Blaze: Pizza, sizzling fast
Blaze Pizza is blazing a trail across central Arkansas.
The first location opened in the Conway Commons shopping center in October, and a second opened in west Little Rock’s Pleasant Ridge Town Center (formerly an Orange Leaf frozen yogurt shop) in December. Flis Enterprises, which owns 16 Burger Kings in Arkansas, is partnering with an Oklahoma and Louisiana restaurateur to open several more stores in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Whereas Burger King is fast food, Blaze is fast-casual, serving “fast-fire’d” thin-crust pizzas cooked in hot ovens in 180 seconds. Both chains subscribe to a “have it your way” philosophy.
Build your own pizza, or choose from eight Signature Pizzas. Add or subtract any and all desired sauces, cheeses, meats, veg-
gies and finishes (in a style that’s more Subway than Burger King). Pay one price: $7.95 (exceptions: a one-topping 1 Top Pizza costs $6.25; the cheese Simple Pie costs $5) and grab a pre-made salad ($3.95-$6.95), a drink and maybe a S’more Pie ($2).
Then have a seat. Rather, don’t. Quickly claim your table with your coat and then run back to fetch your pie; those three minutes fly by.
Both weeknight visits (because this is a weeknight place, not a date night place, unless a fast bite is required to make a movie showing), we feared we might not get a table in the bustling eatery with limited seating. But quick cooking means constant turnover. We never experienced a delay. And the restaurant is well-staffed with an energetic crew — “pizzasmiths,” the menu calls them — that keeps things moving.
Both times, we selected Signature Pizzas — the Meat Eater (pepperoni, meatballs,
red onion, mozzarella, red sauce), the Veg Out (zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, mozzarella, gorgonzola, red sauce), the White Top (white cream sauce, mozzarella, bacon, garlic, oregano, arugula) and the BBQ Chicken (chicken, mozzarella, red onion, banana peppers, gorgonzola, barbecue sauce drizzle) — though what we ended up with was never the way it appeared on the menu.
The first time we customized, we were conservative. Though they said to add as many ingredients — even meats like Italian sausage and “salame” — as we wanted, we felt bashful. “Really? I can have more cheese? And there’s no charge? You’re sure? Am I dreaming? This is really happening?” (What a switch from the nickeling-and-diming yogurt place that preceded it!) But by the
second visit, we had no reservations about making requests.
Speaking of special requests, gluten-free dough is an option, though we prefer ours to be gluten-full.
We left off onions. We added artichokes. We added applewood bacon. We added red sauce. We added more white sauce. We added roasted red pepper. We added goat cheese. We added pesto sauce.
Our pizzas came out hot and in a hurry. Though we prefer thicker-crust pizzas, Blaze’s thin crusts had a nice chew and withstood the weight of the fresh, quality toppings. Sliced into six pieces, the pizzas are sized to feed one (if famished, and you can always ask for a box) or two (if moderately hungry).
Because the pizzas are
ready so fast, pre-made side salads from the cooler, ranging from Roasted Veggie & Gorgonzola to Beet & Goat Cheese, function more as a side dish than an appetizer. Larger salads like the Chicken Caesar and Antipasto also are available as entrees or to share.
With calorie information on the menu, Blaze makes it easier for those who are trying to make lighter choices.
And for those who don’t care, Blaze’s one dessert, the S’more Pie (not as bad as we thought — only 220 calories!), is more like a large cookie sandwich with melted (they’ll gladly heat it) marshmallow and chocolate in the middle. Simple, but satisfying just as it was.
There was no need to add s’more arugula, pineapple, parmesan, roasted garlic, turkey meatballs, spicy red sauce or ricotta.