The last time I visited a chain pizza joint, it didn’t go so well. So when the wife expressed a desire to head up to North Little Rock and eat at Old Chicago, I was hoping for a better turn of events. It had been awhile since I ate at Old Chicago, but I recall both liking the North Little Rock location and the first one I ever ate at out in Boulder, CO. This, despite my general dislike for thick crust pizza. I mean, sure, Old Chicago will do a thin pizza, but I feel like if I’m eating there, I should go for something heavy, thick and full of toppings.
We were pretty hungry when we sat down, and so ordered a plate of calamari, expecting the usual rubbery O-rings of deep fried hell that so many places serve. Imagine our pleasant surprised when our plate hit the table and it was a pile of crispy, tender calamari mixed with peppers and just fantastic. To say that this dish was loved is an understatement—and I know that hunger is the best spice, but I would eat these little bite-sized nuggets of happiness any time. So far so good.
Our pizza was the Chicago 7, which in our case was a Chicago 6 because we declined the green peppers. We didn’t miss them. Big chunks of flavorful sausage sat atop a bed of pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, black olives and some of the sweetest red onion I’ve ever had on a pizza. All to often, it seems like pizza joints use really strong, terrible white onions on their pies—which take over everything with their flavor and leave one with a bad case of yuck mouth. These onions worked and played well with the other toppings nicely.
And the crust? Well, thick crust will still never be my favorite, but I like this crust. It supports the toppings, has a nice buttery crunchy to it, and doesn’t take over with doughiness. It’s a perfect example of what a thick crust should be, and made for an excellent meal. To top it off, the tall glasses of Core ESB we used to wash it all down were relatively inexpensive and hit the spot perfectly. Service was friendly, and although the restaurant was a little warm temperature-wise, the large booths were nice and comfy.
Overall verdict? There is good chain pizza in central Arkansas, and Old Chicago is doing it right. I’ll be back, especially if that calamari is always so fresh.