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I was excited to review this restaurant not only because pizza is one of my favorite foods, but also because of how well-known Giordano’s is. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to not only visit the Windy City, but also, be able to sit down and eat at the world-famous pizzeria. To know surprise, it was everything I had expected. After that experience my expectations for Giordano’s was set very high, which is why I was excited to try another pizza at their new location in West Des Moines.

Giordano’s Pizza opened its doors on the south side of Chicago in 1974 by brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio. The two Italian immigrants took the recipe created by their mother for stuffed pizza and turned a once seasonal “Easter Pie” into a Chicago trademark. Since then, Giordano’s has been making headlines and has been named top Chicago pizza by NBC, CBS Chicago and the New York Times. The world-famous pizza chain recently opened its doors in West Des Moines on July 23rd in the newly built retail center of Bridgewood Square on 120 Jordan Creek Parkway.

Walking towards the front entrance, I already could tell that this was not going to be the same experience that I had in Chicago. The location of the restaurant was literally two right turns off Jordan Creek Parkway that fed directly into the parking lot. With a more current design and structure, along with a kick back patio, you could see from the road the new Giordano’s looks like a higher end sports bar.

As I proceeded to walk through the front door, I was immediately hit with the smell of freshly baked bread combined with tons of herbs, spices and vegetables all blending together. My mind quickly drifted off as I felt a warm comforting feeling from the combination of smells coming from the burning hot oven. I was then greeted by two hostesses who showed me to my table. I sat directly in front of the kitchen where I could watch the cooks create pizza masterpieces. Along the left side of me you could see two main dining sections that had two large televisions playing the Thursday night football game. In the background, there was a steady sound of people conversing and filling the atmosphere with laughter and good times. On the right was the entrance to the kitchen where I could see nothing but mouth-watering deep-dish pizzas, pastas, wings and so much more, which were ready to come out to satisfy hungry customers. There was also a small corner bar where a few people sat down and watched the game while conversing with an outgoing and helpful bartender.

As I proceeded to open the menu, I was immediately overwhelmed with the amount of choices that were available. Three pages, front and back, filled with choices ranging from different pizza options like traditional, deep dish and thin crust along with multiple options to create your own types of pizzas – almost like it was encouraged to be creative. The restaurant also gave options for different types of pastas, appetizers, sandwiches and healthy options, like salads or low-calorie pizzas.

I decided to order a “create your own” six-inch deep-dish pizza with Italian sausage, mushrooms, artichokes and extra cheese. The wait was approximatively 20-25 minutes, and the pizza was served fresh out of the oven. The colorful pizza combined with the smell from the homemade sauce and toppings was something that could only be truly appreciated if it was sitting right in front of you. The crust was perfectly cooked all the way through and had a slight burnt crunch on top. This perfect color resembled the flawless timing in and out of the oven. Giving the pizza some time to rest, I moved it from its oven-worn tray to a small plate. I used a fork to cut open the pizza. With amazement, I watched how the melted cheese along with the vegetables and meat started to fall out. In total, the small pizza cost roughly $12 without ordering a drink or any additional sides.

At the end of the day, I would honestly rate this experience an eight out of ten. Although these prices may be on the higher end of a college student’s budget, the quality, authentic pizza that Giordano’s offers is worth it. They also did a great job creating an atmosphere for almost any occasion. Not only did they incorporate a Chicago sports theme, but they also put a twist on the layout that made the restaurant feel like it belonged in Iowa. This atmosphere helps customers feel at home as they eat a style of pizza that is unusual in this area. I could honestly say that this is a great place to take families.