The Iowan Pizza Chronicles: August 2014

Monday, August 18, 2014

Attempt #39 - Ruby's Pizzeria

Venue - Outside

The Venue

223 2nd Street SW

Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

(319) 200-4800

Ruby's Pizzeria is a new and promising restaurant in downtown Cedar Rapids. Its sleek and trendy decor includes high and low top tables, booths, and outdoor seating on the street. The wait staff was friendly, and the place was pretty busy for a Monday night. They currently do not offer specials during the week. Expect to pay around Tomaso's prices, with possible Tomaso's (or better) yields. You can find their pizza menu here: http://www.rubyspizzeria.com/pizza/.

The Pizza

Chicago Style: Yes, No

Crust Thickness: Thin, Average, Thick

Large, New York Crust, Queen Margherita ($16.95)

Our group consisted of 9 participants, so we ordered four large pizzas (16"). They currently serve five specialty pizzas, each with their own recommended crusts; we ordered all of them except the veggie. The pizzas were:

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza - Our Chicago crust, but pressed thin and topped with ground beef, bacon, diced tomato, pickles, mozzarella and cheddar cheese (Large, Chicago Crust [thin], $22.60).

Meatball Pizza - Ruby's homemade meatballs, onions and green peppers on our New York crust (Large, New York Crust, $22.60).

Taco Pizza - Our New York crust topped with seasoned ground beef, refried bean/salsa sauce, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, shredded lettuce, nacho chips and sour cream (Large, New York Crust, $22.60).

Large, New York Crust, Meatball ($22.60)

Queen Margherita - Fresh mozzarella, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil on our New York crust (Large, Detroit Crust, $16.95).

Pepperoni - (Large, New York Crust, $17.95).

The Verdict

The pizzas came out in triangular-shaped pieces.

The cheese, sauce and toppings were all excellent. The cheese-to-topping ratio was just right, and the interesting and creative sauces were a hit (from ketchup on the Bacon Cheeseburger to a spicy bean spread on the Taco). One participant quoted, "Ruby's rivals Tomaso's as the best pizza joint in town." Everyone rated Ruby's very highly; the lowest ratings were a few 8s, which tells you that Ruby's knows a thing or two about great pizza. The owner of the restaurant was working in the back to make these masterpieces! Ruby's is the #1 place thus far, so the next time you want to go out for some great tasting pizza, head to Ruby's Pizzeria!