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Back Road Pizza
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Our newly renovated Farmhouse Kitchen Features a Wine Bar, Wine Barrel Enoteca, Custom Iron and Glass Wine Cave and Sidewalk Patio. Pasta is made fresh… read more »
26 reviews for Back Road Pizza
Review Highlights
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"Local beers on tap are always enjoyable or a nice glass of..." In 3 reviews -
"the "gerald" is fave: spinach, romas, feta and pesto." In 3 reviews -
"they often have live music." In 1 review
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26 reviews in English
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Review from april C.
Santa Fe, NM
11/24/2011
This is one of the few places with mediocre food to which I'll give four stars. I'm a recent Los Angeles transplant going to school in Santa Fe. Santa Fe is a weird place, and I'm always trying to find restaurants, bars and cafes that feel down to earth, relaxed and fun. Also, I love beer. I loved Back Road from the moment I walked in.
The woman who took my order was friendly and charismatic. My boyfriend-person was raving about the pizza, so I was pretty excited. The pizza was pretty shitty, and I'm still confused about why he was raving about it. I'm guessing it's not his fault - he's from Arizona and I'm originally from Illinois, so Chicago deep dish is my core AND there's a lot of great pizza in LA, too. Fortunately, we got a 2-topping pizza and a pitcher of Sam Adam's from $15 [a Wednesday special]. Even more fortunately, we were drunk by the end of the pitcher, so the pizza got better and better. Fortunately, in a weird way, with red pepper, parmesan and F-ING SALT, the pizza [even sober] is eat-able. But, for real, I have never salted a pizza before.
Also, the pizza took like 25+ minutes to cook. Nothing wrong there, it was pretty packed and I'm not very educated on pizza cooking time. The pizza tasted like nothing and the crust was absolutely nothing to write home about. We got sausage and spinach. BUT, I give this place four stars because I had an awesome time and everyone in the restaurant ALSO looked like they were having an awesome time. It was a great place to just kick it. I loved the decor, the games are fun and the weird red lighting was a good time. Great pizza is a plus, but when there's beer and pool, I can put pizza in the ambience category and just be glad it was there. I'll be back. -
Review from Laura B.
Santa Fe, NM
5/4/2012
My work friends and I ordered "full size salads" from this place for lunch a couple weeks ago. I ordered something like a Greek Spinach Salad for 8.75 or so.
When we got our order we all looked at each other with astonished faces.
Our salads were so disappointing! My salad was at MOST a cup of bagged spinach with some crumbled feta and some canned sliced black olives thrown on top. That's it. Just a cup of spinach with some olives and a little cheese on it. For over 8 bucks?!? I was offended at the portion and quality for such a steep price.
Never going back. -
Review from M R.
Santa Fe, NM
5/4/2011
These reviews are crazy!! Backroad Pizza is awesome... Anyone that says otherwise are being EXTREMELY finicky!!
Go try the pizza! It's awesome... Local beers on tap, great teas, an AWESOME salad and yummy yummy pizza in a super fun atmosphere! -
Review from Holly S.
Denver, CO
9/12/2011
Soon after ordering it became obvious that is is their policy to serve locals before tourists. We watched a couple of tables arrive 10 minutes after us and get their food 30 min before we did. It took over 20 min for our appetizer of bruschetta to arrive, that was really just a tiny pizza with tomatoes for topping. Once we finally got the dinner pizza, it was good--but nothing amazing and certainly not worth the wait.
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Review from RH S.
Hackensack, NJ
3/13/2011
The sign says; "New York Pizza with a Santa Fe twist". OK, but remove the words New York. By Santa Fe standards, maybe. New York/New Jersey standards NO.
I visited Backroad recently and upon entering at 6.30ish PM on a weekday
noticed immediately the place could have used a good sweeping, both in front of and behind the counter. I ordered anyway since I wanted to try the brews from Santa Fe Brewing Co. I really wanted to enjoy the pizza but couldn't. I quickly took my pizza and went across the street to the very populated 2nd Street Brewery.
