Upper Crust Pizza & Chicken — Restaurant in Akron

Edit I visited family in Ohio in May 29, 2024. The day that we ordered, there were power outages throughout the area. As a matter of fact, as we walked inside to pick up three different pizzas, wings, and tots - the power was completely out! The food was still hot and fresh, and was ready exactly when they said it would be! I cannot tell you how outstanding this place is! Go get you some, tip these people!

Original post, 2021:

Every time I've ordered, the food has been on time, fresh, fast (as it can be, all things considered), and most importantly - delicious! I've ordered in the past, the Jojo's and pepperoni rolls (not pictured) and the jo' s are a tad crispy on the outside with a nice bite, and the insides are light, fluffy cooked potato. I'd imagine they'd be crispier if I'd ask them to make them like that, but from first blush, they were really good! The pepperoni rolls have immense flavor, and I'm going to say that they seem to have more of a filling than most rolls I've ever tasted before. it's not like I go eating pepperoni rolls at every place I go to, but I will say it's not like there's just one slice of pepperoni in the roll, and the rest of it is just cheese. Well worth it to me for the price. What I have pictured, are the plain, breaded, bone-in jumbo wings, and they are THE BEST BREADED WINGS IN SUMMIT COUNTY, HANDS DOWN. I'm a freaking expert in breaded wings, and I say this from years of experience! Also pictured is the American pan Kings triple double (I always ask for it to be extra crispy) which is outstanding, since it's not a greasy pizza at all with all that pepperoni! If you're taking a bite and not getting some roni in your mowth - something's wrong with you man, go see a doctor immediately! The crust is delicious, and not overpowering like some other places with a yeasty dough taste, and the sauce is light, but has a nice tomato finish that's not too sweet/not to spicy or salty. The tots I ordered were nice and crispy, and that was after driving to the other side of town, and taking another 20 minutes after getting home to sit down and eat! I've had almost every sauce, and they are all respectively as flavorful as can be from their descriptions.

In the four times that I've ordered since last year, every order has been just as consistent as the first, and on quite a few occasions, I know ordering the food was around their peak times, along with sporting events that would make them super busy.

The staff have always been courteous and professional, and every time that I've placed an order, the time that I've told that it'll actually be ready, has been no later than 5 minutes anytime they've said! Pretty damn accurate if you ask me.

Honestly the only thing I have to complain about at this point, is that there isn't one closer to me! But it's well...

Let me start by saying your food is amazing. I first tried on the west side of Cleveland ironically. Now I tried it again when I moved back to the Akron area. I was impressed. I love the taste. Great pizza. what the heck is with your employee's though. I walk in and someone goes what you here for? Im picking up for who? what name is it? writing this does not accurately portray the lip smack and attitude in those employee's words.

She checks on my order and says two minutes. I say okay great thank you .

then front desk person vanishes.

kitchen person finishes my order. Says okay its ready.

looks around for front desk person

who is gone

rolls her eyes, scowls that she now has to cross in front of the service window to give me my food.

yikes

Look one of two things is happening with your employee's

Whomever is interviewing is not doing a good job at all

or You are not paying them enough at all. If they don't get paid enough they wont care about customer service.

You brag all over your website and the walls of the location how many awards you've won. I am sure you can afford to pay them a decent wage. If you dont change the employee's attitude as is proven by other reviews citing the employee attitudes you wont last very long.

edit/update: Literally hours after I posted this review initially, who i believe was the manager called me explaining that he had seen my review was embarrassed. He gave me a credit for my next meal on them.

great seems like the problem was solved.

fast forward to today. My dinner plans fell through so I decided to use the credit. Firstly let me say that this time the employee was super nice. Good job Landyn.

Some other issues arose. The manager stated that whatever I wanted as my next meal was covered. On them. Great. Except it wasnt. The cost of what I ordered was more than the apparent credit.

I decided since the employee's were nice I would just pay the difference and go eat my pizza Except now there was another problem. MY PIZZA WAS WRONG . One ingredient got switched out for another.

At that point and currently I am done. No more chances. I dont want a credit. I dont want a call from the manager. I dont want anything. The only thing I want is to never set foot in an uppercrust again. not Akron, not Barberton, Not...

I ordered a pan crust pizza as well as a gluten free pizza. It totaled 34 dollars.I was shocked to have a doughy and undercooked pizza. This pizza was the worse pizza I ever had. It not only was doughy yet also lacked flavor in meat, cheese, and sauce. I get to travel for work and recently moved back to the area. I was happy to see the development of Akron and new businesses in the area. After living in a large metro area I was elated to try good pizza in a small town.

This place was a complete fail. In addition, the owner Nick is so removed from decorum and professionalism, replied there was no way I had a doughy pizza due to the double cooked process of the pizza.

I'm all for someone standing for their product, yet errors happen. His narcissist ways were unsettling. I even said I would take back my pizza since out of eight slices, one slice was only half ate.

If you value strong ethics, good food, and someone who appreciates your business; don't go here. Save your money, time, and taste buds by not going here.

Lesson here... not everything that glitters is gold. A pretty business doesn't equate to good food. Highland Square really deserves a better pizza place. I'm not sure how they won awards. This pizza is unbearable. Nick, you would have received zero stars had that been an option.

I hope in the future...