Lawrence, KS: Pizza Shuttle Stands For ZERO INTEGRITY And Earns A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME"

Pizza Shuttle

1601 W. 23rd Street

Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone: (785) 842-1212

Website: pizza-shuttle.com

I will not waste my time reviewing a business that totally lacks integrity, so I will ignore the food, delivery, etc. at Pizza Shuttle and focus only on the matter at hand ... fraudulent business practices.

I ordered two 14" one-topping pizzas online from Pizza Shuttle (through Eat Street - where I was automatically directed) at a price of $15.18 (including $1.38 for extra cheese on my pizza). 

My wife is allergic to tomatoes, so I asked for olive oil on her pizza instead of tomato sauce, a request that every pizza place we have ever ordered from has gladly and "free"ly complied with. With tax at $1.45 and delivery at $1.50, the total came to $18.13 as you can see on my receipt and order confirmations (online and email) below.

As you can clearly see, the online and email confirmations listed a total of $18.13 including tax and delivery, but when the Pizza Shuttle driver arrived he stated the total was $22.25, an additional $4.07 "due to my wife being allergic to tomatoes and substituting olive oil for tomato sauce". Nobody bothered calling to inform us of the ridiculous $4+ upcharge and when the driver called the manager to confirm the discrepancy, the manager merely stated "that's the way it is, it's Eat Street's problem, not ours". 

I paid the driver the extra $4.07 (because it was not his fault and he does not get paid enough to argue with irate customers) and tipped him an additional $1.75, stating "your tip would have been much larger if your manager wasn't such an a**hole. Tell him to read my review on combatcritic.com and on Yelp ... it won't be pretty!"

Never again, Pizza Shuttle or Eat Street, once and I am done. 

Postscript (aka P.S.): Pizza Shuttle's owner gave me a call shortly after my review posted and apologized profusely for my experience. He told me that there was no excuse, BUT it was a busier night than usual and that my order for olive oil instead of tomato got confused as "extra toppings" rather than a sub for tomatoes which my wife is allergic to. He sent me a check for $5 to cover the overcharge (which I will not cash because I have a strict policy of not accepting "freebies" or other forms of compensation from businesses I review in order to maintain my reputation and the perception of objectivity by  my readers) and asked me to please give them another try. So, "never say never". I may try Pizza Shuttle again because of their gracious and customer oriented owner and will let you know how it goes. However, this review will not be changed and, therefore ...

CombatCritic Gives Pizza Shuttle And Eat Street 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My WALL OF SHAME FOR ZERO INTEGRITY ... Nuff Said!

One Bomb Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





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Title: Lawrence, KS: Pizza Shuttle Stands For ZERO INTEGRITY And Earns A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME"

Key Words: Pizza Shuttle, pizza, shuttle, delivery, fraud, EatStreet, eatstreet.com, Lawrence, Kansas, 23rd, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Lawrence, Kansas: Order Mistakes Are Par For The Course At This Papa John's

Papa John’s Pizza
918 Mississippi Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 865-5775
Website: papajohns.com
Prices: $$$$

After reading the reviews for this Papa John's, I should have anticipated problems. No wonder they are averaging less than 2.5 stars out of 5 on yelp. 

I ordered the two large one-topping pizza special ($15.95) online for pick-up at 5:30pm sharp, one with extra cheese and one with extra cheese and NO SAUCE. My wife is allergic to tomatoes, so in the "comments" section for that particular pizza, I told them "no tomatoes, olive oil ok, tomato allergy". I added no comments when completing selection of ingredients for the other pizza, only choosing "extra cheese" for the whole pie. I left the "instructions" section for the entire order (last step) blank as well.

When I arrived promptly at 5:30, the person behind the counter, obviously the manager or owner, read my order back to me after asking my name: "two large pizzas, extra cheese, no sauce" he said. "No", I said, "my order was only for one pizza with no sauce, I was very specific when I ordered, the other pizza was a normal pizza with sauce and extra cheese".

