Adam & Eats: Cavanaugh Pizza

This week we travel back in time to a place heavily associated with the major events of my youth. Anytime there was a lock-in or a birthday party with more than a dozen people, we had a staple food: pizza. And there was only one place back then where you could a crap-ton of pizza to feed the starving, locust-like hordes of screaming children. That place was then and still is Cavanaugh Pizza.

Located just off of U.S. 71 South is Cavanaugh Pizza. I have to say, the place hasn’t changed much in the twenty-some-odd number of years I’ve been going there. The same old Pizza Hut-shaped building even still smells the same. It’s kind of nice to have that kind of reliable familiarity around here. Sure the paint is chipped in places, but for the most part it really hasn’t changed up the way it does things. Why try to fix something that works?

Overall, the place is a bit shabby, but it still manages to be welcoming and comforting. It’s a lot like Tina Turner. She might not be the stunner she was a couple of decades ago, but she’s still got great legs.

The waitstaff is bit on the jaded side, having seen crazy things so many times they seem unaffected by them now, but they still come across as generally friendly and helpful. Like an aunt who doesn’t have a drinking problem just as long as she’s got a drink.

I’m not really selling the place on atmosphere am I? Well, let’s move on to food.

Let’s just be frank about this, they don’t make the best pizza in the world. Sure, it’s amazing at 2 in the morning when you can’t remember how you got home and discovering that pizza box in the fridge is like finding King Solomon’s mines. And yeah, it’s pretty great cold the next morning. But, it’s still not life changing pizza.

What it is, though, is consistently, solidly, good pizza. And the best part is the price. What they lack in quality, they make up for in quantity. If you can make it by for the buffet, that’s where it’s at. All you can eat plus a variety of flavors.

Perhaps your busy schedule doesn’t permit a buffet trip, well, you can always order a whole pizza and enjoy it on your own. Without having to share with others. Of course you can build your own pizza however you like it, but I prefer the specialty pizzas. The less time I have to spend thinking about what to order, the more time I have for eating the food.

The “All Meat” is pretty nice for those of you who feel like veggies belong in the side salad and not on the pizza. Also, the taco pizza is a nice surprise. The use of refried beans, rather than red sauce, is a stroke of brilliance.

The supreme is a solid classic that never disappoints.

I personally don’t care for fruit on my pizza, but a friend of mine really digs their “Hawaiian Delight.”

For those of you who enjoy the decadent things in life, may I suggest the garlic cheese pizza (It’s a pan pizza smeared with garlic butter and covered with two layers of cheese. That’s it.). Why not take it one step further and add your favorite toppings (mine are sausage and jalapenos)?

If you’ve never been to Cavanaugh Pizza, you should. Especially if you need to feed about 20 kids on a budget.

Until next week, good eating to you and yours.