This might not be 5 star pizza (especially if you're one of those people who has a strict definition of what pizza "is"), but it is most certainly 5 star value and efficiency. In fact, this might be the greatest lunch value place that I've ever been in the U.S. I'm fairly certain if M.O.D. were in DC and near my office I would be dining there at least once a week. It was my first exposure to food in Seattle and remained one of my favorite throughout simply because the concept just works.
The lines here are a testament to the quality, but also to the improbable speed with which they deliver their product. In less than 30 minutes and for under $10 you can get in line, get your whole pizza and milkshake, and have nearly finished eating it, if you're on a shorter lunch break. If you've got an hour then you're pretty well set. To make things even easier for people with compressed schedules they offer online ordering which allows you to skip straight to the pickup line and pay. I don't know how they crank out all these pizzas so quickly, but thankfully there's no lack of flavor and consistency as a result.
Their pre-designed selections (all under $7) are pretty good, and that was my first option when I came here, choosing the Calexico pizza made with mozzarella, gorgonzola, chicken, hot buffalo sauce, and jalapenos. It wasn't hot, per se, but it definitely packed a little bit of a kick due to the freshness of the jalapenos. I could see people with a low tolerance easily being bitten by this pizza. I was surprised at the overall lack of grease, a pleasant discovery given that I'm actually not a fan of the runny New York style that East coasters are so accustomed to.
Perhaps my greatest surprise though was the milkshake offerings, including huckleberry (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/xD0fXT-0T53sSdTwsG-e1Q?userid=hpw7UrWf51aaWKbaGGJ2hA#5hTx-buHXUPVdhtRHsxHXA) as a flavor. I love my trips to San Francisco because I know I can always find a few huckleberry dishes on the menus there, so seeing it offered at my first destination in Seattle was a major bonus. There's something about that tart and sweetness that makes blueberries pale in comparison and it's pretty much irresistible to me in any form. It was a strange pairing with a spicy pizza, but I couldn't care less. At $2.50 a piece these things would quickly become a dangerous habit for me, so it might be a good thing you can't really find the fruit back home.
If you want to create your own custom pizza your options are virtually unlimited, as the fresh topping base is quite large, and the price is fixed so you can load it up as much as you want. I decided to be rather hedonistic on my second visit and went for a pizza with Canadian bacon, artichokes, fresh basil, pineapple, gorgonzola, jalapenos, mozzarella, and parmesan. Wow, it was a lot, but it all really worked together. Junk pies are quite often the best, and this one was no different. As I sat there enjoying the street level view from their perch I had visions of a M.O.D. in DC and the inevitable line I would be waiting in, then realized that somehow we would find a way to make this inexpensive place cost $12 instead, and just like that it would be ruined. read more