 12” pizzas! One Pepperoni, one Ba Da Bing (spicy meats, garlic, peppers), one vegetarian, one taco, one supreme (referred to as “The Conglomeration”), and one buffalo chicken.  

My favorite was the buffalo chicken; however, others preferred to vegetarian, pepperoni, and Ba Da Bing! 

The Verdict

Ba Da Bing! Pizza

The pizza was not as saucy as most of us would have liked.  One noted that the cheese thickness was as deep as the crust.  The crust was New York style, so all those thin crust lovers might be in for a treat.  Overall, it is a good value for ½ price, but most of us doubt we would rate it as high as we did if the price was not discounted. 

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 6.78
Cheese = 7.21
Toppings = 7.10
Sauce = 6.75
Crust = 5.80

Pepperoni Pizza

Veggie Pizza

Taco Pizza

Conglomeration Pizza