Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Mercury Pizza

Pizza is one of those very subjective foods. Thin crust, thick crust, little sauce, lotta sauce, one topping, multiple toppings, meat/vegetables....it goes on and on! I like a variety of pizza styles; mostly though, I just want it to be good. Like a dessert pie, the foundation of a pizza pie is the crust. So it is with great regret that I found the crust of Mercury Pizza's White Noise pie to be completely bland.
The crust appeared to have suffered from a lack of salt, lack of oil, and an overabundance of kneading. The edges were crisp, but had NO flavor and the texture of a dry bread stick. But I should give you the "back story" first. I knew I was going to be way up north that day, and looked at their website in advance to plan this out, so I knew they opened at 5 pm. I called at 5:05, ordered one pizza for pick up, and was told it would be 45 minutes. I verified the length of time as it seemed a bit excessive, and said okay. I arrived at Mercury about 35 minutes later; they had my pizza ready, I paid, and drove approximately one mile home. I will say, the staff were totally friendly, and the place is cute. When I opened the box on my kitchen counter (so about 6 minutes from leaving Mercury), the pie was lukewarm at best. Really, 45 minutes? If I had waited that long to pick it up, it would have certainly been cold.
These are such oversized pies -- 20" to be exact -- it doesn't exactly fit in the box! There were 8 huge slices, and I ate one of them, lukewarm and all, out of the box. The White Noise description is olive oil, fresh garlic, Romano, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella. I really didn't taste much garlic, and like the crust, the whole thing could have benefited from a bit of salt. I will say the crust in the middle of the pie stays crisp. For my second piece, I doctored it with some red chile flakes, parmesan, and some gremolata (lemon,  garlic and parsley) oil, and reheated it in the toaster oven. Definitely better, but I shouldn't have to drastically enhance a pizza to make it taste decent. 

Mercury's location at South Lamar and Kinney is a bit awkward, and competing with Black Sheep Lodge for parking is a pain. I feel for the residential neighbors. Two friends of mine have had mixed experiences at Mercury. Is there someone who can tell me about a great pie they had from there? Please share if so!

12 comments:

  1. I hate that this place hasn't gotten it together. Here's my review from March 2012, almost a year ago. Was hoping this would be my cool neighborhood pizza point. Nope.

    http://madbetty.com/mercury-pizza/

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    1. Yeah, you were one of the two people I was referencing who have had not-so-stellar experiences there. I TOTALLY wanted this to be my neighborhood go-to spot. I dig Homeslice, but it's a bit too hip at times, not to mention the parking issue. I don't really care for Austin's Pizza neither, though at this point, I'd be willing to try it again. WISH East Side Pie would come this-a-way!

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  2. You should try VIA 313. It's incredible!

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    1. Thanks, Leslie! I've heard that from a few people! :)

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  3. Haven't heard of anyone having a positive experience here. A friend called ahead like you did, arrived exactly when they said it would be ready, and they were just beginning to slice mushrooms for her pizza. We tried to go get slices there the other night around 9, and they said it would be over an hour before any more slices were ready. The one friend that actually got pizza felt the same as you.

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    1. Wow, an hour just to get a slice?! That's crazy. I can't figure out if they're just woefully short on staff (but there were 4 people there when I picked my pizza up), completely inexperienced, or what...? Thanks for reading my post! I am feeling more validated in my review! I do wish they could get it together though, as I hate for any local place to fail.

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  4. That's crazy. I had a really great experience when I went in. Ordered already made slices and made my own. Didn't take very long at all and was super good!

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    1. Hi! I am genuinely glad people have had good experiences at Mercury, AND that the food was good! I want businesses like this to succeed but unfortunately for me, first impressions do last. Thanks for reading & commenting!

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  5. Try the new 360 Pizza in the spot where Mercury Pizza use to be. Super tasty NY style pizza. Thin and crispy.I find it better them home slice. Could easily be some of the best in Austin.

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    1. Thanks! I am excited to try 360, as anything will be an improvement for me over Mercury!

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