T.C. Luigi’s Pizza – Review

04-11-06_1957
04-11-06_2021

I must say, I have a certain trepidation about eating in a pizza restaurant whose logo appears to be the forgotten Mario brother.

Sometimes pizza is a cruel mistress and last night I found myself eating at T.C. Luigi’s Pizza under the watchful eye of Luigi himself (see picture).

To further add to my discomfort, the place was virtually empty. One couple were ordering a couple slices when we arrived (7:30, Tuesday evening) and no one else came after us and there was only one phone in order during that time. We left at nearly 8:30.

The staff were friendly, efficient and helpful. They were particularly helpful by saving us money and getting us more pizza by telling us about their Tuesday $1 pizza special. It wasn’t written anywhere I could see and they could have just let us order our higher-priced order but they didn’t and I appreciate that.

Last night I was feeding the A and B furniture moving teams with pizza (The A team lifts and fetches, the B team provides transportation and baby-sitting services) so I needed to buy more than just a small review pizza.

Luigi’s smallest pizza is a 12″ (113.1in) and costs $8.99 (w/pepperoni) or $0.08 (0.079)/in2.
Their next sized pizza is 16″ (201.1in2) costs $11.49 or $0.06 (0.057)/in2
With their $1 pizza deal, you get a second pizza for $1, so we had 2 12″ pizzas (226.2 in2) for just $9.99. That works out to a very economical $0.04 (0.044)/in2! That’s a price point you rarely see in anything less than the really big pizzas, which are never fully cooked, making this a great deal.

Economics aside, the pizza itself was lackluster. The cheese was just a little too bitter, the sauce a little too sweet. Instead of canceling each out, they seemed to accentuate each other in an unflattering way. The pepperoni was… come to think of it, I never noticed the taste of the pepperoni.

The crust would have been passable, but nothing outstanding, but it was undercooked. One pizza was a bit more underdone than the other, leading me to believe the more cooked pizza was the one that came out of the oven last. What difference another minute in the oven might have made, I cannot say.

Despite all that, we consumed the pizza and the consensus was, “eh, it wasn’t too bad.”

While no culinary pizza triumph, I’m going to rate this pizza just barely on the “recommend” side, but specifically for Tuesdays when you get a lot more pizza for your money. If you’re looking for cheap pizza, this pizza beats the pants off discount chains like Peter Piper.

Recommended (on Tuesdays)

T.C. Luigi’s Pizza
1805 E. Elliot Rd. #109
Tempe, AZ
(It’s a chain, there are others)

Price (Normal Conditions) 12″ pepperoni, $8.99, $0.08 (0.079)/in2
Price (Tuesday) 2 12″ pepperoni, $9.99, $0.04 (0.044)/in2

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2 Responses to “T.C. Luigi’s Pizza – Review”

  1. Jesse Reingold Says:
    November 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pm

    The review must have been based on a bad night, an unrepresentativly bad night. We are from NYC and TC Luigi in Ahwatukee is the only place for us pizza experts. The crust is thin and floppy as it should be, the cheese is generous and the sauce superb. Try again, Mr. reviewer.

  2. Gridman Says:
    November 14th, 2008 at 6:08 pm

    Could have been a bad night, or it might be a bad location. I don’t recall the other businesses in the area being empty that night, in fact, I vaguely recall we thought we might not get in somewhere because other restaurants in the area were doing a strapping business.

    This is one of the reasons that, if you’re going to have a chain of restaurants, consistency is critical. One bad apple can spoil the bunch.

    If I’m in the area of the Ahwatukee location, and they’re still in business, I’ll give them another shot someday.

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