Mark’s Score 8.5
Over the years I have passed this restaurant many times. I hadn’t really given it much thought because Salisbury has a number of places that serve pizza, so why would I go to Princess Anne for pizza? But a while back I was in Princess Anne at lunchtime and in the mood for pizza, so I thought I would give Caesar’s a try.
Caesar’s Pizza Palace was opened by John Dimarhos and Mike Halkias in 2010. Their purpose was to create a “welcoming, family-owned restaurant with a broad menu and comfortable atmosphere. Their mission is to produce high-quality food at affordable prices.
Caesar’s calls itself a “pizza palace’ and it looks the part. The outside is just an ordinary strip mall, nothing memorable. The inside reminds me of the pizza parlors of my youth on Boston’s North Shore. The interior décor has that faux Italian design that you frequently see in North American Italian and pizza restaurants. You know what I mean, arched windows, bottles of peppers and garlic in olive oil, grape vines painted on the wall, and vaguely Roman sconces. Don’t get me wrong, I am not making fun of the décor, on the contrary, I was thoroughly charmed by it. It was like walking into a familiar place. A place where you gather with friends and family for good food and happy times.
I sat in a booth under a bottle of garlic cloves in oil and a lovely flower arrangement in a terra cotta pot. The waitress brought me their daunting menu, which is always a red flag for me. They claim to offer a broad menu combing Italian classics and local dishes. Personally, I think extensive menus are a bad idea. How could a chef possibly cook all those dishes well? But hey, no matter, I was there for the pizza. This being my first time eating at Caesar’s I ordered my standard pizza, sausage and peppers. That way I am always comparing apples to apples when I am evaluating a pizza parlor. One thing I like about this place, you can order a small individually sized pizza.
Though it was lunch time and the place was busy my pizza arrived in short order. I rate restaurants on a variety of criteria, food quality, menu selection, service, atmosphere, and presentation of the food. The food is the star, so a restaurant should make an effort in presentation. I would call the presentation austere, but effective in its austerity. As for the pizza itself, I have had better pizzas, but not many. The dough was crisp and firm (there is nothing worse than soggy pizza), the toppings were fresh, and the generous crust was golden brown.
I may have had pizza’s I would rate better than Caesar’s, but this restaurant claims to serve high-quality food at a reasonable price. They certainly achieve that goal. I would definitely agree you get value for your money here. I’d willingly make a special trip to Princess Anne, just for the pizza.
What else is there to do in Princess Anne?
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