I was stunned when I heard that Gumby’s Pizza closed. Sure, I had heard that it was poorly managed and understaffed, but that didn’t stop people like me from enjoying some Pokey Stix every now and then (remember “Stick-it-to-me Tuesdays?”).
In its place is Itzza Pizza, which really doesn’t bring much uniqueness to the crowded pizza market. First, if you saw how run-down the space looks, you would likely never want to order anything from there again, so be warned. However, that’s assuming you can find the restaurant, which is hidden behind the IHOP on University Avenue.
The menu is comprised mostly of specialty pizzas such as the Heart Attack (sausage, pepperoni, ham, beef and bacon) and the Chicago Hot Beef (Italian beef and hot giardineria peppers); pasta dishes such as mostaccioli ($4.99) and lasagna ($5.99); and sandwiches such as the chicken parmesan ($7.99) and the BBQ chicken ($7.99). You can find chicken wings and salads, too.
The crust on the regular pizzas is about Pizza Pit-thin, so I opted for the deep dish version ($10.39 for 10″, $12.99 for 12″, $15.99 for 14″ and $19.99 for 16″; toppings are extra) with sausage and pepperoni. I didn’t realize until I re-read the description, but these pizzas are made with a garlic romano crust, which I adored for its baked-cheese flavor. In fact, you could just cut the crust off and eat that alone–that’s how tasty it was. The rest of the pizza was fairly average, yet for the crust I would order the deep dish pizza again.
On the website but not on the print menu you will find Itzza Stix ($4.99 for 10″, $6.99 for 12″, $8.99 for 14″, $10.99 for 16″), which were simply breadsticks with cheese (in fact, those are on the menu as well). The Itzza Stick make for a decent appetizer, though I would have preferred ranch or pizza sauce instead of the thousand island with which it came.
Meanwhile, the pepperoni rolls (two for $2.50) were a major disappointment. The breading was like the crust from a loaf of bread, and these rolls certainly aren’t in the same league as Gumby’s or Godfather’s Pizza’s versions.
From the desserts, I tried the cinnamon sticks ($4.99 for about 10″). These look like the kitchen staff made as little effort as possible in making them, but the abundance of cinnamon and the frosting dipping sauce at least provided enough sweetness to “balance” an otherwise pretty salty meal.
Itzza Pizza is open every day for dinner and late-night.
