05 February, 2009

Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza, East Longmeadow MA

Edit, 2 September 2011:  Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza is CLOSED and the storefront is vacant.  I have no information about what happened to them or whether the owners will be opening another restaurant elsewhere.

Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza shares a small building with a storefront KFC on the corner of Shaker Road and Chestnut in East Longmeadow MA. The KFC is widely known for it's exceptionally slow service, and it's usually empty. Enzo's is known for decent pizza and there's usually a steady stream of customers, even in a small town like East Longmeadow with five other pizza places nearby.

Inside, the atmosphere is cozy and friendly. A lighted menu board facing the door highlights some of the non-pizza offerings of the restaurant, while a huge chalkboard display behind the counter details lunch menus, grinders, and pizza varieties. The back page of the menu also features a long list of "regional" pizza toppings that can be ordered. They've got a great variety and it goes far beyond the usual peppers/onion/pepperoni/sausage House Specials of other places.

Service is quick and friendly, and there's no more than the normal 15 or 20-minute wait while an ordered pizza is assembled and baked. While we waited for our take-out, we had an order of fried mozzarella sticks which were brought out quickly. They were pretty standard frozen breaded cheese sticks deep-fried to order, but the real reason we got them was to taste the marinara sauce that came along with it. It was very good, nicely seasoned, and tasted like it had been made there rather than poured from a jar. Quite nice.

The pizza was excellent, and was indeed a reasonable "New York Style" pizza, with a thin but not crispy crust. The toppings were plentiful and well-balanced, with a great tangy sauce and the right amount of cheese. Overall, we were very pleased with it, and we'll certainly go back again.

There's just one thing: Don't go there expecting a real "brick oven" pizza. You won't find a coal-fired brick oven here like you would at a place like Frank Pepe's. Enzo's "brick oven" is a standard pizza oven with a fake brick facade around it.



Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza
CLOSED
238 Shaker Rd
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
(413) 525-8462

Enzo's didn't have a website at the time this post was written.
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6 comments:

Chris said...

Enzo's is indeed good pizza, but can be hit and miss at times. I guess it's because they almost exclusively hire teenagers to run the place.

I don't know if you have already, but you should review Antonio's Grinders on Long Hill off of 91. Their corned beef grinder is awesome.

Dave said...

Chris - I've been to Antonio's several times but never reviewed them. I'll have to try out that corned beef grinder, thanks for the tip.

Anonymous said...

Who is the owner of Enzo's?

Dave said...

I don't know. Their phone number is in the review, though. Maybe you could call them up and ask.

Anonymous said...

I know it's a haul from springfield, but in Putnam,CT try Palmieri's pizza, in teh price chopper plaze. In my 10 years in springfield,ma area and hailing from nj, i think the pizza sucks in new england, even new haven, but i loved palmieri's.

Dave said...

Anonymous - I'm out Putnam way every now and again...I'll give them a try sometime. But really, you think New Haven pizza sucks? Dude...