I really want to give Salvatore's Pizzeria (Sal's) 4 & 1/2 Stars , but that is not an option unfortunately so we went to 4 because we consider 5 Stars to be a perfect score.
The reason Sal's scores so high with us is because of the staff! They are worth 1 & 1/2 Stars all on their own!! (4 & 1/2 on a scale of 1 - 10 Stars) They really do make a difference!! For my birthday my other half bought a pizza instead of a cake/cupcakes because I don't care for them, but love pizza! My favorite pizza is one they don't make in a 24" Pizza, but they agreed to for my birthday. How fantastic is that?! They definitely charged him for it, but who cares? Ya can't take it with you, & birthdays only happen once a year so ... why not?!
I do wish they would cut the 24" so you could fold the slices, but you can't have everything.
Sal's is very much a New York style pizza, and the 24" is as close as your going to get for at least 3 counties! I am fortunate enough that the husband works in Suffolk, so we can get a pretty regular supply as needed to fill our pizza requirements, and yes - in this family it is a requirement.
My entire immediate family worked in Pizza for over a decade for a couple different places, so we know Pizza, & Sal's is the Family's Favorite for New York style. They actually used to have a spicier sauce & a better sausage that you could actually see the fennel back in the 90's when we first discovered them in Virginia Beach, & we miss that very much. Chances are they probably got complaints (you would be surprised how many people actually prefer bland tasteless food), having been on the complaint receiving end of some nasty, & purposely demeaning phone calls from plenty of folks who really need to go back to the 6th grade and learn how to actually speak English- I totally understand the change. Just wish it was an option.
Also because I have worked in the Pizza business with a goal of 30% or below food costs I can tell you that they are over charging for the toppings. Speaking of which I would also prefer that they used a little more top cheese (they tend to put all their cheese under the toppings), so the toppings wouldn't roll around and keep trying to fall off. I mean I get it they are trying to replicate the Mew York by the slice pizza.
For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure:
In New York Generally - when you pop into a pizzeria for a slice -there's a pre-made pepperoni pizza, and other favorite topping pizzas being kept warm. When you step up and order say a pepperoni and sausage slice they just add sausage, and put your slice in long enough to heat the pre-made slice, & sausage up before putting it on tinfoil and handing it to you. Hence the rolling around of toppings cause there's no melted cheese on top to hold them in place. Which is fine because you are meant to fold them in half lengthwise & eat them.
However Sal's 24" slices while they have the length they do not have the width, & would thereby benefit with the use of some top cheese ; )
All that aside I Love Sal's as does The Family! They have permanent customers in us!
I am not really qualified to review the other food they serve as we make all that at home, but it looks right, & it smells right. A lot better than anything we have out here in the Franklin/Sedley area. Sorry it's true. That very popular place in Franklin may have at one time been really good Italian, but the food tastes, & is served as if all the passion left the building a long time ago, & their staff unlike Sal's has the Us vs Them attitude with the customers.
In contrast the Sal's crew have been awesome to us every time we go in there!
We even had them mix up part of our order with another customers much to our disappointment when we got home 40+miles(I think) away, BUT they were really nice about it, and offered us a replacement the next time we come in. Which we were happy with- because it may not have been our 2nd Pizza - it was still a great Pizza - after all it is hard to hate on a free pizza!! Lol!!
Oh & because it seems to be a theme any time you by restaurant/fast food in Suffolk and Franklin - Sal's does not ... shall we say "mess up your stomach"?! Yes, it's true!!!
Any who - this review has gotten SUPER long, so I think you have a pretty clear understanding of our experience with Sal's over the last 22 years, & experience with the local Sal's in Suffolk, VA.! Hope it helps, even if it is incredibly long! read more