Sbarro's (Mall at Tuttle Crossing)

5043 Tuttle Crossing Blvd, Dublin, OH

I'm a sucker for a big slice of New York-style pizza. It's the simplest damn thing, but one of life's great pleasures. Alas, a good slice is hard to find. My monthly temptation is Sbarro, located quite close by and purporting to be the real deal.

What I usually find, unfortunately, is that once again they have not lived up to expectations. I have a vague recollection of getting decent pizza there at some point in my life. Perhaps I was drinking at the time. Nonetheless, every month, I check to see if the fast-food turnover has worked in my favor. I usually see new faces, but get the same pizza.

More investigation of the franchise at large is in order, but the Sbarro's at the mall has a particular problem, which they manage to compound. First, it always seems undercooked. My New York friends will always call in a pizza order and ask for "a pie, well-done." Gives the cheese and the crust a bit more crisp. I don't need that. I just like to avoid eating raw dough.

When you order your slice or two (they do look so tasty sitting there in front of you), the guy behind the counter whisks them away and sticks them in the oven to warm up. However, they never seem to keep them in there long enough, and the undercooked pizza you get usually winds up being lukewarm at best, and pretty cold at worst.

The stromboli is not bad, though the last time I ordered it (coincidentally) it was garnished with hair.

This is a franchise I pathetically keep hoping will turn around. With all we have available to us today in this city, why should it be so hard to get a slice of pizza?

Maybe next month.