Artichoke – Worth the Hype?

After a night out at Professor Thom’s last weekend to celebrate a friend’s birthday, I knew exactly where I was going to grab my late night dining fix.  For months, I had watched a line grow outside of the pizza place Artichoke as I made my way down 14th street.  I had been dying to try it, but reviews were mixed.

So at 2am one Saturday, I too waited in line for about 15 minutes.  As I made my way up to the door, I learned the place serves beer and a few different types of pizza.  You can purchase a margarita slice for $3.50, or splurge and spend 4 bucks for the crab slice or the signature artichoke slice, which is essentially artichoke dip on pizza.  There also is Sicilian available.

We got a few slices of margarita and the signature artichoke.  Unfortunately, the restaurant does not really offer a seating area, and with a line of people staring at you and watching you eat your pizza, you are better off eating outside.  We asked for our pizza slices in a box and ate on the street – therefore, if you hit up Artichoke, I would recommend waiting for a nice, warm night – but I bet the line is not nearly that bad in the rain or the cold.

Overall, I found the artichoke slice to be good.  I envisioned tons of artichoke dip thrown on the pizza and was worried it was going to be too rich.  Instead, it was the right amount of creamy sauce and flavor, mixed in with mozzarella and dough.  It was delicious and one slice was certainly filling.  While I did not sample more than a quick bite of the margarita, those in our group thought the margarita was much better and would order that instead next time.

So was Artichoke worth the hype?  Not really.  It was good but I wouldn’t make the trip down to Union Square just for a slice of pizza.  I also think at 2am, I’ve had just as delicious pizza at my local pizza place, Roma – and Roma offers seating without making me wait in the cold.  If I was in the neighborhood though and looking for a slice of pizza, I would swing by Artichoke.

Deal Alert- Artichoke is selling 32 ounce beers for $3 in “to go cups” on Tuesdays, according to Yelp.