Pizza is one of the most iconic foods in the United States, and Paso Robles has no shortage of pizzerias. There's such an abundance, all with appealing menus, dishes and aesthetics, that it was hard to narrow down which locations to review. We decided on four unique businesses: Blaze, Sweet Lew’s, Paso’s Pizza Kitchen and Rustic Fire with four areas of critique for each; customer service, food quality, price and atmosphere. And although each location stood out in its own regard, we deemed Rustic Fire to be the best of the bunch.
Blaze
Blaze Pizza is a restaurant chain, with numerous locations in the majority of the states, particularly in California. Blaze offers a lineup of signature pizzas at decent prices, as well as a build-your-own alternative with a variety of options down to the crust. Additionally, salads and desserts are available for purchase. The location itself had a unique, modern atmosphere with a sharp orange, black and white color scheme. The outside, featuring an awning strung up with lights, was especially eye-catching in comparison to the stores around it. The line is alongside the kitchen, so you can watch your order’s process in real time. That being said, the customer service, while promising at first, proved to be lackluster in our experience. Upon arriving, we were greeted and welcomed with a menu explanation. However, when we were ordering our food the second employee was very unprofessional by talking about their boss and personal life to other employees.
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It was about a ten minute wait for our order, a Pepperoni pizza, which turned out to be mediocre. Compared to the pizzas at other locations, Blaze fell flat, almost literally in a sense; the pizza itself was surprisingly thin. It was hard to be able to taste the sauce because there was so little of it. The cheese also fell short because there was a very light amount. There was a decent amount of pepperoni, but they were also slim. In contrast however, the price was definitely affordable; our 11-inch Pizza came in at $7.49, which is a notably lower price than the other locations we visited. All in all, Blaze offers decent dishes and a contemporary ambience for a more-than reasonable price.
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Sweet Lew's
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Sweet Lew’s is located in downtown Paso Robles where a lot of families chill for a nice night out. Guests enter the restaurant by either walking up a flight of stairs or taking the elevator, both decorated with a giant sign with the restaurant’s name. Along with that, there is a opening sign stating, “[They] commit to keep our employees and customers safe.” Stickers placed throughout the restaurant light up the restaurant with color. It is on top of Red Scooter Deli, so there is a beautiful view of the downtown park. When we arrived, we stood waiting for a while for someone to tell us we could take a seat. We were offered a large variety of pizza sizes and toppings with many other options for food.
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We tried the Garlic Cheesy Bread and a 8’’ Pepperoni Pizza. The Garlic Cheesy Bread was presented with red sauce for dipping, and tasted amazing. Like the name suggests, the bread was rich in cheese and garlic. The cheese was melted perfectly, and would be ideal for anyone who loves cheese. The pizza was fluffy and high quality. However, it was a bit cheesy and created a trail of cheese from the pizza to our mouths.
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Once we finished our meal, we asked for the check, but no one ended up giving it to us. Unfortunately we had to wait for a hefty amount of time, and ask again for the bill. We were taken up to the register, but not offered a receipt. After looking on the website, the pizza was $9.00 and the bread was $8.00. We left feeling full, but also underwhelmed.
Paso's Pizza Kitchen
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Third, we went to Paso’s Pizza Kitchen, a company with several locations around Paso. For convenience’s sake we went down the street from Sweet Lew’s to the location on 12th street, and initially had high hopes. The exterior was lively and illuminated by a multitude of lights, though we found ourselves confused as we walked in the door. |
None of the employees directly acknowledged us or explained how the ordering system worked, so we sat ourselves at a booth before realizing we had to order at the counter. That aside, our order, a pepperoni pizza, caught our attention immediately as it was served to us. Compared to Blaze, which was a bit too thin, and Sweet Lew’s, which was a bit too much on one slice, Paso’s Pizza kitchen was refreshingly in the middle. Just the right amount of cheese was melted atop the sauce, and there was an equal amount of both. The crust was flawlessly crispy, and brought all the flavors together in every mouthful.
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Additionally, the price was reasonable for the quality we received, coming in at $11.73. The establishment itself is also full of quality and character, with a variety of eye-catching pictures and objects hung on the wooden walls and beams. The customer service may have been lacking, but the quality of pizza and atmosphere made up for it. |
Rustic Fire
Rustic fire has a very scenic outside environment right outside of the mid-state fairgrounds. The lights and signs bring a very welcoming and calming atmosphere. The darker toned colors with the bright lights will make anyone attracted to eat there for a fun night. When parking we noticed a menu outside, so we were able to plan our order before entering. We ended up deciding on a side order of Italian Breadsticks and a personal sized Pepperoni Pizza. We were greeted by an employee who took our order, and let us choose our seats. The inside of the restaurant is very cozy with lights strung on the ceiling, and a couple TVs hung up on the walls and even next to some booths. The kitchen is also fairly open, so we were able to watch them make the pizza.
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As we waited for the pizza, we were brought our breadsticks by an extremely kind worker. They tasted very mediocre, with little to no flavor. However, once dipped in either their marinara or ranch sauce they were pretty good! Later, we were brought the pizza. This too did not have much uniqueness. The pizza was baked, so the crust was a bit crunchy. The cheese and sauce amount complimented each other very well, and there was an adequate amount of pepperoni.
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There were trashes for us to easily dump our remainings in, and place the trays. Our waitress generously asked us if we would like anything else, but we felt very content. Our total came out to be $15.52. Broken down, the pizza was $9.95 and the breadsticks were $4.45. We left feeling full, and happy with the food and our overall time at the restaurant.