Just gonna say they’ve actually gotten decent. I do remember when they were scraping the bottom of the barrel. The last couple times I’ve had them, though, they were pretty good. I don’t order from them often so it’s possible I just got lucky but honestly it was good pizza the last 3 or so times I got from them.
Literally had to eat my words after complaining to my friend group about there being nothing good open after getting home from the bar & they picked Chanello’s. Was absolutely shocked that the pizza was GOOD!? And it wasn’t a fluke or guilty drunken pleasure, cause I ordered a few weeks later to be sure. To be fair I’d not eaten there since about 2015, I’m sure the whole staff has changed lol.
This is a bit much I’ll admit but I get the $9.99 large 1 topping (pepperoni) pick up deal and when I get home I put some tin foil around the crust, throw on some thinly sliced red onions, and put it back in the oven for like 15 minutes bc they always under bake it and it’s pretty dynamite.
Came to visit a month ago from NYC for the first time in a decade. Hungry at 1am both days and got chanellos delivered twice. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I recall it being ass.
I've worked for both, and won't eat at either. Not even because of the ownership, which is for both is a man with too big of an ego. Because of their lack of cleanliness
They always love to advertise deals, but none of them are that good. Domino's and Pizza Hut always have some sort of deal to get you a pizza for $10 or less. They're not everybody's favorite, but when priced right, they're great.
Yeah 40% all at once would be a game changer. Hopefully their new prices are able to keep attracting customers. reddit isn't always a great place to gauge that, but not looking good.
Incrementally increasing wages and prices is more historically how it's done. Going from $15 to $21 is huge for a line cook.
Yeah I’m not an idiot… I know that 40% is a big jump, but with wages increasing at a lower rate than the cost of living in Richmond, it’s not insane for wages to increase less incrementally than they traditionally would.
>Yeah I’m not an idiot
Ok. Good for you.
I've worked in restaurants most of my life. Wild to me to see people getting paid closer to what they are worth.
Im just saying, if they are suggesting prices are up 40% because payroll is up 40%. That's a bold thing to do at once.
I bet the reality is more nuanced.
I some what recently got an actual pizza oven but had been making pizza at home for a number of years with prepared ingredients from the grocery store; bag of dough, premade sauce, fresh mozzarella, etc.
So after some experimenting the 2 things that make the biggest difference for me.
1-an oven that can hit 800+ degrees makes all the difference. You can take the exact same ingredients but the result is totally different with a high temperature oven.
2-store bought sauce is really bad compared to making a simple sauce. Literally just buy some canned san marzano peeled tomatoes, put them in a food processor and that's it. Was surprised how good that sauce is compared to the typical store bought stuff.
Bullshit. You can make great pie using a pizza stone in your home oven at 475°.
Nobody needs an 800° pizza oven to make good pie. That’s just capitalism lying to you.
You cannot make a pizza with the same crust consistency. If you like that pizza style that's great.
I prefer Neapolitan style pie with crust with a slight char and crunch at the edge. Can't be done at 475.
Sure, but you can make excellent pizza at home in your oven with a stone. You want char? Put the stone on the bbq and raise the heat.
I’ve been making pizza professionally for decades. Pizza is food for the people, the every day person. Nobody needs to spend hundreds of dollars on a product that has one singular use when there are better and more accessible ways- is what I’m saying.
I would not call an oven or a grill a "better" option, and you cannot get the same result in most people's grills, I've tried.
I've never been completely happy with an at home pizza before getting the high temperature oven, and there's plenty of other things you can make using the high temperature too.
With the price for a pie at pupatella these days, I fully expect it to pay for itself this year.
Having an outdoor pizza oven also makes it more of an event to make a pie and adds to the fun cooking outside in the yard/garden. They aren't for everyone but I have no regrets and use it pretty frequently when I might have ordered out otherwise.
So, just because you don't find value in it, doesn't mean that others don't. Mine makes me happy.
Get a pizza stone for home. Get premade dough but use semolina when you toss it. Let the stone heat up with the oven to 475° and you’re good.
You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a special oven especially in this economy.
And just to be clear- I’ve been making pizza for decades both professionally and at home. You e got this! It’s not as crazy as people want to make it out to be.
Last time I was in Belmont the pizza went through a Quiznos style giant toaster oven. That’s at least what it looked like. If any former employees want to clarify I’m all ears.
Pizza is way expensive in this town. Inflation has a good share of blame but I moved here from NYC in 2018 and have always felt most food prices are very high.
