Ryan Reviews ‘The Westsider’ at Azzip Pizza
Marx barbecue pulled pork, red onions, barbecue Grippos potato chips, and a sweet reduction sauce made from local (and personal favorite) Ski citrus soda come together on a thin crust to make Azzip's newest concoction, the Westsider. The only thing missing is an ice cold can of Sterling beer to wash it down.
I first tried Azzip back in February after reading several favorable reviews on Facebook from friends who had already given Evansville's newest, and most unique, pizza joint a shot. Being a proud Westsider and Mater Dei grad, I was happy to find out the guy behind the concept was a fellow Westsider and Mater Dei grad during my initial trip. I was also happy to find out the food lived up to the hype.
The Westsider pizza debuted at the end of March, but it was only during a recent trip that I was finally able to give it a try. Typically, I enjoy more traditional pizza toppings like pepperoni, vegetables, and cheese, but I'm not afraid to try something new from time to time.
The Westsider offered a little more spice than I thought it might, not from the barbecue Grippos liberally doused on top, but from the sweet and spicy barbecue sauce that serves a the pizza's base. It was a pleasant surprise when I took my first bite, and after I downed several slices, I noticed a slight burning sensation around my lips which was fine by me as I'm not one to shy away from foods with a little kick. More times than not, it's the type of food I seek out on purpose.
The sauce, combined with the pulled pork, red onions, and cheese really made me feel more like I was eating a barbecue sandwich, and not a pizza while the Grippos on top added nice bit of crunch to shake up the texture. All in all, I really enjoyed The Westsider and would certainly order it again when the mood strikes.
If there were any suggestions I could make it would be these;
- Crush the Grippos. Not into a fine power because I think that would defeat the purpose, but into smaller, more bite size pieces that still allow them to add that dimension of crunch. More times than not, a majority of the chips would fall off my slice defeating the purpose of them even being there.
- More Ski reduction. This is drizzled on top of the pizza after it comes out of the conveyor oven before they slice it, and was nearly unnoticeable. I certainly understand them not wanting it to overpower the pizza, but with the sweetness of the barbecue sauce already so prevalent, I wonder if the reduction is even necessary.
That's just my two cents, you may find the Westsider to be perfection on thin crust. I definitely recommend stopping by Azzip Pizza next time your on Evansville's west side and trying the Westsider, or any other pizza combination they offer. I'm confident you won't be disappointed.