Dominos Experience April 1, 2011

Just returned from my Dominos food run.
Stopped by this evening, convenient since I had to run to Gamestop for my 6 year old after I was done at Dominos.
The Dominos in my area is also in a shopping center where I can always find parking.
A nice bright comfortable inviting place. Seems straight to the point without silly slogans or decorations or the employees wearing stupid "flair" or saying annoying artificial things to customers.  Ordering is easy, although a little more complex than it used to be with sandwich and pasta options there now.  I was previously just used to the pizza/breadsticks/chicken wing options.  It was nice to see the other choices available.  I have had the pasta but never the sandwiches which I will have to try.

The store is smaller than I ever noticed, since I usually don't spend too much time in there, usually ordering delivery or even carryout where I am in store a few minutes only.

Store is not in a great area, which I guess accounts for the glass windows at counter.  But it is still more open and friendly than lots of places nowadays.  Plus I like being able to see all the way to back of food prep area. That is alot nicer than restaurants where you have NO view  of the kitchen.

The soda display cracks me up since I don't drink it (just don't like it and prefer to get my useless calories from other sources like the chocolate cakes!) and I don't let my kids have it.  We had drinks at home, but if not there are no real non-soda options available. But I know it's popular, and I guess convenient.

I could not really take too many photos of the seating, since it is Friday and busy.  There is a long bench plus 2 chairs.  But other customers started coming in and I did not want to photograph them!

The Purell dispenser is a nice touch, since it is cold and flu season!  And with space this small, I can understand them not having a bathroom, since it's not like folks dine in.

The counter is clean and it's nice that they have napkins/condiments available in this day and age since alot of places you have to remember to ask.  (I can understand that though as a cost cutting measure, but it still makes it tough to remember the stuff you need).

Sorry this top photo is sideways but this is the glass door back to the kitchen/prep area.  Again, it is nice to be able to bring food home from someplace clean!  Especially for my kids- I am not real squeamish about food, and will grab food from street vendors, etc, but for my kids (even the 7 month old likes to chew on pizza crust)- I want to know the food is safe.   I definitely get the feeling the Dominoes is clean.  Sometimes with Mom and Pop Pizza places in Philadelphia, I don't have that impression!

So  those are all the photos I could get in store front without annoying someone!
But back to my order- even on a Friday night it did not take too long- I was suprised- especially during Lent ( I live in big Catholic area, and although I don't observe food restrictions, many people in this area go out for pizza or seafood on Fridays.
The place smells great- even with the cold I have!  The smell of the food is pleasant without anything being overpowering like a fat fryer grease smell you get in alot of pizza places.
The employee who was working register was polite, professional and asked if I needed plates or napkins which I appreciate since with 2 kids I don't always remember stuff.

It may sound silly but I like the boxes at Dominoes.  The food is easy to transport in the car without having a bag that falls over and dumps stuff everywhere. The containers don't collapse when you try to use them.  The boxes recycle easily also, unfolding to go into recycling container.

One of my big complaints about Dominos is that they do not offer celery with the buffalo wings.  I like to eat them with the traditional accompanimnets of celery and blue cheese and often if I have no celery, I will not order them (like today for example!)
I did order the buffalo chicken pizza which was great.
The pizza is a little bit too salty for me, but I seem to be the only one in the house that thinks so.  The pizza does not seem quite as greasy as pizza from a neighborhood place.

I also ordered the Pacific Vegetable pizza, and am well pleased with that.
I got a small pepperoni for my 6 year old as he is not too adventurous with foods.
Plus the lava crunch cakes, which were completely bought on impulse, and which sadly, only I eat!

I brought the food home to eat and everyone was pleased (except the dog, who felt he did not get enough).
Dominos is a little more expensive than local pizza places, but the quality of the food is consistent.  I have never had any complaints about the food from there.  Local pizza stores are often inconsistent. You may order after recommending something and then feel like an idiot when it is not as you described!  But we usually always agree on Dominos.  And often there are coupons available.  It is just hard to remember them all the time!

It may also be expensive since I wind up ordering more than enough for one meal- but it never goes to waste.
The weekend is usually hectic with running to birthday parties, and other events, so it is nice to have food to microwave!

The Pacific Veggie specialty pizza!

The Buffalo chicken pizza.  Should have gotten some kind of veggie added but forgot.

So I did not mind going in and ordering and waiting as much as I thought I would.  I usually call on the phone. A few times I have done the online ordering but find it a little bit annoying!
And now I see that friends actually put the ticker for when their Dominos delivery will arrive on their Facebook status which cracks me up!  I just don't think that everyone needs to know when my food will arrive!