Go mad for MOD Pizza in American Fork
A Create Your Own MOD Pizza topped with red sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted red pepper, green bell pepper, artichokes, roasted asparagus, mushrooms, bacon, Canadian bacon, grilled chicken and mild Italian sausage is served at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
A Create Your Own MOD Pizza topped with red sauce, mozzarella cheese, pineapple and Canadian bacon is served at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
A Dominic MOD Pizza with added artichokes, mushrooms and pepperoni is served at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
A Caspian MOD Pizza with added pineapple and green bell peppers is served at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
An American Fork MOD Pizza employee cooks pizzas in the restaurant's 800-degree gas-fired oven.
A Mega Caesar Salad is served at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
A Garlic Strips side is served with red sauce at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
A No Name Cake dessert is served at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
An unwrapped No Name Cake dessert at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
House-made Marion Blackberry Lemonade, Vintage Lemonade, Caramelized Pear Iced Tea and Classic Black Iced Tea are served at MOD Pizza in American Fork.
When it comes to making pizza customized, fast and affordable, MOD Pizza is a slice of heaven.
The Seattle-based chain, which specializes in individual artisan-style pizzas, recently made its Utah County debut with a new restaurant just off of State Street in American Fork, with another location coming soon to Saratoga Springs, according to the company’s website.
Modification is the name of the game at MOD Pizza, serving a simple salad and pizza menu — including a gluten-free crust option — meant to be personalized with a wide array of more than 30 toppings ranging from classics like pepperoni and black olives to novelties like roasted asparagus and Mama Lil’s peppers. And the best part is customers can add any and all toppings they want for no additional charge.
MOD Pizza offers a few classic pizza and salad flavors, or customers can create their own. My party of four decided to try two of each pizza option, along with the restaurant’s Caesar salad and Garlic Strips. We followed the employees down the counter, shouting out ingredients as they quickly put together our personalized pizzas. After our creations had spent just a few minutes in MOD Pizza’s 800-degree gas-fired oven, they were ready to eat.
The first two pizzas we ordered, which ended up being our favorites, were Create Your Own pizzas. The one I enjoyed most was a tasty blend of red sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted red pepper, green bell pepper, artichokes, roasted asparagus, mushrooms, bacon, Canadian bacon, grilled chicken and mild Italian sausage.
The combination of so many perfectly cooked fresh and savory toppings was irresistibly delicious. I was especially surprised at how much I enjoyed the roasted asparagus as a pizza topping. The idea of it sounded weird even to an asparagus lover like me, but it totally worked in all its vegetable glory, fitting in perfectly with the flavor of the other ingredients.
The second Create Your Own pizza ended up being MOD Pizza’s version of a classic Hawaiian pizza, topped with red sauce, mozzarella cheese, pineapple and Canadian bacon. This pizza proved that less truly is more sometimes, with a sweet-savory flavor that definitely went above and beyond that of the average Hawaiian pizza.
The two classic pizzas we ordered were the Dominic and the Caspian. The Dominic is made with white sauce, fresh chopped basil, Asiago cheese, mild sausage, red onion and tomatoes, to which we added artichokes, mushrooms and pepperoni. The sausage and mushrooms were the stars of the show on this pizza, resulting in an enjoyable, traditional pizza flavor. We were, however, a little disappointed with the white sauce, which we felt lacked flavor.
I ordered the Caspian pizza, which the employee who took our orders had recommended. The Caspian is a classic barbecue chicken pizza with a twist, topped with barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, red onion and Gorgonzola cheese, with a barbecue sauce swirl finish. I also added pineapple, another employee recommendation, and green bell pepper to my pizza.
The Caspian was also a decent pizza, but the flavor and texture of the Gorgonzola cheese admittedly threw me off a bit. Although it added an interesting earthy flavor to the standard barbecue chicken pizza I’m accustomed to eating, the cheese had hardly melted, and I ended up picking most of it off as I finished the pizza.
Something we enjoyed about all four pizzas was the thin, crisp-yet-soft texture of the crust, which proved to be a tasty base and perfect complement to each of our topping combinations. The pizzas were also very fresh, a nice break from the grease-infused fast food pizza that is all too often the American go-to.
MOD Pizza’s Caesar salad, made with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, Asiago cheese and croutons, was likewise fresh and crisp, albeit a bit cheese heavy. We were especially impressed with the freshness of the croutons, which we gobbled up with a healthy amount of crunch.
We also tried the Garlic Strips, an interesting thin-crust take on the classic garlic-cheese side, served with a tangy red sauce.
Also worth mentioning are MOD Pizza’s house-made lemonades, of which the Marion Blackberry flavor was our favorite. The natural fruit puree proved to be a refreshing drink that achieved a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Near the end of our visit, a couple of us were eyeing MOD Pizza’s No Name Cake desserts, which are “so good no name is good enough,” according to an ad that was on our table. Eventually, we caved and decided to buy one to share. Effectively a fresher, glorified Hostess Ding Dong, the cream-filled chocolate mini cake was a delicious treat that more than satisfied our sweet tooth.
From its made-to-order pizzas to its hip atmosphere, MOD Pizza is a delightful and welcome addition to Utah County’s dining repertoire.
MOD PIZZA
Where: 599 W. Pacific Drive, American Fork
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Prices: Pizza $5.67-$9.67, salad $5.67-$12.67, sides $2.97, dessert $1.97, drinks $1.50-$3.27
Info: (801) 980-0741, modpizza.com