NAPO Today's Pizza — Restaurant in McAllen

Tried this place out for first time and would NOT recommend. Let's start with the crazy loud music playing. Could not hardly hear the workers, nor each other. They finally figured out that they couldn't hear each other trying to talk to each other either and turned it down some. Not our taste in music either, which didn't help that aspect either. Then, basically felt like you were at a strange Peter Piper Pizza with a bar and crazy high prices. There is a server that is basically there to take your order and that is about it. They provide cheap paper plates and those awful thin napkins like the ones provided at ice cream shops (worst napkins known to man). You go and get your own drinks and refills and go and get your own condiments and plasticware. The food did come out quickly. (almost too quickly as made you wonder if it was fresh or not). Funny thing is there are signs on all tables that stated that good things take time, obviously wasn't very good so it didn't take much time at all. There are a number of odd menu items, so if you are wanting something a bit more "normal" as you may be used to, will probably not find what you are looking for. The marinara sauce has an odd sour taste to it. The lettuce used in the salad was very old and not fresh at all and the salad was drowned in dressing (probably trying to mask the lack of freshness of the lettuce), which did not taste very good either. They bragged of the dressing being homemade, which is only a good thing IF it is good. The fountain drink options are very limited and otherwise they have a selection of beers and wines. A cocktail option (don't recall the name) ended up consisting of some simple syrup, small amount of fresh squeezed lemon juice, sprite, and red wine poured over ice in a wine glass. Huh? NOT a good combination at all and funky funky. Guess the idea is better to drink and get drunk so you don't realize how bad the food tastes. The pizza was yuck. The crust was burnt/overcooked on the bottom, so a hard, tough, thin layer to chew through or "try" to cut through with your plastic knife. The rest of the crust was raw and very undercooked. Obviously oven is set way too hot to get them in and out quick, which is what causes the burnt bottom and raw center. It did come out quick, will give them that. The toppings were odd and not all that good tasting. Pepperoni, which is a staple on pizza in the US, should be great, theirs was NOT. How do you mess up pepperoni? Noticed that most everyone else that came in looked as uncomfortable as we felt and did not seem to enjoy their drinks nor food either. There was one server that had the whole place to cover by themselves. They did an ok job considering but really was sad that there wasn't better service. A good number of workers there but they were busy talking or running to the back to hang out (probably where the music was not as loud and they could actually hear each other). Basically everyone that was there are customers were on their phones as there was no way to have a conversation with those at your own table. Overall a very expensive experiment as a customer and not at all a pleasant dining experience. Prices were high, atmosphere was horrible, and worst of all the food was BAD. Don't predict this place surviving and we won't be sorry...

Likes:

Really wanted to love it first time around. It’s in a decent location and the ambiance is pretty lively. The pizza was decent, nothing special but a solid date night pizza. There is a decent selection of appetizers, pasta, and pizza. The pizza is either Neapolitan-style (floppy with an airy crust), or deep dish. We had the cheesy madness, which had a blend of cheeses that made for a really nice flavor, especially for having no sauce. I also must add, the staff was very friendly and accommodating. There was a very long wait, but when I went to check up on my order, they were very reassuring and friendly in their response. They gave us an order of wings on the house as an apology for the wait, which was a very nice thought.

Dislikes:

It is a new restaurant, so undoubtedly it was very busy. Despite this, waiting slightly longer than an hour after I placed my order was a bit too much. The placement of the drink machine and the utensils are also very hard to get to. The drink machine is wedged between the bar and a long table for guests, which made it pretty awkward to squeeze in and refill your drink. The utensils are near the front towards the left of the cashier, and it was a hassle cutting through the long line to grab utensils and napkins, then cutting back through the same line to get back to my table. In addition to the pizza, I had ordered some cheese bites that came out very soggy and lukewarm, as if they had been sitting for awhile. The free wings were also soggy, even though the flavor was very good.

Final thoughts:

The restaurant undoubtedly has potential and many of the reviews on Google are overwhelmingly positive. This may have been due to them getting caught in the busy rush, which led to the average experience I had. I do believe there are some aspects of the dining arrangements that need to be changed, and that there needs to be more consistency in the quality and speed of service throughout the day. I will be returning for another try as I did enjoy some things, and I hope that I have a better experience the second...

This was my first visit and I had a great overall experience.

The restaurant has a nice, bright and inviting atmosphere. Inside, there is a mixture of high-top and low-top seating as well as plenty of stools at the bar. There is cozy outdoor seating.

Even before ordering my food, I was presented with a selection of their signature sauces. Most of which I later tested on my pizza..

I ordered a 16" hand-tossed pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple (AKA Hawaiian). I did not order any of the signature pizzas this time. My pizza came out hot, fast and cooked just right. I devoured about half. The dough was soft and tasty. The pizza had quality toppings.

I tried three of the four sauces on the pizza and enjoyed them all.

I also ordered a bottled beer, which was served with a chilled glass and a generous slice of orange (I was drinking Blue Moon).

The servers were friendly and attentive. I will...