Original Pete's Restaurants
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
21 Reviews for Original Pete's Restaurants
My brother & sister-in-law were in town and were in the mood for pizza. I had wanted to take them to Paesano's or even Chicago Fire but couldn't find parking after circling many times, so we ended up at Pete's.
We ordered side salads (minus garbanzo/kidney beans for me) and Pete's Meat pizza. Very good. I'm a big crust girl and really enjoyed theirs.
Made for good leftovers the next day...
The crust is what makes the pizza! We love the pizza because it is not overly heavy on the sauce or cheese. We almost always get our pizza to go (we live outside their delivery area). The service at the restaurant has been hit and miss for us.
It's not you, Pete. It's me. I don't like you.
Pete, do you mind if i call you that? No? Ok. Well, Pete, it goes like this. I first tasted your pizza what seems like eons ago. Perhaps 14 or 15 years? You were ok then. I lived upstairs from you in a cute studio, do you remember that? You'd force your delicious scents upward into my window and through my floorboards and make me CRAVE your pizza. After living there just 6 months, I was tired of you. We needed a break.
After being "on break" for the next 14 years, I thought it was time to give you a chance again. There you were, making appearances all over Sacramento - even Elk Grove. Perhaps your food had become better? Oh I could never stay mad at you. I decided to try you again.
Unfortunately the only time I'm ever in your area, Pete, is at lunch time. And ohhh you are not really in the best mood at lunchtime, now are you? Each time I go in, your waitstaff ignores me and my lunch companions. The fact that this happens every single time I come in just can't be a coincidence, Pete. Are you still carrying a grudge after all this time?
Well today was it, baby. I'm really sorry but... I just don't think it's working out well for us. I want to see other pizza places...and... not you anymore.
Now now, don't get all angry. Yes, yes I love Chicago Fire but that is NOT the reason I'm breaking up with you. It's because of our waitress Allison. Yes, that one. Is she new? Has she EVER worked a god damn waitress job before, because it sure doesn't seem like it. After being continually walked by and ignored, and having to be ushered over to us by the hostess who we kept complaining to, she still didn't say a word acknowledging her absence or apologizing for her disappearing act. Yes, my friend actually would have enjoyed a refill on his iced tea...about 35 minutes ago. Oh wait, that wasn't Allison that offered it, it was another passing waitress who must have noticed the steam coming out of our ears.
There's nothing like spending an hour and a half at a "lunch" restaurant being completely ignored and getting our food after others who'd been seated at least 15 minutes after us. Shhh Pete... don't try to make excuses. I ordered a damn salad. Does it take an hour to make a salad? It may have taken an hour to scrape together THAT much flippin' dressing to drown it in, but that's beside the point.
I hope we can be friends, Pete. And by friends, I mean, I'm never setting foot in your god-awful crappy restaurant again.
Much love,
LJ
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I happen to really like the purist pizza, the rest of it can all go to hell as far as I care.
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So i've only used Pete's for their super quick delivery service, and they have been rad. I like the pizza crust as an alternative to Zeldas and lets face it if I have to choose between putting on my shoes, walking to, and then standing in Zeldas for 20 minutes waiting for my take out pizza or waiting 30 minutes for the delivery lady to bring it to me on a rainy Friday night I will choose Pete's every time. I have also really enjoyed their meatball sandwich.
Ive been told by friends that the experience leaves a bit to be desired when you eat at Pete's but so long as they keep bringing the food to me and I can eat Pizza sitting on the couch while watching whatever Bravo show the GF has turned on I will call them a four star joint.
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This place was good. Not great, but not bad either.
Mr. Boyfriend and I went there on Valentines Day (it was kindof a last minute "hey! turns out I don't have to work" deal) Our server was friendly and the food came out fast and it seemed to be pretty reasonably priced (2 people with an appetizer, 2 salads and entree a piece and couple of sodas was about 16 bucks a person not including the tip).
The seating is kinda crappy. We were at a table like RIGHT in front of the kitchen. The plus side of that was getting to see all the servers gossip about eachother lol.