Sorry Guy.... -
Review from Curt G.
Phoenix, AZ
11/7/2009
Back Road Pizza was a real disappointment. My wife and I tried this place during a weekend getaway last month. This restaurant convinced me Santa Fe has no health department. As if the bathroom wasn't disgusting enough to shut the place down, our stomachs turned as we watched the girl preparing our food eat her own dinner, right over the food she was making. Unfortunately we were able to see all this from the one table in the dining room that had actually been bussed, which we had to wipe down with napkins.
Regrettably, the food didn't make up for the lack of sanitation. A chef friend once told me that if you ever find pizza with corn meal on it, you've been ripped off. Well, the pizza we got was absolutely swimming in corn meal, so much so that it was almost the only discernible taste. I've never seen so much corn meal on pizza since my high school cafeteria twenty years ago. They could have dusted three more pizzas with the pile left on our tray.
I do agree with one statement made by an earlier reviewer who awarded four more stars than I did: The beer was good. -
Review from kimmy v.
Rio Rancho, NM
11/7/2010
Guy fieri, you have redeem yourself...okay just a little.
We had hoped to stop into El centro pizza, but since they were under renovation we decided to try back road pizza.
.
The location of this pizza joint is probably a local favorite to cyclists as there are two other restaurants in the area near railroad tracks and a sketchy neighborhood a few blocks later. To be honest, we didn't see anybody at Back Road so we went to the Brewery across the street. We stepped in the brewery and walked out because they only had 1 dusty 24" tv...now thats not adequate to watch college football on and instead we opted for a Pizza joint with a non functional TV that hasn't had cable for 6 years, as the guy says. :) LOL
It was about noon on a Saturday and the place was dead.
We ordered the pesto rolls, which was quiet nice. Pizza dough rolled out on cornmeal, topped with mozzarella cheese pesto sauce, rolled, and topped with sesame seeds. A nice appetizer for two people to share, approximately 6 pieces are served.
Now for the pizza.... I think the show stopper for the pizza is actually the crust of the pizza since its made of cornmeal. The thin cornmeal crust gives a nice texture and crisp to the pizza. We ordered the Texan, which comes with red sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and their homemade sausage. I wouldn't say their sauce and toppings would be something I would rave about, but if you like your pizza crispy then this would be a nice place to venture and try out. -
Review from bella p.
San Jose, CA
11/17/2008
The Pizza is really good!
This was a nice spot for after a long hike, you gotta get your carbs back with a good place like this!
We ordered the house salad which is a bed of greens, heaping tops of garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds and tomatoes.... we also ordered 'the Gerald' with pepperoni and it was delicious! (good to share between two people)
The servings are great and the staff is very welcoming!
You'll score because of the food and also the beer.
They have Santa Fe Brewing Co. on Tap, and it is good!
They also have a pool table upstairs. This place is chill and cozy! Kudos Santa Fe! -
Review from Marguerite C.
Santa Fe, NM
10/7/2011
Honest, tasty, consistent food. Friendly service. Laid back atmosphere. Nice variety of menu options (including gluten-free crust), while still sticking to what they do well. Local beers on tap. We appreciate these things about Back Road Pizza!
Is it my favorite pizza place, bar none? No... but it's my favorite place in Santa Fe. -
Review from Peter A.
Denver, CO
7/26/2010
Took a weekend trip down to New Mexico to visit Momma's oldest daughter and her husband in Lab Land and I leveraged going with a swing through Backroad Pizza. We'd seen it on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and their Bruschetta appetizer was a major inspiration on our own Bruschetta pizza that we make ourselves, so being in Santa Fe, we had to stop in.
We weren't disappointed.
The atmosphere of the room isn't anything special but its really about the food here. We ordered a bruschetta app, and garlic cheese roll, plus two small pies - The Gerald and The California.
The bruschetta app was as good as we'd hoped and the garlic cheese roll got major marks from Momma's daughter.
