Week 26: Dough Bro's

Alright, we’re back.  Sorry for the long delay this week, but we just returned from a long weekend in Florida.  However... we did not take a break from eating pizza.  This week we stopped in for lunch at Dough Bro’s Italian Kitchen in Dallas (www.doughbro.com).  The place was absolutely empty on a Sunday afternoon, which was fine with us.  The empty dining area gave us plenty of time to review the simple, yet very customizable menu.  First things first.  This place is a LUNCH spot, and not a traditional pizza experience.  Located in a strip mall off Keller Springs and the Dallas Tollway, you would probably drive right by if you weren’t looking for it.

The idea is very much like “Chipotle” for pizza lovers.  You select a size and you pick out your own toppings that are laid out in front of you behind a short glass divider.  There are 3 sizes: Kids, Small 12” and Large 16”.  After you select your toppings, the pizza is placed in the oven and brought to your table in about 5-10 minutes.  The lunch price can’t be beat...  For only $5 pizza lovers get a fountain drink and a Kids size pizza.   Keep in mind you can load up the pizza with up to 3 different Sauces, 2 Veggies, 2 Cheeses, and 1 Meat.  That being said, we had no problem requesting additional toppings for no charge.  Sure the pizza was small, but great for a lunchtime alternative to a sandwich and fries.  The 12” pizza only ran $7.25 with the same number of toppings.  Dough Bro’s did have a half dozen different specialty selections available.  We picked a 12” “Old World” that included Ham, Spicy Rustic Sauce, Fresh Spinach, Roma Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Parmesan.  Finally our 4 year old really enjoyed picking out her own toppings and loved watching the pizza guy fix up her own specialty pie!

The possibilities were endless and we selected a wide variety of options.  The pizzas were on our table after a very shot wait, and we started to dig in.  First impression was that the sauce was extremely spicy.  We weren’t sure if the pizza guy picked the wrong sauce, but needless to say the kiddos could barely eat theirs.  For the the adults at the table, the pizzas were very tasty and gave us a “homemade” feeling.  The crust was light and crispy.  The sauce, although spicy, tasted like a higher end tomato sauce.  All the toppings were fresh, and it was a unique approach to build-your-own pizza.  For the $5 price you can’t get a better lunch special with this type of quality.

The highlight of the visit was without a doubt the dessert pizza.  For $6 the Dough Bro’s have struck gold.  The 12” pizza dough is rolled out and covered with chocolate chip cookie dough, and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  This was by far our favorite dessert pie of the year.  Don’t miss the opportunity to treat yourself to a Cookie Pizza if you want to taste a little slice of heaven.

The Final Report: 6.0 out of 10

Overall we enjoyed our visit to Dough Bro’s Italian Kitchen.  At the end of the day the pizza tasted like something we would make in our own kitchen.  You can’t beat the $5 lunch special and the Cookie Pizza, but it certainly wasn’t the best pizza in DFW.  With 26 weeks completed we’re halfway through our 2011 adventure...  We have enjoyed many delicious pizzas this year and are really looking forward to the next 26 weeks!