Directly across from Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Pennsylvania Street sits Sauce on the Side. This restaurant specializes in fresh, hand-made calzones and has only been open for a little over three weeks.
Although the restaurant was crowded when my friends and I walked in, it still felt spacious. I noticed the sleek and modern feel of the place, from the silver chairs to the abstract art painted across the walls and the TVs placed around the restaurant.
I knew the service was going to be fantastic. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and asked if we had been there before, which neither my friends nor I had been. My friends and I chose to dine in and we thought that we would order with a server. Instead, we ordered at the front and someone brought it out to us. Cynthia, the cashier, explained the entire menu to us and said that if we didn’t like anything then we were more than welcome to create our own calzone.
Personally, I thought this was a great option to have because sometimes it’s easier to pick and choose what I would like on my food rather than take everything off of something already on the menu. However, this option can get expensive quickly. Starting at $7, it’s an extra $1 or $1.50 for every filler you want to add to your calzone. You also get to choose the sauce you would like with your calzone, and you’ll never believe it, it comes on the side.Honestly, I thought the restaurant was overpriced, especially for what I got. I ordered the ‘Meat Me in St. Louie’, which consists of pepperoni, Italian sausage, provel, mascarpone-ricotta blend, garlic oil and meat sauce on the side, and it was $9.50. The only modification I made was ditching the italian sausage. The other calzones on the menu were as much as $10.50. Maybe that’s the broke college kid in me talking, but I don’t think I would pay that again for a calzone.
Don’t get me wrong, the calzone was good and the portions were decently sized, but I just thought it was going to be better. I looked at the menu prior and everything looked so good, but I was a bit let down. My overall experience was great, but the price to me, is too much for what I actually got.. Despite the price, the vibes were good, the service was excellent and the food was enjoyable.
