Don't Let The Haters Get You Down
My wife and I had lunch here on Saturday.
The negative reviews that I read earlier had scared me a little, but they weren't going to keep me away (I liked the pizza that I had at the Fremont location in 2016).
I was excited when this location opened.
To be fair, it seems to matter when you go here.
My wife and I didn't have to wait in a line.
Our server looked like Buddy Holly with a Sharks cap on.
He struggled to hear me (the music was too loud). He was also a little dense. Still, he worked hard and was quick.
There were 6 employees around (4 men and 2 women).
They worked well together (I noticed before we left that one of the women was training the other one).
She should have given us our soda cups right away, but our cashier stood out (she was friendly and cheerful).
The guy making the pizzas impressed me too. He was attentive and had a good personality (a woman came in with a stroller, and the guy kept making a funny face at the infant).
I didn't recognize any of them, but I enjoyed the songs that were played.
A man came in with his wife (his afro had its own zip code).
He studied the menu while his wife went to the restroom.
I think his wife wanted to eat here, but the man wasn't interested.
He could have received some more attention (our server briefly talked to him, but he was otherwise ignored), but he honestly came across as uptight to me.
The seating capacity is about 80 (over 50 inside, and about 25 outside).
The restaurant is spacious overall, but the tables inside are a little too close to each other.
The men's restroom is small, but nice.
It was clean when I used it (but not after).
Attention To Detail:
2 of the men cleaned and polished some areas.
They got on their knees and everything.
My wife laughed at one point (the guy cleaning around the fountain machine was practically lying down for a moment).
Just Chill:
It was a little cold inside (it was downright chilly when we went to the Fremont location).
This is one aspect of the chain that I'm not enamored with.
The table we used should be replaced.
It was pretty wobbly.
A few tables are designated for handicapped customers.
This is cool, but it did keep me from sitting where I really wanted to.
An elderly couple sat near us.
The man ate most of their pizza while the woman sized things up (she took in the surroundings so much that she even stared at my wife and I).
"We offer a gluten-free crust option (additional $2)."
Note: All prices include tax.
Fountain Drink: $2.15.
The cups are small (16 oz.), but refills are free.
There are 8 fountain machine selections. You can also get lemonade or iced tea (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mod-pizza-castro-valley?select=KD4Hk9eWKsPYNTWZDe_iMw). My wife liked her iced tea, and I thought that the regular lemonade was pretty good (it was just too sweet for my taste).
There's also a small selection of beer and wine.
Floats: $2.48.
You're given a solid amount of vanilla ice cream.
I think you add what soda you want to it (Barq's Root Beer is one of the fountain machine selections).
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mod-pizza-castro-valley?select=LU3NPohpfD4IvfRiAjeO9w:
Cinnamon Strips ($3.24): 8/10.
They were thin, but pretty good and fairly soft (they're worth ordering).
I liked the chocolate glaze (we received more than enough, and so I dipped my finger in the container a few times so that the rest wouldn't totally go to waste), but I'll try the cinnamon glaze next time.
My pizza was ready after about 3 minutes, and my wife's pizza was ready about 3 minutes after that.
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mod-pizza-castro-valley?select=xBcTOxtH_2rviLVAyPPBQw:
Mad Dog ($9.25): 8.25/10.
"mozzarella, pepperoni, mild sausage, ground beef, red sauce."
Two of the slices could have had more toppings, but my pizza was tasty and somewhat filling (I'm a big eater).
The sausage especially stood out.
Mega Dough - 11" Thick Crust:
I saved $2.19 because I was only charged the MOD price (the crust is normally thin). It's nice that someone messed up.
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mod-pizza-castro-valley?select=p_LR-jFegjdStzXnJW3kvg:
Caspian ($9.25): 8/10.
"mozzarella, gorgonzola, bbq chicken, barbecue sauce, sliced red onions."
My wife liked her pizza. Next time, though, she would order a Caspian without gorgonzola. She would also ask for 4 additional toppings.
The bbq chicken was kind of bland, but my wife was understanding. "What do you expect from grilled chicken?"
The atmosphere is casual here (an old woman stayed around a while after eating).
I'm also a fan of the pizza.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RvlneklOfY read more