Tale of the Pie: Oaks Italian Pizzeria

The wife and I decided to take Saucy Jr. out for some errands today, and since we were on our way to our local Target, we decided we would stop in to Oaks Italian Deli & Pizzeria to see what their pie was all about. Being that it felt like a wonderful Spring day, we saddled up to a seat outside and enjoyed the wonderful view of the intersection to Egypt and Mill roads.

With it being Lent, we are not able to consume any meat, so the order was a plain pie with extra sauce and an order of mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks were, of course, the first to arrive and they were quite good. The sticks themselves were quite ample and they came with a very good marinara sauce. They have pasta entrees on the menu and, from the taste of the marinara, I could definitely see myself enjoying one in the future.

Then it was time for the main event. When the pizza arrived, it looked incredible! The extra sauce was distributed artfully and wasn't like one of those that you could eat with a spoon. While looks can sometimes be deceiving, I am pleased to report that this pie was more than satisfactory. The sauce had a very authentic taste, even if it did fall alittle on the bland side. Still, you could clearly taste the tomato in the sauce. It wasn't too sugary or watered down. The cheese was also very good. There was just the right amount of ooze to it! It wasn't falling off the slice as soon as you took your first bite!

There were some negatives too. The main detriment to the pie was the crust. It was a little too hard. I like to be able to fold a slice when I am eating it. Upon folding, Oaks' slices would crack in the middle and become crumbly. And it isn't just about aesthetics. A crunchy crust just isn't as palatable as the firm yet malleable variety. I can't really complain though. I knocked back four slices; the crust couldn't have been too bad.

Since we did eat at Oaks Italian Pizzeria, I suppose it wouldn't be fair to not mention the service. Our waitress was very nice, and when she made a mistake, she was apologetic to a fault. There were times when she said "I'm sorry," and I really had no idea what she was making amends for. Still, she did seem sort of stressed and, as a result, forgetful. Maybe it was because the restaurant was pretty well packed on this Friday night and it caused the clientele to spill out onto the veranda area, which she was covering all by herself. In any event, she forgot to give us the toppings you would normally put on a pie, such as red pepper, oregano, etc., and we had to remind her about three times to get us a box for our one leftover slice. This being said, I try not to get too hung up on service. She wasn't rude. I know it is a tough job, she seemed to be trying hard, and it certainly wasn't bad enough to bring about a stiffing. We gave her our customary 20 percent tip on a bill that was abpout 20 bucks (not bad for a pie, some sticks, and a soda).

The final verdict is that the pie offered by Oaks Italian Pizzeria is a better than average pie, one that we will most likely go back for, especially since they have one called the Diablo Pie, which offers a crust filled with cheese and hot peppers. Sounds exceptional. Let's just hope that when we go back for this delicassie the crust that houses these morsels is a little softer. That could really take this establishment's offerings to the next level.

Pros: Amount of sauce, overall tastiness

Cons: Crusty crust

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Oaks Italian Deli & Pizzeria
1601 Egypt Road
Collegeville, PA 19426
(610) 666-0280