Instead of saying "I'm sorry for our mistake", I was told that it would be another seven minutes to fix the order and prepare a pizza as I had ordered and that I should have a seat. The reason I ordered ahead online for pick-up at a specific time was to avoid waiting, but because of their mistake, I was forced to wait. It took longer than seven minutes as I suspected (the pizza may take seven minutes to bake, but it was another 3-5 minutes before an employee was able to actually assemble the pizza and put it in the oven), closer to 10-12 minutes.

The same guy who took the order brought the pizzas over to me, one with sauce and one without, just as I had originally ordered. Again, no "sorry you had to wait" or any other sign of remorse. As a former owner of a retail food business, I would have offered a customer in my position something to drink, possibly the extra "white" pizza that had mistakenly been made and they could not sell to someone else, or a even a free dessert, but none of that happened.

When I got the pizzas home, my pizza (with sauce) was relatively hot, but my wife's pizza (the one without sauce that had been sitting there 10-12 minutes while my pizza was being remade) was ice cold. I had to fire up the oven, wait 10 minutes for it to reach 375 degrees, then re-bake the pizza for 7-8 minutes until it reached proper temperature. In total, Papa John's mistake cost us an additional 30 minutes of wasted time. Unsat.

The pizzas were "OK", my wife's a bit dry after all the baking and mine with too much sauce. I cannot imagine paying $17, the going rate for a 14" (large) pizza off the menu, for a Papa John's pizza and the two pizzas we received were not much of a bargain at two for $17 and change (including tax). Unfortunately, pizza in Lawrence is either terrible or overpriced, so we do not have many choices when craving a pie and this Papa John's will not be one of those choices from now on.

CombatCritic Gives Papa John's (9th and Mississippi) 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Papa John's Pizza on Yelp

Title: Order Mistakes Are Par For The Course At This Papa John's

Key Words: Papa John's, papa, john's, john, pizza, pizzeria, delivery, carry out, Lawrence, Kansas, Mississippi, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato, 

Translation for Civilians: SNAFU = "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Rocco Provides The Knockout Punch To Naples Take-Out

Rocco e Suoi Fratelli
Via San Giacomo dei Capri 155 
80131 Naples, Italy
Telephone: 081 5465302 

Rocco e Suoi Fratelli (Rocco and His Brothers) is a pizzeria not far from my in-laws house in Naples. After my mother-in-law’s surgery and half a day at the hospital, we did not feel much like cooking, so we ordered from Rocco’s to be delivered. You do not get food as good as this delivered in the States.

We started with antipasto (appetizers), a mix of arancini di riso (fried rice balls), fried calamari, potato croquettes, zeppoline (a deep fried puff of dough with bits of algae inside that I can only imagine got its name because of a resemblance to a zeppelin, e.g. the Hindenburg) battered and fried shrimp (gambaretti) and other deep-fried Neapolitan favorites. There went my cholesterol!

My sister-in-law ordered far too much food for three people, so we had lunch, dinner that night, and still had leftovers. Our primo (first course), gnocchi alla Sorrentino (il mio cognome – my surname), was too much to eat with firm, not too hard, not too soft, balls of potato goodness, infused with fresh mozzarella and baked in a light tomato sauce. With just the right consistency of gnocchi to mozzarella to sauce, it does not get much better than this. Delicioso!

For reasons unknown, we also ordered a pizza quattro formaggi (four cheese pizza) that did not even have a dent put in it at lunch. I did have a piece for dinner and for being hours old, the crust was still firm yet pliant and the cheeses gooey and savory. It is well known that I love frierielli (broccoli rabe sautéed in olive oil and garlic), so it was also on the menu. I had some by itself at lunch but having missed my favorite sausage and frierielli pizza for too long, I added some to the pizza quattro formaggi and threw it in the microwave for thirty seconds … buono … yum … scrummy!!!

