One of the drawbacks of doing this blog is that expectations get raised a little higher, especially when the results are consistently good. I have had fantastic burgers, I have had fantastic sushi, and I have also had fantastic pizza. So at what scale should you judge a spot when you’ve dealt with the best? With Winter Park Pizza Company, I decided to pit it against the better Central Florida pizza chain locations.
With pizza chains, they are always hit and miss, no matter where you go. When you do indeed find a good one, you never go anywhere else, regardless of your current destination. With my case in Orlando, the best pizza chain locations include the Little Caesars in Hunter’s Creek, and the Pizza Hut in the 535 Crossroads area by Downtown Disney. If you can top them, then you’ve done well.
Winter Garden Pizza Company has been around since the 70s and has developed a devoted fanbase and has won awards from local magazines and newspapers as one of the best pizza places in town. Located in the middle of the old-school themed downtown Winter Garden, you have to sneak through a nice and calm neighborhood before reaching the area. It has a very quiet scene in the afternoon, with a very small assortment of people roaming the streets.
Inside the Pizza Company was no different, with only one table being occupied. It appears this place takes off in popularity in the evening. Since I took the whole family with me, we decided to order multiple items to get the entire experience: the mozzarella sticks, the garlic knots, fries, and their largest pepperoni pizza—which is 18 inches.
The appetizers arrived and the results were a mixed bag. The garlic knots were decent but nothing outstanding. The oddest part of the dinner was that the marinara and alfredo sauce had a unique taste and texture—they were both sharp with a vinegar/garlic bite. The alfredo sauce isn’t as thick or creamy as your best sauces out there. They didn’t compliment the knots at all. The mozzarella sticks however were quite good and each packed plenty of rich cheese.
The pepperoni pizza arrives with all its glory. It was massive, and had the New York pizza look. That being said, even though the toppings were decent and got the job done, the sauce itself was rather off-putting. It wasn’t all meshing well. It was quite greasy, and the crust couldn’t handle it. It explains the army of napkins that had arrived along with the pizza. Me and my brother have also tackled larger pizza that was able to handle the toppings and calorie madness. But the pizza here---just couldn’t take it.
Despite the price, despite the service, the pizza just didn’t work. Not only does it disappoint against the heavy-hitters I’ve had over the years, but it doesn’t even top Little Caesars, which can make a mean pizza when the effort behind the cashier is there. I wanted it to work, I really did. But it didn’t.
Bottom Line: Winter Park Pizza Company works if you are close by, and you are looking for a cheap easy meal without too much stress. The people were nice, the location is nice (albeit seemingly dead when compared to Winter Park and Tourist Country), and the food isn’t exactly a disaster. However, there are better garlic knots out there, better mozzarella sticks, and definitely better pizza within Central Florida and the state itself. If you are close, give it a shot. If you are far, well….
….well…….
Final Verdict: Do Not Recommend (unless you are very, very close)
Winter Garden Pizza Company
42 W. Plant St.
Winter Garden, FL 34787
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