Roma's II Review

Pizza is almost always tossed around as a possibility when trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. Think about it, it is easy, can be made to fit anyones taste, is filling, plates and utensils are optional and it is always an option for the following morning’s breakfast. Roma’s Pizzeria II makes pizza that easily satisfies each of these categories.

Driving up to Roma’s was a little shocking because of the strip-mall like exterior. Because of its reputation the images I conjured up in my head were a little less modern. Being the first of my group to arrive, and looking lost, the three employees behind the counter, all at once, came to my aid asking if assistance was needed.

The seat yourself restaurant has a rather open and spacious dining room that looks designed to cater to large families, groups of friends or as a post-game dining spot for sports teams like the girls youth soccer team that arrived shortly after us. However, being in a group of three was completely comfortable.

As soon as one is seated, the classic leather lined clear plastic menus are handed out, and water is promptly distributed with the waitress asking if anything other than water is wanted.

The menu is simple and to the point. A few appetizer and salad options, entrees that are mainly pasta dishes and finally the pizza choices. The selection of pizzas, by far, provides the most options taking up an entire page and a half of the menu.

Having a vegetarian in the group was not a problem as there were several options for her, and the “choose your own toppings” option allowed for more possibilities.

Each of us ordered a side salad that was a perfect single serving portion of lettuce, fresh tomatoes and a few slices of salami. The bleu cheese dressing was mild, but had big chunks of bleu cheese.

We decided to split a large pizza between the three of us, half being pesto, which was just pesto and cheese, and the other half was pepperoni and black olives. Though there were some communication problems with our server because of her accent, it was no problem ordering half and half.

Shortly after the salads were eaten, the pizza arrived. As our server was setting the pizza down on the table, she almost had one of my group members wearing the pesto, pepperoni and olives as the pizza slid partially off the pan. She was very apologetic, and it was really a non-issue.

The pizza was delicious, with a more than generous amount of pepperoni and olives. The pesto was not overpowered by garlic, which can sometimes be the case. The cheese was perfectly stringy and the crust was just right. Not too soft and not too hard. The only gripe about the pizza was that a few stray pepperonis made their way onto the pesto side, which would have only been a problem for the vegetarian in the group, but she did not complain.

The large pizza was more than enough for the three of us. There were four pieces left over and they were put into a to go box by our waitress. Her technique, or strategy, for putting the pieces in the box made me a little apprehensive as I was sure they were going to end up on the floor.

Overall, the dining experience was quite pleasant. For a small salad and four to five pieces of pizza, it was a little over ten dollars each. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable, the service was good, and, at times, entertaining. The company, which can set the tone for any experience, was just as good as the food.