For take-out, Rocco’s cannot be beat and I am sure that dining-in is likely as good if not better, so I am a fan and as Arnold Schwarzeneggar would say: “I’ll be back”.

CombatCritic Gives Rocco e Suoi Fratelli 8 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic On Yelp And TripAdvisor ... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Rocco Provides The Knockout Punch To Neapolitan Take-Out

Key Words: Rocco e Suoi Fratelli, Rocco, suoi, fratelli, Napoli, Naples, Italy, Italian, pizza, pizzeria, delivery, menu, pasta, gnocchi, Sorrentino, zeppoline, arancini, calamari, CombatCritic, TravelValue

Papa KENO'S Is A GAMBLE When It Comes To Timely Delivery And Customer Service

My son ordered over the phone because we could find no way to order online as advertised on their Yelp page but the employee told him "we'll have it out when we have it out". We live just 3 blocks away, but after 45 minutes there was still no sign of our pizza. It finally arrived nearly an hour after we placed our order, so I guess the guy on the phone was right after all.

Poor customer service aside, the pizza, although not cheap at $18 for a one-topping 18 inch cheese pizza, was not bad. We had the salami pizza and two order of breadsticks and the tab came to a little over $31 before tip. Not cheap. As far as I could tell, they do not offer specials online so what you see is what you get.

Decent pizza, not so decent value, and poor customer service means ...

CombatCritic Gives Papa Keno's (Lawrence) Only 4 Bombs Out of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Key Words: Papa Keno's, papa, keno's, keno, pizza, parlor, food, Italian, menu, review, Lawrence, Kansas, Massachusetts, street, downtown, delivery, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

FedEx "ONE RATE" Rated "DECEPTIVE" ... Can You Say "BAIT AND SWITCH"?

FedEx "ONE RATE" Rated "DECEPTIVE" ... Can You Say "BAIT AND SWITCH"?

1. FedEx Office Print & Ship Center
3. Address: 911 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044

   Phone:(785) 843-8019

   Prices:

   $$$$$

   Hours:

    

    M-F 7:00 am – 11:00 pm

   
   

First of all, the FedEx website is confusing and difficult to use. I have an account, but have to enter data over and over even after "saving" it. I recently created two shipments, one going and one return, using the same information, but when I got to the store realized that I was being charged an extra $2.31 for the return shipment even though it was being delivered to the same city it was being shipped from (Lawrence).

FedEx advertises "one low price" ("as low as $7.50") for envelopes, but my envelopes cost $12+ and $14+ for a total of $26 ... NOT $15! They state on their website:

"FedEx One Rate ... Simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of FedEx"

But their website is anything but "simple" and it is obviously not a "flat rate" because they charge different prices depending on where the envelope is going.

I asked about the price discrepancy at Kinkos, but was told "oh, that's just the way it is" and was not offered a refund or new shipping labels at the cheaper "one rate". Customer service at this location is sketchy with reps having little if any knowledge of FedEx processes or pricing. In-fact, the employee told me "next time, just come to the counter and we'll take care of it for you", but when I did just that a few weeks back I was told "go to the computer over there and print your own labels". I then spent 30 minutes trying to navigate the website, re-enter "saved" information, and print the labels.

CombatCritic Gives FedEx Kinko's (Lawrence, Kansas) 3 Bombs Out Of 10

Key Words: FedEx Kinko's, fedEx, Kinko's, Kinko, Fed, Ex, shipping, envelope, tracking, delivery, confirmation, shipment, OneRate, one, rate, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

The Pita Pit Is THE PITS When It Comes To Value

Pita Pit
1011 Massachusetts St
Lawrence, KS 66044

• Phone number(785) 856-2500
• Business websitepitapitusa.com

Prices: $$$$$

The place was empty on a Wednesday night as I entered, a bad sign, and I almost turned around to go to Fuzzy's for some tacos. Instead I decided to give it a go and walked to the counter.

