Deep Pan Pizza, Bristol

...our perusal this evening is Deep Pan Pizza, I've left off writing this for months mainly because the two in bristol are so very different from each other as to be untrue and I just wanted to get a fair picture.

I'll give you the run down on the one in the centre of Bristol, but this op will generally be about the one in Avonmead just outside the centre.

A quick word then about the one in the centre. If you go in, don't ...
...mozzarella and oregano. Their 'famous' Deep Pan Pizza's are served up in regular, medium and large. Now where do I start with the set toppings, its one if the few places where I have a bit of difficulty choosing what to have. Although I do mourn the demise of the 'Italian Job', bolognase sauce pizza, yummmm!

All pizza with the exception of the Margerita and Fully Loaded, £5.99, £8.99 and £11.49.
Rooster Booster usually features ... more

As you may all have noticed, that is my faithful few, i'm quite fond of food. it has to be admitted that pizza is not one of the healthiest ever but it does have plenty of veg on it so its not too bad.

I'm trying to make it an honourable duty to try out as many popular pizza places as possible, only Pizza Express to go, but for some reason i've never really fancied it.

So the item for our perusal this evening is Deep Pan Pizza, I've left off writing this for months mainly because the two in bristol are so very different from each other as to be untrue and I just wanted to get a fair picture.

I'll give you the run down on the one in the centre of Bristol, but this op will generally be about the one in Avonmead just outside the centre.

A quick word then about the one in the centre. If you go in, don't sit in the first booth on the left, the seats broken and has been for years. Go to the toilet before or after, not during your meal. The toilets have been broken for years, there is only two and one was closed because it was leaking and the tiles and plaster falling off the walls. I have walked into the other one and nearly vomited on two occasions. It has a habit of blocking, I went on one occasion and it was overflowing with urine, faeces, paper and even blood 'oh' says the manager 'I'll get a plumber. The service can be appalling, the buffets rubbish and after I saw the chef with the massive dreads flicking them all over the place because they were not tied back I've never been there since!

But the one in Avonmead is far superior, its a separate purpose built building so instantly more tidy and stylish. They've tried to recreate a kind of mediterranean look, terracotta colours, pictures of flowers and vases, some greenery and some multicoloured lights, relaxing and pleasing on the eye.
Good old wooden tables and chairs, always clean. I've not seen dirty cutlery, napkins or glasses yet, which is a decided bonus. I'm usually happy that when its clean front of house, its usually clean at the back. The kitchen has a large open area through which you can see the chappies working.

But I don't come here for the shiny spoons, I come here for the food!

Are we going to be greedy and have a starter? Yes sirree!
There's not a huge choice though. I particularly recommend the tomato and basil soup (£2.29), very rich, very creamy and very nice. Potato skins (£3.99) seem to be popping up everywhere, the quality varied but there are 3 toppings available and a very nice dip. You can also for £5.99 get the Big Dipper to share, 4 Chicken Dippers, 2 bacon and spring onion Potato Skins, a stack of dressed nacho chips, two pieces of garlic bread and sweet chilli and sour cream n' chive dips.
Oh the inevitable garlic bread (£2.49) and cheesy as well (£2.99), I will admit its quite nice and more of a generous portion than Pizza Huts.

Of course many people bypass starters and go straight to where I'm going...the main courses.
I'm sorry but you're going to have to realise you're going to be quite limited as to what you're going to be able to have! You have a huge choice of past, pizza and salad. The choices come with what you have on top it.

