Mario's Pizza — Restaurant in Clemmons

PLEASE READ FULL REVIEW BEFORE CONTINUING!! 🛑 I want to preface this review by saying that my intent is not to come off as an inconsiderate, individual with lack of empathy for what may have simply just been one bad day for this business as I am aware that wherever you go you may have a bad experience and I understand that negative reviews have the potential to come off as extremely insufferable. That being said I am leaving this review to warn people of the disheartening experience I had with the manager at this location after expressing concerns that the food may have made me, my boyfriend and his mother sick. On 03/01/2021 my boyfriend ordered us two subs, two cannolis, and the 12 piece boneless wing. His mother ordered a sub as well and about 30 minutes after eating my sub and wings I was violently throwing up my food in the bathroom. I felt terrible, but I figured it was just me and I let it go. My boyfriend felt nauseous while eating his food as well, however he did not mention this to me until today 03/03/2021 at around 11 am after my boyfriend because he figured it was just normal. Thinking it was just us, we decide we would probably be fine to eat our leftovers. No big deal, until we both got threw up again. His mother then called later on in the day and said she had the same reaction. Considering the fact that we are LITERALLY in a pandemic I decided to call this location to inform them about the experience in order to keep other customers safe, to which the girl on the phone literally said “oh I’m sorry there nothing we can do for you” with a nonchalant attitude and then transferred me to her manager. Her manager then proceeded to SCREAM at me and accuse me of lying, getting angry with me for even suggesting it could be his food, completely dismissing me as a complainer when 1) I never asked for a refund and 2) the only reason I was even speaking to him was to express my concerns about my experience. If you are worried about being safe and protecting yourselves during this pandemic then please do not eat here as if you even question them they will barrages you and make you feel as though they do not care for...

I had discovered this particular Mario's pizza. I have eaten at several of these establishments, including in Miami, FL. Growing up in NYC, I grew up on real NY pizza. Since living in Miami, then Greensboro, and now Winston-Salem, I have had a chance to sample the different recipes for pizza. Since March of 2023, I found this location to have the best NY style pizza since moving to North Carolina in 2017.

They look right, the feel right, they even smell right, until you taste it. This location has had the best one and checked off all the boxes.

BUT - something happened as of the week of August 12 - 18. The pizza doesn't taste right anymore, the dough is cooked so much that the slices are not crispy, but hard. Same with the garlic knots. The cheese sticks which were greta at first, are now all rubbery. I don't know if the recipe changes or the cooks, but something went terribly downhill recently.

I honestly hope they go back to what they were doing before because they had it right. Now, I am very hesitant to return.

I often buy food there to eat and also carry out to bring home.

I would love to give them 5 stars, but lets see what will happen the next time I visit which won't be for a long while.

Hope you guys take my review as constructive criticism, I just miss what you were...

Mario's is one of the best pizza spots in town. Unfortunately, with the pressure to add a tip before I even finish placing my order, I felt a little uncomfortable continuing to order. Everything is so expensive nowadays So to pay $22 for one cheese pizza seemed high but I do prefer quality meals. It wasn't until the gentleman (I won't mention his name because he was nice) told me twice that "in order to complete the transaction the system is asking how much of a tip I would like to leave". Mind you the order has not been processed, the pizza had not been cooked, it was not going to be delivered and I hadn't eaten the pizza but still I was expected to tip at the time of purchase. I know this is the culture we live in now, but that doesn't make it ok. Have a tip line, and a bucket available and leave it at that, anything else is doing too much. I know there are POS systems that give you the option to not raid your customers pockets or make them feel obligated to tip at the point of sale. I'll be looking for new places to order from or cooking at home until this changes. 😥 I hope every employee there is valued and compensated accordingly... by the owners of the restaurant. (With the prices they charge I would think they...