Pizza Pepper opened at just the right time for me and broke the monotony of about a thousand trips to the monolithic Big John's that sits imposingly next door. Although it's a lot smaller, the pizza place caused a bit of a stir when it opened with the promise of half-price pizza in what appeared to be a direct challenge to the neighbouring fast food kings: Goliath frowned, meetings were probably held and Big John's promptly responded with an almost identical offer. Almost two years since the grand opening, and despite many 'offer ends soon!' or 'ending in September 2010' warnings, both ludicrous offers are still in place, with the occasional 50p hike to undoubtedly claw some money back.
Although it seems very cheap, both establishments have benefited very much from the healthy competition and both have their good points and bad: Pizza Pepper's main advantage is that (in this reviewer's humble opinion) their pizza is tastier and simply less greasy. The ingredients seem a lot fresher and it appears that the guys at PP have put in a certain amount of effort to craft pizza that is better than the average (Luciano's down the road being a key offender here). Big John's unlimited topping pulls one in the other direction, although if you throw in another 50p at Pizza Pepper, you can upgrade to a meal deal and saunter off with fries and a can of pop, which is reasonable indeed.
The variety of pizza is better, too. The Californian is a firm favourite that boasts a creamy white sauce rather than the standard tomato, which tastes delicious with the mushroom and mince topping. A real treat. Not convinced? You can choose four of your own toppings for the same price as any other pizza. Well worth it. read more