I have to be hones, I've never had the pasta, I go to a real Italian restaurant for that. When I have seen them they look a huge plateful and come with a slice of garlic bread. Obviously there's lasagne, Spaghetti Bolognase and Taglietelle Carbonara. There's other original pasta dishes, Chicken Pasta del Sol, has pasta ribbons with chicken onions green peppers and sun dried tomatoes with tomatoes sauce and garlic dough balls on the side. Spicy Chicken and Pepperoni Arrabiata has penne pasta, mexican spiced chicken strips, pepperoni and mushroom in spicy tomato sauce. They all cost from £5.29 up to £6.99
Now something I can really comment on, the pizzas! No frozen bases here, its all made from fresh dough daily, all come with their special sauce, mozzarella and oregano. Their 'famous' Deep Pan Pizza's are served up in regular, medium and large. Now where do I start with the set toppings, its one if the few places where I have a bit of difficulty choosing what to have. Although I do mourn the demise of the 'Italian Job', bolognase sauce pizza, yummmm!

All pizza with the exception of the Margerita and Fully Loaded, £5.99, £8.99 and £11.49.
Rooster Booster usually features somewhere, chicken breasts, sweetcorn and green peppers, plenty of toppings and big strips of chicken, sounds plain but is in fact very tasty.
We had the Meatissimo last night and it was packed with pepperoni, Italian style chicken strips and smoked ham, meaty without being too spicy. Fully Loaded is always a bit of a disappointment, beef, pepperoni, ham, spiced pork, mushrooms and green peppers, plenty of taste but doesn't seem to have as much topping as I would like or imagine it to have. There's also the usual Margherita, Ham and Mushroom and Hawaiian as well as a few others.

The thin crust pizza only come in 12" and costs between £6.29 and £6.40. The rather loveliest is the New Orleans, BBQ Chicken, red peppers, spring onions on a BBQ base. Chicken, Bacon and Tomato, a particular spicy one is South of The Border; mexican chicken, red and yellow peppers, baby corn and hot spicy salsa base.
Of course you can make your own, but this can work out quite a bit more expensive.
Salad, Bah! But you can have Chicken Caesar and Chicken Italienne Salad £6.29 and £6.49 respectively.

If that's not enough they have a very limited amount of side orders, help yourself salad bar, garlic bread, garlic cheese bread, coleslaw and Chunky Fries with garlic mayo or tomato dip.

You've got room for a dessert? You pigs! 'Yawn', the usual ice cream, chocolate fudge cake (which is nice), apple pie and the ultimate chocolate sundae, but this is chocolate and vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, Cadburys buttons, Cadburys flake and chocolate powder! There are a few different ones no, the following are £3.49, with the exception of the desserts designed to share which are £5.49. The Chocolate Snowball is a white chocolate ice cream encased in white chocolate, a chocolate mini bar and chocolate sauce. The Chocolate Mint Bombe is an absolute killer, dark chocolate-coated mint ice-cream laced with Creme De Menthe and chocolate sauce.
But of course there's an ultimate chocolate challenge, choose this and then just choose how many spoons! Its a huge glass of hot chocolate fudge cake, with chocolate and vanilla ice-cream, studded with chocolate beans, chocolate raisins, whipped cream and two chocolate wafer curls, verry nice!

There is a full range of drinks including the rather nice Pepsi floats which unfortunately I have to pass up as I don't drink caffeine. There is also a special kids menu where they got a lovely little toy and well as a special pack with quiz's, etc. There's quite a good food range, pizza with two toppings, spaghetti bolognese, chicken nuggets, etc, retails for about £3.50, dessert is included.

They also do the eat-as-much as you like buffet, don't go to the Bristol centre one though, I have seen 3 pizzas appear in 45 minutes with a full restaurant of people, I nearly got crushed in the stampede!

My main reason for choosing Deep Pan Pizza at the moment? Their special offer, the one at Avonmead is about 5 minutes drive from me so we all collect out pizzas, they're a bargain! Buy one pizza, get one free, of the same size that is, or of course the cheaper one free. Practically everything else on their menu apart from the desserts is also available to take away. £11.49 for two large pizzas is a great price especially as you're not tempted to but starters, desserts or expensive drinks, nor do you have to worry about crap service, but you get to sit in the comfort of your own house and watch the telly. Saying that I have no qualms about sitting in and eating either.

Pizza Hut or Deep Pan Pizza? The choice is beginning to be a tough one!

 

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