DragonFire Pizza — Restaurant in Ellsworth

I spent quite a while looking through the menu and making a decision on placing this order with my family. I needed to call the shop to place the order because I had had a question about what came on one of the salads and ordering a pizza that was a half-and-half. The person who took my order was lovely and a very helpful but seemed maybe a bit new and was asking for a bit of help from somebody. If I had been successful in placing it the order, it would have been a large order for eight pizzas and two large salads -over $215 worth of food. The order was not for delivery, we were going to pick it up. It was not until we were in the final stages of me placing this order and giving them my card information that I was told that they had to charge me a 15% gratuity because it was “the manager’s rules”. The woman taking my order seemed very uncomfortable to be relating this to me and like she had never heard it herself. She told me she would let me talk to the manager, but then the manager did not get on with me so instead the person who was taking my order came back and uncomfortably again told me this was the manager’s rules. I told her there was absolutely no way I was playing 15% gratuity on an order I was going to pick up and I would be canceling my order and posting a review about this. I hung up the phone and placed an order with Zeppas. I’m actually a very good tipper, but this seems weirdly executed, and like they were making it up to me. Also, on principal, I do not pay tip for food before I have received it. It sounds to me like the manager is just not paying their workers a living wage if they depends on tips on pick up to go orders to get her kitchen staff paid properly. Also, I’m not from this state, but I bet it is state law that you have to include a required gratuity in your stated prices and on your online menu.

Edited to add “online” in my above comment to respond to the owners reply to me stating that this charge is noted on their menu. My point was that it is not noted anywhere online, which is where I was ordering from. Also, I ordered over the phone and was coming in to pick up this food. Therefore I shouldn’t have not been charged a gratuity, it does not make any sense. If your food should cost more, update...

After my third bad experience here, I'm officially done with this place and am not sure how they really stay in business. The ONLY reason I go is because my little nephew/family have a standing Saturday lunch date here. Yesterday, part of the crew went in and we ordered my stromboli a little early, knowing they take longer on anything other than the counter slices. This was around 11:40. At 12 the rest of the family came in and everyone ordered their slices. EVERYONE got their slices and had them almost finished--still no stromboli. Finally go up to the counter--they "forgot" to make it. They were going to "make it right now". At this point it's probably 12:20 and my whole family was done eating. At 12:30, after seeing loads of people coming in and getting all their food in a timely fashion, I wanted to cancel my order, get my money back and walk out. It just HAPPENED to be coming out of the oven right then, so I took it. Absolutely no apology, no explanation. The young and befuddled cashier handed me a "free slice" card. Gee, thanks. Do better, Dragonfire. It seems like the manager or owner has time to come on here and respond/make excuses to all the people who leave anything other than a stellar review. I'm sure she'll do the same for me. Almost an hour to get a stromboli?? I'll give my free slice card to my...

I had an opportunity to ring in the new year with this unique pizza shop. Their wood fired is great. I called in my order early, asking for a greek pizza, a cheese and pineapple (for someone who clearly wanted to create controversy on New Year...we joked it was half a Hawaiian), and a true white pizza with olives/mushrooms...lite cheese and olive oil. It took me about 20 minutes to get there. The store is in a strip mall. The first thing you see when you walk in is the huge wood fire pizza oven. They only have one type of style: hand stretched. I watched the girl manual manipulate the dough. She did some air work with it. The store has some interesting wooden swords and weapons on the back wall. I saw some arcade games in the back. No one was eating in, but large orders seemed to be fulfilled. Some customer purchased 6 (six) pizzas before me. The pizza was great when I got it home. The next day, I tried it. Still great and warmed up really nice!!

Update: Went right before Christmas 2023. Had really unique pizza slice. I had a Yankee pot roast with mash potato pizza. It had a brown sauce. It was good. The other slice was a spinach, cranberry, almond. Washed it down with sasperilla. Really...