HomeMade Pizza Co., a Chicago-Based, Bake-At-Home Chain, Numerous DC and VA locations, With More On The Way - Closed

[DannyNoonan]

Not sure if there is another thread somewhere about this place but I couldnt find it so thought I'd offer my two cents.

The premise is simple: order pizzas or salads online or via phone, pick up, follow cooking instructions, and eat about 15 min later. The execution wasn't quite that smooth in my lone experience. I chalk most of it up to growing pains as the place gets up & running though, I'd expect it to get better over time. The menu includes probably 10 pre-conceived pizza options as well as a build your own option with a list of 45 potential ingredients.

We ordered 3 pizzas from their favorites menu: The Miesian - their version of Margherita with Roma tomatoes, roasted garlic, basil, and mozzarella, The Spinach Pie - spinach, feta, black olives, sundried tomatoes, and a plain cheese. Advised to pick up in 35 min, ended up being close to an hour after some miscommunication. Cooking instructions easy to follow - heat in oven on parchment cutouts provided and they're ready in 15 min.

Pizzas were good overall, a solid option in the carryout universe though not to be confused with any of the better pizza options we're fortunate to have in the area. Crusts are relatively thin and crisp up nicely. Topppings are well portioned.

Service could improve, as I mentioned, though I'm sure it will. Also, I didn't do a dollar for dollar comparison vs. competitors but it didn't seem like these pies were priced at a relative discount to account for the fact that I had cook them at home. Maybe they weren't intended to be, but I think we paid close to $50 for two large and one medium, which was more than I would have guessed I'd pay.

We'll go back. It's in the neighborhood and, though the pizza won't blow you away, it's a good carryout option.

[dcdavidm]

Not sure if there is another thread somewhere about this place but I couldnt find it so thought I'd offer my two cents.

The premise is simple: order pizzas or salads online or via phone, pick up, follow cooking instructions, and eat about 15 min later. The execution wasn't quite that smooth in my lone experience. I chalk most of it up to growing pains as the place gets up & running though, I'd expect it to get better over time. The menu includes probably 10 pre-conceived pizza options as well as a build your own option with a list of 45 potential ingredients.

We ordered 3 pizzas from their favorites menu: The Miesian - their version of Margherita with Roma tomatoes, roasted garlic, basil, and mozzarella, The Spinach Pie - spinach, feta, black olives, sundried tomatoes, and a plain cheese. Advised to pick up in 35 min, ended up being close to an hour after some miscommunication. Cooking instructions easy to follow - heat in oven on parchment cutouts provided and they're ready in 15 min.

Pizzas were good overall, a solid option in the carryout universe though not to be confused with any of the better pizza options we're fortunate to have in the area. Crusts are relatively thin and crisp up nicely. Topppings are well portioned.

Service could improve, as I mentioned, though I'm sure it will. Also, I didn't do a dollar for dollar comparison vs. competitors but it didn't seem like these pies were priced at a relative discount to account for the fact that I had cook them at home. Maybe they weren't intended to be, but I think we paid close to $50 for two large and one medium, which was more than I would have guessed I'd pay.

We'll go back. It's in the neighborhood and, though the pizza won't blow you away, it's a good carryout option.

Get on their email list for coupons and also look for coupons mailed around the neighborhood. We usually receive a few coupons a month for $4-5 off on a large pizza, which brings the cost down quite a bit. Service at the Spring Valley location is often iffy; seems like they get overwhelmed at times. I found that if I am promised a pizza in 20 minutes, arrive on schedule, but have to wait a lot longer, I can express my disappointment and they will often throw in a free salad or cookie; one recent long delay resulted in a free pint of ice cream. On the other hand, they can be very accommodating: in a hurry tonight, I dumbly called the new Chevy Chase store instead of Spring Valley (I had been used to looking for the 202 area code on their website and did not realize there were now two DC stores). Of course, Spring Valley had no order for me to pick up, but they nonetheless hustled one in under 10 minutes and I went home happy.

[mame11]

AARGH. May have my $11 back?

walking by the newly opened version on 14th I was lured in with a sign that said $3 small salad/$3 small pizza Mon-Wed. When I entered I saw enticing salads in the cold case and noticed they have my favorite salad on their menu, a cobb. I ordered it even though it cost $2.75 more for chicken.

It wasn't until I got home that I discovered just how jipped I had been.

Let's see.... the 1/4 avocado is brown and bruised. The egg tastes funky. The bacon is fine but it's literally two tablespoons if that. There were 6 grape tomatoes that were past their prime, about 2 tbsp of blue cheese and half a grilled boneless chicken breast. But enough romaine lettuce to feed a small army.

As I approached my final destination a neighbor noticed the salad, looking all pretty in the clear bag. By this time I had determined how much a waste of money the salad was. I showed her. She said "at least you know now, and so do I." And now you the dr.com community does too.

