My husband, son and I have been Mellow Mushroom fans for a few years and often look for one when on vacation and in need of a pizza night. We have eaten at MM in various locations including Orlando, Myrtle Beach, and the Selwyn location in Charlotte. Since we have a couple of local pizza places that we really like and often order pizza on a whim, we really don't think of MM when we are looking for pizza at home. Until that last night, that is!!! There were 4 of us (me, husband, teen son, and my Mom... who had never been to MM) and we all loved the food, the atmosphere, the service, and the balloon creations. We got there before the Saturday dinner rush and we were seated right away. The decor is typically MM style in updated form so the colors and vibe are fantastic. My Mom was going to have a salad instead of pizza until we all said that she was CRAZY to even think of such a thing! Boy, what she glad we talked her out of it! The boys ordered the House Special Pizza (minus ham and black olives) and my Mom and I ordered the Holy Shitake Pizza. Although medium-sized pizzas would have been enough, we all look forward to leftover pizza for breakfast so we went with the large pies. My son also had a small Caesar Salad and it enjoyed it very much. The pizza took approx 25 minutes to arrive at the table and it was well worth the wait! They were both piping hot, smelled fantastic, and looked gorgeous! (See pictures) Both pizzas were incredible, but the Holy Shitake Pie is off-the-hook crazy wackadoo delicious!!!! A fluffy, buttery, parmesan cheesy crust topped with a magical blend of garlic, gourmet mushrooms, and garlic and baked golden grown. Then, to make it even better (as if that was even possible), they drizzle the pie with a garlic sauce, too. YUM!!!!! The pie is totally crave-worthy and will be solely responsible for all of my future visits to MM! My Mom absolutely loved it too and we both went as far as to say that it was one of the tastiest and most delicious non-traditional pizzas that we have ever eaten. I don't know why we never tried this one before?!? In the midst of my cosmic mushroom bliss, I did manage to have a bite of the House Special pizza and it was quite good, too! The bite that I had Applewood Smoked Bacon, Ground Beef, and veggie and it was very tasty! I'm not typically a fan of ground beef on pizza, that bite changed my opinion. The boys loved their pie, too! The server was very attentive and quite personable. The Manager stopped by to say hello, too. We were even greeted by a Balloon Creation Specialist (I just totally made that name up, BTW). He was very friendly and quite talented. Since it was dinnertime on a Saturday night, there were tons of kids in there (who were actually all all quiet and well-behaved from eating delicious pizza...bonus!!) the Balloon Man was making tiaras, motorcycles, swords, etc. Then he came to our table and things went a little bizarre (in a good way). He asked my 14 yo son what he wanted and my son made the mistake of saying "anything will be fine". Mr. Balloon Man's eyes lit up with excitement and he got started on a Pink and Red swirled hat with a 2 ft antennae and a giant powder blue heart attached at the end. Luckily, my Son has a great sense of humor and is very easy going...I don't know that all boys would have taken so kindly to it. It was quite funny! (see picture) What I really like about MM is the quality of the ingredients that they use. Their crust is made is unbleached wheat flower, their meats are flavorful and delicious, and many of their toppings are organic. If you're a die-hard NY style pizza lover, then MM is not for you. But, if you enjoy a fluffy, flavorful, and buttery crust with excellent toppings and tasty sauces, then you must give MM a try! So...after reading this glowing review, you're probably wondering why only 4 stars instead of 5? There is one reason, and one reason only....the price. For 2 large pies, 1 small salad, and 2 soft drinks the bill came to $63.00! Yes, the food was excellent. Yes, they use high quality ingredients. Yes, the experience is lively and fun. BUT, the practical side of me says that $63.00 for 4 people to eat pizza is just plain crazy!!! Will it stop me from going back again? Heck NO, but MM will be a "once in a while" pizza outing and won't make it to our in-a-pinch pizza list. As a side note, I just re-heated a leftover slice of Holy Shitake in the oven and had it for breakfast (yes, I am NOT too proud to admit that) and it was just as delicious as it was last night....maybe even better since it caused the garlic sauce to melt into the pizza a bit. Sadly, there's only piece left now and it's "supposed" to be my Mom's slice. We may have to arm wrestle for it...and, yes, I'm not too proud to admit that either! LOL
Is this review positive or negative?
positive