As the universe expands, so does the city of Weatherford, TX. Day by day, this blossoming city seems to edge closer and closer to Fort Worth. I’ve been told that scientists predict that they will someday connect. In doing so, adjacent communities like Willow Park are getting their names presented more prominently on the map as well as new shopping centers that include pizza joints.

Recently in Lone Star country for a family shindig, my eyes gazed upon the words “New York Style” in the sign atop Alex’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs. In a new strip center, this old-style pizza joint is just a short hop off of I-20 at the Ranch House Road exit. After spotting Alex’s on a late Friday night, I managed to drop by for a visit late the following afternoon. Since it was almost 6:30pm, I called, and since this ain’t New York City, I was quite surprised to find that they would still be serving slices at this late hour.

Alex’s reeks of being new and ranks as one of the neatest and cleanest pizza joints I’ve ever seen. There are a few tables and chairs outside under their covered awning, and the front door greets you with a BYOB sign. I sat in the front room at a small table opposite the counter while others dined in the larger room off to the slide. There’s a full Italian menu available, but my sole selection for the afternoon was a $2.25 plain cheese slice. Looking over the menu, they mentioned a brick oven which was not visible. They also offer what they call a “Deep Dish Sicilian,” which to me sounds like a contradiction of something sourced from Illinois and Italy!

After ordering at the counter and sitting down to the table to read the news on my pocket computer, my slice was soon brought out to my table fresh and hot from the secrecy of the closed kitchen. Surprising served on china instead of paper, it looked somewhat normal and in general, was not the usual fat, sloppy and doughy pizza that you mostly find in these parts.

However, while it looked the part, it turned out to not have the right tasty pieces. Both cheese and sauce were lightly applied atop a pale crust that while reasonably crisp lacked any signs of oven char. But sadly, the taste of none of the three ingredients clicked. The cheese, sauce and crust each just didn’t taste right, and there were no signs of any seasoning on it to give it a boost. It’s like the folks at Alex’s knew what to do, but just don’t know where to get the right stuff to do it with.

Execution without good ingredients won’t cut it. Alex’s pizza just came up way short on flavor. On the other hand, it’s light and much better than a lot of what you see in the area and for a quick pie delivered to your house, it’s much better than what the big chains have to offer. But, for me, I’m not really interested in going back.

PIZZA SNOB RATING ***Better Than Dominos   
Alex’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs
119 S. Ranch House Road #900
Willow Park, TX 76008
817-441-1656
www.alexspps.com