By snoadmin
It is true that Broadway Pizza & Grill doesn’t exactly look like the quintessential pizzeria.
In fact, with its spare interior decor and lack of exterior signage or distinctive building features (just a black-and-white sign against a plain white wall), the place looks like it is still under construction along with the apartment complexes that are being built next door.
However, despite lacking atmospheric trappings that will make you want to shout “Mama mia!” or start humming Dean Martin tunes, Broadway Pizza still brings the goods when it comes to good pizza.
If you like your pizza well-crafted yet stacked with toppings, there’s a little piece of nirvana waiting for you near the corner of Broadway and Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach (at 120 Broadway, to be specific).
That’s not to say that the place’s design is entirely uninteresting, though. The interior is bright and clean with a spotless tile floor you could eat off of (which may be necessary if topping spillage occurs, and you don’t want to let an exquisite piece of mushroom go to waste), and there is a large flatscreen TV in the middle of the room so that you can veg out while munching on a veggie pizza.
If you want to engage in some people-watching instead, there are large plateglass windows with tables nearby where you can see the many passersby walking and enjoying what downtown L.B. has to offer.
Of course, even a pizzeria that looks like it was built by Michelangelo (either the Renaissance artist or Ninja Turtle, your pick) himself would be useless if it didn’t bring it where it counts: the pies.
Fortunately, the pizza here doesn’t disappoint. This is the kind of pizza where the crust is thin yet piled with toppings that are packed underneath the cheese so that literally every bite is full of flavor. Simply put, you’ll probably need the knife and fork.
Broadway offers a number of specialty pizzas such as its house special, which is topped with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, sausage, ground beef and pepperoni. Most of these pizzas range in price from $13 to $26.
Some of these pizzas may seem a bit pricey, but even the small pizzas are pretty decent-sized, so you’ll probably have some leftovers when you’re done.
Although it isn’t quite the best pizza ever, it is still light years away from Domino’s territory.
In addition to its pizza, Broadway offers a small variety of salads, subs, pita sandwiches and pasta dishes, most of which are fairly reasonably priced (sandwiches range in price from $5.59 for a gyro to $7.99 for a large sub, while salads range from $2.99 to $8.99). However, despite offering a variety of specialty subs, the place only offers spaghetti with either meatballs or sausage if you’re looking for pasta. There are even some Mediterranean items, though if you want to order something from this part of the menu, you’ll have to settle for either chicken or steak skewers.
Most disappointingly, Broadway Pizza doesn’t serve alcohol. Granted, I wasn’t expecting the place to have a stacked bar, but I couldn’t help but think that my pizza would have tasted so much better if I had a hefeweizen or at least a Corona to wash it down with. Alas, unless you want to put your handbag/purse/large-enough coat to good use and take the BYOB route, you’ll have to make do with a soda, water or some other drink not associated with the word “beer” (and no, they don’t even have root beer).
Then again, Broadway Pizza isn’t meant to be a giant Italian place or a pizzeria that’s supposed to change the world. Instead, it is a little place where you can sit on a stool and read or relax while enjoying some quality pizza that is usually prepared quickly.
It is also open until 3 a.m. from Wednesday through Saturday, which helps if you’re craving some pizza after all the bars have announced last call, and you don’t want to go to the open-all-the-time Shore House Cafe again.
Not only that, but the place has large cupcakes prominently displayed in a case on the front counter. If you’re looking to get a handful of frosting-covered deliciousness for $2.75, look no further.
Overall, despite a lack of non-pizza menu items as well as a shortage of buzz-inducing beverages that prevents the place from being completely buzzworthy, Broadway Pizza & Grill is a little pizza paradise that deserves its prime location in the heart of downtown Long Beach.
