After countless recommendations and requests we decided to see if the hype surrounding Plano's Urban Crust was true. We have been waiting for the perfect week, and with a birthday dinner in store it seemed like a great way to celebrate. The babysitter arrived and we were off to the other side of DFW. After just over 30 minutes in the car we pulled into old-town Plano and were lucky to score a parking spot right outside on 15th Street. A word to the wise... Saturday night at Urban Crust is a mad house; and we signed in for a 1.5 hour wait!
Urban Crust is a relatively small restaurant but offers 3 levels of dining, including a full bar on the top level called 32 degree bar. We could have eaten outside, or at said bar, but decided to wait it out and take in the full experience. Starting from the top floor, the bar scene gave you the feeling that you were in a trendy Dallas bar with overdressed patrons taking shots of Jaegermeister and Grey Goose. The bar was full, and the outside roof patio had a few brave souls willing to tackle the 100+ degree weather. I grabbed a beer while the birthday girl saved 2 seats along the staircase on the second level. We were offered the full menu, but started our eating adventure with an Urban Chop Salad covered with cranberries, walnuts, and feta cheese. Our server kindly split the salad on two plates and we were able to curb our appetites for a little while longer. The well dressed and "accessorized" suburbanites continued to pile in the front door and file upstairs to the bar. Our server was very attentive and friendly and made our wait feel less excruciating. 
Yes, this place had a trendy atmosphere and vibe, but we were here to see how Urban Crust's pizza measured up to some of the best in DFW. Well, measure up it did, but it didn't completely blow us away... We had PLENTY of time to review the menu, and decided to try the month's special, Roma Salata, which included local Roma tomatoes, pesto basil, mozzarella, topped with arugula salad and pine nuts drizzled with chili oil. We also chose the Black and Bleu which was served with basil pesto, sirloin, baby portobellos, caramelized onions and bleu cheese. Both pies cost right around $12. The do-it-yourself toppings list was very thorough, and there were several other pre-made specialty options to choose from. Considering our wait was almost exactly an hour and a half, the pizza was on our table in less than 5 minutes. The pizzas looked beautiful served on a wooden block branded with the restaurant name. The monthly pizza special was a work of art, mixing the perfect combo of cheesy pizza and fresh greens with a surprising kick. The Black and Bleu marked the first steak coved pizza of the year. The combination of bleu cheese, mushrooms and steak was fantastic and in a league of it's own. My biggest disappointment of the visit was the crust. Not sure if the cook was taking a nap while our pizza was in the oven, but the underside of the crust was black! While still edible, we were disappointed that the wood fired oven charred our pizza. The crust itself was tasty, however wasn't memorable compared to some others we've had this year. 
The Final Report: 7.5 out of 10
Overall the pizzas were above average and worth the one hour round trip drive. Urban Crust was an experience unlike any we've had this year. We were definitely glad that we left the kids at home this time; it is definitely not a family restaurant. It was a fun date night spot we would recommend if you want to get dressed up, sip on a cocktail, and be seen out on the town...
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