If you do go, for the love of all things sacred get the Deep Fried Artichoke Hearts!! They're covered in freshly grated parmesean cheese (none of that powdered Kraft junk) served with melted Garlic Butter and simply to die for (which you just might do if you have high cholesterol...the sauce is pure butter...but dammit you'll die happy)
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Stopped by here last night to grab a bite.... all i can say is that it is mediocre at best. The service was about as slow as could be... the food was average at best.... however, the place seemed to have a pretty decent atmosphere... the absolute deal breaker was the music they had playing... it super slow paced music that i (nor the 6 other people i was with) could identify..... it really brought the whole place down. Now i know that it was a sunday evening, but i think that it would be even worse for the employees that have to work an entire shift of sitting though that....
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I haven't been to Original Pete's for a number of years. I remember the pizza being all right, nothing to write home about, but when our daughter was a toddler we went often... Why? Pizza dough! They give the kidlets (or used to back in the day-- hopefully they still do!) pizza dough to play with... My daughter loved it and would be totally entertained while we waited for our (cooked) pizza :) I think they also gave crayons and had a special menu for kids, but she LOVED playing with the pizza dough best. They would even give us some to take home in a plastic baggie.
The place is also dog-friendly, which is cool... We've brought our pug with us a few times and we sat outside on the patio...
So, my 4 star rating is all for the nostalgia factor... the food wasn't that great (not awful, but not amazing), however the play-dough (literally!) was a definite plus!
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pros:
1. beer custom brewed by firestone
2. great location
eh:
1. pizza
con:
1. careless cooks preparing whatever pizza they want
2. lots of tv showing sports
3. beer recipes decided in sac, instead of by firestone
4. what type of brewery is this? their bar is like 5 feet long and stuffed into a corner. dont let the sign deciveve you, they are a pizza joint primarily and a brewery secondarily.
We went to the location in Natomas, at the corner of Gateway Park and Del Paso. The calamari wasn't all that awsome, but the pizza wasn't bad. The pizza was fresh-tasting and pretty non-greasy for a pizza. Based on other yelp reviews, I was expecting more of a sports bar feel, but there are only 2 moderately sized TVs at this location. Overall, I thought it was a decent just-around-the-corner joint.
I used to work here, and for that reason alone I feel like I shouldn't talk about it positively or negatively even though I could write a novel.
The best salad is one I created: Santa Fe plus feta, minus the chicken, minus olives and minus sour cream
the best pizza is also one I created: Mushrooms, feta, no cheese extra sauce... but I guess that isn't really a 'pizza'...
that's all I have to say about it. Except all the people that work there are nuts and whore nuts.
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I've never been a huge fan of their pizza. Gallons of sauce, crust too thick, not terribly flavorful...however the Mushroom Jack Burger, is...OMG. I haven't had one in at least 2 months (must limit oneself on these things) so that is lunch today! Woooo! No more stupid Lean Cuisines, its Friday! And I will not be able to move from this desk except to sigh until around 5 p.m. when I waddle myself home. Slowly.
For a non-burger joint the beef patty is, well, really beefy and char-grilled tasting. I don't know how because I don't see a grill in there. It's served on a French roll, with lots of melty jack cheese, and sauted mushrooms. Hello! Good! And while not on the same level as Nationwide which is just a stroll down the street (hmm, maybe I should reconsider) it's still really good. They're two different of animals to compare.
The Caesar is, um, ok if you're desperate. I like the Oriental Chicken Salad except that they use fried chicken tenders that are 50/50 chicken and breading. Same with the Cajun shrimp. Don't get me wrong as breaded and fried foods are definitely something I enjoy I just like a much lighter balance of breading. A hint. Not a shell.
As for fries, they're the standard from a bag frozen kind. Not my fav, Streets fries will always be my fav but I seem to be in the minority with that opinion. The onion rings are really good. I'm debating just how bad I really want to be. Hmmmm.
Oooh, one last thing, the girl who takes the lunch take-out orders is always super nice and friendly. In fact, even when I've had to order a gazillion pizzas for the office they've been helpful and never messed anything up; seems like they have a happy staff, which makes it a pleasant place to visit.
ETA: My burger today kinda sucked and the bread was undercooked. Just shot down a star.
