Ruckus Pizza of Raleigh, North Carolina

Upon meeting pretty much anyone from a new region, it's natural for me to inquire about their favorite regional pizzas, from a regional chain. And my trouble with taking suggestions on pizza is, that I must always write my truth. While I often opt for the large pie, the deal for slices at Ruckus was too good to pass up. It was like $3 for a slice from a thirty inch pie. The ratio for my cheese slices was 2cr/1ce/2ch, typical for a big slice joint.

I'll give their dough a 2 out of 5. It was both burnt and soggy, without much flavor. The outer crust was also pretty dry. So there were a variety of textures, not in really in a good way. Their sauce gets a 4 out of 5. It checked all the boxes for me.

For style, I give Ruckus a 3 out of 5. I like how cheap it was, and I wonder if that has any correlation to the full liquor bar enabling the restaurant to keep the profit margins low on the food. That being said, the place was very loud, with many tvs all showing different things. I got to watch some people hit golf balls while the tv behind me showed recaps of some of the best tik toks of the day. It's the kind of pizza joint that has black urninals, weird sinks, and serves sushi and poke bowls. While I admired Vito's inclusion of 'mexican' food, I don't think sushi is one of those things that should be served from the broiling kitchens of a regional pizza chain. I guess it's fine to give options to people who show up for the atmosphere and really Really don't want pizza. But what kind of pizza joint should put so much work into pleasing people who don't like pizza? I don't know.

For overall quality, Ruckus gets a 3 out of 5. I don't like the contrast of dry and soggy, and there were some bites with no discernable sauce at all. It's a good thing I got a side of it. While I can see why some people might love going to this place, with a score of 60%, I'll be exploring other options next time I'm in the area.

Papa's Pizza of Robinson North Carolina

On my last trip through the mountainous areas of Western North Carolina, I tried to stop at Papa's, for their buffet. Sometimes it's good to pile up on some salad to balance the whole diet, but at the time they were closed. So I tried again this next time, and their salad bar was pretty weak. Oh well. Their pizza was pretty good, though. It had a ratio of 3cr/2ce/2ch. Their crust reminded me of Cici's pizza. It had a thin skin of chewiness with a soft, but sometimes undercooked center. The flavor was there, but the dough was stretched sloppily, and sometimes dough. So I give their crust a 2 out of 5. Papa's has good sauce, better than Cici's. It's thick and tasty without any weirdness. It gets a 3 out of 5. For overall quality, they get a 3 out of 5. Their pizza did its job, satisfying the craving for 'za, but there was nothing remarkable about it. For style, they get a 3 out of 5. I like the option of a buffet, but if the salad is bogus like it was, then there's no real point in getting anything besides a mediocre, cheap pie. The restaurant itself was a pretty chill place to jump in and get a quick, delicious lunch. That's right, I said delicious. With a score of 55%, I would never turn my nose up at Papa's delicious pizza.