Review: Magpie's Gourmet Pizza

Magpie's Gourmet Pizza has been the "Taste of Tucson" for nearly twenty years! Seven locations, strategically placed across the greater Tucson, Arizona area, keep Tucson's Italian casual dining appetites well satisfied. They offer four great pizza menus, as well as six fabulous salads, five wonderful calzones, three types of bread sticks, homemade desserts, and a vast array of Pepsi products, sodas, and juices. Everything is available for delivery, take-out, dine-in, and especially their famous "Take n' Bake: Pizza That Travels!"

Menu Recommendations?

All Magpie's Gourmet Pizzas come in your choice of crust: regular, sourdough, or whole wheat. They add herb spices and cheese to any pizza crust at no extra charge, too! Our family enjoys all three crusts equally, depending on the toppings we are hungry for that day.

My teenage daughters and I are always watching fat and calories. Our favorite is the Cathy's, found on Magpie's Lite-"r" Pizza Menu. Magpie's Lite-"r" Pizzas are low fat, made without Provolone and Mozzarella cheeses. Their Lite-"r" pizza menu is what drew my family to Magpie's over seven years ago. Our pizza order is for the "Cathy's". The medium easily feeds 2-3 people and only costs $10.95.

My oldest daughter says, "Whole wheat crust and olive oil garlic sauce is the only way to eat a Cathy's pizza from Magpie's."

For us, I agree that's true. However, the Cathy's offers your choice of any of the three crusts mentioned above, plus your choice of either tomato sauce or olive oil garlic sauce. The Cathy's is a decadent, vegetarian pizza with artichoke, roasted red peppers, stewed tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, Romano cheese and fresh garlic topping it off.

My husband builds his own pizza from the Classic New York Style Magpie's Pizza Menu. His toppings of choice are Canadian bacon, red onion, and fresh tomatoes. A medium classic New York Style pizza with three toppings costs about $12.00; Insuring for, as he says, "Just enough left-over for a great lunch tomorrow!"

Another wonderfully unique thing about Magpie's Gourmet Pizzas is their homemade sauces, made fresh daily. Any pizza comes with your choice of House Red Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil and Garlic, Tomato Pesto, Spicy Juan Carlos Pesto, and classic Pesto All locations are expertly staffed and are wonderful about requests for substitutions of anything a customer requests, with a smile!

Desserts are homemade and mouth-watering! Tiramasu remains our family favorite. Magpie's also makes a fabulous New York Style Cream Cheese.

First-timer advice?

The hungry first-timer to Magpie's Gourmet Pizza might appreciate knowing that seating can be quite limited, depending on the location you visit. The Oracle Road & Ina Road site has extremely limited seating. It is more of a take-out and delivery place, than an eat-in restaurant. They do have seating, and the staff is attentive, but it is very tiny. On the other hand, the 4^th Avenue & 5^th Street site, just west of the University of Arizona, is the kind of place you just want to hang-out and stay awhile. It has more seating and is in the heart of one of the best shopping districts in Tucson. Gotta love it!

Go to their website online, and print-out their latest coupons and check-out their daily pizza special deals.

Magpie's is open seven days each week. They accept major credit cards, checks with a guarantee card, and cash! Magpie's also offers business charge accounts for parties, meetings, and gift certificates for employee incentives. They even have special package deals for children's clubs, like Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, youth groups, sports teams, and of course fraternity and sorority events!

Service? On a rating scale where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best, Magpie's Gourmet Pizza earns a big "5" stars for service! Eat-in, take-out, delivery or take n' bake is always ready when promised. The staff is friendly and efficient. What more could a pizza fanatic ask for?

Price range? Magpie's is family-budget-friendly, charging only $4.95 for a small pizza to $18.95 for their special "jumbo" size.

Setting? Just the basics, thank you very much. Some locations offer a fun, beer and wine patio, too!

Magpie's Gourmet Pizza now has 7 locations in the greater Tucson, Arizona area. Stop by or call ahead:

Speedway and Swan - 795-5977
Broadway and Houghton - 751-9949
4th Ave and 5th St - 628-1661
Ina and Oracle - 297-2712
Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon - 546-6526
Gourmet Pizza by the Slice Kiosk (El Con Mall on Broadway)
Cortaro Farms Road and I-10 - 572-4300

Magpie's Gourmet Pizza remains an overall 5-star casual dining experience, and it is only in Tucson! "That'sa One Mag-nificent Pie!"