Zazaza Pizza Review

For my birthday dinner in July, we decided to check out the new pizza place that had recently opened in the Glebe - ZaZaZa Pizza. The restaurant was started by the guy who started The Works burger chains, and this is the second location in Ottawa.

I should preface this review by noting that this date was a very very warm summer day. We called in advance to see if they had air conditioning (they did) and to check how busy it tended to be on a Saturday night. They assured me that if we were there early (5 pm) it would be before the dinner rush and we shouldn't have a long wait. Since we had our toddler with us, this was essential.

We arrived and were seated right away - there were only a few tables of people in the small restaurant at that time. Despite this, however, the speed with which our food arrived was still very slow. We wouldn't have minded too much...except that the heat in the restaurant was insane! Even the toddler was sweating under her full-sleeved bib. This ended up being a distraction from what was otherwise pretty good pizza.

Like The Works, the menu features a huge number of different topping combinations, ranging from the simple and traditional to the more obscure. We tried three pizzas:


French Kiss  - PESTO OIL — MOZZA, CARAMELIZED ONIONS,
TOMATO, ARTICHOKE, ASPARAGUS, BRIE, FRESH TARRAGON.

Loved the mix of flavours and toppings, but found the combination of brie, mozzarella and pesto made the pizza a little oilier than I would have liked. Probably would have been ok with just one kind of cheese.

CAJUN COWBOY
TOMATO CHIPOTLE SAUCE - CARAMELIZED ONIONS, CHICKEN, SPICY HAVARTI, CHORIZO SAUSAGE, SWEET CORN.

Great flavour combination! Had a nice kick to it, which would have been more appreciated on a day when we weren't already sweating. 

FANCY MUSHROOM  - Pesto oil – mozza, roasted portobello, shitake and oyster mushrooms, parmesan, goat cheese, truffle oil drizzle

This was the fave of everyone at the table. Delish!

Overall, the pizzas were quite yummy, but the slowness and heat were a bit of a turn-off. I'm willing to give it a second chance, but haven't been back yet.

Pizza Boyz

I think that Pizza Boyz was the last of the area delivery places we had left to try. Located on Alta Vista in a little plaza, I've driven past this spot several times, but dismissed it based on its silly name. Unfortunately, their website seems to be down now, but their menu had the typical fare.

The pizza arrived quickly - always a plus for a hungry Friday night. As you can see, lots of bacon and a good amount of cheese. I can't remember enough details now to do a full ranking, but I would rate it as "good", but not memorable enough to promote to a favourite.

Our first re-order

Only a few months into the project, and we've had our first repeat order. We're running out of nearby places to try, and since we wanted to eat quickly, we decided to return to nearby Super Duper Pizza - the first stop on our tour. It was great the first time around, and I still love the name.

It was just as good - and just as cheesy - as we remembered! We ate that pizza all weekend long.

Bobbie's Pizza

Bobbie's Pizza came up through a search on Just Eat, a site that lets you search for places that deliver to your area and then order right through the web. Very convenient! We probably would never have found this place otherwise, since it a bit of a distance from us on Ogilvie.

The pizza arrived, and much to my pleasure, was topped with a dough ball! Just like my old favourite, Fida's. For my fellow bacon-lovers, this pizza was a treat - complete with almost full strips of bacon on top.

Unfortunately, the pizzas are all blurring together in my head, so I don't remember much else about this one, other than that. A decent pizza though, and probably worth a re-order. 8/10

Pizza Plus

We're a bit behind in updating - unfortunately, I've forgotten what some of these pizzas were like! If it weren't for the photos, I think I might have forgotten them entirely.

On this night, we ordered from Pizza Plus, a little place in a strip mall off Conroy. We were tired after a long week at work, and they delivered, so it seemed like a good plan. Unfortunately, the pizza took almost an hour, so we were STARVING by the time it arrived.

The pizza was actually very tasty - really nice toppings, and I probably would have rated it an 8.5. But I'll subtract 50% for lateness!

I'd be willing to give this place a second chance - but maybe pick up next time instead.

Uncle Joe's Pizza

For years, there have been various pizza places in the strip mall at the bottom of Kilborn in Alta Vista. Now "under new management", Uncle Joe's Pizza is the current occupant.

This was a "nothing special" delivery pizza. The crust was thin-ish, and had a nice texture, and the cheese was stretchy and gooey. And not real bacon, which for me, is a major strike against! It wasn't bad, but it was fairly unmemorable.

Cost $21.41 for delivery (free delivery, but they have walk-in specials as well)

Crust - 7.5/10
Cheese - 7.5/10
Sauce - 6/10
Toppings - 4/10

Overall Impression - 6.5/10

Colonnade Pizza

Colonnade Pizza is a long-standing Ottawa tradition and have been around since 1967. Even the current Prime Minister is a fan of their pizza! On one Saturday evening trip to the Metcalfe location a couple of years ago, we were pleased to note that half the restaurant was empty, save for two tables in the centre - one with 2 men and 2 teenaged boys, and one with four burly looking guys. It was only when we looked more closely, that we realized those empty tables were surrounding the PM and his son, along with some friends, and the burly guys were security, rather than other diners! We never did find out what kind of pizza the Harpers enjoy.

In addition to their original downtown location, Colonnade Pizza has four other restaurants around the city, including one in the old Burger King at the Blue Heron mall on Bank Street. We usually visit to dine in (their zucchini sticks make a great appetizer!) but decided to pick-up a pizza for our test. They do not deliver.

Another restaurant style pizza - pretty thick, lots of cheese covering the toppings.

Cost - $24.74 for a large two topping (pick-up)

Crust - 8/10
Cheese - 9/10
Sauce - 8/10
Toppings - 8/10

Overall Impression - 8/10

There's a reason this is such a popular restaurant! My overall feeling was that it was a decent take-out pizza, but perhaps a bit more enjoyable in the restaurant. Unlike some of the less savoury establishments we've gotten take out from lately, this is a great place to take the family.