Mazzio’s Pizza

So so pizza that tasted like frozen with toppings on top. The wings were tiny and very fatty. Overall disappointing. Definitely not what I would expect for the price we paid.

Our order was wrong and instead of fixing it immediately they took ten more orders and then fixed their mistake… I think… We r still waiting

First off, for what it is, it was very expensive. The salad bar was the best part, but the lettuce was browning on the edges, it was just iceberg lettuce. Since it cost $ 3 to add a salad, you really would expect better. I had the fettuccini Alfredo, it was very bland and the ice tea was very strong. I do not recommend this place.

Very good pizza. greasy, but if you don’t like that then blot with a napkin. Lasagna is my favorite from Mazzio’s. Salad & pizza buffet at lunch is good too, always replenished in a timely manner. But if nothing else, you MUST go here for the ranch. I buy it in the family size 16 oz. cup on a regular basis just to enjoy at home with other things. Best ranch I have ever had hands down and I’m a huge ranch snob.

This is my 100^th review! I had a personal goal of reaching 100 reviews by the end of the year. Today is New Year’s Eve, and I’ve made it!
I couldn’t decide what my 100^th review should be. My husband suggested reviewing something from my home state of Texas, but that wouldn’t be right because I haven’t been there in 5 years. What to do? Should I review a frozen custard place? I do love custard. A Mexican place? I probably could live off of nachos.
I ultimately decided Mazzio’s would be number 100. Mazzio’s holds a special place in my nostalgic little heart. I’ve been a fan of their pizza from the moment I first tried it as a kid in the ‘80s. Excluding Jet’s, which is in a delicious Detroit-​style class of its own, I would say Mazzio’s is my favorite pizza chain.
–The Menu–
Their menu has changed over the years, but in addition to pizza, they currently offer appetizers (e.g., mozzarella sticks, toasted ravioli), calzones, sandwiches, pasta, a salad bar, a kids’ menu, and desserts (e.g., dessert pizza, cinnamon sticks). They also have a buffet, which I believe is only offered at lunch during the week and perhaps on one weeknight. I live in St. Louis, so I’ve only made it to the lunch buffet a few times on vacation days. :)
–Buffet and Salad Bar–
When I lived in Texas, the buffet at my Mazzio’s was fantastic. They had a huge pizza bar, an equally huge salad bar, and a small dessert bar with 2 or 3 options. The buffet at this location is smaller. The entire buffet (pizza, salad, and dessert) is about the size of just the pizza bar in Texas. However, they manage to offer a good amount of variety in the limited space. On the buffet you can expect a mix of traditional pizzas (e.g., pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon) on varying crusts. They’ll probably have one type of dessert pizza out, and you might even see a pasta dish. In the realm of «salad bars at chain pizza restaurants,» Mazzio’s salad bar gets an A from me. It’s no Whole Foods salad bar, but I think the salad I made (see picture) looks pretty good.
Also, they will take some requests for the buffet. I imagine it has to be something pretty normal. For example, if you want a pepperoni and sausage pizza, they’ll probably put one on the buffet for you. I requested a chocolate chip dessert pizza on one of my visits, but they told me they only make the apple or peach dessert pizzas for the buffet. I understand, but booooo. :(
–Pizza–
I go to Mazzio’s for thin-​crust pizza. My husband prefers thick crust, but I just don’t like Mazzio’s thick crust as much as I like the thin. There’s something about the combination of the thin crust and sauce that makes it my favorite. To be all French-​like, I’d say it has a certain je né sais quoi. ;)
I’m traditional when it comes to pizza (e.g., pepperoni, Canadian bacon), but they offer a variety of specialty pizzas that include Meat Feast, Veggie, Chicken Spinach Alfredo, Taco, and Greek. I’ve always had a thing for their Taco Pizza.
–Desserts–
I’m giving desserts their own section because I was so sad when they told me they only put apple or peach dessert pizzas on the buffet. The chocolate chip pizza is fantastic, and I only wanted one piece. It might be a bit of a stretch, but to me, it’s like chocolate chip gooey butter cake (just the gooey part) on a pizza crust. Mmmmm.
That being said, I took a piece of peach pizza as my consolation dessert. I have to say that it was pretty good. Okay, maybe I had two pieces. Photos don’t lie. They were small, though. ;)
–Food Quality–
One reviewer from 2011 complained that Mazzio’s uses frozen dough. I don’t know if that was the case when that review was written, but according to the «Quality Pledge» on the Mazzio’s website, the dough is made fresh daily. It’s never frozen or prepackaged. Either way, I’ve always been a fan. :)
–Service–
You pay at the counter and seat yourself. On some visits, they’ve had an attendant that brings plates to your table and takes dirty plates when you’re finished. There was not an attendant on my last visit (a buffet trip), but that is cool with me. I don’t like to feel obligated to tip when I’m having a buffet. :)
–Summary–
In a way, I sort of took my husband’s suggestion to write a review of a place from Texas. I might be reviewing the Highland, IL Mazzio’s, but my love of their pizza began in Texas.
If you’re in Highland, I’d recommend this an alternative to Pizza Hut or Domino’s. If you’re in St. Louis like I am, you’d probably need to really like Mazzio’s in order to consider going. It’s close to an hour of driving, but it’s worth it for me.
This location falls one star short of the «Woohoo! As good as it gets!» rating because the Mazzio’s of my homeland was better. As mentioned, the buffet was huge. They even had a cool spaceship that I loved as a kid! Bonus points there. :p
That being said, this is a nice location. I’ve never been disappointed with the quality. I just wish they had a bigger buffet. I can’t wait for my next visit! :D

