Problem Child — Restaurant in Little Rock

Let me set the stage.

The sun is setting, the air smells like end-of-summer pavement and questionable life decisions. I walk into Problem Child, a name that sounds like a punk band but turns out to be a temple of dough, cheese, and regrets I don’t have.

I order the pepperoni. Classic. Reliable. The Beyoncé of pizza toppings. The first bite? Crispy. The flop? Nonexistent. The pepperoni flavor? Loud, proud, and perfectly greasy in the way that lets you know your body will betray you later, but your soul will thank you. I should’ve asked for extra sauce, but that’s a me problem. I was too busy vibing. Too excited. Too blinded by the smell of melted cheese and dreams.

Now my friends, they ordered the one with candied jalapeños (Little Devil). They kept saying things like “this is sweet but spicy!” and “my mouth is confused but happy!” Meanwhile, I just smiled and nodded because I’ve got beef with jalapeños.

Let me explain.

One time, when I was like 7, my mom ate a jalapeño at church, during a potluck. She bites it, pauses mid-conversation, and then with absolute seriousness grabs my tiny arm and whispers, “Get your dad… I’m blacking out.”

Like she was about to pass into the next realm right there next to the potato salad and Sister Margaret. I sprinted across the fellowship hall like I was on fire. Ever since then, jalapeños haven’t been “spicy” to me, they’ve been dangerous. Emotional landmines in vegetable form. I don’t mess with them. That was the day I learned flavor has consequences.

Anyway.

Back to Problem Child, this place rules. The name feels like it should come with a waiver, but the pizza? It’s a hug from your favorite cousin who gives you bad advice but great snacks. I’ll 100% be back, extra sauce and maybe, maybe, I’ll stare down a candied jalapeño and settle the score. But probably not.

Final Verdict: 10/10 slice. 2/10 emotional...

Today for Sunday funday the 6 of us were so excited to try Problem Child Pizza. We were met with a beautiful atmosphere and fun music. Our waitress was super nice and quickly took our order and brought us tasty cocktails. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and a meat lovers.. (not sure what they are called on the menu) They come out hot and ready in a very reasonable amount of time. The pepperoni was very good. The meat livers came out and was covered in pickled veggies. We all looked at each other, laughed an little, and decided to just order another pepperoni. We alerted the waitress that we wanted a different pizza and another round of drinks. She took the pizza we mistakenly ordered. A very very VERY rude man immediately came from the kitchen to our table, and I quote, “it clearly states the ingredients on our menu, are any of you familiar with giardiniera? We said no. He said “I’m going to have to charge you for the pizza but I’ll give you 15% off the new one” and he walked off. Keep in mind, 1- we did not complain about our mistake for the pizza. 2- we did not ask for anything free or 15% off… we ordered the wrong pizza, we just wanted to order a new pizza. Our waitress came back over and we asked if the rude man would come back to our table. He never came back. We asked for our check and we left. Such a cute place that doesn’t need that rude man talking to customers

**update, the “war pig” is what I was calling a meat lovers.

**update, updating review from one to four stars based on response from the business and the funny DE reference....

Best birthday dinner of my life back around the end of May! This was a fantastic place for friends to gather. The ambience of MTV classics playing on the TV, the excellent playlist in the background, and the amazing, refreshing, and not overly sweetened cocktails was a delight. When the food arrived, I don’t think there was a single item that didn’t please the entirety of our table. We grabbed some apps, the burger, and 2 of the potato pizzas. I don’t usually love a flatter crust, but whatever these people are doing, it’s working. I may be a convert. It's the best pizza in the area, but I love that it feels like more than that. That tiramisu is the thing dreams are made of.. Nothing out of the box/freezer. Something unique makes it better than others I've had in town.

Returning recently, we had the excellent Kylie take care of us, bringing my partner’s mom in for her first time. Kylie offered us amazing suggestions on food and drinks. This time, we got two different pizzas and grabbed a bottle of the Viognier to try. I love the modestly priced selection of beer and wine that seems expertly curated to be the best for the price. Once again, the pizza was terrific. We couldn’t talk or think about anything else for the next 24 hrs, especially with leftovers in the fridge.

This is the first place I want to go on a food outing. I can't help but feel like it's already a hometown hero with its somewhat seasoned eclectic vibe (it just doesn't feel like a “new” business) and the flavor that it pumps out in every avenue with their food and...