Mangia ('Chicago Style Pizza')

Not worth it.

Maybe the one near you is good. Maybe, by the time you read this, it has improved. Maybe the chef had an off day.



It wasn't so much bad as almost completely mediocre.
We ordered an appetizer, along with our meals, which came with salads. The salads were the first course delivered.

We each received a caesar salad. The dressing was light - not bad at all, just a little sparing. I could count the croutons without having to take my shoes off, though. The salas could be said to be there just to whet the appetite, but if that was true, why were the pieces of lettuce so big? Overall I think it was just something to slap together to hold over the hungry customer for a few minutes.

When the spinach and artichoke dip arrived, I went from neutral to disappointed. They provided plates, but the dip went practically arctic almost as soon as it was out of the pot. I have no problem with the hard chips served, and could easily eat out of the serving dish, with the plate to catch drips, but none of this matters next to the taste.
I could honestly have made a better dip; the cheese was far too thick, smothering the vegetables almost completely. The taste too was too creamy; as a result it was almost impossible to taste the artichoke, except by picking it out and making sure that part got to your tongue first.
All in all, it was not well thought out, especially since it was a large and heavy starter; unwise if you want the customer to order dessert.

The pizzas we ordered arrived soon after we abandoned the dip; a very deep-dish, 'stuffed' pie apiece.
I can't speak for my mother's pie, but if you ever go, do NOT order the wheat. While the supposedly healthier (although I don't remember it being referred to as whole wheat...) crust option is characteristic for Austin, it tasted simply terrible, each bite leaving a worse aftertaste than before. Before I abandoned this as well, I tried my mother's method of forking the toppings out; sure enough, the dish improved immediately. The baked tomatoes on top were no treat either, but that crust made me wonder why the place was so packed.

Lastly, we got dessert - an Italian cream cake piece to share (someone should tell that/those waitress/es that waiting to bring the check until after inquiring if the diners want dessert is a good practice; we had to flag ours down).

This was, besides the salad, the only bearable dish in the place, really. Sugary cream-cheese-esque buttercream studded with coconut ran down the back; a decorative ridge of butter-like cream-cheese adorned the top; and a layer of vanilla icing held the two layers together. Walnuts ran along the bottom and throughout the cake; the cake on its own was not dry, but it was definitely improved by the icing. My only real complaint is that they brought us such a large piece (even for two) after such a huge meal.

In essence, if you try this place, avoid the artichoke dip, avoid the wheat crust; heck, just order dessert.