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I wish I had known that the way to get a table at Zelda's is to call in the pizza ahead of time. If I'd known we wouldn't have ended moving our pizza & beer night to Original Pete's--the most generic looking pizza joint in the history of pizza. It could almost be a Round Table or some other chain (it's not a chain, right?).
The pizza was actually okay with decent quality ingredients and thicker crust than advertised, but both our pizza & salad were fairly expensive and I didn't think either of them were that amazing.
I probably wouldn't go back.
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Only ate here once. I considered it the "Wonder bread" of pizza. Tasteless, cardboard more or less. First and last time eating this boring pizza.
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Kinda surprised at how much hate there is going towards this place, but then again, it's not the kind of surprise that is rooted in wavering disbelief. I just haven't been there that often, and it's been a while. I've had some odd experiences there myself, as far as service and atmosphere. I've definately felt a weird vibe or even witnessed very strange public displays at least twice, and I've probably only been there four or five times.
My three-stars is based somewhat on the attempt to be neutral, as it's been a while. Maybe it's not always that wierd, and I remember the pizza being safe to eat.
I don't remember the pizza being all that bad. It's sort of not-that-thin thin crust, as I remember, and the sauce is there, but kind of seems to be there because somebody doesn't like sauce, but feels like people will get mad at them if they don't put some on.
I'd eat there again, or at least; I'd eat the pizza again. I'm not scared to go back, but I'm probably going to be electing to check out other pizza places that I haven't tried yet, or just go to Zelda's.
When it comes to Original Pete's, I'm reminded of a law that applies to radio stations which is this: The more a radio station has to advertise itself, or give away cash & prizes, the more it's going to suck like a black-hole.
The same thing can be said of Original Pete's- saturation-leval advertising, and weekly coupons can only mean one thing: low-quality product.
I've been telling friends this for some time, and have balked at giving them my cash. But one friend insisted we get a meal from Pete's (he was buying), so their pizza was the meal of the evening.
Too bad I was not wrong about my pre-assesment.
The pizza was low on toppings, which tended to tumble off whenever a piece was taken from the box. The dough was "chewy," and not in a good way. The first bite would bring with it the entire cheese topping, leaving a thin-coated pizza bread. While the Sacramento New & Review regular staff may love them (I wouldn't be suprised if they get their orders for free), I was quite unimpressed.
Their hawaiian pizza wasnt the best. Please dont get any of their chicken wings. It was horrible.The best pete's to my taste is the one in natomas comparing those in roseville and downtown.
(I have food allergies. I'm allergic to Milk and Wheat. All of my reviews come from the perspective of someone looking to make the best of her dietary restrictions.)
The thing I love about Pete's is that they deliver downtown. And they deliver MORE than just pizza. Because of my food allergies, I can't really have pizza. So, the things I can recommend from Pete's really aren't about their Pizza's.
Pete's is expensive. My husband and I never spend less than $30 for a meal delivered by Pete's. But, let me stick an addendum on that, you're paying for quality ingredients.
My favorite salad is the BBQ Chicken Salad. Grilled Chicken breast, with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, black beans, and crispy tortilla chips. I get it without cheese or dressing. And they never have any problems with modifying the salad for me.
The salads are always crisp and fresh. I've never had a limp or slimy salad delivered from Pete's, and I can't say that for most other pizza places.
When I have the money, I like to get their Angus Steak meal. It comes with fries and a salad. My husband loves their Knots and their burgers. My sister says they have pretty good pasta. And they deliver ALL THIS STUFF.
So, if you live downtown, I recommend Pete's because they offer quality ingredients and they deliver things other than Pizza.
For some reason, I like this place. They don't do any one thing better than anyone else, but they do a lot of things quite well IMO. The garlic chicken pizza is wonderful, the burgers are good quality, the sides are all tasty and fried ... it's not for health food seekers, but Pete's provides a bevy of well made junk food to those who desire it.
My favorite pizza in town. I'm a pizzaholic, so I'll probably rate several places highly, but Pete's has always been my favorite for almost 20 years now. Plus you can eat outside if you like, and don't mind getting hit up for money occasionally by someone going by. I like the crust, the edge is thick, and the sauce has just enough bite to it.
The pizza's okay. It's nothing to drag your parents to when they are in town.
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