Pizzeria Enzina — Restaurant in Waltham

We had a vegetarian pizza with meatballs and pepperoni, which was excellent. The waitress was great and very friendly. This was the first time we had patronized this restaurant and were saying that we would come back even though the price was high, $35 for one pizza. So why did we give it four stars and why won’t we return?

We had asked for mushrooms to be substituted for the peppers on the pizza. The waitress said fine and gave us no indication that there would be any charge for the substitution. Then we got the bill and there was a $5 charge for the mushrooms. I asked them about it and the waitress said she made a mistake and charged for extra mushrooms. Then she said the actual charge should have been $2. I inquired why a substitution would incur a charge and did not get any good explanation. Then the person at the register said, “we will take it off this time but next time will be $2.” Maybe I am overly fussy but when I am paying $35 for a pizza I don’t expect a reasonable substitution of mushrooms for peppers to incur an additional charge. When I get an answer that says we will take it off this time but not next time, my instinctive response is that there will not be a next time.

Then things got worse. The menu said that adding pepperoni and meatballs to a pizza would be $4 each. A bit pricey but we added them. I expected a lot of meatballs and pepperoni for that price. What we got was reasonable but not worth the extra money. We got the bill and the meatballs were $6. When I brought this to their attention by showing them the menu, the response was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She said, “That is the right price, the menu is wrong.” Really? Any place that I patronize would have been apologetic and made the adjustment immediately, even if the menu was in error. In fact, given the first problem, a really smart establishment would have not only been apologetic, they would have offered some compensation to make sure I return. Had they done that, I would probably have forgiven them and been a regular customer. Instead, I left incredibly annoyed with their self-centered attitude.

As I said, I may be too picky but there are many good places to patronize that respect the customer and take responsibility for their mistakes and don’t have policies that simply don’t make sense. When I am paying $35 for a pizza, I don’t expect to leave annoyed. If this type of thing doesn’t bother you, by all means, patronize them because the pizza is great and the people are friendly. Just be prepared to pay a lot for a pizza and have some surprises...

I'm not sure where to start, but I'll do my best.

We just left Enzina and I can't stop talking about our experience. As seasoned "foodies" who dine out 6 nights/week, we have now been meat-free for over 5 years and were initially drawn in by the vegan options. You can usually find stereotypical options anywhere, but chicken and sausage alternatives are a bit harder to come by. We were excited to see where this led...

Walking in, the space is small and cozy with a rustic brick backsplash setting the scene of an authentic Italian experience. Admittedly, it may be tough to get a bigger party accommodated, but I'm sure they have a way. Having a completely separate vegan menu is an amazingly thoughtful touch. We ordered pizza, "chicken" parm, spaghetti, and "sausage" rigatoni.

I need to be clear and mention that ALL our dishes were amazing. The pasta was cooked to al dente perfection and the meat-alternatives would fool the most seasoned carnivore. It was almost impossible to pick favorites (like your kids), but if I had to (and it varied per guest), I would say the pizza was absolutely incredible. The crust was perfectly crisp, charred, and chewy with a smooth well-balanced sauce, quality olive oil, and fresh basil. Add some crushed red pepper and it's one of the best pizzas in recent memory; truly destination-worthy. The "chicken" parm was a close second with (2) crispy fried plant-based cutlets oozing with cheese (we opted for standard mozzarella) which played well with the al dente rigatoni. If you weren't feeling red sauce, the spaghetti is non-traditional and dressed with garlic confit and calabrian chili flakes for an unctuous punch. San Bennedeto sparkling and a solid old world wine list kept us sipping throughout the meal. We also opted for affogatos (espresso poured over vanilla bean gelato) which was the a great crescendo to the meal.

Last, but certainly not least, was our stellar service. Our waitress was pleasant, courteous, and accurate. Additionally, John (not sure if he was a manager or owner or what not) was incredibly charming, insightful, and wonderful with kids. The cherry on top to a near-perfect experience.

Enzina's will be a heavy player in our rotation moving forward (even though we're 30 min away) and I'm excited to delve further...

I ordered for delivery. When I spoke with the gentleman on the phone I told him the pizza was just for me & he said he'd make it a small. When I went to pick it up they had made me a large for $25 and change. The manager who gave it to me mumbled an apology. He had been very nice on the phone, but not so much in person. I stupidly paid for the large & even tipped them. As I walked to my car I realized that the situation just wasn't right. I went in and said I don't always advocate for myself, but I think something should be done. I told this to the young man at the counter & also said I wasn't expecting to pay $25 for my dinner. The manager came to the front & didn't really give me a chance to say anything. I had left the pizza in my car. He told me in an abrupt manner that I could get the large pizza out of my car & they'd make me a small or I could just take the large & those were my two choices. I said I didn't want to wait for the small pizza, I wanted to go home. It would have taken 20 minutes to cook it. Where was the third option of reimbursing me the difference between the small & large? The manager treated me as if I had done something wrong. I had gone there to try the "incredible" pizza. This is my take on it - crust - good, sauce & cheese - ok, toppings (fresh mushrooms & caramelized onions) - very good. There you have it, pretty much average pizza & a jerk for a manager. Your choice, but I know I'm...