Today, as I was leisurely strolling on University Way NE (The Ave, as most college students refer to it), I came across an unassuming place called MOD Pizza. Since I was hungry, and in the mood for some good pizza, I decided to walk in and take a look.
Finding the entrance was the hardest part. It was on a run-down side street, instead of being in the front as one would normally expect. Once in the restaurant, though, I felt invited by the relaxed atmosphere brought about by the architecture and lighting. What really distinguished MOD was the customizability of the pizzas. For no extra cost, I added 15 of my favorite toppings from the 28 available toppings, which ranged from pepperocini peppers to Canadian bacon. Using a bit of math, choosing any of 28 available toppings produces over 268 million different pizzas!
Selection: 5/5
What more can you say when there are over 268 million combinations of pizzas possible? And that’s just with the large-size pizza. They also offer a miniature-sized pizza, appropriately called a mini-MOD, and a salad with the same pizza toppings.
Ease of ordering: 4/5
For those who may not be familiar with the “choose-your-own” concept of ordering, MOD pizza may seem daunting at first, with so many choices of toppings. However, the list of toppings is right in front of you when you go to the counter to order, and you can even pick up a menu that has the list.
Value: 5/5
Good value is the combination of two factors: price and quality of food. MOD Pizza has some of the best value among pizza chains, with a large nine-inch pizza for just $6.88. Believe me, the nine-inch pizza is plenty, enough to satisfy a huge appetite. The pizza is quite thin, though, so apologies to my thick crust pizza lovers.
If you’re not in the mood, they have a six-inch “Mini-MOD” for $3.88. It’s actually enough to fill up the average person’s appetite. However, they will recommend that you put no more than 5 toppings on your Mini-MOD, lest you want your pizza to “cook weirdly.”
Speed: 5/5
How MOD manages to take your order, bake the pizza, and have it fresh and ready to eat is anyone’s guess. The service is extremely fast, even during peak times.
Friendliness: 5/5
The service is professional, and it’s manifest that the MOD Squad (employees) know what they’re doing. If you’re not sure what to order, they’ll help you decide. If you’re not familiar with the ordering process, they’ll guide you through it.
Overall rating: 9/10. This is one of the best pizza chains I’ve been to. What really impressed me the first time I walked in was the value of the pizzas. I was more than satisfied with my pizza.
