Last night we tried Apple Valley’s newly opened $5 Pizza which resides in the same location as a ton of other businesses before it, most recently the two incarnations of Ramy’s Pizza.
$5 Pizza is a Minnesota chain and has a ridiculous number of stores all over the MSP suburbs and, from what I understand, has plans to continue its expansion to even more. The name is an advertisement itself but, just like the Dollar Store, they have a majority of items which cost more than $5.
We got there around 5:30 on a Thursday night. The place was empty, being that it’s takeout only, but their phones were ringing off the hook, and there was a steady stream of people walking in and out during the 15 minutes we waited for our pizza. The restaurant has changed significantly since the Ramy’s days. It is bright, clean, and open. They’ve moved around the equipment, prep areas, and it appears they even have new ovens. There was plenty of staff on hand, including two older gentlemen who appeared to be owners. Pizzas were taking just over 6 minutes to bake and after I placed my order I was told it would not be more than 15 minutes total.
$5 Pizza’s menu is filled with the usual and includes any 1-topping pizza for, you guessed it, $5. Their specialty pizzas are on the menu for $8 and they have a variety of sides such as wings and breadsticks which have no listed price. Their coupons range from $13 to $20 and, at first glance, appear to compete well with other chain pizza places in price and offerings.
We got our pizza and took it home. Visually it was fine. I ordered their “Original Hand Tossed” instead of their “Thin Crust” and, thankfully, it was cut the right way–none of those ridiculous little squares that only Upper Midwesterners seem to crave. The mushrooms were a nice size, not those time little canned mushrooms that come out in pieces. However, even though it looked right, there was something wrong with the pizza overall that, at first, I couldn’t put my finger on. We started eating the pizza and it was doughy, chewy, pretty tasteless but it was super cheap. After a piece for The Wife, The Rooster, and myself we realized the problem. $5 Pizza’s pizzas are tiny. Super tiny. In other words, you’re going to have to pay at least $10 and maybe $15 and get two to match the amount you’ll get some other local pizza places. While this is still a deal compared with most other pie shops, it’s a little misleading when you assume you can get just one and actually pay $5 and be good for a family of four.
Overall, the pizza was just barely ok. It reminded me a lot of Papa Murphy’s in that it was soft and not all that flavorful. Basically, I wasn’t jumping up and down and I certainly wouldn’t make it a go-to place for pizza but if we were scrounging change out of the couch and off the floor of the bus station for pennies because we didn’t want to cook at home one night, it would make for a quick and inexpensive meal provided we had a protein shake or two to fill our stomachs after we finished the tiny pie. Yet, because of the price and the popularity I’ve already seen the place receive on its opening two days, I’m going to guess this is going to be a smash hit around here knowing people’s penchant for eating terrible pizza. Heck, when people say Ole Piper is their favorite pizza in the world, you know that a $5 Pizza place is going to clean up.
Have you ever had $5 Pizza? If so what did you order and what did you think? Did you end up actually only getting the $5 options or did you “upgrade”? How about their sides? How do you think they’ll do? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Address:
$5 Pizza
15265 Galaxie Ave
Apple Valley, MN 55124
Phone:
952-388-1212
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March 1st, 2013 at 7:09 am
Hmm. I’ve never heard of $5 pizza. I have to say with a name like $5 Pizza I’d probably never bother to go in there. Sort of reminds me of Little Ceasers. Somethings just aren’t worth eating. No matter how good it sounds.
March 1st, 2013 at 7:15 am
I had never heard of it either. Can’t say I’m eager to try it. My kids will probably go there though.
March 1st, 2013 at 8:01 am
Sank, it was better than Little Caesar’s $5 pizzas but that’s not saying all that much.
March 1st, 2013 at 8:10 am
Bill, was it smaller than Little Ceasars? I’m not a fan but admit we stop there from time to time because the kids like it.
I actually prefer Aldi’s take and bake.
March 1st, 2013 at 8:31 am
ks, I’d need to see them side by side but I believe they’re about the same size, maybe a little smaller. Definitely taste more like pizza than LC does though.
How much does Aldi charge and how large are they?
March 1st, 2013 at 8:52 am
Thanks Bill. I think the Aldi ones are roughly $6 -7 depending on what’s on them? They’re really big, like the ones they sell at Costo that are take N bake if you’ve ever gotten those. It’s a 16″ according to the link below and barely fits in our fridge. We don’t make a special trip out there but usually pick one up when we need to get other groceries there. So far no complaints from the 3 in the family who do eat it (I need to make my own GF pizza). It’s nothing special but the price is right!
http://aldi-reviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/mama-cozzis-16-five-cheese-pizza-take.html
March 1st, 2013 at 9:32 am
What happens when their costs go up? Do they change the name of the chain, or just keep making the pizzas smaller?
March 1st, 2013 at 10:15 am
NWR, that was something I gave thought to, believe me.
March 1st, 2013 at 10:48 am
Or when “$4.75 Pizza” opens down the street.
They’re screwed.
Speaking of really awful sounding, dirt cheap places, is Burger Time still open?