The pies were sort of New York style, thin and kind of crispy, with a sprinkle of cornmeal, giving it a light texture and a slightly sweet corn taste. It was definitely different, reminiscent of Two Boots Pizza in New York, but IMO much better than Two Boots.
The Gerald was pretty tasty hot but a little wet in the center from the spinach and pesto. The couple of slices we took home ended up being a bit soggy, but still pretty tasty. Not sure we'd order this again.
The California was really the hit here with the roma tomato slices, garlic, and feta cheese. Definitely worth having again.
This jaded New Yorker says, 'pretty darn good pie for New Mexico'. -
Review from Heather M.
Santa Fe, NM
6/20/2011
I love pizza and this place does it right!!! Great slices. Great staff. Also, I love the sit down Ms Pacman and Galaga! Brings me back!
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Review from Andrew B.
Austin, TX
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty decent pie. The whole, favorite prices are kind of expensive. The slices are quite reasonable (21 for lg and 2.75 respectively). I had the cheese with feta and green chile with a lemonade. The pizza was pretty good (needed garlic and onion, but that was my fault I picked it). The lemonade was different in a good way. It tasted like they used a different kind of lemon and maybe something extra... I had a bite of my friends "the Texan" and it was decent, but I felt it was lacking depth. I think the sauce needs some improvement. I didn't really care for the crust. It was crunchy like a corn meal type thing, but the info card said NM flour. Confusing to say the least; needless to say, it wasn't as much of a "New York Style" pizza as advertised. I would have been happier if it would have said "Santa Fe Style" because that is what it was. I was torn on what to rate this. It is a good pizza, but the sauce is lacking and it is not as advertised. It just seemed a little lack-luster; all together it just didn't culminate to anything spectacular. It wasn't bad food, but the atmosphere, lack of depth and overall disappointment earned it a 3-star rating.
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Review from Eating T.
Beverly Hills, CA
11/12/2009
Well it's name is Backroad Pizza and it should really stay on that backroad. It's honestly hard to even call this pizza. It was more along the lines of really crispy flatbread, with a wash of sauce (hardly detectable) and way too much cheese which had little to no taste. Really I shouldn't be rating this as pizza, seriously, and I'm not just being facetious. Everything about it was wrong. Maybe it was that I ordered by the slice rather than getting a whole pie, maybe. I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt only because I hear good things about them...that and the Guy Fieri video below really does make it look good.
I inquired about the slices and what varieties they had on hand. The guy told me they've got cheese slices for $2.50 and they just add whatever toppings you'd like to it for $.75. I guess that should have been my first hint because it was as if the slices had been sitting there since lunch and it was now 5:30 PM. If my stale old slices weren't enough they then threw them in the oven for much too long. The chicken didn't even seem fresh either, it was a weird sort of half shredded half strip. There was no crust, it was more like a cracker. I want to stress that I'm not being overly harsh here, this is actually how it was. I know it seems like I'm nitpicking every single aspect, and how could everything be a disaster, but I promise you it was.
On top of it all the staff were on their cell phones talking about their weekend plans and it took almost 15 minutes just to reheat my slices even though they weren't busy. The water was room temperature and no ice. As if it wasn't omen enough, the lighting was bad and I didn't even get good pictures. I ate about a third of each slice hoping for some redeeming qualities before tossing them in the trash, something I never do.
Maybe your experience will be better and I sincerily hope so but as for me...I won't be coming back to the Backroad. They have two locations in Santa Fe and apparently at some point they had a third which is now closed but I don't know the circumstances. The only good thing that came from this excursion is that I hopped over to McDonald's and got two chocolate sundaes for $2.20 afterward....man do I love those!
I have a more in-depth review and pictures on my personal blog. -
Review from Tom M.
Santa Fe, NM
10/5/2010
Unless you want to spend 20 bucks a person for one beer each and a medium mediocre pizza, and experience the absolute worst service imaginable, don't go there, as I did with my date the evening of October 5, 2010.
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Review from Tapan G.
