Mellow Mushroom Knoxville This is One Groovy Pizza Place!
Written: Nov 04 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The best pizza anywhere!
Cons: Terribly small parking lot.
The Bottom Line: Eat. Drink and enjoy!
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| pkmom's Full Review: The Mellow Mushroom |
The Mellow Mushroom was started in the early 70s by two college friends. Soon, the duo became a trio and business flourished. Now, the Mellow Mushroom is recognized throughout the Southeast. Found mainly near college campuses, the name is synonymous for good food, fun and unique decor.
Our daughter is a newbie at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Like many other eager beavers she found (to her dismay) that there were a few things she forgot to pack. When she realized her errors she phoned home with three requests. One, would we bring some of her stuff
to her? (Yes.) And, two/three could we take her out to eat? Since she is, after all, a broke college kid who is already tired of dining hall food.
We said yes to that request too and told her we would be right over. Her restaurant of choice? The Mellow Mushroom!
It's a great pizza place but the parking lot is dinky, dark and hard to navigate. I absolutely hate it. Fortunately for us, our daughter arrived at about the same time we did. Plus, I was a little nervous that the staff would card us old agers. We seemed to be over the accepted age of most of the other customers.
It was 7:00 pm on a Thursday night. Already the place was packed with bright twenty-something year old college students. They all seemed to be having a great time. The Mellow Mushroom is a popular "see and be seen" kind of place among the students.
When we went inside we were seated promptly. The hostess seated us in the middle of the restaurant. We had a good view of the kitchenhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/theme/1411/kitchen_design_and_remodeling_.html area. TV's adorned almost every corner of the place. It kept you from noticing the dark blue walls. One thing you couldn't miss was the "groovy" mushroom decor. Very 70-ish. My daughter loved it.
We had plenty of time to take in the surroundings. The service left room for improvement. Be prepared to be mellow with the staff. Otherwise, the wait will get on your nerves. We waited for the order to be taken. We waited for the drinks. We waited another 20 minutes for the appetizer to arrive. It was only hummus and pita points but it was very good - almost worth the wait. My daughter had also ordered a small side salad. This was fresh,crisp and to her liking.
In another 20 minutes the wait was over for the main event.
Our pizza selection was a white, olive oil and garlic creation with spinach. The thin crust was perfect for folding. We thought the pizza was delicious but greasy. We used napkins to soak up the extra grease on the surface. This helped tremendously. Serving it was a bit of a challenge. They do not bring spatulas. In fact, they don't even have spatulas. You have to do the best you can with a knife and fork. This is OK for an individual slice but it's a little tricky if you are trying to serve several people. Also, the server did not bring a fork and knife to serve with. If you want that set you have to ask.
But OK, back to the pizza...
Mellow Mushroom is known for great pizza for a reason. They have what is probably the best white pizza I've eaten. But you don't have to stop there. The menu and toppings selection is mind boggling. They have calzone, sandwiches and other goodies. You'll find an entire list on the website at http://www.mellowmushroom.net. And the ambiance is interesting. There is something going on here almost every night of the week.
Lucky for us, Thursday night is Bluegrass night. Yes, I said Bluegrass and pizza. That's about as unusual a combination as I've ever heard about. But, don't worry, the music isn't only on Thursday. It's on Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights too!
The fun really happens on Sunday. It's BINGO night at 8PM. Forget the blue haired little old ladies. You won't find them here. This is real fun. If you snooze you lose. The website says to get there early or you'll miss all of the tun.
Speaking of fun... The Mellow Mushroom is reputed to be a happening spot for kids birthdays. For only $7 each kids get to make their own pie at Pizza School. They also get a graduation "certificate".
Plus, the Mellow Mushroom offers curbside pickup, parties and catering. Beer lovers will be glad to know that this location offers a selection of new beers. Of course, if you're bored or just on the quiet side of life there's always the high speed, wireless internet that's available.
Expect to pay than you do at normal pizza places. The bill for the three of us was $33.00 plus tip. We ordered two waters, an iced tea, hummus, side salad and medium pizza.
It's a little extravagant but not too bad. The pizza really is terrific. Hmmmm. Let me see if my daughter forgot to pack anything else...
I can't wait to go back!
The Mellow Mushroom is located at:
2109 Cumberland Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37916
Phone: 865.687.4776
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
pkmom
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Reviews written: 96
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Married Mom of two teens.
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