June 1: Mike’s Pizza, 1441 Arrow, San Dimas
Ordered: 1 large takeout, half-cheese, half-pepperoni, 14-inch, $13 even.
Despite the theory in some circles that there’s no good food in San Dimas, we braved rush hour in the La Verne/San Dimas corridor (cue joke here) at 5pm on this day one of the NBA Finals. There were a couple tables one might immediately eat at, but Mike’s is clearly a takeout and delivery joint, located in a Stater Bros strip mall just past our local Kaiser Permanente (thrive). So, thinking of flu shots and eye exams, we strolled in for our called-in order, paid (cash only!), and drove it home.
At first, we were excited: though the pizza was clearly too bready, the crust had a snap to it and the whole thing just looked and smelled good: well-spiced, well-cooked. Well, no. The crust, while not raw, wasn’t entirely baked through, with huge air gaps inside; its snappishness was likely the result of too high an oven setting … and along with these shortcomings, the crust tasted sweet. Some people like honey as a crust flavoring. We’re not some people. The sauce, when we could taste it, was nicely spiced tomato paste. The cheese was good! Check out Yelp: Mike’s gets great reviews. Just not from us!
Summary: for less expensive pizza-flavored bread, try Little Caesar’s!