Rotolo's Pizzeria

Rotolo's Pizzeria



Rotolo's is a new pizza place just off I-69 in the new Village at Cumberland Park.  This is apparently a chain based out of Louisiana that is trying to break into Texas.  The space is relatively small, although the outdoor seating would be nice on a cool Spring evening.  There is a large bar area with an impressive selection of craft brews.

The spread:  The appetizers offer the run of the mills selections to include bruschetta, spinach/artichoke dip, different kinds of flat breads with topping as well as a few interesting items to include the eggplant stacker, meatballs and garlic Parmesan bites.  They also offer wings, several types of salads, wraps/sandwiches, and pastas.  The star of the show are their pizzas.  They have an ambitious pizza menu with some common combinations (meatball, meat feast, deluxe combo, etc) as well as some unique pizzas (Sgt pepper, Philly cheesesteak, Popeye, muffuletta, krewe). 

The verdict:  The most memorable item that I tried was actually the Parmesan bites from the appetizer menu. They were warm, flavorful salty, buttery fully bits of goodness.  The meatballs were solid, with a good combination of spices, meat and breadcrumbs.  The pizza was good, but not great.  I think the problem I had is that the crust was not that much different that any pizza chain. The sauce was solid, although somewhat bland.  The cheese was melty gooey and delicious.  The toppings were high quality, but not highest quality.  The service was average to below average, but they are relatively still young in their restaurant life, so it may just be a product of not having veteran staff.  I was very impressed with their draft beer selection, they had both local Tyler brewers on tap as well as a good collection of craft brew.  Overall, the pizza was good, even above average, but not great.  This would be a good place to grab a couple of beers and have solid pizza.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3.5 out of 5, solid pizza for the price, still needs work on service.

Tuscan slice - Is it slice as nice?

Tuscan slice



Tuscan slice is a new place just off of the loop and 155 in the space that Johnny Carrino's used to be.  The location is not a great one, as there aren't many adjacent businesses.  I fear that Tuscan slice will share the same fate of Johnny Carrino's.  From the outside they didn't change much - there is a little fresh paint and a few murals.  Inside it looks fresh and clean with a large pizza oven with a bar near it.  Tuscan slice is a small chain with what looks like three other locations in Texas.  Their signature is the wood fired oven.

The spread:  The appetizers offered range include bruschetta, fried mozzarella, sauteed mussels, pepperoni rolls and fried ravioli.  They offer a selection of salads to include the usual caesar with a couple of unique salads with various toppings (caramelized pecans, green apples, calamari, crab cakes, italian toppings, etc.)  The entrees include typical American-Italian selections (chicken/eggplant parm, saltimboca, milanese, piccata, marsala, gnocchi, spaghetti, alfredo), wood fired baked entrees (lasagna, manicotti, ravioli) and wood fired steak/pork chops.  The star of the show is the wood fired pizzas with traditional toppings - the margherita, Greek, caprese, italian meat, etc.  They also will bring out dough and topping for the kids to make their own pizza.

The verdict:  Good, but not great.  I was disappointed, perhaps because I had high hopes for a great pizza.  The pizza was just ok, the dough was too thick and although there was charring along the bottom, it wasn't super crispy and delicious.  The cheese was generic American mozzarella, and the pepperoni tasted like Hormel.  I was looking for exciting toppings like prosciutto and arugula, but found the pizzas somewhat uninspired.  We tried the caprese, which was done well and the pesto added a nice burst of flavor.  The kids really enjoyed making their own pizza, but it turns out they burned it in the kitchen because they didn't flattened the dough out enough with the rolling pin. A high point was bringing the kids up to the pizza counter where the young chef gave us all pieces of dough to play with while our pizza cooked, the spectacle had a very good entertainment value.  Another high point is the free bread they hand out at the beginning of the meal, it was light and crispy and drizzled with a little olive oil. YUM.

Edible Tyler Roses:  3 out of 5, worth trying, but the pizza falls flat.

Papa Murphy's Pizza Take N Bake - Not bad, when it's on sale.

Papa Murphy's Pizza Take N Bake
1847 Troup Highway
Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 592-3100
http://papamurphys.com/Home



Papa Murphy's is an interesting concept pizza shop. You show up to the shop and order your pizza, they make the pizzas right there in front of you, and then you take them home and bake them in your own oven. We have gone a couple of times when we were out and about and didn't want to have to pay for pizza delivery. They apparently make everything fresh in house daily, just like a real pizza joint, just without any ovens.

The spread: Well they offer a variety of pizzas to include the by the topping pizzas, specialty types (All meats, Papa's favorites, etc) and stuffed pizzas in medium, large and family size. They also offer original and crispy crusts. They also offer desserts, salads and tray lasagna.

The verdict: Well the end product is a decent pizza pie, not great or outstanding, just decent. If you take home more than one, you better have a double or convection oven to bake two (or more) at the same time. The up side is that you get your pizza straight out of the oven without worrying about it sitting in a delivery guy's car for an hour. The downside is that you don't have a pizza oven baking the pies in a pizza pan, so the quality well never reach that of other chain pizza places. The pizzas are also fairly pricy, as they are the same price as Mazzio's or Pappa John's. I would recommend trying out Papa Murphy's if you were tired, just wanted to get home and pop some pizzas in the oven.

