The Iowan Pizza Chronicles: Attempt #32

Venue Outside

The Venue

5505 Center Point Road NE,

Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

(319) 393-0258

Within a small strip mall, there is a Mexican/Italian place that many of the local Cedar Rapids/Hiawatha restaurant know of. Of our group of 10 participants, none of us have been this place. It is very spacious, and has a relaxed feel to it. A large bar is present right when you walk in, and on the left there is a dining area that looks as if you can even rent it out for a small party. The Italian entree's is highly praised as being some of the best in town. The owner apologized to us in advance, their oven only fits 2-3 pizzas at a time, so there was a small wait in between our 6 pizzas. He also mentioned how he would have liked to purpose a 45 gallon mixer for the kitchen, so he can make homemade dough; however, there is not enough space so he has to settle with frozen crusts. The large room on the left was very cool looks, with a giant tree roped with white lights, and presents surrounding it. They had a large Santa display along with other fun teddy bears for the holidays up. The restaurant had high chairs and plenty of space on a Thursday night, which is perfect for those who has kids. You can find their menu online at: http://www.papajuansstefano.com/papa-juans-stefanos-american-pizza-menu.htm

Menu

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Our group consisted of 10 (1 of which, was a watcher) participants; so we ordered 6 pizzas. They currently serve five specialty pizzas, so we ordered one of each. Each pizza only came with only one crust. We ordered them in the only size, a 12". Each pizza cost roughly $13. The pizzas were:

Chicken Alfredo - Our homemade Alfredo sauce with red onions, diced tomatoes, green peppers, and sautéed chicken covered with mozzarella cheese ($12.99)

Taco - Seasoned beef with salsa, green peppers, red onions, cheddar cheese, and sautéed chicken covered with mozzarella cheese ($12.99)

Drunken Chicken - Out homemade pizza sauce covered with chicken sautéed in Jack Daniel's bourbon and topped with red onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese ($12.99)

Chicken Boom Boom - Our homemade Alfredo sauce combined with our new boom boom sauce gives pizza a kick in the feathers. Some like it hot and this is it! With chicken, bacon, pepper jack cheese, jalapeño and mozzarella cheese ($12.99)

BBQ Chicken - Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce with bacon, green peppers, red onions, cheddar cheese, and sautéed chicken covered with mozzarella cheese ($12.99)

Pepperoni - Pepperoni and mozzarella ($12.99)

The Verdict

Chicken Boom Boom ($12.99)

BBQ Chicken ($12.99)

The pizzas were cut into triangular-shaped pieces. The crust was average...it reminded some of Jack's self rising pizza crust. It was good, but not $13 good. The sauce was prepared well...one can easily taste the their Alfredo sauce was homemade by its freshness. The topping consistency was plentiful, as it should be. As typical Mexican restaurants go, they served chips and salsa as a appetizer. The favorite pizza of the group was the spicy Chicken Boom Boom. It is NOT as spicy as the Union Station's Hot Head (which is a good thing for most!), and it yet very cheesy and spicy with lots of flavor. The BBQ Chicken came in as a close second favorite. The sweetness of the BBQ sauce was terrific. I had a hard time deciding! The Drunken Chicken would be perfect for those who like to drink bourbons and other whiskeys. The Taco was pretty good too, the pizza had lot of shredded cheddar cheese on it paired with Doritos, which was very tasty. The pizza size is perfect for a family of four, considering that chips also come with the meal. The wait staff was friendly, and helpful, and the owner was a terrifically nice guy. Although most probably don't come to Papa Juan's for the pizza's, they are definitely worth a try, if you have the chance.

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 7.56

Cheese 8.00

Sauce 7.22

Topping 8.11

Crust 6.00

Venue 8.67