Get your 'shroom on ... at Mellow Mushroom!
Written: Oct 26 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fan-freaking-tastic Pizza, great crust, less common toppings, cool music/decor, casual
Cons: Staff can be apathetic to almost sullen at times
The Bottom Line: If you've never tried a 'shroom (pizza that is) ... it's a MUST do! Great pizza in a fun atmosphere. And you can bring your duck!
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| elainehn's Full Review: The Mellow Mushroom |
Note: I was asked to move this review from a 'location specific Mellow Mushroom listing to the new general chain listing that has been made available. I believe the information is still accurate, but the review is actually from 2002.
Mellow Mushroom is so well known around here, that it's hard for me to consider it a 'local' chain or to realize that there are people out there who've never been 'shrooming! Is it really possible?
There are actually about 47 Mellow Mushrooms scattered around Georgia (25) and 7 other south eastern states. To find the location nearest you, you can check out http://www.mellowmushroom.com/mellocator.html
Each Mellow Mushroom location seems to have it's own personality, which very much reflects the general population of the area, or at least the segment that manages or works at that particular location. Here in my small town, the restaurant is actually in what used to be a Dunkin Donuts building ... it looks entirely different know, and they've added on a small indoor dining area and a large patio for additional seating ... but a lot of people still think of it as the old DD building! The staff tends to be a somewhat eclectic mix of college students leaning toward the slightly alternative hippy-chic cool kids kind of group. The usual 'shroom paintings of the Mellow Mushroom fun-guys (see all the characters at http://www.mellowmushroom.com/characters.html ) are accompanied by sort of psychedelic airbrushed Native American artwork.
Other locations that I've visited have been very similar but at the same time very different ... the staff of the mid-town Atlanta location tends to be more 'goth/punk' and the artwork is more urban and graffiti like. The staff exhibits multiple body and facial piercing and the music is likely to be a thumping NIN or Marilyn Manson diddy. The location near UGA in Athens tends to be staffed (or at least it was years ago) by ultra-prep letterman jacket and fraternity jersey wearing greeks. Your pizza is likely to be delivered by an almost too tanned, too blond, slick smiling, future politician named Biff or Duff! The decor is typically UGA spirited and the music is whatever is most popular on campus at the moment. In other words, there is no way to know what you'll find when you open the door of a new 'shroom ... unless you know the area and the staff fairly well. The atmosphere of each Mellow Mushroom is generally extremely casual, probably a bit loud, and maybe a bit hip/trendy ... but other than these similarities there's just no way to summarize all locations.
Some Mellow Mushroom locations offer sit down table service dining ... but most that I've been too are a bit more self-serve. Your order is taken at the front counter, you pay and receive your drink cups and a table placard. You proceed down the counter or across the room to a drink station and fix your own soft-drink or tea and pick up paper plates, napkins, flatware, and anything else you may need for your meal. If the restaurant serves beer, or has a full bar, your alcoholic beverages will be delivered to your table by a server. Your food is delivered based on your table placard and the staff will sometimes remove empty salad bowls or bread baskets when they deliver your pizza but sometimes not. They'll usually ask if you need anything else, but this is a formality and not generally a sincere offer of service. If your table is missing salt, pepper, parmesan, or crushed red pepper ... apparently you are just as capable of grabbing them off another table as they are. Similarly, to-go boxes are usually available in huge stacks somewhere near the order area or drink machine.
Most counter service Mellow Mushroom locations have a tip jar near the register. I tend to drop in a dollar or some change ... because even though they aren't actually waiting on me like in a full service restaurant, the staff does deliver my food and clean my table. They are probably making more per hour than your typical below minimum wage full service restaurant waiter or waitress ... but still ... a little bit of change or a few dollars are appreciated and I certainly don't mind not having to clean my own table as though I were in a fast food place.
THE FOOD!!!!
Mellow Mushroom is of course a PIZZA place. The menu focuses on fabulous pizza with items such as calzones, hoagies, spring water pretzels, salads, and garlic/cheese bread also available.
The pizzas are available in Small (10"), Medium (14") and Large (16"). The small is typically cut into only 4 large slices ... (but if asked, they'll cut it into 6 or 8 smaller slices which are great for me and the kids!) The crust is a fantastic hand-tossed dough made fresh in each store each day from natural ingredients and spring water. All pizzas are brick oven hearth baked as opposed to going through a roller in some new-fangled quick cook oven. The bottom of the crust sometimes retains a bit of cornmeal, (used to slide the pizzas off the paddles and into the oven more easily) or occasionally a charred bit of crust or ingredient from a previous item in the oven. This doesn't bother me one bit, but it freaked a relative of mine out and she declared the pizza 'dirty'. It's not, I assure you!The crust has a fabulous consistency, substantial, but not too tough and not overly dough or bready ... it bakes to perfection and is crisp but not shatteringly dry. I've come to appreciate this delicious crust, but those who prefer a cracker thin and crunchy thin crust, or a puffy white-bread pan pizza may be a bit surprised or put off by the more authentic style crust. It grows on you!
