Local Business Spotlight - Pie Hole Pizza

I was having a twitter conversation with Sare a week ago, where we were discussing her Idaho exploits and some neat things in the area that I have missed.

She mentioned a pizza place in nearby Pocatello Idaho, called Pie Hole Pizza.

And I instantly fall in love.  I HAVE to go check this place out, simply based on their awesome name.

Well I did, and I have to say, I was fairly impressed.

...mostly.

When I first arrived, I liked the overall look of the exterior.  It had the 'hole in the wall' vibe going on without looking too trashy:

Three things I noticed right away:

- The "we are open late" sign, followed by
- The large amount of bars in the area (coincidence??)
- The $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, all day every day.  (Have I just walked into a hipster pizza joint?)

Inside, you can tell this place is a college hangout.  Idaho State University is in town, and Pie Hole is definitely catering to that crowd.  Snowboards line the walls as decorations.  There is a chalk-written menu.  Odd art on the walls.  Electric stoner-funk playing though the speakers.

Me, at 31, felt a little old in this place.  But I really liked the atmosphere.

*click to enlarge*

The menu here is plain and simple.

- Pizza
- Soda
- Beer
- Repeat

They had 'create your own' options as well as house specials.  The one catching my eye the most was their Potato & Bacon pizza.  It uses alfredo sauce instead of marinara, and then, well, potatoes and bacon.

Sounds odd, doesn't it?  Well, when I was there, 3 out of 5 people were ordering that...

Service was friendly, beer was cheap, and they served pizza by the slice.  If I'm a poor college student or a hungry stoner, this place seems like a great fit.

But what about a traveling salesman, just looking for some good road food?

(Notice how I haven't talked about the food yet?)

A pizza place lives and dies by their pizza, and the pies at Pie Hole are just...

...meh.

You know those mall pizza places?  (Sbarro, I think?)  Yeah, the pizza looks and tastes like that. Flimsy thin crust, gigantic pepperoni slices that your teeth can't cut though, so you get the whole damn thing, and grease grease grease.

But, I paid $4.40 for a slice and a soda.  Overall, I think I got what I paid for...

If this were a newspaper-esque restaurant review, I would give an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5.  GREAT marks on ambiance, service and price, but the food brings the rating down.  It's not bad, not bad at all, but not as high-quality as some other pizza joints.

But, alas, Pie Hole also has locations in the Boise market.  I'll probably be back, so shove more pie down my piehole...

Beau Dough? You must be in Boise...

Ah, Boise.  Home of the blue football field, good radio stations, and actual civilization.  Whenever my work takes me to Boise, I enjoy it.

Why?  It's everything Eastern Idaho isn't.  There are PEOPLE here.  People with opinions that differ.  People that think for themselves.

Actual bars and nightclubs that are more than just bad karaoke hangouts with a pool table...

And best of all, mormons are in the minority again.  The LDS that are in Boise are laid back and normal, instead of "you're different so there's something wrong with you..."

Yes, Boise is where I would like to live, if I were to stay in Idaho long-term.  It feels more like 'home' than Eastern Idaho.  But there are always cons when you have so many pros...

The freeways in Boise are perpetually under construction.  People manage better than California drivers, but Boise is the only city in Idaho that has traffic jams.  If you get on a main street around 5pm, or on any of the freeways, you better be comfortable and have an empty bladder.  This isn't like Idaho Falls where 40 miles away means you'll be there in 40 minutes or less...

The slang in this town drive me insane... You're not in Downtown Boise, you're in BoDo (pronounced Beau Dough...).  It's like a mix of alternative hipsters and white kids trying to act street.  The nightlife is better than average, but you still have a lot of pretentious prats trying to style and look "freezy."

Fatty's Bar is fun though.  What's missing is a nice jazz bar with a live band.  A great club that would do well in Boise is the Hip Kitty in Claremont, Ca.  Maybe if I make millions selling my stuff, I'll retire and open up a place like that...

Dudes in bicycles are everywhere as well.  After listening to the radio stations in town, I discovered Two Wheels by Wax is the unofficial song for Boise residents in their 20's.  Lyrics include "I don't give a fuck about a DUI" and "Two wheels is the way I ride."  Here's the video, so you can see what the Boise trendsetters are trying to emulate.

So Boise has it's advantages and disadvantages.  If California isn't in my cards anymore, I'd probably settle for moving to Boise.  I think the pros outweigh the cons, and it would be nice to be able to go to football games again, even if it is college ball.... and on a blue football field...

Oh well.  At least they have Carl's Jr in Boise.  I missed my Western Bacon Cheeseburgers...