After a long night of partying and walking around campus at 2 a.m., nothing is worse than hearing your stomach growl for some sort of sustenance, begging for any morsel that you can find. That is until you stumble upon the glowing sign that reads “Allegro Pizza & Grill” and all seems right again in the world. But what is this classic late–night stop like when the sun is shining and your blood alcohol content is (probably) low?
The Pastas
After trying the fettuccine Alfredo, baked ziti, and fettuccine with meat sauce, there was a general consensus about the Allegro pasta. The pasta was cooked well, and the portion size was generous, but there was a lack of flavor that made the pasta fall a little flat. It seemed that the dish tried to make up for it with an overwhelming amount of sauce and cheese. The Alfredo sauces just tasted like cream, the ziti was lost by the cheese, and the meat sauce drowned the pasta. Overall, the pasta isn’t terrible, and the portion is definitely worth the price. If you’re sober and looking for a good, flavorful meal, the pasta may not be for you.
Cheesesteak Stromboli
I promise you I’m not lying when I say that the Stromboli at Allegro is as big as your head, and that’s just the regular size. My mouth immediately dropped upon opening the pizza box that the Cheesesteak Stromboli came in. Upon cutting into it, plentiful amount of melted cheese and shredded beef oozed out of the warm pocket of dough. It was beautiful. While the steak was a little dry and the dough a little soggy from all the grease, the Stromboli was the best tasting item I tried. Make sure to ask for an extra side of marinara sauce.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap
A Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap is a classic Italian and Mediterranean dish and Allegro executes it in the most traditional way. Wrapped in a flour tortilla, the wrap consists of grilled chicken, lettuce, parmesan, and Caesar dressing—actually, WAY too much Caesar dressing. It’s a solid tasting wrap except for when you occasionally get a mouthful of solely dressing. What the wrap lacks in flavor, it makes up for in texture. The lettuce is crunchy and the tortilla isn’t soggy at all. You can’t go wrong with this wrap if you happen to find yourself at Allegro in the afternoon for a quick and sober lunch.
Three Cheese Panini
Mozzarella, American, and Provolone cheese melted together create the Three Cheese Panini—sounds like heaven, right? I was in heaven. Unfortunately, Allegro missed the mark of a good panini with the bread lacking that buttery finish that gives the panini its crunch and texture. This sandwich seems better suited to acting like a sponge to soak up the too many shots you took at a party rather than as a go–to sandwich for lunch or dinner.
Allegro House Burger
The Allegro House Burger is the quintessential burger of swim meets or local neighborhood barbecues: a burger that isn't of the best quality but tastes so good. Its sesame seed bun could barely support the pile of cheese, onions, bacon, tomato, and an egg. If you don’t mind a bit of mess while trying to eat it, it’s actually quite a tasty burger. Is the burger worth going out of your way in broad daylight though? Probably not. If it's a Wednesday, you're better off going across the street for a burger at Copa.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
As a fan of buffalo wings and bleu cheese dressing, I was so excited to have two of my favorite things in one sandwich, but when I first opened it, I couldn't believe that I was even given the Buffalo Chicken sandwich. There was no buffalo sauce or bleu cheese to be found under the mountains of lettuce and tomato. It resembled a sub that you could get at any deli for half the price. The chicken also had an overpowering vinegar taste. While its portion size was generous, I was overall disappointed.
Tiramisu
The tiramisu looked absolutely beautiful with its many layers of chocolate, airy whipped cream, and perfectly dispersed espresso powder. But then I took a bite and was underwhelmed because this tiramisu was more of an imposter of the Italian classic. The flavors were rich yet delicate, but it definitely didn’t taste like tiramisu. Don’t get me wrong though, I still licked the whole jar clean. Just don't expect it to live up to its namesake.
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While the variety or choices that Allegro’s has to offer is extremely abundant, there is nothing that honestly beats a slice of their pizza—best served at two in the morning.
