X Factor skimps on the wow factor

Mediterranean pizza a winner; the rest falls flat

In any good pirate movie, there is bound to be a map where X marks the spot for buried treasure. And it felt like a bit of a treasure hunt to track down X Factor Pizzeria.

Located on the Southwest Side, inside the Port San Antonio and Kelly Field area, X Factor is a bit of a mystery. It has a barely existent online presence, and the four calls I made to the restaurant to check whether it was open went unanswered. The pizzeria has scaled back its hours and is now only open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.

Owner David Deme opened X Factor in 2018 in a newly constructed stand-alone building that has a New York-style pizzeria feel to it. There is plentiful indoor seating, but also a nice patio area with enough shade to dine out in the heat.

The menu has a lineup of 10 specialty pizzas, salads, gyros and sandwiches. X Factor also has a popular pizza buffet option ($8.50) that brings in large lunch crowds, but it is currently out of service due to COVID-19 restrictions.

As a bonus, the drive to X Factor doubles as a military history lesson. The surrounding area is adorned with multiple retired fighter jets staged in poses like a well-manicured sculpture garden, and it’s quite cool to see them up close and personal.

Best pizza:

Smoky bacon, tart feta and charred onions give the Mediterranean pizza a great flavor balance.

The Hawaiian pizza has flavorful toppings — but not enough of them.