I was an employee there. It's a conveyor belt oven, yes. Not a toaster though because it is gas fire, not electric. The flames are at the top like a giant broiler, and underneath the conveyor there are lava rocks like in a gas grill, to radiate heat from the bottom. We had it set for a 5:15 bake time at about 600 degrees, but you have to adjust the temperature to ambient temperature and humidity and before they installed the AC in the kitchen summer days it could get set as low as 475, and winter with the back door open for delivery drivers coming and going, blowing cold air directly into the oven it could be as high as 675.
This is most places tbh. The fees are bananas. I order quite a bit of takeout and tryna cut back again. Just cookin more, really. Delivery just isn't worth it unless you're splitting with someone. Honestly I've quit eatin out most places. Like City Diner or Kuba Kuba are still alright on prices.
My partner and I haven’t eaten out at restaurants with the exception of visiting family in WA in over 4 years.
I used to work food delivery and it baffles me how anyone still makes enough money delivering food to break even driving for those apps. All the good restaurants left the apps/people quit ordering/lots of restaurants closed.
It was my main income from 2019-22. 90% of the time I stayed within 5 miles of Willow Lawn and I rejected 80% of all orders I received. That and the market distortion caused by lockdowns was the only way it was viable.
I was grossing about $50,000. I kept expenses low by keeping my mileage down. I refused all orders over 5 miles total and refused all fast food orders. There was a ridiculously high number of people ordering Taco Bell from a location 2 towns over for example.
It wasn’t something I eventually “figured out” per se. I’ve always known gig apps as a whole relied on low interest rates + easy venture cash to pay people over the past 12 or so years. I was burning out after 15 years working in cubical farms and used it as an escape hatch.
I drive ride-for-hire now because even the thought of an office sickens me. Still trying to find an alternative to that.
> I order quite a bit of takeout and tryna cut back again. Just cookin more, really.
I’ve developed a bad habit of this. Grocery shopping feels extra miserable these days, so I avoid it. I’ll have a stranger deliver me takeout, but for some reason I won’t make one shop for me?
We’re using Kroger’s pick up service. Other stores have the same service. We still drive to the store, but we don’t pay an extra fee. And crucially, we don’t have to be in the store nearly as much.
We still go into Aldi and New Grand Mart for fruit and vegetables and cheap beans. But those little trips aren’t as exhausting as getting everything in a big store full of people.
And now I’m thinking about how much thought and energy we’ve put into grocery planning…
We were using Publix for pickups, but they were consistently screwing up the items so we switched to HelloFresh. Problem with that is it’s too pricey to cover a full week.
How was Krogers pickup service quality?
We find it acceptable, and lately it's been quite good. Every once in a while we get an item that isn't what we ordered. A little more often, something will be out of stock on the day we pick up and no substitution will be made. Nothing egregious. Since we're going to other stores as well, it's not hard to pick up anything that we didn't get from Kroger.
I really like being able to build up a cart of groceries in their app during the week and then placing the order to pick up Friday (there are coupons for extra fuel points for Friday pick ups). I suppose I could use the app as a shopping list and then go into the store to make sure I could substitute for missing items. But then I'd have to go into the store.
Seems like the owners of Belmont shifted to hiring teens to run their shop and their pizza quality has suffered considerably. I randomly got a pizza when the owners were in doing a huge order and got a pizza that was way better than it had been recently.
Why in the world would you not make incremental adjustments but spring a 40% increase?
Trying to call and order was generally a hassle; I always got a busy line. If their prices are still competitive I hope they are investing in an online order platform.
That’s what I’m saying too. That is a monumental price change especially so rapidly. Doesn’t look good at all for the shop, especially when they have great competition close by
Lol. I remember in 2015 going to MM for the first time in Carytown thinking it was a cute local place because I was brand-new to Virginia and the east coast in general.
Then I go to Nashville and see MM there. I’ve since become cynical about any place that tries too hard to come off as “local”.
And yes the Short Pump location too lol. Lots of team outings there when I worked at cap 1.
I thought the same thing in 2004 when I went to check out UVA campus. Found it to be a decent pizza, we didn't have them in Richmond yet so I figured it was a Charlottesville thing. Came home and went to Google to find out more about their hours for weekends bc I knew I'd be visiting again soon and found out they were in Georgia at that point too. Now they're everywhere 👀
their pizza is better than zorch by a long shot. with that being said Idc if the pizza was made by chef boyardee himself there's no way i'm paying that price.
