Old Town Pizza and Tap House — Restaurant in California

First of all, I have only heard great reviews about OTP and I will likely go back. My 1st visit was not great. OTP is located in a little shopping center which is not very well lit. I actually walked into the wrong business- a sports bar to the left of OTP. After being redirected, I walked down and found what I was looking for. It was after 7:00 p.m. on a Sunday night. The restaurant was fairly empty. The bar is in the back with several high tops available. I stood for a minute thinking someone might direct me to a table. This did not happen so I walked up to the bar and said this was my first visit. I was told to order there at the counter. I ordered a small Grandma Helen pizza w/ gluten-free crust, spinach salad, and a fountain soda (I will not do the gluten-free crust again). The person taking my order didn't look at me or say very much at all. This made me feel unwelcome. I expected a more friendly introduction to the establishment after announcing it was my first time in. There were about 5 patrons sitting at the bar chatting, watching football & listening to jukebox music. They seemed to be regulars and were very much enjoying each other's company. I liked that vibe. If the employees put a little effort engaging with me even a fraction of what they gave to their regulars I would have left happy. The tables and the back bar area could have been cleaner. Hopefully next time will be better. I'm anxious to try more food. The spinach salad was great! And the pizza toppings were fresh, quality...

Seriously?! Maybe they were having a bad day here, but this was probably the worst pizza I've ever had. And let me preface this by saying that I had just spent 2 days in the wilderness, so my standards were pretty low on food quality.

First, the atmosphere is kinda gross and run-down, but I can get on board with dives if the food is actually good. Most of that tables were filled with dirty plates when we arrived.

Second, the service was quite poor. We ordered the Vege out pizza and when it arrived the waitress didn't even bring plates and said she'd come back with them. A few minutes of waiting, still no plates. Eventually I go to the counter to get some and they are out of plates (would help if they bussed their tables maybe), so they give us paper plates.

Finally, the food was downright bad. The cheese was probably the cheapest mozzarella money could buy and looked more like plastic than cheese. And boy was it piled on thick. I ended up peeling half of it off just so it resembled pizza more than a glob of cheese. The sauce tasted like it came straight out of a can, same with the olives and the artichoke hearts. And everything was just so bland. Honestly, I wouldn't have eaten it if I hadn't been so hungry.

Overall, the only good thing about this place was the Sierra Nevada...

After being born in Chicago and living there for for 50 years, I think I know a little bit about pizza. A real Chicago with knows that the corporate deep dish pizzas are strictly for the tourists. The great pizzas are the little neighborhood pizza places where families go and locals hang out and everyone has a good time but they also get a really darn good pizza! And Old Town Pizza fits that to a tee!! I just got a takeout but there was a little kids party and they were adults sitting at tables and at the bar watching football having fun. But I was extremely astounded by how delicious the pizza was. In the category of "AWESOME" is my interpretation. I will definitely be back to try different ingredients, but that Chuck Norris was simply Delicious!! Now if you would like, I can teach you California's how to cut a pizza, you see Pizza is supposed to be cut in squares!! Make three cuts one way turn it sideways and three cuts the other way, that's it. There is a drawback though ,Cutting it this way is also the reason why some Chicagoans are so tough. That will leave four little corner pieces which arguably are the best parts of that slicing technique .You'll have a grown man fight his grandmother for one of those corner pieces, LOL!! OLD TOWN PIZZA WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING,...