Pizza Review: Skinny Vinnie's Italian Emporium

Date: 05/16/2017
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Slices Ordered: Plain and Chicken Bacon Ranch
Website: www.skinnyvinnies.com/

​Skinny Vinnie's is a fairly spacious pizzeria directly behind the College Avenue Gym and very close to Olive Branch. This is a fairly decent location that sees a good amount of traffic daily. The first time I tried to get a slice, the pizzeria was closed, despite my arrive during normal operating hours on a normal, non-holiday. The second time I was luckier (if you could even say that). The pizzeria was hot, with not much airflow despite having a ceiling fan whirring away. There's a very artistic mural on the wall that I really liked, but the rest of the restaurant seemed dirty and unkept. There was a large piece of aluminum foil covering half the menu and there is a spacious area near the counter that seems vacant of any activities. It could certainly be better used as a kitchen extension, more seating area, or something more creative. 

I went with the usual plain slice and decided to get chicken bacon ranch as a second, as I've grown a liking to it recently. The pizza looked like some of the frozen pizza you would make in an oven at your house. The chicken bacon ranch slice has a severely deformed, cardboard, flaky crust with a ton of seasoning.  The slice was bland and most of the flavor was from the seasoning. The crust was a mess, possibly the worst I've ever had. Overflowered, flaky, and crumbly. Not a good combo. The plain slice was okay, not very memorable at all. 

I speculate that business has been tough with the competition nearby. This pizzeria has the ingredients for a successful business, they just need to be applied and given a bit of care and nurturing. I hope everything works out.