Mountain Mike's Pizza — Restaurant in Roseville

There is no way a San Francisco born foodie could ever give any chain restaurant, especially chain pizzerias, a five star. Only family or small business owned wood/charcoal fired pizzas can rate a 5 star. But even for a S.F. born and raised gourmand weaned on famous North Beach Italian culinary dominance for decades, when Italian presence was more prolific, I have occasionally dabbled at fast food versions of pizzas when very hungry and in an eat and run disposition. Of course, moving to Roseville, we have to lower our standards to eat pizzas.

It is not the toppings that determine overall quality and authenticity, but the origin of the wheat flour and how it is baked. However, today, Thursday May 23, being a lazy home cook, and very hungry, tried Mountain Mikes between Main St. and Foothills Blvd. in Roseville. I make effort to first patronize all eateries closest to my neighborhood for a local economic boost. To be blunt, no pizza crust can be as good as slow yeast rising daily fresh kneaded and baked in wood or charcoal ovens - no comparison.

But only Mountain Mikes within a few miles from where I live offer a pizza lunch buffet where indulging in the rich calories of pizzas can be offset by enjoying very fresh, extensive salad condiments and veggies providing the benefits of high nutrition and fiber. However, the potato and macaroni salads are just as good as in most supermarket delis. Of course, I pretended to compensate by drinking sugar free sodas. For $18.00 or thereof, Mountain Mikes Pizzeria on Main Street near Foothills Blvd. will be my go to place to enjoy a healthy (yes healthy) pizza buffet lunch. The advantage for me is that I have more afternoon hours to burn off the calories of a pizza, than my usual lethargic activity after a dinner pizza meal.

The staff is friendly, the place is clean with a huge screen TV, and interior will be extra ideal for indoor dining during Roseville's post 100 plus summer temperatures. The interior layout of Mountain Mikes, at least the one near Foothills Blvd., seems a pleasant way to enjoy leisurely dining with friends or even exchange pleasant dialogue with other customers. Seems to me this place is a good location for casual social dining either for lunch or dinner. Not all restaurants have a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, but...

I have been a customer since they opened in 2007 and not only have I never had a bad pizza, (and trust me, I am SUPER particular about my pizza) I’ve also been treated like family. I think that’s what makes this Mountain Mike’s location unique. You can tell that this must also be the dynamic amongst the staff. They are kind, courteous, and have never been impatient with me EVEN when it’s during the lunch or dinner rush.

During the original “Shelter-in-Placer order with COVID, ordering our regular Tuesday night pizza was important to my husband and I to feel some sort of normalcy during the uncertainty of the pandemic. Even with practicing social distancing and waiting at the side door to pick up our order, these gals and guys did not waiver in their excellent customer service and incredible quality of pizza, cooked to perfection!

Most recently, I celebrated a huge milestone in my life and ordering several Mountain sized pizzas for the occasion was a must. In my process of ordering I got to share what we were celebrating which resulted in yet another personal connection with the sweet girl that was taking my order. Of course this is a “business”, but you get SO MUCH more here. They treat you like family because they are a family - not necessarily by blood, but more important - by love and care. I even got the best hug that same day from the owner, who knows me & my husband not just by our pizza order, but by our names. And that’s because she’s hands on, right in there with her staff! I love when Tuesday rolls around to order pizza, because I know I’m most like going to have small talk and laugh with who’s ever on the other end of the phone.

If it’s for your fundraiser, birthday party, sports celebrations, or just family pizza night - THIS is the place to go, hands down, for all of those...

If there was a zero, that's where this review would be. I've been getting delivery and take out for several years and have been seeing a drastic decline in service at this particular Mt. Mikes. Tonight was the pinnacle of disappointment along with my last time back. My wife ordered a large speciality and a medium one topping, the only reason I ordered the medium was because I had a coupon through the Entertainment book....I was telling them exactly what the coupon was on speaker phone, the person in the other end seemed to "comprehend" what I was saying. I got there and low and behold, just like the last 2 times the order was wrong. The previous 2 times I let it slide, this time I brought it to the cashiers attention.... rather than asking questions, he processed my card for 12.00 over the quoted amount and looked at me like he was a trained monkey !! I took the pizza's and left because I didn't have time to go back and forth. Think twice before getting screwed by...