RedBrick Pizza – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

The American culture of instant gratification may be precipitating the decline of the independent neighborhood pizzeria. In recent years, this traditional bastion of pizza preparation has been largely supplanted by ubiquitous pizza delivery companies with their gratuitous gimmicks, copious coupons and promises of breakneck deliveries.

Pizzaiolis, the artisans who deftly toss and craft prandial perfection in the form of circular, precisely seasoned and superbly sauced oven-baked flat-bread have been unseated by pimply teenagers slathering ketchup on cardboard spheres then setting land speed records to ensure the day’s special of five for the price of one reaches its intended destination within seconds after an order is placed.

The American consumer seemingly prefers quick and cheap pizza of inferior quality and taste that he or she can devour in front of the 500-channel living room altar to the greater expenditure of time spent with family or friends at a pizzeria in which sensory titillation includes the imbibing of incomparable aromas you just can’t get by opening a cardboard box.

RedBrick Pizza purports to address the gap between the delivery-oriented market and the more traditional sit-down restaurant approach with a revolutionary “fast casual” concept, ostensibly giving the American consumer a product far superior to delivery pizza without the “inordinately long wait times” at traditional pizzerias.

Founded in 2000, this burgeoning franchise has ambitions of being one of the largest pizza chains in the world with an eye toward 12,000 units and possible expansion into Europe and Asia. In 2004, RedBrick Pizza’s 750 percent growth helped it earn a spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s list of top 50 new franchises. Albuquerque’s first two RedBrick franchises opened in the fall of 2005, one in the Sedona Row shopping center and a second one in the Brick Light District by UNM.

The centerpiece of each franchise appears to be a 1,000-degree brick oven capable of turning out three-minute, fire-roasted gourmet pizzas. The menu promises fresh, all-natural dough and cheeses and premium gourmet ingredients with no MSG, fillers or substitutes. You can craft your own pie by selecting your favorites from an extensive list of ingredients or you can opt for one of the menu’s fifteen gourmet pizzas. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, RedBrick offers several fresh tossed chopped salads, all of which can be had with fire-roasted croutons. Another fire-roasted specialty are Fhazani sandwiches crafted on the restaurant’s signature dough.

Many of the tables have their own small flat-screen televisions while several overhead large-screen TVs are strategically positioned for maximum viewability. The restaurant’s artificially friendly staff (called “pizza ambassadors” in the company’s lexicon) make frequent visits to your table to ensure all is well with your RedBrick experience.

True to the menu’s promise, our pizzas did have a crisp, golden brown crust, but truth be told, they weren’t delivered much more quickly than at some of the city’s traditional pizzerias, many of which serve a much better product.

• A “Greek” pizza with an olive oil and garlic sauce base featured mozzarella, ham, red onions, whole Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and Pepperonici. The Feta was barely discernable while the Pepperonici was wonderfully tangy and somewhat piquant. Our favorite ingredient was the ham (which looked like what some pizzerias call Canadian bacon).
• The most prominent tastes on a roasted garlic chicken pizza (white sauce, mozzarella, garlic, chicken, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, bacon, garlic, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese) were neither the roasted garlic (a chintzy portion) or the chicken, but the Parmesan cheese. This pizza did little to distinguish itself as a memorable pie.

The highlight of our meal was the restaurant’s fresh Italian Gelato dessert. More than just “Italian ice cream,” true Gelato is much more dense, icy and usually more flavorful than American ice cream. RedBrick’s version was wonderfully gritty and extremely flavorful, exceeding other Gelato we’ve found in the Albuquerque area. It’s worth a trip to RedBrick just for this cold confection. It’s also worth a trip to your favorite neighborhood pizzeria for a better pizza.

RedBrick Pizza
8101 San Pedro, N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico

1st VISIT: 17 December 2005
LATEST VISIT: 12 June 2010
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 15
COST: $$
BEST BET: Gelato