Mario’s Pizza
Mario’s Pizza
Rating: 3
Cost: ~ $7
Location: Albuquerque (Multiple)
Customized: No
Behold, an Italian Nacho?!?!
I was probably as surprised as you when I found out that an Italian restaurant offered a form of Nachos. Being Italian myself, I was ecstatic to sample these unique forms of my favorite food. Marios is a long standing pizza shop that has recently opened multiple locations. Though not for everyone, Marios offers a rather large array of menu items at decent prices. It has some pretty devout supporters, but most people agree that Mario’s appeal isn’t in any particular item, but rather in its variety. The San Pedro location is a quaint little mom and pop shop that always seems to have a fair number of customers. The staff is attentive and friendly, but the food often takes quite a while to arrive. It is also common for the food to arrive in separate segments.
Unlike most italian restaurants, Marios actually offers a form of nacho that they have affectionately dubbed the Goumba Nacho. This nacho is comprised of a bed of tortilla chips covered in a green Chile cream sauce, roasted peppers, various cheeses, jalapenos, lettuce, and tomatoes.
I truly applaud their attempt to diversify by not only carrying nachos, but giving them a unique twist. The nachos are a decent size, easily filling a single consumer, or providing adequate snacks for 4 people. They are also a rather attractive nacho; the peppers and cream sauce give it a unique look. The green chili cream sauce is rather amazing, and provides a definitive identity to this Nacho. The roasted peppers prove to be a valuable asset in this dish, but I will admit I think they would be out of place without the cream sauce. The other toppings are standard fair. The Jalapenos served on my nacho were rather stale and dry. I’m not sure if they use a weird brand of if the jalapenos had gone off. Either way it stood as a pretty detrimental aspect, since I consider jalapenos pivotal. The unique flavors made this nacho stand out, and I highly recommend them to anyone. However, due to this unique nature, it is also a Nacho that requires a specific mood and can’t always be enjoyed. I would also like to point out that there is no meat within this Nacho. I would have gladly payed additional for some chicken, which is weird cause I always choose beef. The peppers and sauce within the nacho are begging for a chicken addition. The stale jalapenos definitely hurt the Nachos since they are such a fundamental element.
