Chipotle is a national treasure. In today’s modernized society, the customizable fast food site has become a household staple, notable for filling both hearts and bellies nationwide.

Keeping this adoration in mind, consider the concept sweeping across the nation since its founding in 2010: rather than a regulated menu item, you build your own dish. That is essentially what Pieology is–an affordable, creativity fostering and extremely Chipotle-reminiscent pizzeria.

The minute I was introduced to Pieology, I instantly felt the need to stop by. I mean, who would pass up the opportunity to assemble their dream pizza with any toppings and sauce desired?

Recently, at long last, I paid a visit to Pieology for an early lunch on a bright Sunday morning with my equally as excited mom. The chain restaurant totals in at a 38-minute drive away from Plant, and understandably most may not be jumping at the chance to travel this distance.

However, if you are in the area or just extremely dedicated to America’s collective go-to food selection, I’m pleased to say that the trip is definitely worth it.

The place wasn’t wall to wall hectic, but the atmosphere was teetering on bustling and most of the tables were full of customers. The restaurant was composed of one singular giant room with high ceilings, providing a very open, welcoming sense. One wall was entirely overspread with wallpaper depicting a variety of inspirational quotes, so we could additionally munch on our pizza and be intellectually intrigued all at the same time.

With an identical service style as Chipotle, it was a little odd to find that both restaurants had pretty much the exact same setup –it was like I was having some pizza riddled deja vú.

Patrons lined up orderly to the right side of the restaurant until it was their much-awaited turn to approach the long counter and be served. Exactly identical to the aforementioned Mexican specializing establishment, you start off with your base–which in this case is the pizza crust–choose your sauce, type of cheese and finally toppings.

Pieology offers a myriad of options to decide from. For base sauces, they provide the classic tomato red sauce, as well as herb butter and olive oil. They have four types of cheese: mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and gorgonzola. Even better, customers aren’t restricted to settling for simply one type of cheese; cheese aficionados can layer on all four if such suits their fancy.

Next come the toppings (17 to be exact) of which include several assortments of meat, vegetables and herbs. Customers may also choose to add on an “after bake,” which are essentially extra garnishes to top off the pizza once it has served its time in the oven.

This selection includes roasted red peppers and black peppers, along with more sauces to dollop the top such as extra virgin olive oil, 3-cheese Alfredo, BBQ sauce, pesto sauce and red sauce. Once your personalized pizza rendition is complete, it is then placed into the oven.

The employee assisting me through my poorly contained excitement was extremely friendly and assembling my pizza was easy. The counter was additionally organized and well kept, so I just pointing to whatever I wanted and the employee piled it on. My order resulted in a pizza containing a pesto and olive oil base with mozzarella cheese and green peppers.

The pizza was fairly priced at $7.50, which is pretty good for having the opportunity to choose as many toppings as you desire.

The pizzas only come in a single size, but it is probably equivalent to a typical medium sized pizza plus can serve 1-2 people depending on your level of hunger. My mom and I paid and easily found an empty table despite the fact that the place was getting crowded, which probably due to the incoming lunchtime rush.

Pieology claims that they provide “smoking hot pizzas in under 5 minutes.” Perhaps it was due to the crowded restaurant, but it definitely took a little longer than 5 minutes–probably closer to 10. But

it definitely wasn’t a big deal as I’m no stickler when it comes to that sort of thing and the pizza was totally worth the wait.

The freshly baked thin crust wasn’t too crispy but wasn’t too soft either. As the slice did not collapse from carrying all the toppings, it’s safe to say that it held a good consistency. In all honesty, this was probably one of the best pizzas I have ever had, mainly since it had all of my favorite toppings which could be considered unorthodox while making the stereotypical pizza, such as olive oil and green peppers.

I highly recommend Pieology to everyone who can appreciate good food. Not only do they offer pizzas that can be customized however you want, they also provide pre-made options for those who can’t decide for themselves and salads for anyone wishing to make a healthier choice. Moreover, it is also very affordable and produces quick, friendly service. Besides, if you’re anything like me, you would’ve been sold the very instant the word “pizza” was read.