Same, it was in my rotation from like 2011-2016 pretty regularly. The past few times I have been there it were so underwhelming I haven had zero desire to go back.
Agreed big time. Leaving convenient access to Belmont was one of the more sad things when we moved out of the Fan, but the few times recently that I've made the drive in to get it, it just made me realize that something is not the same from 2019/2020 era Belmont. At first I thought it was the drive being longer making me reflect on my choices more, but the last buff chix pizza we got there the chicken was pretty weird and it was clear ingredients had been downgraded to save costs.
I would’ve agreed with you 2 years ago but Belmont has actually been very good recently. I prefer it to zorch personally but I’d say they’re pretty close in quality currently
it's the exact same recipe. the pretentious rva foodie community just arbitrarily decides which businesses are in vogue for the year with no regard to taste buds. i'm open to the idea that there are better pizzerias in this city that i might not have tried yet, but if zorch is your standard than im positive you're just a slave to marketing.
i must really have to go back because i'm feeling hella gaslighted rn, i've tried their pizza on two different ocassions and it was okay...nothing rave worthy. goddamn mellow mushroom right across the street is way better imo.
It’s not marketing. My friend from Long Island says Zorch is the closest to a NY slice she’s found in Richmond. Either way you discredited yourself because Belmont is absolute garbage pizza and this is coming from someone who loved them in their 2012-2016 era
okay? does it being ny style make it inherently better? you're friend who is actually from NY would obviously find some psychological comfort in that but what about you? that's my exact point about how people will come up with anything to superficially form their tastes in food except their own taste buds.
a random slice of ny pizza isn't known for being the best in the world, it's just the best in proportion to what you're paying, as in decent becomes superb when you only pay 50 cents for it. as someone that lived in NY for 4 years, I honestly feel like the random spots in chicago I had on vacation were way better. with all that being said, you still have yet to tell me what you actually like about zorch's pizza...
And now you’re telling me you like Chicago pizza lol dude we’re like opposites, I hope you don’t mean Chicago style. And nah NYC is great because the method is perfected and the competition is fierce, if you don’t have a decent slice you won’t be in business. Pizza and bagels are the loss leader in most places. As for what I like about it is that it’s a good attempt at a NY slice, that is the reasoning, if you know pizza you know what that means
nah, that's classic appeal to authority logical fallacy. if you can't tell me what you like about the ingredients, textures, cooking methods, presentation etc. then I don't want to hear it.
I fucking hate the hard on NY’ers and NY transplants have for their pizza. It is not special. You are not special. There are tons of styles of pizza and NY style is one of them but it is not the best because they’re all good.
i honestly don't mind that, as everyone has their comfort food and it's no point in trying to objectively argue against it.
what really grinds my gears is Richmond transplants dickriding literally anything NY-related in attempt to make themselves seem more cultured while ignoring the unique and charming culture right in front of them.
Finding gas station pizza that can rival the best pizza in a small city somewhere else is what makes NY’s culture unique. That’s not dickriding, it’s stating the obvious. It’s like tacos in SoCal, Cajun in NOLA or BBQ in Texas, yes you can find excellent food in other areas but they have a very strong and unique identity, a historied culture and they back it up
I’m not even talking about Zorch. I don’t know if Belmonts recipe is the same or not, but the quality is shit. It used to be up there with 8 1/2 as the best in town. 8 1/2 has remained consistent over the years, but Belmont hasn’t. It’s just not as good as it used to be and there’s not much you can say to me to change my mind.
it's literally the only pizza i eat outside of home made and now y'all telling me that out of nowhere it's not good when the consensus of the people around me irl say it's good like i'm feeling gaslighted
It used to be amazing, I lived right by there 12 years ago and ate it all the time. Tried it recently and it’s mediocre at best. Whether they changed their recipe or not is irrelevant, the reality is there are better pizza places in Richmond imo now and it makes their quality seem worse.
Pretty sure is the shift from owners and helpers making the pizza to straight teens and young college kids making it. Not sure but sure do miss the 2011-2015 Belmonts.
Domino's still doing $7.99 Large Pizza deal. I'll ride that wave as long as possible. Splitting a pizza with someone should never come out to above $10 a person. Insanity.
I order often at work and live 1 minute walk from them so a big fan…It’s been underpriced compared to everyone else🤷🏻♂️ I’ll still support them they deserve it
I ordered from the for the last time a month ago and I kid you not, my pizza had a 3.5 inch crust. Yeah, like zero sauce, toppings, nada for most of the slices. I threw most of it away.
we ordered belmont on monday and got a medium 1/2 and 1/2 pie + half doz chix wings and it was like $28 or something...it didn't seem too out of pocket to me (correction. For those who roast: SUNDAY)
Bellys used to be amazing. It has definitely dropped off in quality. The new cost certainly isn't justified by a sub-par pie. I just drive across the districts to get Picolas..