My favorite pizza! The week-​day lunch buffet is where it’s at! They also have fountain ski, so you can’t go wrong with that!

Delicious pizza and a decent sized salad bar. Very nice service and clean restaurant I will come back when I’m in Highland!

Pizza is amazing! The buffalo chicken is the best our of Dominos and Pizza hut. Their thin crust is great because you get all the good stuff no dough! The salad bar is excellent. The price to sit down for salad and pizza is second to none. 2 people with one soda under $ 14 bucs, ill take it. The pizza bar also has a great selection which will keep us coming back for more!

the salad is wonderful, lunch buffet is great, and the 6 cheese pasta is to die for.

Had lunch here today for the first time. The buffet was well stocked and had good hot food. I was impressed with the staff keeping the place clean, waiting the tables and getting orders out.
I will be back

The Staff was just fine, but the pizza was burned on the top, but the meat was under cooked. also, the bottom crust was like eating paper. No flavor at all. It tasted like frozen pizza from Wally World (Wal-​Mart) I will not go back there for the pizza. I’ll give them another shot at their pastas. There is no way they can mess up the pasta. If they do, I’ll call up Gordon Ramsay. So, please stop using frozen dough, it’s BARFTASTIC. Pizza Hut from now on. I want to give them some other advice. Use FRESH DOUGH. I can tell the difference. also, don’t freeze your meats, thats why they burned but the inside was raw. made me sick. Thanks!

Great food for the price. Our delivery was incorrect but they fixed it in a flash. We ordered the hand-​tossed crust pizza, the fettucine alfredo, salad, and tea. ALL of it was surprisingly fantastic.

Based on the pizza alone, i’d give this place 3 stars. The pizza was ok. Just ok. A little on the greasy side too. However, based on the salad bar, i give it 4 stars. The salad bar was very fresh, and the ingredients varied and replaced often. The cinnamon bread sticks were quite tasty too. We went with my nephew and niece, and there was a high chair readily available. There didn’t seem to be a kid’s menu, so it was spare items off the salad bar for them.

Very good pizza. Their specialty sauce is heavy on the tomato. The salad bar is good, and the Italian dishes other than pizza are also very good, including lasagna, subs, and calzones. All in all, a great pizza experience.