Attempt #69 - Lucky Penny

The Venue

Venue-Outside

1705 Boyson Road
Hiawatha, IA 52240

(319) 200-4312

This restaurant is located in the same location as the Brickside Cafe was located. In fact, they use the same pizza oven. The establishment serves a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor. I noticed they put a lot of money into the granite tabletops, and penny lined bar top. They even had a shuffleboard table. The wait staff were a little tired when we arrived at 6pm on a Tuesday night. The venue appeared to be winding down, which was unsurprising considering it was a week night. The waitress we had served our large group well, covering drinks quickly. The pizzas were brought out together, which was a benefit. They also accommodated us by handling our large group via a reservation within a three hour notice.

Menu

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Menu: https://www.luckypennypub.com/menu

Participants: 10

Pizza Ordered: 6 (the sixth was the Sweet Tooth Pizza [Dessert])

Sizes Offered/Ordered: One size (12”)
Crusts Offered/Ordered: One style, thin

Pieces Cut: Rectangular-Shaped

Pepperoni – $9.25.

Carnivore – Sausage, Pepperoni, Black Sheep Bacon, with mozzarella on tomato sauce - $10.00.

Chicken Pesto – Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper, Mozzarella, and Goat Cheese on a Basil Pesto Sauce - $10.00.

Margherita – Fresh Mozzarella and Basil on ta tomato base - $10.00.

Sausage, Black Olive – Build-your-own - $10.50.

Venue-Oven

The Verdict

Sauce: This was average, nothing special.
Cheese: It appeared as if it was cooled, so it seemed unappetizing. It tasted good though.

Crust: This was also very average. Considering how Brickside Cafe used that exact same oven, I am aware that it can produce better crust. I was disappointed to find that they did not use semolina flour on the bottoms of their pizzas.

Toppings: Average (lighter side)

Venue-Bar

Final Comments/Considerations: Good news, the Lucky Penny beat out the Brickside Cafe in terms of ratings! Although their toppings aren't unique, their crust and sauces are average-I would think this would be a good place for a first date. There's nothing risky about the venue or the pizza, however, there is not anything surprising by it either. The pricing may need more adjusting given pretty much every pizza is $10, but this place is still new and trying to get on its feet. Check them out for your next date night!

LUCKY PENNY	BRICKSIDE CAFE (was in same location, now out of business)
Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best. Overall 8.10 Cheese 7.70 Sauce 7.30 Topping 8.25 Crust 7.75 Venue 9.00 Favorite: Chicken Pesto	Overall = 8.06 Cheese = 7.89 Toppings = 6.56 Sauce = 6.67 Crust = 9.00 Venue = 7.83 Favorite: The Greek

Chicken Pesto, $10.00

Margherita , $10.00

Sausage, Black Olive, $10.50

Carnivore-$10.00

Pepperoni - $9.25

Slices

Sweet Tooth Pizza, $8.00