I was in the mood for pizza at a mom and pop shop, somewhere that I have never been to before. I researched online to see what was popular in Moorpark since I was in the area and they were a lot of positive reviews for Custom Pie.
This place was easy to find. They are located in the plaza near Moorpark College, behind a gas station at the corner of the 118 West on ramp. There is plenty of free parking since they're in a medium size plaza.
At first impression from the outside, it's nice and clean. Modern in decor that matched the rest of the building and was adorned with large windows. Inside was decorated with earth tones from the walls and steel from the kitchen. There was plenty of indoor seating of tables and chairs, made of wood and steel to match the rest of the decor. When I entered, the front counter greeted me right away. This was also an open kitchen where you can watch them make your food, use the wood fire oven if you ordered pizza, and their homemade gelato ice cream was displayed. On the left wall from the counter are several large chalk boards that served as their menu.
I took my time to read the menu because there was a lot to choose from and I wanted to try a salad, pizza, and dessert. I ordered all three which also included a fountain drink.
Menu Description: fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, arugula, EVO, tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.
Such a refreshing and wonderful dish. The vegetables were fresh, crisp and the balsamic vinaigrette with the olive oil helped offset the bitterness from the arugula. The mozzarella just melted in my mouth and they gave such a generous portion of it. Places that I have dined do not give that much cheese to a Caprese salad so this was a nice surprise. It was a perfect balance of textures, sweet, salt, and tanginess.
PEPPERONI PIZZA - $9.95 (small)
Menu Description: San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Pepperoni, Fresh Mozzarella, Provolone, Oregano.
I decided on a pepperoni pizza because I used this as a test. If a pizzeria cannot make a good pepperoni pizza, then I will not return to that establishment. It's one of the basic flavors that everyone knows and what most of us are used to. The other pizza choices are enticing, but I wanted proof that they can make a simple and tasty pepperoni pizza.
I was not disappointed. It came hot and fresh from their wood fire burning oven. The crust was thin and crispy, it had the correct amount of pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Even though there was oil floating on top, the pizza was not overly greasy. It had a balanced texture of firm and softness, a light charred flavor, cheesy goodness and lightly spicy pepperoni.
I ordered their small size which can serve from 1-2 people. I saved half of the pizza for my dinner. I ate it cold and even then, it was just as tasty. Now that's a good pizza to me, hot or cold it was still very good.
Menu Description: Topped with Cookie Dough, Marshmallow and Nutella.
I read online that they had a delicious dessert pizza. I was informed that this was their only dessert pizza on the menu at time. But the menu description was different than what was described to me. I was told that this was a regular pizza crust that was brushed with butter and sugar then topped with Nutella chocolate spread and toasted marshmellows (there was no cookie dough).
It sounded wonderful so I ordered a small size that could serve 1-2 people. I was surprised how delicious it was. It was not overly sweet as I assumed, it was just the correct amount because the pizza dough helped offset it. Gooey, chocolaty and spongy when warm, firm and still gooey when soft. I was impressed because hot or cold, this dessert pizza was tasty.
DRINKS
I ordered a fountain drink since it was unlimited. They also offered fresh brewed ice tea, house made lemonade and pellegrino.
OTHER MENU ITEMS
They also offer roasted vegetables, appetizers, kid's menu, and daily specials.
PRICE & VALUE
The quality and quantity justified the price for my entire meal. The salad was a generous portion, the pepperoni and dessert pizzas can serve 1-2 people, the vegetables and cheese were fresh.
If you are a Moorpark College Student, they give a 10% discount and offers a daily special.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
I interacted with 2 males and 1 female staff. All 3 were very friendly, knowlegdable and attentive. They took away my dirty dishes when I was done and gave me a to go box for the rest of my meal. I also observed them interacting with other patrons and they treated them with kindness and respect that they treated me. They greeted new customers with a smile and pleasant attitude and were constantly cleaning and organizing the restaurant.
CONCLUSION
I enjoy reviewing and writing about family owned and run businesses. This establishment deserves to be known in the community as one of the restaurants that offers quality and value to their customers. Their food is delicious, fairly priced and gives good customer service.
I will be returning to try everything else on the menu.
6593 Collins Drive
Moorpark, CA 93021
(805) 222-5739
www.custompie.com
© Jesse Watrous
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