The Spot: Pizza People Pub 1326 North Central Avenue 480-326-8542 www.pizzapeopleaz.com
See Also: The Two Things to Know About Pizza People Pub in Midtown
The Hours: Happy Hour is offered daily from 3 until 6:30 p.m.
The Interior: Pizza People Pub definitely has the vibe of a neighborhood bar and pizza place that you can comfortably hang out in. If you remember Cheuvront, which used to be in Pizza People Pub's current brick-and-mortar space, you might recall a slightly stuffy wine lounge, but Pizza People's goofy, unique artwork and relaxed atmosphere has nearly stripped that memory away. Bar and table seating is open to happy hour diners, but it's much more fun to sit on the patio and watch the light rail whiz by.
The Food: Bad news is, there are no discounts on happy hour. Good news: Some of the appetizers are already really cheap -- like, surprisingly cheap for the quantity you get. Case in point: The garlic monkey bread, which costs only $4.95 at its regular price. While the large plate of cheesy bread balls were slightly doughy for our taste, the salty, garlicky, buttery outer crust tasted like some of our favorite childhood snacks -- in a good way. The Drewpy Fries, which are a little pricier at $8.95 per plate, are a filling, stick-to-the-ribs combination of thick-cut potato wedges, cheese sauce, prosciutto, bacon, and green onion. Sure, it's a gut bomb, but we're not above guilty pleasures.
The best part of eating on the cheap at Pizza People Pub is definitely the 8-ounce portions of mac and cheese in an array of different flavors for only $4.95. With flavors like blue cheese, smoky paprika, mushroom, truffle, and jalapeño, there's a little something for anyone. Our favorite is the Parmesan and corn mac, which has the nutty, salty flavor of Parmesan with a little sweetness from the corn.
The Drink: Drink specials at Pizza People are $1 off anything on the menu, excluding carafes of wine and pitchers of beer. With most of the beer options at $4 per pint, you can wash down your mac and cheese or monkey bread with Pizza People's custom pale ale or a few other local drafts. The cocktail menu features new twists on classics ranging from $5 to $11. Unfortunately, the new twists frequently resulted in very sweet cocktails. The Run For Your Life Zombie ($6) was reasonably priced, but didn't have much in the way of spiced or tart elements. Similarly, the huckleberry punch, which our server recommended, was overly sweet and pretty one-dimensional.
The Conclusion:
If you're going to Pizza People to grab some mac and cheese and a beer during happy hour, you'll spend under $10 and walk away satisfied. However, if you venture onto the cocktail menu and aren't a fan of sweet cocktails, you might not like what you get. Overall, the service was quick, the location is good (on Central Avenue, north of Roosevelt), and the regular menu prices are very reasonable to begin with.
Grade: B
