Cuisine: Pizza
Hipster Jr. Jr. said something to the effect of “Quality Pizza Co. Midtown? More like Mid Pizza… Companytown.” She was never very good with wordplay, but you get the idea. She was not impressed. The thing is, we had to hit up some sort of food that paired with her limited palate near the Q train so we could go to Flatbush to see some K-Pop. So, now who’s mid?!
And, look, sometimes you make eating decisions based on Yelp reviews that don’t mention rat hair or crazed, stabby junkies. None of that comes up in the reviews for Quality Pizza Co. (In fact, the reviews are suspiciously glowing.) And when we cross-reference the non-violent and non-rodent nature of a joint with its proximity of where we need to be, we get this nondescript pizza joint in what is edge Koreatown. And where is the most convenient and also synergistic place to go before a K-pop concert? K-town, of course! Granted, this pizza restaurant is the furthest thing from Asian food that you can get. But, hey, it’s fast and it’s there. So, why not?
I know I use the word “generic” a lot, but one look at this place’s logo and signage and that’s the only word that comes to mind. They may as well have called it Acme Pizza. Or like Italian Cheese & Dough Restaurant. And gotten their logo from one of those online AI things that gives you 12 logo versions for $50. It certainly doesn’t inspire is all I’m saying. It’s also odd that they have another location in Hoboken, which is equally sterile and bot-like. Their website doesn’t even mention this location, but the logo is the same and their socials mention both this and the ‘Boken store — but has no representative photos other than of the NJ shop. So, what gives Mr. Quality?
The stop itself is early 2000s Joey Tribbiani core. A kind of monotone gray and black with little adornment other than some TVs and a couple fridges with sodas and a lighting scheme that feels like the back of a party limo. It has a weird step-up inside the shop to get to the counter, which is a little awkward. But everything in NYC used to be something else, and this was clearly not built to be a pizza joint. And, honestly, I feel like Hipster Jr. Jr.’s take is a little harsh. The slices were reheated, so you always have to take that into account. But they actually warmed up pretty nicely, retaining the right amount of crisp on the bottom and the right amount of chew in the dough. I’d say the pizza was sound structurally. I only got a couple regular cheese slices, so didn’t mess with that grandma bullshit, but it actually came off pretty good to me. Granted, I was starving, but all in all, I felt it generally lived up to the whole “quality” thing. I do think the pizza itself lacks a little in terms of taste, but they probably lean on toppings to provide that value. I just would have liked something more flavorful. Tang or salt or something. Otherwise, this isn’t a destination dining experience, but was a totally serviceable pizza experience when on the way to somewhere else. Even a K-pop concert.
888 6th Ave. (bet. 31st & 32nd St.)
646/858-0048
qualitypizzaco.com