Scratch Brick Oven — Restaurant in Johnson City

Scratch is easily my favorite pizza anywhere. Trust pizzas are an amazing concept, and I wish more places did them, especially now that I'm moving away. However, the customer service I experienced tonight was probably the worst I've experienced anywhere, so even if I weren't moving, I don't think I'd come back.

I called in my order a few minutes before 5 today and was told it would be ready in 45 minutes. I didn't arrive at Scratch until a few minutes before 6, so it had been an hour since I ordered. I gave my name, paid for my order, and headed to the back to wait for someone to bring it out as always.

After waiting about 20 minutes or so, I went back to the window to ask about my order, explaining that I ordered a little before 5 and got here well after it was supposed to be ready. I was told it was over an hour wait. I repeated that I didn't just order, I had ordered a little before 5, so it had already been over an hour, so I'd like a refund if the wait was going to be longer. The woman at the window said she can't give refunds, so she offered me a 50% off coupon on my next visit. I said that wouldn't work since I'm moving and won't get to use it. She then offered me a rice krispy treat. I declined and said I'd keep waiting, but they shouldn't be giving wrong wait times to people, and besides, it had already been over an hour since I ordered. She said they're short staffed, and a new person must have made a mistake. She never once offered to check on the order for me, which is the bare minimum she could have done. I was sharp in my tone but still polite. I didn't raise my voice, use insults, or use foul language.

I waited another half hour or so and decided to just leave. It had been about an hour since I'd checked in to pick up my order and two hours since I'd called in my order. No one offered to check on my order even though staff saw me waiting for an hour, and no other customers had waited for more than a half hour, and those customers didn't order until they got to the window.

Since it had already proven fuitle before, and because there was a pretty big group lining up to order, I didn't go back to the window. I'm going to try to dispute the charge with my bank even though I probably won't be successful, so I'm probably out nearly $30.

It was a huge disappointment and honestly enough to make me think twice about ordering from Scratch again even if I...

Scratch Brick Oven is an unusual - and tasty - place to get pizza in the Tri-Cities area.

There's no shortage of good pizza in the Tri-Cities area. But of all the establishments and all the innovative pies in the area, I personally think Scratch comes out on top.

Our friends who grew up in Johnson City described Scratch to us as, "A pizza place run by hippies." That is, perhaps, the best description. From the laid-back atmosphere, to a pure honor system for ordering and payment, to the "take an LP, leave an LP" record collection and "Trust Us" option on the menu, Scratch is certainly an unusual restaurant.

What's clear, though, is that the pizza is of the highest quality. Excellent crust with quality ingredients, locally sourced where possible allows Scratch to produce some excellent pies. For the adventurous, a "Trust Us" option places complete control of your pizza in the hands of the maker. "Limited Trust" options are available for those who prefer to avoid certain ingredients (e.g. olives). This is my go-to order at Scratch, and when invoking the trust, I've never had two identical pizzas, and never had a bad one. What are the odds I would put Mandarin Oranges and Katamala Olives on my pizza at the same time? Low. But it was one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten.

Their hours may be odd (particularly over the winter), but Scratch is always at the top of my list when I'm looking for pizza. The food and the experience are...

First time eating here in years! My wife and I decided to visit here together for her first time. It’s always highly recommended on various FB pages when people are seeking local pizza. To place your order, you have to fill out a paper circling the ingredients you want on your pizza and hand it to the chefs. That’s ok, different is good. We chose French dough, Granny Smith apples, garlic, basil, smoked chicken, artichoke for our toppings with chimichurri pesto sauce. I’m personally not a fan of the way they cut the pizza. It’s 9 unusual shaped pieces so if you’re splitting it with someone, you’ll have to figure out who’s getting the last piece. The pizza itself is ok. It’s a 5.9/10 in my opinion. It’s hands down the greasiest pizza I’ve ever had. Not sure how that’s possible unless it’s a high moisture cheese? It was the same way the last time I had it years ago. The crust and the toppings were bland as well. Certainly not a bad tasting pizza, but it’s just ok. We got the “cheese sticks” as well. That title is kind of misleading because it’s basically a cheese pizza without sauce or toppings. Again, also greasy which leads me to believe it’s the cheese they use. But it was just ok as well. Both items were $45 with 2 bottled waters. Prices are fine but just didn’t get the flavor I’d hoped to get...