A new pizza place has popped up close to Edmond Memorial High School. It is not completely new as Donatos is a franchise based in Columbus, Ohio, and has made it all the way to Oklahoma.
One of Donato’s biggest intrigues is its “edge to edge” toppings, with their large pepperoni pizza being advertised as having 100 pepperonis. While my pizza only had 79 pepperonis, it was genuinely impressive how many were on the pizza, with Jo’s Famous Pizza being one of the only places in Edmond with a comparable quantity of toppings added to each pizza. They have a multitude of toppings to choose from as well, such as sliced chicken breast, shaved ham, banana peppers and salami.
Another positive is the large amount of options available. Donatos has everything from pizza, subs, calzones, salads and even wings. There is a multitude of substitution options for every category of meal, as well, which includes the pizza. The crust can be substituted for a gluten-free cauliflower crust, which was superior compared to other gluten-free options.
The last gleaming positive is Donatos’ location being on Bryant putting it in close proximity to EMHS, which makes it a prime candidate for pick-up orders during lunch period. While it could potentially be a tight squeeze to make it during lunch, it is possible through its call-ahead pick-up system. It is also in the same commercial strip as Swig, meaning one could go for pizza and a drink if they wish.
The cost of the restaurant leaves it in an interesting position. It is not particularly expensive, but it is also not as cheap as Little Caesars or All-American. Donatos is stuck in a strange middle ground. A large one-topping pizza is $17 for thin crust and $19 for hand-tossed. Thin crust pizza is its original form, as “Columbus Style” pizza is traditionally thin crust and cut into rectangular slices.
The taste of the pizza is splendid but could be improved. I went for the hand-tossed pepperoni pizza, as I was not aware of the thin crust being the original style, I settled for what I assumed was the basic order. The crust was incredible and with the large amount of pepperonis, the pizza was great. The only problem I found with it was the sauce. The sauce was a little too sweet for my taste. It did not ruin the pizza by any means, but the sweet tang became more of a focal point than necessary, taking away from the excellent crust.
Donatos is not the best pizza in Oklahoma, but with its low prices, it is not trying to be. Its prices are not as expensive as the powerhouses of Edmond pizza, and they are not as low as the to-go franchises of Edmond, securing themselves in a middle ground. One can find themselves eating a one-topping individual pizza (thin crust only) for $7.19 and enjoying it.
Contact Lathan Pearce at [email protected]
