Mariana's Pizza and Latin Grill, Hillsborough, NJ

Date: 5/10/2017
Location: Hillsborough, NJ
Slices Ordered: Plain and Chicken Parm
Website: marianaspizzeria.com/

I had high hopes for Mariana's, located near the Wawa and Rita's Italian Ice in Hillsborough New Jersey. Based on reviews and another individual's pizza ranking for Hillsborough, NJ, Mariana's scored quite high and I assumed it would be a hidden gem. Unfortunately, I must have missed something.

The pizzeria itself has a fairly clean and spacious seating area that can fit larger crowds. The register and counter area seems somewhat cluttered and messy. The staff was friendly enough and the atmosphere was pretty normal. Unfortunately, none of this could make up for the quality of the pizza.

The base of the pizza was clearly undercooked featuring a gummy, doughy core. The overzealous seasoning did not help the flavor of the slice, which was fairly bland overall. The chicken parmesan slice wasn't any better. That slice was also undercooked and the chicken wasn't very appetizing. It was a strange consistency as if it were unsure whether to be crispy or chewy. Perhaps I got a bad batch or just went at a bad time, but I was fairly disappointed with the meal.

Comments

Italy's Restaurant & Pizzeria, Phillipsburg, NJ

Date: 6/21/2019 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Pizza Ordered: Plain, White, and Sicilian Website: https://italysrestaurant.com/#home Italy's is a small local pizza joint that has the appearance of your typical neighborhood pizzeria. Lovely paintings of Italy adorn the walls and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. I was extra hungry, so I went with my usual plain slice and added a white slice and a Sicilian slice. The meal came with complimentary bread that was pleasantly fluffy and had a good mix of herbs and spices on it. The plain had pretty decent sauce and cheese and the charred crust was good, but a bit burnt in some places. The white was very fluffy with a good helping of cheese. The square slice had really great sauce and parmesan and a nice amount of fluff to the base. Overall, I would say Italy's puts out a good average slice of pizza.

AMA Pizza e Cucina, Flagtown, NJ

Date: 10/23/2017 Location: Flagtown, NJ Pizza Ordered: Margherita e Indiavoleta Website: www.amapizza.com/ AMA Pizza is new to the block and it brings a welcomed change from the New York style pizza we are so used to in this area. AMA's instant popularity is evident whenever you attempt to park near the restaurant or try to get a table. It can get a bit crowded, but it is worth the wait. Service can be a bit slow and it can take some time before you are waited on and served, so bring someone you can have good conversation with. Despite the waits, staff is incredibly kind and the managers are present and would come over to tables to ask if everything is alright. The menu is full of items created with extremely fresh ingredients. You can see chefs preparing the meals for yourself, as the kitchen is partially open. The oven is beautiful, though limited in capacity, which likely is partially the cause for some of the wait. My girlfriend and I decided to order the margherita and t...

Stelton Pizza, Piscataway, NJ

Date: 9/11/2017 Location: Piscataway, NJ Pizza Ordered: Plain and Pasta Website: www.steltonpizza.com/ Stelton Pizza in a strip mall along a fairly busy road. There is plenty of parking and, once inside, plenty of seating. I don't recall there being many options behind the glass at the counter as far as getting slices to-go was concerned, but there was enough to make a selection. The staff was friendly and Halloween decorations were impressive and helped add to the atmosphere. The plain slice was flavorful with a good amount of sauce and a good amount of toasting of the cheese. The crust and base were crispy, though the crust did have a bit of excess flour that can be seen in my picture. The pasta slice was pretty good. I appreciated having the cheese over the pasta and I found that it helped contain the slice better than some others. I would definitely eat here again given the opportunity.

The New Jersey Pizza Hunt

Search This Blog