Attempt #119 - Herb N' Lou's Pizza [West Branch IA]

 The Venue 

105 N Downey St,
West Branch, IA 52358
(319) 643-7373

 

Venue Outside

West Branch, Iowa is singularly famous for being the birthplace of the 31^st President, Herbert Hoover in 1874; which contains the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and National Historic Site. The restraint is named after him and his wife, Lou Henry. The restraint has table and booth seating. For those walking in for the first time, it is important to stand in line immediately to place and pay for your order THEN find a seat.  They provide a ticket stub and will call your number. Our group arrived at 6:30 on a Friday evening; which is likely the worst possible time; however, as a result, we waited 2 and a half hours for our order. Our group was disappointed in the slow service.

 

 

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Menu: https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=524401383020243&set=a.2389895317751434&type=3

Participants: 5 (3 children)

Pizza Ordered:  3

Sizes Offered/Ordered: Large (14”), Medium (12”), Small (10”), Mini (6”)

Pieces Cut: Triangular

Menu

 

1.    Evan O’Neil Special – Garlic butter sauce with mozzarella and cheddar cheese (Large, $19.25).

 (Medium, $21.49).

 

2.    Lite Lou – Mushroom, onion, green pepper, and black olive (Large, $19.25).

 

3.    Chicken Bacon Ranch – Homemade ranch sauce, garlic chicken, bacon, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, topped with homemade ranch (Large, $19.25).

 

 

Verdict

Lite Lou [Veggie], 14" Large, $19.25

Sauce: This was a hard one top judge, as the Chicken Bacon Ranch had ranch dressing, the Evan had no sauce and the Lite Lou had a small amount of marinara sauce.  From what I did taste, I wasn’t too impressed as it tasted like it was out of a can.  The ranch was homemade in house, which was worthy of a higher vote in my opinion.

Cheese:  The cheese was thick, and paired with the crust, it made the pizza go a lot farther than we thought it would just by looking at it.

Crust: The crust was of average to thick; although it tasted a bit manufactured.

Toppings: The toppings were plentiful and had a well-balanced placement on the pies.  On the veggie the topping continually slid off.

Evan O'Neil Special, 14" Large, $19.25

 

Final thoughts:  The long waiting for the pizza was draining on the team, as we were running out of patience.  The pizza was decent, but nothing to write home about.  The crust tasted a bit cheap and processed; although the toppings were plentiful.  The veggie lacked flavor, although the Chicken Bacon Ranch was very flavorful. This spot is a local’s favorite in the area.  However, I’d rather order from another place. 

 

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

Overall 7.00

Cheese 7.80

Topping 8.00

Sauce 7.20

Crust 7.40

Venue 7.00

Chicken Bacon Ranch, 14" Large, $19.25

Favorite: Chicken Bacon Ranch