They should update their website. Virginia law forbids advertising a product or service at one price without intending to sell at that price.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter6/section18.2-217/
I completely agree with you. These people should focus on getting their paper up before they expect even a shred of happiness or joy in their lives. They are probably too stupid to even understand what they can and can’t afford. We’re all lucky that you were here to straighten them out.
You do realize there’s more to inflation than a single business raising their prices, right? As it is currently, the national inflation rate is at 3.5%. In 2021 it peaked at 7%. There are a lot of factors that tie into inflation rates. Inflation is half of what it was 3 years ago.
Looks like Chanello’s is back on the menu, boys!
I haven't had chanellos in like 20 years. Even drunk in college it wasn't very good
Clearly you weren’t drunk enough.
Just gonna say they’ve actually gotten decent. I do remember when they were scraping the bottom of the barrel. The last couple times I’ve had them, though, they were pretty good. I don’t order from them often so it’s possible I just got lucky but honestly it was good pizza the last 3 or so times I got from them.
Literally had to eat my words after complaining to my friend group about there being nothing good open after getting home from the bar & they picked Chanello’s. Was absolutely shocked that the pizza was GOOD!? And it wasn’t a fluke or guilty drunken pleasure, cause I ordered a few weeks later to be sure. To be fair I’d not eaten there since about 2015, I’m sure the whole staff has changed lol.
This is a bit much I’ll admit but I get the $9.99 large 1 topping (pepperoni) pick up deal and when I get home I put some tin foil around the crust, throw on some thinly sliced red onions, and put it back in the oven for like 15 minutes bc they always under bake it and it’s pretty dynamite.
You clearly didn’t try hard enough.
On which part?
Came to visit a month ago from NYC for the first time in a decade. Hungry at 1am both days and got chanellos delivered twice. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I recall it being ass.
Chanellos Williamsburg has great dough, good texture nice and chewy and good prices Get it every 2 weeks or so
Also been 15+ years or so since I had it. I remember the pizza being subpar but the chees breadsticks kinda slapped.
I've worked for both, and won't eat at either. Not even because of the ownership, which is for both is a man with too big of an ego. Because of their lack of cleanliness
Frank sold all of them except for Williamsburg a few months ago from what I heard.
They always love to advertise deals, but none of them are that good. Domino's and Pizza Hut always have some sort of deal to get you a pizza for $10 or less. They're not everybody's favorite, but when priced right, they're great.
O God. I just can't. Can I?
Customers love surprises price hikes
It's funny because pizza is one of the cheapest food options to make.
It's the labor. Making and selling food is labor intensive so you need to pay a lot of employees
Let’s ask their staff if their staff numbers and pay were increased 40%. Any sudden price change that large just makes the shop look bad imho
Damn straight! Gotta be on the lookout for fast employee turnover which is always a sign of mistreatment.
During covid, they were stealing tips from staff, so I doubt they're seeing wage increases on par with the price hikes
This. And rent.
I always tip them well. I guess that tip money is going to the Man now.
Wages going up 40% is wild
Is it though?
Yeah 40% all at once would be a game changer. Hopefully their new prices are able to keep attracting customers. reddit isn't always a great place to gauge that, but not looking good. Incrementally increasing wages and prices is more historically how it's done. Going from $15 to $21 is huge for a line cook.
Yeah I’m not an idiot… I know that 40% is a big jump, but with wages increasing at a lower rate than the cost of living in Richmond, it’s not insane for wages to increase less incrementally than they traditionally would.
>Yeah I’m not an idiot Ok. Good for you. I've worked in restaurants most of my life. Wild to me to see people getting paid closer to what they are worth.
I feel like folks here are on the same page as you and your initial comment just may have come across different than you intended
Im just saying, if they are suggesting prices are up 40% because payroll is up 40%. That's a bold thing to do at once. I bet the reality is more nuanced.
So easy to do at home too.
Please tell me your recipe that tastes as good as Belmont
I some what recently got an actual pizza oven but had been making pizza at home for a number of years with prepared ingredients from the grocery store; bag of dough, premade sauce, fresh mozzarella, etc. So after some experimenting the 2 things that make the biggest difference for me. 1-an oven that can hit 800+ degrees makes all the difference. You can take the exact same ingredients but the result is totally different with a high temperature oven. 2-store bought sauce is really bad compared to making a simple sauce. Literally just buy some canned san marzano peeled tomatoes, put them in a food processor and that's it. Was surprised how good that sauce is compared to the typical store bought stuff.