Owings Mills, MD
3/5/2011
I am getting the sense that Guy Fieri will rave about any burger, pizza, or sandwich. We were so excited about the Penny Bruschetta after watching the show. Trust me, there is nothing special about this dish.
The cornmeal crusted Pizza on the other hand is pretty good. I agree with other reviewers that it is no NYC pizza but its quite a unique take. I loved the home made sausage on The Norm that we got.
Overall, I would not go out of my way to eat at this place. However, if you are in the area and craving some Pizza it maybe worth a shot. -
Review from Christine P.
Mesa, AZ
11/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The food is good. The restaurant was empty and all the tables were dirty :( Good selection of toppings. Had a calzone which was good. The restaurant is a little load when people are playing pool upstairs. I will ahve to try the pizza sometime.
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Review from nathan r.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2010
Decent pizza, rude staff, pool tables, what the hell else do you want from a pizza place
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Review from ali g.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2010
This pizza is awesome! Go here !!!! Try the new mexican pizza some of the best green chili I have ever had!
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Review from Maura P.
Hillsboro, OR
5/25/2006
best pizza in town!
the "gerald" is fave: spinach, romas, feta and pesto. awesome!
the crust has corn meal which makes it extra crunchy and yummy
house made lemonade and ice tea are perfect drinks.
they often have live music. check their website for who and when -
Review from Sam A.
Santa Fe, NM
9/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
Hands down THE BEST pizza in Santa Fe. I go there often and the staff is always friendly and they know their pizzas. And call me weird, but I love the artichoke hearts that I have them put on their "signature" The Norm pizza...
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Review from David M.
Rogers, AR
11/21/2010
This place was a major letdown after seeing this on Triple D. When we entered, we were the only customers in the place. Most of the tables were dirty and had not been wiped down. The big TV on the wall didn't work. I've had my share of Chicago and NY style pizza over the years and this pizza did not stack up! They used to much corn meal in the dough. As an out of town visitor, this place is way over rated.
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Review from M H.
Santa Fe, NM
11/12/2010
A nice, bright, modern-esque space in the 2nd Street enclave of Santa Fe.
The day we went it wasn't busy at all. The lady who helped us wasn't too friendly. Not even a smile. She was all business.
I have to say, the garlic cheese bread is excellent. So delicious! We also ordered a sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, olive pizza. It was very good, with a nice, crunchy, thin crust. Pretty solid ingredients all around. BUT...I think it's overpriced at $21 for a large pizza. I washed it down with a beer, which they have several of on draft.
I had to get up from the table and go ask the pizza cook for a to-go box, because our server was sitting down, eating, with her back to us. Thinking he would bring it the 10 feet out to our table, I went and sat back down at the table. He wasn't having it. He set the box on the counter and told me, "There you go." Not a good staff.
So, the breakdown:
-Disinterested, borderline unfriendly staff
-Excellent garlic cheese bread
-Overpriced, fairly tasty pizza.
Would I go back? Only for the bread. -
Review from Jarrod L.
5/30/2010
If you like California style pizza, you'll like this place (I don't like CA style pizza, but I didn't know that was what they served until I had it in front of me; they make it in an exemplary way). There's a good selection of topings and they have a few non-pizza items too.
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Review from Jeff W.
Frisco, TX
Very good. A friend told us about the place and it was spot on. Not a place that you were ever going to find unless you are looking for it. There was a local picking/jam session going on when we walked in that was fantastic! The gourmet pizza was very, very good!
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Review from Julie R.
Jamaica Plain, MA
5/24/2010
I love Backroad! Great pizza, great toppings selection, great service and restaurant ambience. The cornmeal crust gives the pizza a unique texture and flavor. Local beers on tap are always enjoyable or a nice glass of wine. The renovated outdoor patio area is gorgeous and a wonderful space to relax and get away from the sometimes too loud children/teens playing pool upstairs. The California is my fav!
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Review from Scott K.
San Diego, CA
1/22/2011
Absolutley The BEST...
