J&J's Pizza On The Square

This is a post that has been on my to-do list forever. Probably nearing a year. Let's pretend it was just time spent doing in-depth research or something.

I love this place. I don't know if I can say it has the greatest pizza, nor the greatest service, or the most comfortable dining experience. Nope. It is good enough. It feels local and not corporate. Big Chain places like to provide a feeling of locality by displaying pictures and jerseys of home squad teams and such. For example, McCalister's Deli has a few pictures of old-timey Denton on their walls. J&J's feels more real to me. I suppose for the hipster in you, it will be most attractive.

Foodily speaking, their breadsticks are the bees' damn knees. No kidding. They are bready and tasty and awesome. They beat Luigi's garlic bread in the "Let's just stop there and grab some" category.

The best part of J&J's is the location. The Square in Denton is much less Fratty than Fry and much more of a Hipster scene. This is evident in the fact that I called it a 'scene'.  Somebody punch me now.

I've eaten there on a nice breezy fall afternoon, a sunny spring day, a cold-ass winter frozenland, and a hot-as-hades summer's death time. All great. It was that breezy fall evening whilst I inhaled slice after slice with The Woman looking oh so beautiful that I thought to myself "Dammit  I could live in Denton for a long, long time." This was a momentous occasion because usually I say about Denton, "What a shitty little town" and "Wow, this place is kind of gross-looking, huh?"

If you aren't a cynical bastard like yours truly, then you won't question the look of the place and wonder how much of it is purposefully scruffy and appreciate it for what it is. When I squint and hold back my raging cynicism I do just that. Go there. Eat. Sit outside eating pizza and laughing with your friends about whatever and pretend you are the coolest cat in Denton.

From The Woman:

This review has been a long time coming. We've eaten here enough times now that I consider it one of my favorite restaurants, and definitely one of my top pizza places.

When I think of J&J's I think of pizza and wood. Not wood in an inappropriate way (perverts), but rather that it seems everything in this place is made of wood. It's hipster saloon meets pizza parlor and I dig that about it.

While I must admit that I can't recall ever feeling very comfortable when dining in, because it's either cold or crowded or my chair wobbles, I must also admit that I really don't mind.

The food makes any discomfort well worth it. The pizza is always delicious and the toppings look and taste extra fresh. And the breadsticks. The breadsticks are inexpensive and hot and flavorful and fantastic and I can't get enough.

I have yet to try anything else on the menu but I'm sure everything else is just as wonderful as the pizzas and breadsticks.

I give J&Js 4 out of 4 jalapeños because when it comes to rating the quality of a food place, the food is really all that matters.