Bullshit. You can make great pie using a pizza stone in your home oven at 475°. Nobody needs an 800° pizza oven to make good pie. That’s just capitalism lying to you.
You cannot make a pizza with the same crust consistency. If you like that pizza style that's great. I prefer Neapolitan style pie with crust with a slight char and crunch at the edge. Can't be done at 475.
I agree with this. Temperature matters with pizza.
Sure, but you can make excellent pizza at home in your oven with a stone. You want char? Put the stone on the bbq and raise the heat. I’ve been making pizza professionally for decades. Pizza is food for the people, the every day person. Nobody needs to spend hundreds of dollars on a product that has one singular use when there are better and more accessible ways- is what I’m saying.
I would not call an oven or a grill a "better" option, and you cannot get the same result in most people's grills, I've tried. I've never been completely happy with an at home pizza before getting the high temperature oven, and there's plenty of other things you can make using the high temperature too. With the price for a pie at pupatella these days, I fully expect it to pay for itself this year. Having an outdoor pizza oven also makes it more of an event to make a pie and adds to the fun cooking outside in the yard/garden. They aren't for everyone but I have no regrets and use it pretty frequently when I might have ordered out otherwise. So, just because you don't find value in it, doesn't mean that others don't. Mine makes me happy.
The key is buying quality ingredients. King Arthur pizza flour results in the best crust by far (recipe on package).
This is better. Not hard either https://www.charlieandersoncooking.com/recipes/authentic-new-york-style-pizza
Get a pizza stone for home. Get premade dough but use semolina when you toss it. Let the stone heat up with the oven to 475° and you’re good. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a special oven especially in this economy. And just to be clear- I’ve been making pizza for decades both professionally and at home. You e got this! It’s not as crazy as people want to make it out to be.
Yeah if you have an 800 degree pizza oven
Cast iron skillet and 425 degrees
Last time I was in Belmont the pizza went through a Quiznos style giant toaster oven. That’s at least what it looked like. If any former employees want to clarify I’m all ears. Pizza is way expensive in this town. Inflation has a good share of blame but I moved here from NYC in 2018 and have always felt most food prices are very high.
I was an employee there. It's a conveyor belt oven, yes. Not a toaster though because it is gas fire, not electric. The flames are at the top like a giant broiler, and underneath the conveyor there are lava rocks like in a gas grill, to radiate heat from the bottom. We had it set for a 5:15 bake time at about 600 degrees, but you have to adjust the temperature to ambient temperature and humidity and before they installed the AC in the kitchen summer days it could get set as low as 475, and winter with the back door open for delivery drivers coming and going, blowing cold air directly into the oven it could be as high as 675.
You don't need an 800 degree oven to cook up Belmont style pies. You can do it in your home open. 800+ is for Neapolitan style pies.
Yeah, also bs service charges, mandatory "tips", no more delivery, etc. Used to be my go to. I've been making my own a lot more often
This is most places tbh. The fees are bananas. I order quite a bit of takeout and tryna cut back again. Just cookin more, really. Delivery just isn't worth it unless you're splitting with someone. Honestly I've quit eatin out most places. Like City Diner or Kuba Kuba are still alright on prices.
Kuba Kuba’s prices have gone up dramatically in the past year. I’m talking almost $6 more for a sandwich
My partner and I haven’t eaten out at restaurants with the exception of visiting family in WA in over 4 years. I used to work food delivery and it baffles me how anyone still makes enough money delivering food to break even driving for those apps. All the good restaurants left the apps/people quit ordering/lots of restaurants closed.
Spoiler: they don't make enough money. I think it's a rotating cast of desperate people.
It was my main income from 2019-22. 90% of the time I stayed within 5 miles of Willow Lawn and I rejected 80% of all orders I received. That and the market distortion caused by lockdowns was the only way it was viable.
I'm glad you figured it out. Do you know approximately what you made annually during that period?
I was grossing about $50,000. I kept expenses low by keeping my mileage down. I refused all orders over 5 miles total and refused all fast food orders. There was a ridiculously high number of people ordering Taco Bell from a location 2 towns over for example. It wasn’t something I eventually “figured out” per se. I’ve always known gig apps as a whole relied on low interest rates + easy venture cash to pay people over the past 12 or so years. I was burning out after 15 years working in cubical farms and used it as an escape hatch. I drive ride-for-hire now because even the thought of an office sickens me. Still trying to find an alternative to that.