One of my absolute favorite pizza's is the Gourmet White which has olive oil & garlic sauce instead of a typical red tomato based pizza sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, provolone, mozzarella, feta, fresh tomatoes and onions. ($9.50, $14.95, $19.95)
Hearty appetites may prefer the House Special which features pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, onions, green peppers, shrooms, black olives, tomatoes, bacon, ham and extra cheese. or the Mega-Veggie with sun-dried tomatoes, onions, green peppers, shrooms, black olives, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, feta, banana peppers, artichoke hearts, and tofu. ($9.50, $16.50, $19.95)
Other Mellow Mushroom specialty pizzas include a Mighty Meaty, basic Veggie, Pesto, House Pesto, Jerk Chicken, Kosmic Karma, and Hawaiian. The pizzas range from $6-8 for a small to $13.50-19.50 for a large.
If you don't find a specialty pizza that interests you, you can create your own from a list of 30 ingredients ranging from anchovies to portobellos and chicken to tempeh. Or you may want to try a calzone with your choice of ingredients or one of the 'shrooms specialties such as steak & cheese or chicken. ($5.50-$7.50, or 60 cents per extra topping)
As an appetizer you can choose a salad (chef, greek, caesar, spinach, field green or old reliable tossed) which are available in full size for $4.25-$5.95 or 'Lil' ffor $2.25-$3.75. The full size is enough for our family to share for a small serving of salad before our pizza, the small is very generous for one person. Or you might prefer hot garlic bread or cheese bread ($1.75-$2.50) or fresh made to order pretzels with garlic-butter & parmesan ($3/3 or $5.25/6)
If you're in the mood for a Hoagie instead of pizza, you have a possibility of 15 hot and cold selections such as Steak & Cheese, Vegetarian, BLT, Portobello, Mushroom Club, Meatball, and many others on either French or whole wheat bread. Most are available in whole or half sizes, though a few are only available in the larger size. ($3.25-$6.75) Personally, I'd say if you aren't in the mood for pizza why go to the 'shroom? The hoagies aren't bad, but they just aren't what I go to Mellow Mushroom for ... so try a hoagie if you must, but the pizza is the real deal!
If after all this, you still have room for a bit more ... or if you just have a sweet tooth ... you can order the fresh hot pretzels with honey and cinnamon for dipping ... YUM YUM!!!!
To view the full menu visit - http://www.mellowmushroom.com/menu.html
THE STAFF
I've already touch a bit on how the staff varies from location to location, but all in all, I've found them to be relatively good at what they do ... make and serve pizza. The cooks seem to take a fair amount of pride in putting out a good quality and appetizing looking pizza, the cashiers tend to know what they are doing and to know the menu fairly well. Usually our local staff is fairly friendly with an at least somewhat sincere 'Hi' or 'Hello' when you reach the register. One of the Atlanta locations that I've visited a few times seems to be a bit less on the sociable side, but still they aren't rude ... they just want you to order and get out of the way so the next guy can order. They don't make small talk or offer any pleasantries, but they also don't snarl or roll their eyes at you ... which is better than I can say for some of the fast food places in the area.
They are usually happy to honor special requests if it’s something reasonable. I like feta on my pizza, but I want it put on AFTER the pizza comes out of the oven … so that it warms it up a bit, but it doesn’t completely melt into the other cheeses. They usually do this for me with no problem, though occasionally they just send the feta out on the side rather than sprinkling it on the pizza. If they aren’t too terribly busy they’ll also make pizzas not only half and half, but up to fourths … such as one half with pepperoni, but half of that with ‘shrooms … the other half tomatoe and onion, and add artichoke hearts to half of that half. I don’t ask for ‘fourths’ pizza when they are busy … but if we’re the only customers ordering, I’ll occasionally ask if they mind doing it … and I’ve never been told no.
MISCELLANEOUS
Some Mellow Mushroom locations may offer lunch combos or specials and/or pizza by the slice during certain hours. Most offer a limited 'kids' menu, but don't always advertise it or ask if you want to see a kids menu. If you have little ones in your party who may not eat the pizza, ask the cashier if they have a kid's menu or if they will make you a few pieces of pizza bread (hoagie bread with cheese and a few slices of pepperoni).
Most locations host various events such as team trivia nights, open mic nights, or karaoke nights. Some also have live bands (usually of the small time struggling college kid type) on weekend nights.
The Mellow Mushroom website is a trip with some really silly but fun games and cartoons - http://www.mellowmushroom.com/main5.html - it's a great way to kill some time ... but it may make you HUNGRY!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
elainehn
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Member: Elaine HN
Location: Near Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 221
Trusted by: 175 members
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