Aviator Pizza & BeerShop — Restaurant in Fuquay-Varina

Bit of a mixed bag at Aviator last night. The food was great, but the service was shaky and the experience wasn’t as positive as we’d have liked.

The good: The ambiance of the place is nice, and the decor is interesting. Aviator was super clean, bathrooms included. The food was excellent; we ordered two pizzas, garlic bread, a salad, and wings. It was exactly what we were expecting. No complaints at all about the food. The staff was all very nice and helpful when we did see them. Great beer menu.

However...

The staff is clearly and visibly overwhelmed due to shaky leadership and a lack of direction. No staff members were wearing masks, or adhering to CDC guidelines regarding social distancing; the staff, management, and customers all treated the evening like a normal day. People sitting elbow to elbow at the bar, at tables right next to each other, staff members standing very close to customers and other servers. Last I checked, there are CDC recommendations, and legalities for phase 1 of reopening for a reason. Guess Aviator didn’t get that memo. The food took a very long time. I would say at least 45 minutes at a conservative estimate. It was a Saturday night, so I understand. However, there was no server to check in on us, or give us an update. It would have been great to at least have some communication. We didn’t receive the appetizers or even water or napkins; we received our food and such all at once, after 45+ minutes. From what we could see, the staff consistently didn’t know where they were going, and kept giving folks the wrong food. Servers passed us over and over, clearly confused.

In short: I’d recommend this place, but lower your expectations and strap in, because it may be a while before you get any of your food. Also, I’d recommend bringing your own masks, wipes, etc, if you or anyone in your party is concerned about COVID-19, because clearly the folks at Aviator are not concerned.

Hope things are a little better on...

We liked Aviator Pizza, but I don't see it as a place I'll come back to very often unless trying to feed a lot of people. While clean and friendly, it had rather loud music, and the focus seemed to be on the brewery and not so much the pizzeria. It felt like a bar that decided they want to also offer pizza instead of just bar food. What we ordered the 6 Jumbo Wings (pictured), a calzone, Meat-a-Palooza, Crash & Burn, Margherita, and BBQ Chicken White (we had family visiting). Everybody got soft drinks as well.

The most important question: did either of us yummy giggle? No, but that doesn't mean it wasn't decent pizza. It just wasn't blow my mind or my taste buds.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (good) Cost: $12-$15 each Kid-friendly: yes, however I'm not used to bars letting kids sit AT the bar, and that was REALLY weird to see. We had a table near the windows.

Onto the review!

Neither of us tried the calzone, so I can't comment on it. The wings were ok, they were a sweet BBQ sauce, tender, but dry and the flavor didn't penetrate the meat. My husband had the Crash & Burn, and thought it was good. In fact, all the pizzas were good. There was a lot that struggled though. The crust was a little too thin and the points of my slices kept dipping. In addition, the semolina flour on the crust was quite bitter in almost every bite. I didn't like whatever was their "ground sausage" on the Meat-a-Palooza, but the other parts were good.

The kids ate their pizza just fine though, so that passes the picky eaters test!

Overall a fine place to bring people if you're feeding a crowd, but I will be looking for other places first. Price per meal was average for a pizzeria, I am not sure it was worth it. I would also appreciate quieter music so I can actually hear people on the other end of the table.

My highlight: none.

Husband's...

Visited this location on a Sunday in September with a large party (6 adults, 4 young children) right at opening time. We expected a bit of a wait due to our group size—but not a 2.5 hour wait for food.

There was only one server and one person in the kitchen, which clearly signaled a staffing issue. To be clear, our server was doing their best under the circumstances, and the delay was not a reflection of their effort.

I’ve always loved Aviator, especially this location, largely thanks to my obsession with the waffle fry nachos (add jalapeños—highly recommend). But unfortunately, this visit has made me feel differently.

We placed all food and drink orders promptly upon being seated. After an hour, we noticed other tables—including some with large groups—being served before us. Some of our party eventually received their pizzas, but those who ordered non-pizza items were told the kitchen had only been making pizzas and hadn’t even started the rest of the food—this was two hours in. To make matters worse, we were later told our order was mistakenly given to another table.

As a new mom with a six-week-old in tow, I was beyond ready to eat after two hours of waiting. When our food finally arrived, the server kindly offered 20% off the items that came out “late” (about 2 of the 7 items we ordered). While appreciated, this gesture felt inadequate considering the length of the wait and the overall disruption to our experience.

Extremely disappointed by this visit. I understand Aviator just opened a new location in Varina, but perhaps management should prioritize improving operations and customer experience at existing locations before...