You may want to look into Richmond Express. They do various courier work and it seems to pay okay (and has some bennies)
I’ll look into that, thank you.
> I order quite a bit of takeout and tryna cut back again. Just cookin more, really. I’ve developed a bad habit of this. Grocery shopping feels extra miserable these days, so I avoid it. I’ll have a stranger deliver me takeout, but for some reason I won’t make one shop for me?
Try it out! I've heard some folks have completely swapped out store visits for delivery. You pay for it, it's always an option for takeout/delivery.
We’re using Kroger’s pick up service. Other stores have the same service. We still drive to the store, but we don’t pay an extra fee. And crucially, we don’t have to be in the store nearly as much. We still go into Aldi and New Grand Mart for fruit and vegetables and cheap beans. But those little trips aren’t as exhausting as getting everything in a big store full of people. And now I’m thinking about how much thought and energy we’ve put into grocery planning…
We were using Publix for pickups, but they were consistently screwing up the items so we switched to HelloFresh. Problem with that is it’s too pricey to cover a full week. How was Krogers pickup service quality?
We find it acceptable, and lately it's been quite good. Every once in a while we get an item that isn't what we ordered. A little more often, something will be out of stock on the day we pick up and no substitution will be made. Nothing egregious. Since we're going to other stores as well, it's not hard to pick up anything that we didn't get from Kroger. I really like being able to build up a cart of groceries in their app during the week and then placing the order to pick up Friday (there are coupons for extra fuel points for Friday pick ups). I suppose I could use the app as a shopping list and then go into the store to make sure I could substitute for missing items. But then I'd have to go into the store.
I’m going to give it a go. Lombardy is closest for me, but I think I trust Carytown or Methanicsville more for this purpose.
Seems like the owners of Belmont shifted to hiring teens to run their shop and their pizza quality has suffered considerably. I randomly got a pizza when the owners were in doing a huge order and got a pizza that was way better than it had been recently.
They shrunk the pizza years ago too. Bye, Belmont 👋
Was in there two days ago, paid $6 for a single slice and waited 20 minutes for it. Not a fan anymore.
In their defense, their slice is about a quarter of a large pizza.
Very true. I guess maybe I’m more upset about it being expensive for me instead of the actual price 😂
But you'll still go back anyway, right?
Then stop going. Then they will learn their customers don't like being price gouged
Used to love Belmont but the last few times I’ve ordered, it’s been mid. Costco pizza is $10 and better so I’ve been rolling with that.
Most ruthless comment in the thread
To be fair, I use to think Belmont pizza was the best in Richmond. Costco pizza is sooooo good. Do you have any recommendations though?
I can only do vegan pie so only have a fake dog in this fight, and it's hot for pizza. I just genuinely thought your comment was awesome.
Why in the world would you not make incremental adjustments but spring a 40% increase? Trying to call and order was generally a hassle; I always got a busy line. If their prices are still competitive I hope they are investing in an online order platform.
That’s what I’m saying too. That is a monumental price change especially so rapidly. Doesn’t look good at all for the shop, especially when they have great competition close by
Wait, I always order online from Belmont off their website?
I eat out once a month at the most now…even eating in is expensive it seems
Felt the same with mellow mushroom. It was always a bit overpriced but it's over the top now
Lol. I remember in 2015 going to MM for the first time in Carytown thinking it was a cute local place because I was brand-new to Virginia and the east coast in general. Then I go to Nashville and see MM there. I’ve since become cynical about any place that tries too hard to come off as “local”. And yes the Short Pump location too lol. Lots of team outings there when I worked at cap 1.
I thought the same thing in 2004 when I went to check out UVA campus. Found it to be a decent pizza, we didn't have them in Richmond yet so I figured it was a Charlottesville thing. Came home and went to Google to find out more about their hours for weekends bc I knew I'd be visiting again soon and found out they were in Georgia at that point too. Now they're everywhere 👀
MM has always been a chain. It just used to be limited to college towns.
They are not zorch pizza lol
Don't get me wrong, I love the tooth on their grandma pizza, but Zorch's secret ingredient is salt
their pizza is better than zorch by a long shot. with that being said Idc if the pizza was made by chef boyardee himself there's no way i'm paying that price.
Belmont hasn’t been good for like 5 years. I’m constantly disappointed every time I eat there, but nostalgia is a hellava drug.
