University Pizza Company (UPC) — Restaurant in Riverside

Short review: really good pizza. Really friendly staff.

Long review: this is a new place, just opened less than a month ago. They’re right next to the movie theater, in the spot that used to be Ray’s pizza. Ray’s was enjoyable and I was sad when they closed, but UPC is an upgrade, and brings something unique to the IE pizza scene, in a good way.

I ordered the 2 slices + fountain drink special. Pepperoni on both slices, as that is my “go to” topping.

First thing I noticed was that despite arriving at nearly 8pm, and there being no slices ready, they had no problem throwing a new pie in the oven to give me two slices. A lot of places at that hour would tell me that only whole pies are available. And that’s a reasonable stance in the thin margin world of restaurants.

Next I watched the guy make the pie, and saw him sprinkling the cheese on properly, from about 18-24 inches above the table, giving the cheese enough time to spread out naturally and limiting clumping.

They have a conveyor belt oven, which often makes undercooked pies. Not here though! The cheese was perfectly toasted without the crust being burnt. That oven is dialed in, beautifully.

When they were cutting it, the guy asked me if I wanted the individual slices cut in half, cause they give big slices. I said sure, and looked over to see that my “2 slices” totaled out to half of the whole pie! So for $8, I got 4 regular sized slices (about 150-160 grams each), a half of a large pizza, and a fountain drink. Dinner for tonight and lunch for tomorrow too, and some for my wife who was working at the time.

There’s a saying in pizza, big slices are usually not good. But that’s usually referring to big long 1/8th of a 24” pie slices, and they’re not good cause they don’t cook right, being a 24” pie. But this is big because it’s a high percentage of a normal sized pie.

So seeing what I got, I waited a bit so I wouldn’t burn my face off, and lifted it, folded it, and took my first bite.

The crust crunched loudly. Great sign. The tip of the slice had a slight flop to it, not too bad, mostly due to the weight of the generous but not excessive cheese. But even the flopping portion had a crispness to the crust.

The first thing I tasted was a different flavor to the sauce that I was used to in a pizza. Couldn’t place my finger on it at first until I talked to the guy who runs the place and asked him about it (I already forgot his name). They use a unique sauce, it’s tomato sauce, like normal, but the flavor is definitely their own, I won’t spoil the secret of what it is, though. But in that first bite I didn’t get any pepperoni cause it was still so hot, and I was really eager to get the thick cut, cup shaped pepperoni. This pepperoni was what caused me to drive 15 miles across town to give it a shot. Any place that selects the cup-shaped pepperoni is showing that they’ve put thought and care into their ingredients, and are not just following the “pizza by numbers” playbook. (Not that flat pepperoni is bad, mind you, it’s just a good indicator). When I finally got that bite of pepperoni, it was worth it. Thick, crispy and flavorful.

The crust is super thin, and crispy, but still somehow has a softness to the top side. They brushed the outer edge with garlic butter, which is funny because I saw them do, but then forgot about, and surprised myself when I bit into it and tasted the garlic butter. Is it the best in the IE? Not quite, but nothing in the nearby area comes close. You’d have to go to all the way to Loma Linda or chino to get better than this, from what I’ve tasted in the region.

That’s the pizza review.

But there’s more. They sell fudge too, home made. And that fudge is spectacular. Honestly rivals stuff you would pay twice as much for. I have to ration the fudge I have out cause I want, very much to eat it all. It’s delicious.

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This pizza place is awesome, it’s our new pizza place for sure, and hopefully, it’ll become your’s too!

Crust is well cooked, crunchy but also chewy, good thickness, dough isn’t sugary sweet (looking at you pizza hut) Sauce, cheese and toppings are all really good, they taste fresh, they’re not rubbery or gross, and when I asked for my favorite toppings, the lady taking my order said “nice, jalapeños and pineapple is a really good combo” and it legitimized all my life choices in the most satisfying way. I ask for less grease/oil on my pizza and “pizza bombs” (which are wonderful btw definitely get them, at least for their name) and THEY DO THAT!! They actually visibly made it less oily for me and I appreciate the heck out of them for that. Makes it easier on my stomach, it doesn’t sit heavy, it just makes it easier to eat! Solid range of options on the menu. Vegan, classics, fusion, it’s all good. 4.5 Packaging is all pretty paper/cardboard based, so I haven’t come across any plastic which is fantastic. Customer service is excellent. The boys in there are always working hard but they hand you your food with big smiles, and it’s just really nice. I know I listed it last, but it’s really the reason anyone comes back...

The really dope thing about having some local pizza spots is that it makes them highly competitive and that's very much shown in the ingredient quality, the cook, the sauce, and the actual assembly of the pizza components. While this isn't my favorite style of savory pie (thin crust reigns Supreme here), it's a wonderful example of a business being REALLY good at something simple.

The Extreme Pepperoni Pizza is absolutely a choice for folks who don't have a palate that experiences flavor fatigue quickly. There are at least 3-4 pepperoni per bite, and it is a great quality pep that they've used here. It's not too greasy, not too spicy, easy to bite, quite flavorful, and easy to chew through.

While not bad, the Sausage Bombs fell a little short for me. They do come with an accompanying sauce, but the meat inside could do with a strong pinch of salt. The dough and the amount of bread to meat and cheese ratio is almost perfect. Just a LITTLE bit more seasoning would take this to...