I would argue that uptown Charlotte is fairly limited in its range of lunch time options, so it was a great change for my buddies and I to try something new like Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint. I'll point out that the culinary competition is rather low in the overstreet mall considering the only three restaurants next to Maddio's are Chick Fil A, Salsarita's and Just Fresh (all equally mediocre). \"How Do You Roll\" lasted a couple of months here, but its presence dissipated in a matter of days once people realized their \"sushi\" was 98% rice and ridiculously overpriced. On the other hand, Maddio's deserves to be in a class of its own because Fast Casual restaurants are hard to find around here (you pretty much just have Noodles & Co., Chipotle, Jason's Deli and Vappiano's... and that's like all Charlotte has to offer in this segment).\n \nMaddio's showcased item is of course, its pizza and I'll admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I'm a huge fan of thin crust pizza, and having just come back from Milan, I'm always searching (perhaps in vain) for that same delicious and savory crunch I experienced there. Nevertheless, my favorite part of a pizza is its tomato sauce and I really liked the version they have here. You can smell fresh garlic and perhaps some basil? It's also not too watery or dry. There are other sauces I have yet to try... I was eyeing the \"tomato bbq\". As far as pizza crusts go, this one is certainly acceptable. It's very crisp and holds its shape when you pick up a slice. I do like this pizza much better than Vappiano's which a bit more doughy and its tomato sauce tends to be over salted.\n \nDisclaimer: You can't expect pizza at a fast casual joint like this to be as good as a wood-fired pizza from your favorite Italian restaurant because, let's be real, you wouldn't be able to churn something like that out with the same efficiency that they have here. I only waited 5-6 minutes for my pizza to arrive steaming hot to my table (I tried the spicy Italian on traditional crust - you could also go for the wheat option). For what it is (a $7 - $8 individual pizza), you'll find yourself eating every last slice. Toppings are varied and fairly good quality - you can even create your own pizza. I like that you can see your pizza being made through the glass window, so you know exactly what you're about to eat.\n \nThe salad we ordered paled in comparison to the pizza and some of the sandwich options I saw at people's tables, but that could just be because they stuck to a simple salad menu with generic dressings that every other restaurant has. I think I'll just stick to pizzas when I come here.\n \nThere are lots of options for everyone and if you have that \"I've tried one pizza, I've tried them all\" mentality, Uncle Maddio's just might make you rethink that philosophy.\n \n4/5
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