The Dough Company - Wilkes-Barre, PA

Thanks to all of the readers who submit their recommendations to me!  Time and time again I can count on you for quality pizza advice and the Dough Co was another solid recommendation from the NEPA Nation.  I’ve been to Wilkes-Barre, especially by the Wyoming Valley Mall hundreds of times, but I don’t ever recall seeing this establishment ever before.  Baffled by my lack of memory and curious beyond belief, I assembled a crew to go and try this seemingly popular pizza out.

Check out the Dough Company's Menu

We arrived at the place and from the outside, it looked a little bit like a diner to me – a diner that I never remember seeing, and upon walking in, I still got a diner-type vibe from the place with its low booths and undivided dining room.  The booths were comfortable, but I usually like a little privacy when I’m dining out, especially when I’m trying to sneak pictures of the pizza when I’m undercover!  Anyway, the place was clean, and besides my nit-picky diner assessment, it was a relaxing place to eat.  We decided to get a large pizza to share along with dinners, so we could split the pie and have a group review.

The pizza was ready relatively quickly, but it came out at the same time as the dinners, but a table packed full of food wasn’t going to derail this review.  I have to admit, when the pizza came out, the group was pretty underwhelmed by its appearance, and before taking a bite we kind of assumed it wasn’t going to be good.  This assumption came from the matte looking cheese, sauce swirled on top, and a pizza that just seemed a little flat.  Begrudgingly, we all picked up our first slice and suddenly everyone was silent and looking around at each other.  I wasn’t sure, but I think my colleagues were waiting for my response.  I sat there for what seemed to be an eternity, but in my head I was thinking “Wow, this DOESN’T suck!”  I’m not sure who spoke first, but I recall hearing “This is actually pretty decent,” and the more we discussed the pizza, the more positive consensus we came too – with my friend declaring that this was definitely a pizza he would have again.  I couldn’t believe it, I was fooled and so was everyone else.  I learned my lesson – don’t judge a book by its cover, or at least don’t decide whether a pizza is not good before you try it!

So I gave you the overall rating, but I need to back up a bit and tell you more about this pizza.  The crust was ultra-light and had a lovely crispness to it.  Suddenly the Dough Company name made sense, because this crust was made from excellent quality dough, and really was a treat to eat – the kind of crust that you can easily eat half a tray on your own without blinking an eye.  The sauce was on the sweet side and had a smooth consistency.  Although I’m not a sweet sauce guy, one of my co-reviewers definitely is, and he seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.  I did like the sauce swirled on top as it gave the pizza some body and varying consistencies.  The cheese was pretty decent as well.  I wasn’t wowed by its flavor or texture, but it really worked on this pizza.  I’m guessing it was a mozzarella or cheddar or both, but honestly I couldn’t tell.  If I had to find another way to describe it, I would call this a less commercialized tasting (and therefore better) Grotto Pizza, where the sauce has more body, the cheese is less dry, and the crust is light and crispy.  In short, at first I was feeling guilty that we drove all the way to Wilkes-Barre to try this pizza, but in the end I think we were all pretty impressed with the Dough Company!

Restaurant: The Dough Company

Location: Wilkes-Barre, PA
Date: March 2013
Pizza Ordered: 16" Large New York Style Pizza

Price: $10.99
Eat In/Take Out: Eat In

Crust: 3.75/5
Sauce: 3.75/5
Cheese: 3.25/5
Overall Taste: 3/5
Crispy/Cooked Properly: 5/5
Overall Value: 3.5/5
OVERALL RATING: 3.75/5
Similar to: Grotto Pizza, Tommy's Pizza Corner