Mellow Mushroom Bristol — Restaurant in Virginia

I visited alone for late lunch. There was no one at the counter when I walked in. A minute or so later, a woman appeared & I was seated in the closest booth. My server was training a new employee as was another server I noticed. The duo was quick to bring my drink & extra napkins. I ordered the meatball trio & wings - somewhat against the server's recommendation as she didn't care for the marinara sauce that came on the meatballs. A couple other parties came in while I was waiting for my food & again, no one was at the counter. They ended up waiting over 5 minutes just for someone to show up at the counter. My server brought the wings & meatballs out together. Neither was particularly hot - just warm. This was especially ironic since the meatballs were burned & actually black on the flat sides & all the cheese had melted out onto the plate. I should have listened to the server... meatballs are not so good. The wings weren't bad, but in the past, they were smothered in their scrumptious jerk sauce. On this visit, the wings were actually dry - there was no sauce on the plate & I could barely taste the jerk seasoning. I ate what I could & started looking for my server. She was nowhere to be found! I went to the counter, but again, no one there. I moved toward the entrance to the kitchen & someone stopped & asked what I needed. I was able to get containers for my leftovers. I went back to the counter & waited for someone to appear to ask for a bag & the bill. My server materialized with the bill & the person behind the counter brought a bag to my table. This was definitely not an experience I'm looking to repeat...

Sunday afternoon walked in at 5pm placed our order for appetizers and pizza by 5:10. Most booths were full, stand alone tables were empty. A party was in a outdoor tent/room. At 6:30 we left and they handed us our pizzas in boxes 15 minutes after I told them we were leaving in 5 minutes. 1 hour and 20 minutes wait on overpriced pizza it takes ten minutes to make. I've worked in a pizza place and as a waiter, across the board poor management of time and communication. As we were walking out a guy waiting on carry out was at a 1 hour and 45 minute wait. We stopped going to the location in Johnson city after they constantly forgot toppings they would charge us for. Then they served us a pizza with parts of a shattered plastic topping or sauce dish on it, but still forgot the avocado. I think both locations must be managed or owned by the same person because ones we visit on other states are always great. It's my wife's favorite pizza and after constantly being disappointed she won't drag me to these disasters of mismanagement anymore. The corporate office mailed her a coupon for a small pizza on her birthday she was so excited for months. So we went on her birthday and the manner said the coupon they MAILED her in TN was only good in Georgia and he didn't even offer her a discount. All I can say is thank you to him so I don't have to go...

We've visited here several times and have never been disappointed. We've tried several things and all have been good. We would specifically recommend the Spinach Artichoke Dip, Cloud 9 Wings (garlic parmesan), The Great White (olive oil and garlic base with tomatoes, provolone, feta, ricotta, fresh basil, mozzarella, and onions), and The Pacific Rim (red sauce base with mozzarella, ham, bacon, caramelized onions, pineapple, and jalapeños).

Pizzas at Mellow Mushroom are unlike most other pizzerias. The crust is robust and can hold the weight of a topping laden pizza. It folds nice for NY-style eating, but that's where comparisons to the Northern pizza end. The dough itself is sweeter, denser, more bread-like, but less yeasty than a NY dough. I believe it has malt and molasses in the dough to give that sweetness and darker color. All pizzas are topped with garlic butter and dusted with cheese to add flavor.

All the dressings are made in house. Any pie is nicely accompanied with the in-house ranch. Wait time can be a little longer than you would expect for pizza, but quality food can take time.

We've also sampled the cocktails here and have not been disappointed. We will be back for...