March 1st, 2013 at 11:27 am
MSPD,
Someone in the original thread for this place mentioned it opened in response to $6 pizza across the street; however, I’m not sure if that was a joke.
Yeah, BT is still open, it’s still cheap, and they still taste like Whoppers.
March 1st, 2013 at 12:07 pm
I think I may have recycled my own joke.
March 1st, 2013 at 12:55 pm
I can make my own pizza for $5 and it’d probably taste better.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:46 pm
Life is too short to eat crap pizza! …or burgers!
March 1st, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Pretty sure I was the one that brought up the $5 and $6 Pizza places before. And they do exist across the street from each other at Bunker Lake Boulevard and St. Francis Boulevard in Anoka. Or at least they did this past fall when I was there.
March 2nd, 2013 at 6:50 pm
This just reeks of a couple of people, sitting around a Little Caesar’s pizza and an empty twelver of Coors Light and one of them says, “I could do this”. Not better or more innovative, but just “do this”.
People who eat at a place like this could never be my friend. I am sure that would be fine for both of us.
March 2nd, 2013 at 8:21 pm
Don’t like it, have boughten many and will probably buy more…as well as Little Caesers. I’m guessing, with the exception of Sank, not many posters here routinely have hordes of teenage boys hanging around the house. Cheap pizza, Mac and cheese and pancakes fills them for lower $$ cost.
March 3rd, 2013 at 12:16 pm
“boughten”?
March 3rd, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Sandy, my apologies for incorrect grammar. You got me. (See teenager references above…. Apparently it rubs off. … I will be assimilated.
March 3rd, 2013 at 7:48 pm
Researched it. “Boughten” is actually an archaic from of speech; it was an acceptable word at some point, but is frowned upon these days. I noticed it because my hubby slips it into his speech once in a while. Interesting….
March 3rd, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Put me in the frowned category, I am usually very mindful of my word choices, so that was a bit embarrassing. Good to know it was acceptable at one point. :) I was just talking to my eldest tonight, he was lobbying for us to buy a pet and one of his persuasive points was that “I was down about 10 kids so I would have money for such things”. Ha.
March 4th, 2013 at 1:05 pm
We are incredibly unimpressed with this place. We are both in the restaurant business- Chef and General Manager. So far, every time that we have called to order a pizza, the teenager on the other end has told us that they are not opened. After asking what their hours of operation are, we were told that “in order to save on labor, they close early when it’s not busy” As a brand new business (especially a restaurant), you should stick to your hours of operation. It sends the wrong message to your guests and makes you look unreliable. We will continue to order from other places. It’s unfortunate.
March 4th, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Not as unfortunate as your name.
March 4th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
I’m shocked that anyone in the restaurant business would try so hard to order food from a chain called $5 Pizza. Yikes.
March 4th, 2013 at 9:30 pm
Why not? Not from MN and we live a block away. Who wouldn’t try it for $5.00? Of course someone in the business would be curious. If its good, you promote it and tell everyone you know. Not now though.
March 5th, 2013 at 8:17 am
Michelle Hummer,
I wouldn’t.
I am with MSPD in thinking that someone that spends the time you do around a restaurant kitchen would know that food for a family retailing at $5 could be nothing less than shitty.
Just because some places can offer a high class dinner for $50 for two on Sunday including a bottle of wine does not mean pizza can be done for $5. Maybe you need to ask for a raise at work.
lefty
March 5th, 2013 at 9:28 am
I disagree, you do not need to be in the “business” to recognize that pizza for $5 is not going to be particularly good. Simply purchasing food at the grocery store can tell you that those folks making $5.00 pizzas, plus paying staff, and paying operating costs, are not making high quality pizzas.
March 5th, 2013 at 9:29 am
I guess I should have phrased it this way:
I’m shocked that anyone that’s in the restaurant business that has even the remotest iota of pride or passion for their chosen profession would try so hard to order food from a chain called $5 Pizza.
I’m shocked that anyone that has an ounce of concern about the dearth of “restaurants” exploiting people by selling them the cheapest possible ingredients (price AND quality) under the guise of “quick and easy” while undercutting the livelihoods of trained, conscientious, hardworking, passionate hospitality professionals would try so hard to eat there.
I’m shocked that anyone that is aware enough to recognize that we’re in a full-scale explosion of obesity and “food”-driven illness, largely fueled by an obsession with cheap, lab-created, and/or refined “food” ingredients, created to enable places like $5 Pizza to sell $5 pizzas while still maintaining a gigantic profit margin and hooking people on their “food” would try so hard to eat there.
I’m shocked that people not only see this as a desireable option to feed themselves and/or your loved ones, but try so hard to eat there. Along those lines, I’m shocked that there isn’t ANYTHING that folks (sorry Ronalee) can think of that is equally as convenient but would be better to shove into their kids’ mouths than $5 Pizzas.
I’m shocked that while good independent businesses are struggling to barely avoid joining the long line of shuttered storefronts, ONE OF THEIR OWN would say “heck, if it’s good, you promote it and tell everyone you know” without any regard to the broader picture.
Michelle, if you would be so kind, would you enlighten us on the restaurant you and your husband work at so we can be sure to patronize the cheaper shithole one block down that’s run by someone who only cares about making a profit?