The staff was friendly and helpful, the place clean, the veggies fresh, and being Wednesday I was told that "double meat's only an extra buck" ($1 - normally $2.50), so I ordered a Philly Steak with grilled onion, peppers, and mushrooms for $6.59 ($7.59 + tax with double meat, bringing the total to $8 and change - normally $9.09 + tax).

With more meat than Subway, I thought the sandwich would be more filling than it was. They offer white and whole wheat pita, but being so thin the bread offers little satiation. I was still hungry. The extras (veggies, cheeses, sauces) are included and are liberally added, but the pita bread can only hold so much before bursting. In fact, the pita fell apart halfway through my sandwich as the juices attacked the bread less than 20  minutes after ordering.


For $8+ I was not pleased with the value of the sandwich. They offer chips on the side to accompany sandwiches, but french fries would be more appropriate and filling. Overall, I found my experience and the value of my meal disappointing.

CombatCritic Gives Pita Pit 4 Out of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Pita Pit, pita, pit, sandwich, shop, restaurant, eat, food, delivery, menu, bread, gyro, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

Best Pizza in Lawrence (Kansas)!

Tad's Pizzeria

1410 Kasold Dr 
Lawrence, KS 66049

(785) 856-3131

Web: Tad's Pizza Lawrence

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tadspizzeria

Price: $$$$$

I know it is not saying much when I say that Tad's has the best pizza in Lawrence, a town of 90,000 with some of the poorest restaurant choices per capita in the nation, if not the world, particularly when it comes to Italian food.

I had heard that Tad's had good pizza a few weeks before our recent trip to Puerto Rico, but we did not have a chance to try it before we left. Upon our return I was too burnt-out to cook, so I ordered from Tad's mobile website while in the sauna at the gym. Their site is actually quite user-friendly and easy to navigate, but I was dismayed when I realized that when I created an account to order our food, I had apparently signed-up for a service called "EatStreet". Tad's and/or EatStreet should warn you before enrolling in a service without your permission, including "push" notifications I neither wanted nor needed.

Back to the food ...

I ordered two pizzas, one NY Cheese and one NY White, and at $14 and $16 respectively for an 18", not a bad investment. Wheat State Pizza is comparable in price, but offers Groupons from time to time, making them a better value. Tad's should consider doing the same or offer more specials than the limited number they have now. With tax and tip, the bill totaled about $36, not cheap for "PIZZA NIGHT". I routinely order the most basic menu item available on my first visit to a restaurant, in this case no pepperoni, sausage, or ... YUCK ... PINEAPPLE, to see if they can get the basics right.

The pizzas arrived promptly even though Tad's is across town from our house and the delivery person was very friendly and polite. My only critique was that when I handed him $40 for a $30 order, he asked "do you need some change", to which I responded "yes, please!".

The red, cheese pizza was delicious and reminiscent of the pizza "back East", thin dough and crust, well seasoned sauce, and good mozzarella cheese, the type that stretches when you pull the slicers apart. I do not know why it is so easy to find good pizza in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania where even the bad pizza joints serve pizza better than most places in Kansas.

The white pizza was also very good with no sauce, abundant mozzarella cheese, and a dollup of ricotta on each of the eight slices. The pizza could have been improved with some extra-virgin olive oil brushed on the dough before adding the cheeses or possibly some garlic, oregano, and/or basil added under or on top of the cheeses. It was a bit dry and lacking taste, but was tasty nonetheless.

We will definitely be ordering Tad's pizza again. My only recommendation being that it would be nice if they offered salami as a topping. I have never sen a true NY pizzeria that did not have salami and my favorite addition to a simple cheese pizza.

Overpriced by a buck or two a pie, CombatCritic Gives Tad's Pizzeria 7 Out of 10 Bombs based on VALUE ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Read Chris S.'s review of Tad's Pizzeria on Yelp

Key Words: best, pizza, lawrence, food, tad 's, mozzarella, cheese, pizzeria, salami, NY, New York, white, ricotta, basil, oregano, delivery, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value