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Eat and Run: Roma Pizza Old Port

With toppings like pear and blue cheese or broccoli alfredo, the pie is unlikely to disappoint.

From staff reports

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Owner Luca Pizzuti shows off a meat lover and eggplant rollatini pizza at Roma Pizza in Portland.

John Patriquin/Staff Photographer

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ROMA PIZZA OLD PORT

WHERE: 10 Exchange St., Portland. 541-9059; romapizza.us

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday

CHEAPEST GRUB: Spinach or pepperoni pinwheel, $3.99

PARKING: On street

WAIT: We waited no more than four or five minutes from the time we ordered until the arrival of our food.

HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE: Yes, but it's not easy.

RATING: ***

Based on a five-star scale

PORTLAND - One of the most popular pizza joints at Old Orchard Beach is now open in Portland.

Roma Pizza opened at 10 Exchange St. in the Old Port in late November. The Portland restaurant has a less extensive menu than its Old Orchard Beach sister, but what is lacks in variety, it makes up for in quality.

Roma is best-known for its specialty by-the-slice delights, such as the pear and blue cheese or broccoli alfredo.

On a recent visit with a friend, we ordered a slice of each, as well as a slice of spinach and feta and a more traditional pepperoni.

Generous in size, these four slices, as well as two drinks, cost us $18. The pizza here is all thin slice, made with fresh ingredients.

Each slice was distinctive. The pear and blue cheese was most surprising. I took a bite with reluctance, but was pleased with both the texture and sprite nature of the pear. The pairing of tastes was perfect, and the pear slice retained its substance. It was neither soft nor droopy.

The broccoli alfredo was stunningly good. I appreciated the heavy dosing of alfredo sauce, and again was happy that the vegetable was not mushy or overcooked.

The slice of spinach feta was perhaps less successful. The heavy taste of the feta overwhelmed the spinach and dominated my taste buds.

Similarly, the pepperoni suffered from a certain blandness, but that likely had more to do with the explosion of tastes the other pieces achieved and less to do with the pepperoni itself.

The pepperoni also suffered from a bit of grease, which dripped from the dimpled crust and gathered on my plate below.

Roma is set toward the back of 10 Exchange St., so it's hard to notice from the street. Had a friend not recommended it, I might not have found it at all. It is a very casual and small space, with just a few round tables.

You order at the counter, and the food is served on paper plates with plastic utensils. We sampled the pizza with our eyes, ordered at the counter and grabbed drinks from a cooler.

The rest of the menu includes standard Italian fare: hot subs (meatball, eggplant, chicken and sausage parmigiana, each $6.99), calzones for $7.99, wraps and salads.

Pizza is available by the slice or by the pie.

We were in and out in less than 40 minutes. The service was efficient and friendly, and the overall vibe of the experience felt positive. 

The staff of GO anonymously samples meals for about $7.