mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Kirk is not blogging, Cathy is.
Click here to see my re-visit to Rosa’s
Hi. You’ve seen this place, and so have I. There was a coupon, The Mister was leaving work, I was hungry, blah, blah, blah. If you go to Nijiya then walk to Sakura…well they are in adjoining malls, and this place is right between them…behind the Mexican place that is in the Nijiya/Curry House parking lot and also next to the Wings and Things in the Sakura/Original Pancake House parking lot…directly facing Convoy.
Since we have been to Italy, The Mister and I are always looking for the “correct” flavors and smells that remind us of those fun times we had (well, I had a fun time, The Mister was attached to the USS. John F. Kennedy and technically working while we were there, but at least there was only one airfare to be paid)… so far, as close as we can get is the Filippi’s on India Street, with the grocery store in front…still.
So, the menu here at Rosa’s is a sort of everything Italian deli place: pizza, hot and cold sandwiches, pasta…oh and buffalo wings.
So, this being the first time, The Mister ordered a one topping pizza and chose mushrooms ($9.99 regular price). Pretty much cheese pie is what we usually get. Its hard to mess up…but boy, if I had only bought myself a Lottery ticket that night… odds are I would not have hit a jackpot, not even one number! It looks like a good pizza, right?
Lots of cheese, a hand tossed crust with the edges tightly rolled, fresh sliced mushrooms…and no salt, no herbs, no olive oil flavor, no flavor at all…the sauce was more or less salt free tomato sauce. The cheese was real- it was stringy, but no flavor. The mushrooms were fresh, not canned. The crust was not too thin and not thick, not chewy and…no flavor. It was odd. I ended up putting anchovies, garlic salt and Parmesan on the plate, just to rub chunks of the pizza in to get some kind of flavor. When I had a leftover slice reheated in the toaster oven the next morning…still nothing.
..and the crust was way crispy and cracker-like.
But, the saving grace was the buffalo wings The Mister had the sense to also buy. One dozen for $6. HOT wing sauce….and a good size portion of a blue cheese/ranch dressing dip. Meaty wings, not too fried or crispy and coated with a lot of the hot sauce. I could have eaten a few dozen of these. The best wings I have ever had were from Foggy’s Notion, across from Kobey’s Swap Meet, but Foggy’s is long gone. The ones here were darn good.
To be fair, I have to go back and try the sandwiches, you can get two 16 inch sandwiches for $12.75, but I really don’t want the pizza again.
Rosa’s Pizza 3860 Convoy Street, #100 San Diego 92111 (858) 278-1223
Thanks for the review. Maybe Wings `n’ Things next door to Rosas’s will turn out to have great pizza!
Sound like the Great Disappointment.
Brilliant, Trent, gosh I wish I had thought of saying that….and possibly its true….
Hey Billy…it wasn’t bad…it just…wasn’t. It was a waste of calories. I could have been as satsified and only had water….
I’d always wondered about this place. Thanks for taking one for the team, Cathy ๐
Waste of calories is a good term. I’ve been dieting for a while, and I’ve been getting pickier about what I splurge on. If I start eating something hi-cal that I don’t like, I just give up on it, and toss it, then find something to eat that either tastes good or has fewer calories.
Well, if there’s a coupon, I am bound to try it, Howie…and I don’t feel as bad as I would if I had paid full price. I find that I’ve gotten pickier when stuff doesn’t taste as good, too…must be a sign of getting older..or um, mature… ๐
hey c!
i hate it when you get all fired up for a nice bite of pizza and it sucks… happened to me too many times to count…
you’re right… when you have to shake stuff onto your pizza to salvage it, then i would consider that a not so good pizza experience..
oh well, at least it wasn’t too pricey then you feel even crappier…
have you tried the pizza place kirk recommended a while back? ask him…
Hi DCCF…Kirk has recommended two and I do love Bronx probably the best with Filippi’s in the Little Italy location as a close second. They are two totally different styles of pizza, and each has its own place..on my cravings scale. I just have never had a “nothing” pizza before…I’ve had “bad” and “OK” but not a “nothing”…it was kind of strange.
I could not believe what I just read. Rosa’s pizza has been a favorite of mine for many year. Back in the day when it was across the street from the school I teach at, several of us would run over and grab their $2.50 lunch meal, which was a huge slice of pizza, a salad and a can of soda. Now they deliver, and we order every Friday for advisory. The kids all love the pizza, and I’ve gotten several teachers and office staff, new since Rosa’s moved to Convoy, hooked on the place. They have fantastic pizza! Now, I didn’t know they had BBQ wings-guess I’ll have to give them atry.
Oh, my…Oh Michelle, I did only try it once, but it truly was a flavorless pie..it wasn’t bad tasting, but it had no garlic, no oregano, no basil…no flavor…I guess I will have to maybe try a slice or something, to be fair. It was a one time visit. I suppose since it isn’t out of business, it must be doing something right…
The first time I ever had a pizza from Rosa’s I had a head cold, so I couldn’t taste a thing. After reading your review (and seeing the pic of the pizza) I decided that I really wanted to give the pizza another chance.
I’m now eating one with mushrooms, pepperoni and ham, and I’m -loving- it. The crust is soft and chewy without being overly thick, the cheese is piled high and is stringy, the sauce is excellent (and certainly has bits of garlic in it) – overall, the pizza is great.
While I can certainly see some merit in your review, I don’t agree with it completely. This pizza is that kind that I grew up loving. It’s flavorful, it’s fresh and it’s just overall good.
OK, Dave (and Michelle)- I will go back to Rosa’s and try it again… I am just blogging about my experiences and if I weren’t blogging (and therefore not getting feedback from anyone), I would not even bother going back. It wasn’t a good experience for me or The Mister and that was all I blogged about. Look for an updated post soon. -C
I work near Rosa’s Pizza and I honestly have to say they have some of the best pizza in San Diego. They serve big portions for a cheap price. I am not sure if this lady just had a bad experience, but EVERY TIME I go into Rosa’s Pizza, the food comes out great. It’s definitely worth the price and always hot and fresh, as well as full of flavor. The sandwiches are great as well. The Anit-Pasta salad is a little more expensive (I think $5.50 or $6), but the salad is awesome!!! Definitely go to Rosa’s Pizza, ITS GREAT!!!!
Hi Chris. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I think that if a place has a certain item in their name, they do that item best. I have gone back to Rosa’s several times and do not recommend the pizza. The salad and sandwiches are not bad.
The best thing at Rosa’s is the Rosa’s super sub. its a huge sandwhich with a couple layers of meat, the sandwhich is baked with cheese and served with lettuce and tomatoe and comes with vineger to eat with. Definitly the best thing hear
You are right, Yas! There will be a follow up post. Too bad the place has ‘pizza’ in the name. Thanks for reminding me and welcome to this side of our blog!