Review: Whole Foods Fresh Pizza

Here at Pizza Quixote, we eat a lot of pizza. Most of that pizza comes from single shop pizza joints, which typically have the best and most interesting pizza. But for a few years, ever since the Whole Foods store opened in my previous neighborhood (Exton, PA), I have been intrigued by the pizza. I would walk by, take a look, think "dang that looks legit" and put it on my someday-to-try list.

Whole Foods pizza

Here in Texas Hill Country, the pandemic in general has compelled me to buy more in grocery stores and less in restaurants. Because of Prime discounts and excellent free delivery, I shop Whole Foods more than ever, and when I saw a Friday special with a $6 large cheese pizza (regular price is $14), the day had arrived to finally try it.

Whole Foods, Bee Cave TX

I imagine Whole Foods sells a lot of $6 pizzas on Fridays like that, and one was in the oven at the food service bar when I arrived. When it came out, I took it home in a box unsliced to reheat later (I generally reheat all takeout pizza, and now always during cv19). The pizza sat in its cardboard box for 2-3 hours before dinner time.

16" Pizza

This was a big 16" pizza, and a bit unevenly shaped. I heated it at 325 degrees for about 8 minutes. I wanted to try it plain, the way I ordered it, but I dressed up about 2/3 of its surface with thin slices of fresh garlic and Chinese sausage, because pizza is often best with cured meats on top.

Beautiful cornicione

One glance at the cornicione told me that this would not be a typical supermarket pizza.  Leopard spots, crunchy bubbles, and an overall hand-crafted appearance made this look like an authentic old-school pizza. It smelled great even before I reheated it, too.

Underside of crust

I have to report that Whole Foods pizza is not good. No, in fact, it is GREAT. I came in with pretty high expectations; the frozen pizza dough at Whole Foods is my favorite when I'm using a shortcut for homemade pizza. But the crust on this pizza was just stunning.

The hot pizza bar

It reminded me of the ideal mix of chewy and crunchy that I'd found at some of the best pizza joints on the east coast, like Pizza Brain in Philadelphia, Bricco in Westmont NJ, and All-Purpose Pizza in Washington DC. The crust had its own flavor, too, so that the last bite of the cornicione was as satisfying as the first bite of each slice.

The label

The red sauce was bright and vibrant, and blended into the cheese in a very east coast way. The cheese - a blend of part-skim mozzarella and grated parmesan applied in perfect proportion - was tasty but a role player here in complementing the taste of the sauce and texture of the crust. Yes, the slices with my added toppings were better with the added umami of garlic and sausage. (Note - Chinese sausage is hard and narrow, with a sweetness never found in European style cured meats. Works great in fried rice or on pizza.)

Sliced

Great pizzas always begin with a great crust, and Whole Foods has nailed it, and more impressively it can be repeated by whoever is working the hot bar. Some great pizzas have standout cheese, sauce, or toppings, but this one reaches the top level by how well balanced its ingredients are. Terrific pizza and outstanding value.