- Opened: 2017
- Address: 2032 4th St SW
- Kid Friendly: Highchairs and change tables in men’s and women’s washrooms.
- Brunch: No
- Website: http://www.blazepizza.com/
- Google Pics: Link
- Wiki Page: Link
What if you could order up a pizza with a choice of sauces and unlimited toppings right on the spot, and what if it was ready in 3 minutes.
Now you can with Blaze Pizza in Mission (they also have a location at Sunridge Mall). Based out of Pasadena, California they opened their Mission Restaurant earlier this year. It took us some time to make our way over and check it out, but I’m glad we finally did.
If you’ve been to Subway then you’ll understand the structure of Blaze Pizza. The restaurant has a casual airy atmosphere, with high ceilings and a concrete floor. The impression is open and bright.
Stepping up to the counter you can order one of their signature pizzas ($11.65), these pizzas, are like from a traditional menu, but you can still make your own changes to them (for the same price). Or you can forgo the menu idea and just go straight custom from the start ($11.65). You can also keep things simple for a child or a picky adult with their 1 topping pizza ($8.15). This gets you a choice of sauce, cheese & 1 topping. They have a simpler still option, with Mozzarella, Parmesan and tomato sauce ($7.45).
Before the toppings your choices start with the sauces, in addition to a “classic red sauce” they have “spicy red sauce”, “garlic pesto sauce” and “white cream sauce”. Then you have your cheese options. As I once heard, when you change the cheese you change the taste. Beginning with traditional shredded mozzarella they have goat, feta, parmesan, ovalini mozzarella, ricotta and gorgonzola cheeses.
If pizza isn’t your thing, then this isn’t really the restaurant for you, however, they do have a few salad options. There’s a romaine lettuce, spinach salad, an arugula & fruit salad, and an iceberg. These can then have other things added in and ordered in a side ($5.25) or entree ($7.85) size.
They have a large selection of bottled drinks, including beer and wine, with pop and lemonade including free refills. If you’re still hungry after your pizza they have some small dessert options with brownies, cookies and s’mores ($3.00).
For our first visit, I went with their BBQ Chicken Pizza – chicken, mozzarella, red onions, banana peppers, gorgonzola, bbq sauce. Except I substituted sauteed onions for the red onions and spicy sauce for regular.
My wife had the Link In – sausage, red peppers, sauteed onions, mozzarella and red sauce.
While our daughter ordered her favorite, a ham, and pineapple pizza.
Part of the hook of Blaze Pizza is that it’s fast. So is it any good? Yes, it was great. But don’t go if a “Deep Dish” is the only pizza you like, because then you won’t. The crust is thin and simple in texture. Does it dethrone my favorite thin crust pizza? No not even close. I don’t really think they are trying to complete with an artisanal pizza. What they’ve got is a quick pizza for cheap, where you can choose from a large selection of toppings and make something unique.
The restaurant is totally child-friendly with spacious walkways and large washrooms with a change table in the men’s room as well. The night we were there we saw at least eight kids enjoying their Blaze Pizza. I highly recommend it for a quick pizza outing, especially with kids. As always I’m comparing their food, atmosphere, and prices to their contemporaries and not fine dining.
Some might accuse them of having something up with their dough to have it cook and rise so fast. Almost as if to prove it is legit, they have a dough mixing room where you’re able to watch the dough being made.