Edible Tyler Roses: 2.5 out of 5, decent pizza, high price for the quality.

Bruno's pizza - great local pizza.

Bruno's Pizza and Pasta
1400 S. Vine St. (original location)
Tyler, TX 75701

15770 FM 2493 (Old Jacksonville)
Tyler (Gresham), TX 75703

http://www.brunospizzatyler.com/index.htm



Bruno's is a home grown little pizza restaurant that has two locations in town. One inside the loop off of Vine street and one a little further out south on Old Jacksonville. I have a fondness for the Old Location because you can tell it is a mom and pop operation that has been successful.

The spread: Bruno's offers your standard pizzas ranging from choose your own topping to multi topping fare. They also offer some pasta dishes and sandwiches. I have tried their pizza several times, one or two of the pasta offerings and multiple types of sandwiches.

The verdict: Bruno's does pizza very well. Their dough is made in house and never frozen. They have a typical conveyer belt pizza oven. I think they do a great job of choosing quality cheese and building their pizza pies, although their combination pizza is overloaded with ingredients and tends to fall apart rather than hold together when eaten. I also really enjoy their sandwiches as they make all their sandwich bread in house and you can taste the difference. My favorite is the meatball and cheese sandwich. Their pastas are a little lack-luster and I would not recommend them. The only problem for me is that they don't deliver and neither location is really close to my house, so I don't eat there as often as I would if I lived closer.

Edible Tyler Roses 4 out of 5. I would say tied for best pizza in town (with BJ's).

Little Italy - neighborhood favorite.

Little Italy
3320 South Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75701-7818
(903) 595-1184
No website.



This is a locally owned restaurant just inside the loop. I have been several times with the wife and with some friends of ours. This place reminds me of the old style neighborhood restaurants where a family owned and operated the place.

The spread: I have to say that I am very impressed with their menu. They have an assortment of appetizers, sandwiches, pizza, seafood, and multiple types of pastas. I have had the pizza, the meatball sandwich, chicken marsala, chicken piccata, ravioli and tortilleni. The prices are very resonable to cheap for Italian food. The dinners all come with either a salad or a beef/cabbage stew (Get the stew!). The always bring out fresh baked dinner rolls with a nice italian seasoning (great for sopping up soup). We have never had enough room to try one of their desserts.

The verdict: This is one of those places that I really love. The wait staff are friendly and knowledgeable. The food is uniformly good to great and the portions are large. There is a wide selection (to include options for kids - my son devoured his pizza and my one year old daughter ate her whole meatball - total cost under 3 bucks). The pizza is thin-crust and delicious. The sandwich are massive and filled full of Italian goodness. I have been very pleased with all the pasta dishes I have tried. The decor is homey. I just don't have a bad thing to say about this well run restaurant. This is definitely one of my favorites in Tyler.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5, skip the chains, this place is awesome!

BJ's brewhouse - beautiful beers

BJ's Brewhouse
210 W Southwest Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75703
(903) 939-2840
http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/locations/tx/tyler



Ah.....BJ's. This is one of my favorite chain restaurants I used to frequent back in Houston. My good friends and I had been anticipating the opening ever since we saw the sign it was under construction. I have been to several locations and they are usually busy with good pizza and beer.

The spread: BJ's has an extensive menu that is all over the place. I would definitely say that they suffer from trying to be all things to all people. The appetizers range from mini-tacos, mini-burgers, nachos, avocado egg rolls, calamari, and the list goes on. Their menu has many selections across a wide range of tastes, flavors and ethnic origins. They have typical burgers, sandwiches and salads as well as a few versions of each that are unique to BJ's. They also have a selection of pastas, steak, and seafood. The dessert menu is centered around their pizzookies, which consistent of a large cookie accompanied by ice cream. I regularly have the deep dish pizza, and they have a wide range of topping to choose from. They have a full bar with a long list of cocktails, and many beers on tap. Unique to BJ's is their own selection of beers brewed to their standards (they used to be brewed in house, but now are brewed centrally and distributed). Visit the website for more details about their extensive menu.

The verdict: This is a great new place for Tyler. In my opinion, it is unique in that it offers a wide menu selection, certain to have something for everyone who comes in. It also is pretty family friendly, and I don't feel horrible when my one year old decides to test the strength of her lungs for no apparent reason. I love craft beer, and BJ's has a wide range from a hoppy IPA, to a well balanced amber in Jeremiah Red. They also have a changing seasonal beer for a little extra variety. The bar is impressive, and I am mostly sure they have the largest selection of beer on tap and one of the best stocked hard liquor bars in town. I tend to stick with the deep dish pizza and it is consistently some of the best deep dish pizza I have ever had. The topping are fresh and the dough has just the right consistency. Yum. The burgers and sandwiches are surprisingly good for a chain restaurant (but there are better places in town). My wife is able to get whatever she wants and be content in her selection. The one down side to BJ's trying to be all things to all people is that outside of the pizza and beer, the menu selections tend to be overall above average to good, but not great. Another down side is that BJ's is typically very busy (although they are still 'new' to Tyler) and we have on more than one occasion decided to go somewhere else because the wait times were ridiculous (for some reason, toddlers aren't cool with waiting an hour to eat). But, BJ's does pizza and beer very well, there is a good atmosphere, and good service.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4.5 out of 5 - Get the pizza and try a beer!