But it sucks that I could have gotten a fabulous sandwich at Cork Market for less than this waste of food.

ETA: After a few more bites I noticed it wasn't just the avocado that was brown, but the lettuce too. Seriously? Quality control anybody.

[DannyNoonan]

AARGH. May have my $11 back?

walking by the newly opened version on 14th I was lured in with a sign that said $3 small salad/$3 small pizza Mon-Wed. When I entered I saw enticing salads in the cold case and noticed they have my favorite salad on their menu, a cobb. I ordered it even though it cost $2.75 more for chicken.

It wasn't until I got home that I discovered just how jipped I had been.

Let's see.... the 1/4 avocado is brown and bruised. The egg tastes funky. The bacon is fine but it's literally two tablespoons if that. There were 6 grape tomatoes that were past their prime, about 2 tbsp of blue cheese and half a grilled boneless chicken breast. But enough romaine lettuce to feed a small army.

As I approached my final destination a neighbor noticed the salad, looking all pretty in the clear bag. By this time I had determined how much a waste of money the salad was. I showed her. She said "at least you know now, and so do I." And now you the dr.com community does too.

But it sucks that I could have gotten a fabulous sandwich at Cork Market for less than this waste of food.

I would concur, if less emphatically, on the salads. I haven't experienced the funky or otherwise subpar ingredients, but I have been disappointed at the lack of flavor and the preposterously large amount of lettuce relative to other ingredients. These issues could be addressed relatively easily I would think and I hope they are because the pizza quality far exceeds that of the salads.

[dcs]

These issues could be addressed relatively easily I would think and I hope they are because the pizza quality far exceeds that of the salads.

To me, this speaks volumes about the quality of the salads. I have a hard time getting past the pizza dough/crusts. Though they are not, they taste to me like those pre-formed frozen pizza dough disks you might find in a cafeteria. Their cooking system of parchment paper to oven to cutting board works like a charm, however, and the toppings appear fresh.

I did like the Big Cookie.

[Flavortown]

The crust really is their downfall. A week or two ago, on the 14th street location's opening day, they were giving out freshly cooked samples on the street, and I gave it a shot. The toppings seemed fresh, and the flavor combination of the cheese and herb pizza I tried was tasty enough, but the crust was like a cardboard cracker. Thin, with no chew, and no flavor as well...just dryness. They were giving out pizzas for free that day, but even if I hadn't been obligated to show up at work on time, I still wouldn't have waited in line to get one after that sample.

[marketfan]

The crust really is their downfall. A week or two ago, on the 14th street location's opening day, they were giving out freshly cooked samples on the street, and I gave it a shot. The toppings seemed fresh, and the flavor combination of the cheese and herb pizza I tried was tasty enough, but the crust was like a cardboard cracker. Thin, with no chew, and no flavor as well...just dryness. They were giving out pizzas for free that day, but even if I hadn't been obligated to show up at work on time, I still wouldn't have waited in line to get one after that sample.

My reaction, exactly.

[mame11]

So, I called the store yesterday after posting here. They asked me to bring the salad back which was a bit unrealistic since I was no longer in walking distance but I did put it in the refrigerator with plans to take it back last night. The snow intervened and I decided to "eat" my losses.

well, lo and behold, I received an email offering me $5 off a purchase to thank me for making my purchase yesterday. Well, I responded with my account of the salad and how gross it turned out to be.

I just found out that (1) they credited my card back for the purchase and (2) they are going to forward my complaint on to the district manager. Here's hoping that they up the quality of the salads in the future. (it could have been great... if it wasn't so bad).

[Josh Radigan]

while on my morning jog through my neighborhood I spotted a sign in the window on the property next to Cheesetique for this company. looks like they are opening a DelRay location in September. Oh boy another pizza place in Delray when once it was barren.

[ad.mich]

To me, this speaks volumes about the quality of the salads. I have a hard time getting past the pizza dough/crusts. Though they are not, they taste to me like those pre-formed frozen pizza dough disks you might find in a cafeteria. Their cooking system of parchment paper to oven to cutting board works like a charm, however, and the toppings appear fresh.

Going to agree with everything said here (and through the rest of the thread, really). There are some nice toppings on these pizzas that are undermined by a pedestrian, school-fundraiser tasting crust. And the salads remain underwhelming. That being said, the pies are well topped with fresh ingredients and in a town that is still well below the curve pie-wise, you can do far, far worse. Of the three I tried, I'd happily eat the chicken sausage/ricotta/poblano pepper pizza again... but what I'd really like is that same flavor combo on a better crust.

[jandres374]

Appears most if not all locations have closed.

[lperry]

In the Chicago Tribune, and trending on our neighborhood listserve.  It was, apparently, convenient and popular for working couples with kids.