We’ve been ordering from this restaurant formerly known as Sardella’s for years and loved their gluten-free pizza and wings. Usually, we order from two locations, so I was surprised when I pulled up to this one and saw a different name on the building: “Rhiana’s.” I called to check, and the owner—a nice gentleman—assured me that the recipes were the same. I placed my usual order and waited.
While waiting, the owner explained that the pizza was delayed because he had to shut down the one oven to scrub it for the gluten-free pizzas. This raised a red flag for me, as I’ve worked in pizza places before, and no one shuts down a 420-470 degree oven during a Friday night rush (he also noted that he didn't have the second oven running this evening
). Another concern was watching the owner handle the dough and pizza toppings with his bare hands. I watched him as he wiped his hands on his apron, grabbed order tickets, and then returning to the food without washing or putting on gloves. Even if hands were washed initially, touching other surfaces without re-washing increases the risk of cross-contamination.
When I got the food home, I noticed that the cheese on the pizza was uneven, with some areas having what looked like huge chunks of cheese, creating an unappealing texture. The quality of the chicken was also disappointing. While I understand that chicken can sometimes have dark spots, this quality was more like what you’d find at Walmart rather than at a place like Whole Foods or Sprouts. The pizza was nothing like the Sardella’s we know and love. If you’re looking for authentic Sardella’s, I recommend visiting one of their other locations. We wasted over $100 here and won’t be back.