Cicis Pizza — Restaurant in Dr. Phillips

i went last year and it was my first time eating at cicis pizza since 2014 and my first time visiting this specific location. there used to be one just a few half miles away but i’m guessing it closed down.

when we first got there it was really packed which honestly surprised me. i figured tourists usually go to the big chain restaurants nearby like olive garden or applebee’s or whatever. there was a long line and we waited about 10 minutes to get our food. not a huge deal.

it did feel a bit overpriced compared to what i remember but since it’s all you can eat i didn’t really mind. the food was actually really good.

i got the same thing i used to get when i was little and the fact that it tasted the same was kinda heartwarming. i also tried some new things like the pizza (obviously), the breadsticks, and the cheesy bread. food-wise no complaints at all.

…remember how i said it was packed? yeah. there was a huge family sitting across from us and their kids were literally running around the restaurant like it was a playground. it was insanely loud. i’ve never seen anything like it.

i was kinda shocked the staff didn’t step in but honestly i was more annoyed at the parents. their kids were running so close to our table they almost knocked over our food and drinks. i think the arcade was closed which made it worse because if it had been open the kids probably would’ve been in there instead of treating the dining area like chuck e. cheese.

i really couldn’t enjoy my food the way i wanted to which sucked because it was actually so good. as soon as we finished we dipped into the candy store that’s attached to the restaurant because we just had to get out of there.

ngl i’d only come back on a slow day or maybe not at all. there are other cicis locations nearby anyway. i especially wanna try the one that’s inside a mini golf course because i used to pass it all the time when i was a kid living in orlando.

i didn’t think to take pictures of the food (rip) but the photo below is proof i...

If you’re hungry, they have food. Be warned: It’s not really good quality food. It came to $5/person using a Groupon certificate. Even at this price it was just okay. The salad bar uses iceberg lettuce and they’re some basics like red onions, cucumbers, banana peppers, olives, & croutons, but oddly no tomatoes. Really? The chicken noodle soup was ok. The chicken used was highly processed tiny cubes and not from a recognizable part like a breast or thigh. The soup reminded me of a ramen broth. Not the good Nong Shim one. The 5 for $1 ones you buy as a poor college student.

The pizza was fresh. But it wasn’t very good. It served its purpose to fill our bellies after a long day at the theme parks. That’s it. As a New Yorker who has had the likes of Lombardi’s, Patsy’s, Paulie Gees, DiFaras, Totonnos, John’s, Prince St, etc all my life, this is not “great” pizza as some reviewers have mentioned. They have no idea what a good pizza is. The bottom of the crust was soft and spongy right out of the oven. There are dollar/slice pizza joints in NYC that have better texture and flavor. The staff was fine as there was very little interaction with them. It’s illuminated with a bright and cold temperature fluorescent hospital lighting. It’s a good place if you are on a very tight budget or have many mouths to feed. The facilities were clean. The food is endless. I can finally say I’ve tried Cici’s since I have seen their ads on prior trips. But I never need to return.

You can buy 3 pieces of freshly fried chicken or the much raved about chicken sandwich for $4 across the street. That’s probably what I would do if I were on a very...

Oh, where do I begin? First, there is black mold on the ceiling in the bathroom. If you know anything about mold, you know this is NOT good. There is a lot of it. Second, I watched them take salad veggies out of bags with BARE HANDS and put them into the bins to be eaten. That is a HUGE health code violation. They were sniffing the veggies before switching them out and apparently checking to see if they were rotten? I watched people drop food and just throw it back up onto the food for the next person to be eaten. I understand this is not the doing of the workers, however, if you have time to stand around and talk/laugh you have time to watch to make sure food touched or dropped by guests be taken care of properly. Third, and I KNOW this will upset people. FEEDING DOGS UNDER THE TABLE AND IN THE WALKWAY! I am all for service dogs being in restaurants. I DO have an issue with non service dogs (nothing on this dog but a regular collar and leash. I understand this MIGHT have been a service dog but there was no indication on the dog as such.) With that said, as an owner of a service dog, I do not bring my dog into food places for some dogs become food aggressive and I worry about my guy being attacked from non service dogs. Service dogs are trained. I truly believe even a service dog should NOT be fed under the table. This is still an establishment for people to eat, and I truly feel this is disgusting. The workers could see this being done and nothing was said. Just all...