For this installment of Eat `N’ Write, we visited downtown Ames and the newly remodeled George’s Pizza Parlor and Steakhouse, 330 Main St. We’d heard all the talk of how Great Plains is the best place for pizza in Ames, so we decided to scope out its competition.

Restaurant Atmosphere

TIM: It was Friday, 4:30 p.m. and the restaurant was empty, which didn’t come as much of a surprise considering the busy metropolis that is Ames. Apparently, Ames can’t find time to eat until after 5 p.m. – at least. We walked in and were immediately greeted by a large, well-built gentleman who directed us to go ahead and seat ourselves. (We later found out his name was George, most likely the very George whose name graces the sign outside the building.) I chose a booth by the large window facing Main Street.

Zach: Oh, and what a choice it was. The empty restaurant was a little boring so I just turned and faced the window so I could watch some young ladies eat their ice cream cones.

TIM: I bet they loved the ghetto fabulous bandana you were sportin’, huh Z-Diddy?

Zach: Tim, don’t interrupt me. You had your turn. As I was saying, the seat was choice. Watching the girls got a little old so I turned my head to face the dinning area and talked to Tim’s girlfriend, who he decided needed to come along because he doesn’t own a car of his own.

TIM: She gave you a ride too, smart guy. Your old Honda with duct-taped mirrors and three tires hardly constitutes an automobile.

Back to the restaurant. Since Halloween is less than a month away, George’s was getting into the spirit of the holiday. Every table had a Halloween candle and a decorative tablecloth, and the walls were covered with fake cobwebs. Believe you me, nothing gets you in the mood to eat some homemade pizza like cats in witches hats sitting next to smiling pumpkins.

Zach: Tim, I don’t know how fake the cobwebs were. I kind of got the feeling George’s had a little spider problem once I saw a hedge apple in the corner behind the plant.

A word of advice to restaurant owners – I know bugs are everywhere, but don’t leave insect-killing devices where people in the dining room can see them. You don’t see rat traps under the chairs, just like you shouldn’t see hedge apples in the corners of an eating establishment. That’s how rumors get started.

TIM: Leave it to Zach to find the hedge apple neatly tucked away behind a large potted plant. His fear of bugs is surpassed only by his anal-retentiveness, so it took a while to convince him restaurants inevitably have bugs and that he could put his feet back on the floor.

But I will agree that the atmosphere was pretty bland; the ethnic music in the background was hardly audible and the dining area, though extremely clean, was plain. I give it a thumbs down.

Zach: Man, here we go again with me being afraid of bugs. Just ignore him. The overall atmosphere here was terrible; a little too boring for me. Thumbs down.

Service

TIM: Because we were the only customers in the place, the service was impeccable.

The waitress came by every so often to politely ask if we needed refills on our pops, and the food only took about 20 minutes to get to us.

There are no complaints here. Thumbs up.

Zach: I agree. The service was fantastic. The lady was extremely nice, but she didn’t overdo it. I always like when my pop is refilled at the perfect time. Thumbs up.

Food Quality

TIM: George’s menu gives you an array of options, from gyros to sandwiches to salads to steak to pizza. Zach and I decided to split a large pepperoni pizza, which ran us $10.50 total.

Zach: And my God was it good. I kid you not, this is the best pizza in Ames. It’s as close to homemade pizza as it gets here. The thick-crusted place down the block has been blown out of the water.

It’s nice to go to a non-commercial pizza place and not have the crust at the end taste like a stale can of warm Old Style because there’s so much yeast in it.

TIM: I agree completely. This just may be the best pizza in Ames. The large pizza is easily a meal for three to four people; Zach and I, who didn’t eat all day, couldn’t finish the whole thing.

The pizza was the kind lacking in Ames – the crust didn’t dominate the taste. For a thin crust pizza, they didn’t skimp on the cheese, and the sauce was great, lots of spices giving it that homemade taste.

Zach: Tim, you hit it right on the nose. The pizza had the perfect amount of cheese, yet the crust was still crispy. I was a little torn up, though, when Tim found a piece of fungus on one of his pieces. George’s was perfect until then, but don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a thumbs-up pizza.

TIM: For everyone’s information, the piece of fungus was a mushroom. No big deal. George’s Pizza Parlor and Steakhouse makes Dominos and Gumby’s look like Totino’s frozen pizza. It’s that “screw my daily caloric intake” kind of pizza, where the grease is as thick as the cheese. No complaints here.

The pizza gods have smiled nicely upon George’s. It’s the perfect place to stop by for an afternoon lunch or quiet dinner. Thumbs up.