To hate pizza express and prezzo

[franktheskank]

I've been to both a few times and recently went to pizza express for lunch after not going for a while and it was crap as always.

I don't always choose to go if you're wondering why I keep going back just get dragged along there sometimes and think maybe if I just try something different I'll find something nice I might like it, but every time it's just boring and bland badly cooked food.

I don't understand the hype? And I do like Italian food there's a small Italian in my town but it's only open in the evenings hence why I didn't go there.

Aibu?

(And if I get dragged into there again what should I try next )

Pizza express pizza bases have always been frozen. My local branch in SE London used to allow you to buy it frozen but someone high-up got wind and put a stop to it.

I love pizza express . What I do like especially is it's always the same. I know that that particular dish is good, it will always be good and taste just how I like it. The staff are always good too.

Never been to either as allergic to tomatoes (so really hard to eat pizza and pasta) but Pizza Hut do me a tomato free pizza (no sauce etc) which is nice!!

It's cheap always has offers and caters for vegans, gluten free ect. However I'd choose a decent Italian any day the food is bland and you can buy most of it frozen in Iceland

I think the service and the atmosphere depend on your local restaurant. I’ve been to some with no atmosphere and crap service, and others lovely and cosy, quirky decor and attentive service. Some of the Prezzos in towns near me are in really cool old buildings - our nearest is in a quaint old Victorian schoolhouse, and there’s one in Tunbridge Wells that’s in an old bank building. When you go downstairs to the loo you can see the old vault door! Really cool.

Pizza Express is excellent for kids with the children’s menu and little bits for them to do while they wait too.

The other thing I like about a lot of these Italian chain restaurants is the mini desserts thing they do, where you get a coffee with it and it’s often cheaper than a full size dessert too.

Also the comment about it being reheated is ridiculous... you can literally watch them stretching the dough in front of you!

The other thing I like about a lot of these Italian chain restaurants is the mini desserts thing they do, where you get a coffee with it and it’s often cheaper than a full size dessert too.

I love this too. I don’t drink coffee so I have mint tea with the mini salted caramel profiteroles. I don’t care whether they’ve been mined from the Siberian permafrost, they’re delicious!

Pizza express pizza bases have always been frozen.

You see them making the bases! Are they just for show or something?

I echo the others who said that the acoustics are dreadful see what I did there

Bay, the pizzas are assembled on site, but nothing is actually made on site. That dough that you see being stretched comes in frozen, as do the pasta dishes.

I too have witnessed far better (in terms of cost and quality) independents struggle whilst people queue around the block for mediocre ready meals. It's sad.

The dough is frozen and defrosted at the restaurant. The lasagne is made in Italy, frozen and shipped to the UK, just like your standard Tesco or Waitrose ready meal.

You see them making the bases! Are they just for show or something?

Yes.

I’m not necessarily doing them down. Their advantage is in their consistency. When you’re in a strange town, kids are tired and grumpy, it’s sometimes a relief to just go to a chain where there will be something you know they will eat and some stickers to mess about with whilst waiting. But I’d rather spend 10 mins on Trip advisor to find a good local chippie or pub.

That’s astonishing, I’m genuinely surprised. The lasagne doesn’t surprise me at all but I thought they made the dough!

The dough could be made off site and frozen, then defrosted and made into pizzas in the restaurants. I don't have a problem with that.

I will only eat Pizza Express or homemade pizza. Nowhere else comes anywhere near (including any independent Italian restaurants I have been to). However Prezzo seems bland, mushy, dull ready meals as do most Italian chains, if I want good pasta or other Italian food I will eat in an independent restaurant (and luckily I have lots to choose from near me).

I too have witnessed far better (in terms of cost and quality) independents struggle whilst people queue around the block for mediocre ready meals. It's sad.

Why would people going to the restaurant that serves the food they like to eat make anyone sad?

Pizza express isn’t somewhere for a lingering evening meal.but it’s fine for a work lunch or a quick pre theatre supper. What’s wrong with frozen dough? It makes no difference to the final product; in fact dough risen overnight in a refrigerator after defrosting makes the best bread.
Agree Prezzo dishes are a bit like school meals though.

The DC love garlic bread, its an integral part of their meal at Italian restaurants. The garlic bread in Prezzo is really bad - hardly any garlic butter spread on it, and only ever in the very centre, it goes nowhere near the edges. We don't go there for that reason.

We really like Ask.

Pizza Express is ok. Does the job for a family meal from time to time. Our local one is good.

However, we ate in one near Covent Garden yesterday which was a bit grim. Very dark and dingy and had a heavy, greasy smell about the place. The pizzas were a bit over cooked. MIL’s lasagne took ages to come out and wasn’t particularly nice.

I prefer Ask.

I was just about to ask about Ask. I looked at the menus last night after the other thread and Ask seemed better than Prezzo. I've been to all 3 but none in recent years. Ask's menu seemed a bit different.

Aw I love both, although since Prezzo stopped doing the Queen Margharita I've stopped going. Pizza express is excellent, I rarely have a bad experience and the kids menu is reasonably priced and they actually eat everything! Also anyone would be a fool to ever pay full price in either restaurant when offers are always on.

That said, I try to support local independent pizzerias where I can but sometimes pizza express is easier

Sorry but the bases aren't delivered frozen (except the GF ones). To be precise, frozen balls of dough are delivered from their own bakery, then proved and hand stretched on site.

Ask, PE and Zizzi were all owned by one brand at one point, Gondola, as was Byron.