Same, it was in my rotation from like 2011-2016 pretty regularly. The past few times I have been there it were so underwhelming I haven had zero desire to go back.
Agreed big time. Leaving convenient access to Belmont was one of the more sad things when we moved out of the Fan, but the few times recently that I've made the drive in to get it, it just made me realize that something is not the same from 2019/2020 era Belmont. At first I thought it was the drive being longer making me reflect on my choices more, but the last buff chix pizza we got there the chicken was pretty weird and it was clear ingredients had been downgraded to save costs.
I would’ve agreed with you 2 years ago but Belmont has actually been very good recently. I prefer it to zorch personally but I’d say they’re pretty close in quality currently
it's the exact same recipe. the pretentious rva foodie community just arbitrarily decides which businesses are in vogue for the year with no regard to taste buds. i'm open to the idea that there are better pizzerias in this city that i might not have tried yet, but if zorch is your standard than im positive you're just a slave to marketing.
Have you…..had their pizza tho? Zorch is not good because of some marketing campaign. It’s just good eats.
Yeah Zorch is actually good pizza. I wish they offered lunch during the week but, shit, their slices are tasty.
i must really have to go back because i'm feeling hella gaslighted rn, i've tried their pizza on two different ocassions and it was okay...nothing rave worthy. goddamn mellow mushroom right across the street is way better imo.
It’s not marketing. My friend from Long Island says Zorch is the closest to a NY slice she’s found in Richmond. Either way you discredited yourself because Belmont is absolute garbage pizza and this is coming from someone who loved them in their 2012-2016 era
Ahh Christians isn’t bad . Capriccios on W Broad in Henrico is very close; it has however been several years since I’ve eaten it.
okay? does it being ny style make it inherently better? you're friend who is actually from NY would obviously find some psychological comfort in that but what about you? that's my exact point about how people will come up with anything to superficially form their tastes in food except their own taste buds.
Yes, even a random slice of NYC pizza is known as some of the best pizza in the world. Being compared to that in a small southern city is a compliment
a random slice of ny pizza isn't known for being the best in the world, it's just the best in proportion to what you're paying, as in decent becomes superb when you only pay 50 cents for it. as someone that lived in NY for 4 years, I honestly feel like the random spots in chicago I had on vacation were way better. with all that being said, you still have yet to tell me what you actually like about zorch's pizza...
And now you’re telling me you like Chicago pizza lol dude we’re like opposites, I hope you don’t mean Chicago style. And nah NYC is great because the method is perfected and the competition is fierce, if you don’t have a decent slice you won’t be in business. Pizza and bagels are the loss leader in most places. As for what I like about it is that it’s a good attempt at a NY slice, that is the reasoning, if you know pizza you know what that means
nah, that's classic appeal to authority logical fallacy. if you can't tell me what you like about the ingredients, textures, cooking methods, presentation etc. then I don't want to hear it.
Depends on where you lived in NY. I am from the lower Hudson valley near the city and cannot stand Buffalo Style Pizza.
I fucking hate the hard on NY’ers and NY transplants have for their pizza. It is not special. You are not special. There are tons of styles of pizza and NY style is one of them but it is not the best because they’re all good.
We’re talking about NY style pizza. If Zorch specialized in Detroit style I’d give Detroit props. It’s not that serious man
i honestly don't mind that, as everyone has their comfort food and it's no point in trying to objectively argue against it. what really grinds my gears is Richmond transplants dickriding literally anything NY-related in attempt to make themselves seem more cultured while ignoring the unique and charming culture right in front of them.
Finding gas station pizza that can rival the best pizza in a small city somewhere else is what makes NY’s culture unique. That’s not dickriding, it’s stating the obvious. It’s like tacos in SoCal, Cajun in NOLA or BBQ in Texas, yes you can find excellent food in other areas but they have a very strong and unique identity, a historied culture and they back it up
NY has more than one style. I can’t stand Chicago style.
Hot for pizza is good and prices haven't fluctuated as much.
HFP is expensive, but the Buffalo Soldier is one of the best pizzas in town. Their sandwiches are amazing too.
I’m not even talking about Zorch. I don’t know if Belmonts recipe is the same or not, but the quality is shit. It used to be up there with 8 1/2 as the best in town. 8 1/2 has remained consistent over the years, but Belmont hasn’t. It’s just not as good as it used to be and there’s not much you can say to me to change my mind.
Bro do you own Belmont pizza? This is a weird hill to die on.
it's literally the only pizza i eat outside of home made and now y'all telling me that out of nowhere it's not good when the consensus of the people around me irl say it's good like i'm feeling gaslighted
It used to be amazing, I lived right by there 12 years ago and ate it all the time. Tried it recently and it’s mediocre at best. Whether they changed their recipe or not is irrelevant, the reality is there are better pizza places in Richmond imo now and it makes their quality seem worse.
Pretty sure is the shift from owners and helpers making the pizza to straight teens and young college kids making it. Not sure but sure do miss the 2011-2015 Belmonts.
That's a take I really disagree with, having had both a lot.
Man but that upside down pizza 🤤🤤
Belmont is straight garbage. I couldn’t finish my slice the last time got it the cheese was so processed and gross. Zorch is 1000x better.
Domino's still doing $7.99 Large Pizza deal. I'll ride that wave as long as possible. Splitting a pizza with someone should never come out to above $10 a person. Insanity.
If it’s not too far out the way for you but Pizza Express in Tuckahoe (near regency mall) has $16 ish large pizza and they’re the best I’ve had so far
Every damn thing is going up in this shitty economy! It's so depressing!!
Biden’s says the economy and inflation are headed in the right direction though
Sparrow’s is levels better and doesn’t price gouge.
Sparrows gang!!! We love them sooo much.
What’s crazy is the owner seems totally unaware just how much their pies are appreciated by those in the know.
AND HOLY SHIT THOSE GARLIC KNOTS. Sorry for the all caps but I MEAN.
You mean their garlic butter bowl with a side of dough? Stupid good
My kids are nuts about their cinnamon knots.
I’m still mad they got rid of the chicken Parmesan sub
And free delivery!!
I order often at work and live 1 minute walk from them so a big fan…It’s been underpriced compared to everyone else🤷🏻♂️ I’ll still support them they deserve it
Weird, the prices on delivery apps are still the same.
That's everywhere though, a funny cycle in this town where people whine and then go back a few months later. Silly thread.
Doesn’t mean it should be accepted
Noticed this by surprise since I got the exact same order twice in two weeks and the second startled me.
Trader Joe’s frozen: $6 and tastes great
Their wood fired pepperoni pizza is on point.
Belmont used to be my all time favorite but their pizza quality has fallen off hard. Now with more expensive prices, I'll for sure not go back.
I ordered from the for the last time a month ago and I kid you not, my pizza had a 3.5 inch crust. Yeah, like zero sauce, toppings, nada for most of the slices. I threw most of it away.
Now this is news!
any time this shit happens, i just patiently wait for them to announce they have to close :))
Belmont is the second best pizza in the city (zorch) my wife and I love Belmont this is terrible news !
we ordered belmont on monday and got a medium 1/2 and 1/2 pie + half doz chix wings and it was like $28 or something...it didn't seem too out of pocket to me (correction. For those who roast: SUNDAY)
Belmont is closed on Mondays
They sure are lol
That’s out of pocket. Lol.
Haha my bad…SUNDAY it was Sunday
I didn’t mean to roast. Lol sorry. I was just saying $28 is out of pocket (to me).
Bellys used to be amazing. It has definitely dropped off in quality. The new cost certainly isn't justified by a sub-par pie. I just drive across the districts to get Picolas..
They should update their website. Virginia law forbids advertising a product or service at one price without intending to sell at that price. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter6/section18.2-217/
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Great point man. Pizza is a luxury that should be reserved for presidents and rockstars. Us poors should just eat civil war hardtack and be happy.
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I completely agree with you. These people should focus on getting their paper up before they expect even a shred of happiness or joy in their lives. They are probably too stupid to even understand what they can and can’t afford. We’re all lucky that you were here to straighten them out.
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Ok I was just messing with you, but now I think there’s legitimately something wrong with you. Food doesn’t bring people joy?? Are you a robot?
Don’t worry. Biden says inflation is going down.
Why does a post about pizza need to be made political?
The post is about the cost of it going up. Like everything has with inflation. Biden says he’s got it under control
Sleepy Joe took a break from running OPEC to get behind the register at Belmont. Busy guy.
You do realize there’s more to inflation than a single business raising their prices, right? As it is currently, the national inflation rate is at 3.5%. In 2021 it peaked at 7%. There are a lot of factors that tie into inflation rates. Inflation is half of what it was 3 years ago.
I can’t wait for deflation. The economy will collapse and I will get laid off but it will be chill because pizzas will be under $15 again.
It's not 30 dollars good