Texarkana has a new pizza joint on Richmond Road. Although Gusano’s, a Chicago-style pizzeria, could be considered ‘just another Wing Stop’, Gusano’s brings something different to the table, and not just with the food they serve.
When you first walk in the doors, your eyes will immediately be drawn to the 15 TVs hung around the perimeter of the room, to the huge family-sized booths, and to the open windowed kitchen. The atmosphere is calm and quiet, and although it is not brightly decorated like some of its competitors, Gusano’s is a well functioning hot spot.
“We hope that this place brings a new hang out where families can come and enjoy great food, at good prices, in a good sporting environment.” manager Mark McCarley said.
Gusano’s does just that. The 15 tvs play sports, but while being muted, they don’t distract from the experience. Unlike competitors, there is music playing through Pandora, but it is not overpowering or annoying, and didn’t make conversation feel like you were yelling across the table. There was no profanity being used, or people being seated too closely together, so it really is a nice family environment.
There are both booths and tables inside, but the family-sized booths set Gusano’s apart from any other place. Able to seat six, rather than the usual four, big groups can be seated comfortably in a booth, providing the perfect opportunity for pre-game dinners with friends, or after church lunch on Sundays with the family.
The service was quick and fast, the servers knew the menu well, and were helpful when making a decision. There is a lot of wait staff, so every table was attended to in a speedy fashion. While Gusano’s is a Chicago-style pizzeria, they also have traditional style (and not so traditional choices) and red sauce pizza.
The pizza is absolutely fantastic. The homemade dough is perfectly thin and crunchy, without being hard and flaky. The homemade sauce is just enough to keep the pizza from being dry, but not so much that it’s dripping from the sides. The pepperoni had the right amount of spice and flavor without being too overbearing, and like all of their meat, is specially shipped from a factory in Chicago. The pizza is extremely, extremely cheesy, rivaling even the best pick-it-up-and-watch-it-string commercials.
While they do have pizza for those of us with milder cravings, Gusano’s also specializes in wilder varieties, such as The Chaplin, an oil-based pie with chicken, artichoke hearts, purple onions, tomatoes, mozzarella and feta cheese, or Crazy’s BBQ Chicken, a BBQ sauce-based pie with chicken, purple onions, bacon, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. You can also create your own pie. While dining in is an excellent option, take out is also available.
If pizza isn’t really what your tumbly is rumbly for, Gusano’s has you covered. There is a wide selection of yummy appetizers, sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs, subs and salads to satisfy your hunger. Just like the pizzas, if you have a more mild tastes, they do have traditional sandwiches and wraps, but they also have the wilder variety as well.
Overall, Gusano’s gets two big thumbs up, and I would personally recommend it to anybody looking for a new experience. Plus they support us Texas Tigers. You can check out their website at www.gusanospizza.com to see the menu, their night life, and their calendar.
www.gusanospizza.com to see the menu, their night life, and their calendar.
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