Sear’s Pizza John Street Review: A Disappointing Slice in Glasgow
Sear’s Pizza has brought its New York-inspired pizza-by-the-slice concept to Glasgow city centre, with a site at John Street in the Merchant City. The restaurant serves large slices alongside full 18-inch pizzas, chicken tenders and fries, all within a retro pizzeria inspired by 1980s and 1990s New York. Click here to read about Mark’s visit to Sear’s Shawlands.
The concept is ideal for a quick lunch, an informal bite while shopping or something to eat before heading for a train. Unfortunately, the pizza we tried did not quite live up to the promise.
Buffalo chicken pizza
The buffalo chicken slice sounded like the more exciting of our two choices. Buffalo sauce, chicken and cheese should deliver plenty of flavour, with a good balance of heat, richness and tanginess.
However, the chicken was rather scarce. There were only a few small pieces scattered across the large slice, leaving much of it tasting more like buffalo-flavoured cheese pizza than buffalo chicken pizza.
A topping named as the main feature should be present in every bite, particularly on a slice of this size. More chickenand a slightly more generous distribution of it would have made a noticeable difference.
Cheese pizza
We also ordered a straightforward cheese slice. Simple pizzas can be some of the best, as there is nowhere for the dough, tomato sauce or cheese to hide.
Sadly, this slice was dry, as if I had picked it out of last nights pizza box. It lacked the gooey, comforting texture we were expecting, and the cheese appeared to have spent too long under the heat or sitting in the display before being served.
Pizza by the slice always carries this risk. The slices are prepared ahead and reheated when ordered, but they still need to arrive tasting fresh. On this occasion, the cheese slice felt tired rather than satisfyingly crisp.
It didn’t remind us of Brooklyn pizza 🙁
Atmosphere
The John Street restaurant follows the brand’s nostalgic New York theme, with exposed brick, wood panelling, hand-painted signs and American-style decoration. There is also a self-service drinks fountain, helping to create the feel of a casual neighbourhood slice shop rather than a conventional Glasgow pizzeria.
The central location makes it convenient for anyone looking for a quick meal in the Merchant City. Sear’s also allows customers to order full 18-inch pizzas for collection from the John Street branch.
Overall verdict
We like the idea behind Sear’s Pizza. Glasgow could always use more informal places where you can grab one or two slices without committing to a full restaurant meal.
Our visit to the John Street branch was disappointing, though. The buffalo chicken pizza was noticeably short on chicken, while the cheese slice was dry and lacked freshness.
Sear’s may be worth another visit when a new pizza has just emerged from the oven, but based on these particular slices, Glasgow city centre has stronger pizza options.
Where is Sear’s Pizza
4 John Street, Glasgow, G1 1JQ
Author: Emma Mykytyn
Writes for here and Foodie Explorers website. Usually found napping.