A few months ago, I shared news that the Kanawha Valley's first Marco's Pizza had opened in St. Albans. Now, the chain has inched its way into Charleston with the opening of its newest location at Patrick Street in the space where Wendy's once sat.
Touting itself as the nation's fastest-growing pizza franchise (and the country's only pizza chain started by a native Italian) Marco's pies feature fresh dough made daily in each store, an exclusive blend of fresh (never frozen) cheeses and a "secret" sauce recipe that hasn't changed since the founder himself created it nearly 40 years ago.
I was intrigued, so to celebrate a big basketball win this past Saturday we headed down for lunch to check the place out.
The Charleston location celebrated a grand opening (with free pizza, a live DJ, face-painting and a bounce house for kids) on Dec. 11, but I always like to give new restaurants a few weeks to work out the kinks before I go in to critique their food and service.
So it was time. And the verdict? There's a lot to like here but a couple red flags, too.
In a world of increasingly processed and frozen food (especially in the fast-food arena), this chain's commitment to never-frozen ingredients and fresh dough made daily in each restaurant is admirable.
There's pizza, sure, but the menu goes a little deeper with a selection of salads, subs, wings and desserts as well. We tried six different things on the menu and enjoyed them all.
I'm not sure what honor it snagged, but the "award-winning" white pizza's blend of four cheeses with bacon, onions, sliced tomatoes and garlic butter sauce was pleasantly spared from the overly rich and creamy fate of most white pizzas. The Hawaiian with cheese, ham, chicken, bacon and more cheese was smothered with sweet pineapple.
We created our own pie topped with Italian sausage, "old world" pepperoni (a puzzling description for what seemed to be "regular" pepperoni), mushrooms and black olives. The fat, fluffy crust was nice, but you can go the thin-and-crispy route, too.
We also sampled decent wings, nice fresh-baked garlic cheesy bread with dipping sauces and a pan of bubbly baked meatballs and sausages smothered in marinara and cheese.
On the downside, though, the restaurant was really dirty. Not the kitchen or bathrooms (which would've prompted an immediate about-face out the door) but the actual dining area itself. Much of the floor, most tables and many chairs were scattered with food crumbs, straw wrappers and such - and the place was not at all busy. (Employees outnumbered guests 2 to 1 when we first arrived.)
Ordering also was an adventure. We sat at a table for 20 minutes without anyone coming over to welcome us, or explain that we needed to come order at the counter. We knew that - we were just waiting on others to arrive - but they didn't know our situation. I found it odd they would let customers sit for so long without acknowledging their presence.
And once we got to the counter, we were met with a young chap who was still clearly in training - and who clearly did not want to be there. He mumbled, he leaned on the register as if he'd just run a marathon (sighs and all) and he barely looked up the whole time he took our order.
He was so over-to-top unengaged that it was actually pretty funny, like a skit you'd see on Saturday Night Live.
The guy who brought our food, however, was a delight, and everyone in the kitchen was having a good time. That's nice to see, but there was a severe lack of management (or managing in action) while we were there.
Still, the food is pretty good.
I don't see us dining in again anytime soon, but it's a nice carryout/delivery option to add to our pizza repertoire.
IF YOU GO: Marcos Pizza, 100 Patrick St. in Charleston, is open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight Friday through Saturday. For more information, call 304-769-9999 or visit www.marcos.com.
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The laughably bad customer service at Marco's was unfortunate, but Tamarack is offering a chance this weekend to combine good food with humor - on purpose.
The Beckley artisan center's "Funny Foodies" comedy dinner in the conference center at 7 p.m. Saturday will feature a four-course meal paired with entertainment from comedian and musician Marcus Oglesby and his band, Creek Don't Rise.
On the menu that evening:
Appetizer: spicy crab dip with Old Bay seasoning, roasted tomatoes, wilted spinach and melba toast
Salad: mixed greens, feta cheese, candied sweet potatoes with cider vinaigrette
Entree: choice of basil-marinated fillet or snapper with lemon risotto, herb asparagus, mushrooms and demi-glace
Dessert: key lime tart with Captain Morgan Chantilly and mixed berries
Two drinks are included with each meal. A gourmet meal, adult libations and plenty of belly laughs? Sounds like a recipe for a great night.
Tickets are $50 each, but today is your last day to reserve them. You can purchase at tinyurl.com/hfolsyd or call 888-262-7225 for more details.
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And don't forget, there's still time to get tickets for Habitat for Humanity's "A Taste of Rocco's" fundraising dinner Feb. 22 at the Clay Center.
Featuring great Italian food from the incomparable restaurant in the town of Ceredo near Huntington, the event looks like another you won't want to miss. I know I'm not.
A "Fun, Food & Art" silent auction is planned, music will be provided by the Total Meltdown Band and a cash bar will be available.
Tickets are $75 each (or two for $140) and can be purchased online at www.hfhkp.org/roccos, in person at the Charleston and Teays Valley ReStores, by phone at 304-720-0141, ext. 20, or by mail at Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam, 815 Court St., Charleston, WV, 25301.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy."