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