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