Or is YOURS that restaurant?
March 5th, 2013 at 10:50 pm
Thank you all for the banter back and fourth. My domestic partner (don’t assume I have a husband) and I enjoy many different restaurants. We don’t limit ourselves to where people expect us to dine. Both of our restaurants are doing well. You should come in for date night and a bottle of wine since you have done your homework. Everyone should enjoy every restaurant adventure no matter where/ what the concept is.
March 6th, 2013 at 7:31 am
Sorry, yes, that was an assumption I shouldn’t have made.
The premises are still the same, regardless. Unfortunate.
March 9th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Thanks for the review Bill, I saw $5 pizza the other day and was thinking about trying it. You saved me the trouble though, if the pizza is smaller and just barely better than LC, then I would have been sorry I tried it, thanks again!
March 13th, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Tried the $8 deluxe on Sunday. Wasn’t too bad. Not olepiper, not savoy. One thing to note is this apple valley franchise does not recognize monday madness specials listed on the $5 pizza website. Which this week was 3 pepperoni or cheese pizzas for $10. This will be another place in that location that will go out of business soon.
March 13th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
$8 Pizza?!? WTF. That sounds like pure bait-and-switch.
Boooooo…..boooooo……booooooo!
March 13th, 2013 at 2:37 pm
I picked up a pizza from $5 Pizza last night and based on Bill’s review was expecting it to be tiny. I was pleasantly surprised that it was larger than tiny. I measured it when I got home – yes, actually got out a tape measure and measured it – 14 inches. I think $5.00 for 14 inches of pizza is a good deal. It’s not gourmet pizza by any means, but for $5.00 you can get LC (gross) or frozen, which most are smaller than 14 inches anyway. My one complaint is the green olives were few and far between.
March 13th, 2013 at 2:44 pm
Traditional or thin crust? Because our pizza was not even 10″.
March 13th, 2013 at 6:33 pm
Traditional
March 18th, 2013 at 6:42 pm
Reconfirmed tonight, Apple Valley does not offer the Monday Madness $10/ 3 pizza deal. Only location in the metro that doesn’t offer it. Is that an indicator that the they are skimping on the toppings too? and another one goes down. Next
March 18th, 2013 at 6:50 pm
fyi, current participating locations for the Monday madness pizza deal
March 18th, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Wait…you mean there a people so fucking cheap that not even $5 is low enough???
March 18th, 2013 at 8:27 pm
No shit fro, are you fucking kidding?
Maybe you should try eating a salad here and there.
March 19th, 2013 at 8:48 am
I haven’t tried $5 Pizza yet but I do drive by this location on my way to and fro Dunn Bros. I’m under the impression that they must have done some remodeling. Great job filling up the ‘bagster’ but your forgot step 3… Buy. Fill. Gone. Seriously, give your hauler a call and have your trash cleaned up. Feel like I am talking to my teenage son here. How about this: If you clean up your room er trash, I will try your pizza.
March 20th, 2013 at 7:31 am
Yes there are people that cheap and I am proud to be one of them. Not kidding. Apparently this location doesn’t want to be part of the team and come in for the big win. I would have gone for the 4 dollar pizza but I’m too out of shape to ride my bicycle that far.
March 20th, 2013 at 8:06 am
fro,
Pretty sad that you would be proud to eat 3-$3.33 pizzas. I want to think you are joking about not being able to ride your bike, but you probably are not kidding about that either.
I don’t think anyone has a problem with “being cheap”. We all have to live within our means, but maybe you could stop at Cub and buy food that has nutritional value for $10 instead of 4000 calories of Diabetes.
If you hurry, you can run to Holiday and wash that shit down with a 99 cent Mountain Dew with added fruit juice! (Seriously, I heard an ad for that this morning and couldn’t believe my ears)
March 20th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
I only shop at Whole Foods off Grand Ave, Valley Natural in Burnsville and sometimes Trader Joes. Joking. But Cub Sounds good. Lakeville Cub has a coupon on the receipt for a free sandwich at Mcdonalds with the purchase of an extra value meal. With that extra sandwich one could be easily pushing that 4000 calorie threshold plus some.
March 20th, 2013 at 2:05 pm
Mopey, is that you???
March 26th, 2013 at 6:32 am
Employees of $5 Pizza are astroturfing. Fun!
March 26th, 2013 at 10:48 am
Please enlighten us!
March 26th, 2013 at 4:23 pm
The owner posted a comment:
I called him on it and he feigned ignorance to the entire posting a comment as if he were a regular customer and told me I should give him a pass since this is his first restaurant.
If you needed another reason not to go to $5 Pizza in Apple Valley, this may be it.
March 27th, 2013 at 8:04 am
That clinches it. I will never buy a pizza there.
March 31st, 2013 at 1:46 pm
I’ll take a frozen pizza from Cub or Target, even a take and bake from Papa Murphy’s before trying this place.
April 26th, 2013 at 7:02 am
[...] typical Midwestern pie with too much cheap cheese, not enough crust, and toppings that suffice on $5 Pizza‘s pies. So [...]