by Carly Schuna
I recently dined at both Pizza Hut and Pagliai’s to compare and rate each in categories of service, atmosphere, food, and general perks and drawbacks. I first brought Alex Leach ’06 with me to Pizza Hut, and then brought him and Betsy Root ’06 with me to Pagliai’s the following week. Here are our experiences:
Pizza Hut
Service
Our server at Pizza Hut was friendly and courteous. When Alex and I walked in at 8:20 p.m, he approached us immediately and said, “Just so you folks know, we close at 9,” and explained why tabs couldn’t be credited to the system after 9 p.m. We hadn’t checked the hours, so we were grateful to be told our time limits.
Through the night, however, our server seemed to grow slightly more distant. I ordered a glass of milk with the pizza Alex and I were sharing, and was told that they had no milk. The server didn’t provide any alternatives, or explain which beverages they did have, so I just ordered water.
When our drinks and pizza came, the server set them down without saying anything. Though Alex claimed this was “because [the server] was too cool for me,” I found it a little impersonal. I also thought it would have been considerate for the server to approach us mid-meal and ask us how everything was, but instead he approached us mid-meal and asked if we would mind if he vacuumed the carpet while we ate.
Rating out of 10: 6
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of Pizza Hut was predictable and comforting. It was near Valentine’s Day when we ate there, so red metallic hearts were stuck on the walls, and roses were stationed in the middle of the lunch buffet bar.
The booths were comfortable and the tables clean, but it was way too cold in the restaurant. I was tempted to put my coat on while we ate, and even Alex agreed that it was pretty chilly. We were sitting immediately next to a window, so that could have been why.
Rating: 7
Food
Alex and I ordered a large thick-crust pepperoni-lovers’ pizza, which arrived approximately 20 minutes after we ordered it. Neither of us had any qualms about the food; the pizza was hot, fresh, and tasted wonderful.
The slices were very greasy, however, which is to be expected—but our server had only given us one napkin each, so Alex had to go up to the counter to ask for more.
The leftovers of the pizza stayed good for several days before the freshness factor began to wane.
Rating: 8
General Perks/Drawbacks
One advantage of eating at Pizza Hut is that the pizza always tastes the same, so if you’re in the mood for a certain kind, you’re guaranteed to get the flavor that you want.
I also thought it was funny that Pizza Hut’s decór included a mock display of pizza cutters through the ages. Alex called me “totally an idiot” for not immediately realizing that the display was fake, but it was hard to tell from where I was sitting, so I had an excuse. When I went up to get a closer look, there were four framed “pizza cutters” dated from the “Stone Age, Prehistoric Era, Modern, and 20th Century.”
The main problems with Pizza Hut were the relatively slow service and the cold temperature.
Total: 22/30
Pagliai’s
Service
The service at Pagliai’s was leagues better than that of Pizza Hut. Our waitress seated us almost immediately after we entered, and asked us right away if we wanted anything to drink. Our drinks were brought out less than a minute later, and then our waitress left to allow us a few minutes to decide on our meal.
We ordered a large (14”) half-pepperoni/sausage, half-cheese double crust pizza. In addition, Betsy ordered a salad and Alex ordered a piece of cheese bread. After the waitress took our order, we tasted our drinks. Alex’s Pepsi and my Sierra Mist were fine, but Betsy had ordered water and said it was “nasty” and tasted like “ass.” From past experience, I agree with her.
Betsy’s salad and Alex’s cheese bread were delivered promptly, and Betsy said the salad “wasn’t bad” and that the red-wine vinegar dressing was “excellent.” The croutons in her salad tasted pre-made, however. Alex’s cheese bread was hot and tasted very good, but the waitress brought out a second piece (which we hadn’t ordered) about a minute later. “Oh,” she said when she saw that Alex already had his. “I don’t know whose this is, then.” We didn’t get to keep it.
Rating: 9
Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Pagliai’s was also far superior to Pizza Hut’s. The booths were soft and comfy, and the sound level was a dull roar despite the numerous kids in the restaurant. Alex said the atmosphere “was very personalized,” and generally more inviting than at Pizza Hut. “The low lights make it like you’re not at the dining hall,” he added.
I also liked the open kitchen at Pagliai’s, where it’s possible to see cooks pounding out bread dough and adding on toppings from almost anywhere in the restaurant. Since there’s something to watch, it makes the wait (which wasn’t too long anyway) seem shorter.
Rating: 8
Food
I’m a little biased, because I’ve never really liked the pizza at Pagliai’s. I don’t find it very flavorful, I think the crust is too chewy, and I don’t think there’s enough tomato sauce.
Despite my complaints, however, the pizza was hot and all of the ingredients tasted fresh. Ordering the double crust pizza gave us “deceptively more food,” said Betsy, who was full after only a couple of pieces.
All in all, Pagliai’s pizza is obviously of better quality, but mine and Alex’s more mainstream tastes prefer Pizza Hut.
Rating: 7
Perks/Drawbacks
Soda refills at Pagliai’s are free, and the service is very quick—our pizza arrived just under 15 minutes after ordering.
Drawbacks include the bathrooms having only one stall. Betsy also thought that the restaurant was a little too chilly.
Total: 24/30
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