Babe's Pizza

We finally got to try another local Brandon restaurant: Babe's Pizza. We noticed it by accident a few weeks ago while shopping at Chucks Natural Food Store, which is right across the street. I saw it and wondered if it was the same place that was recommended to me months ago by a friend and former Tampa resident. It was! 

This is the street view: 

via

I can't say I would have ever visited based on the exterior if I hadn't had a personal recommendation. 

Last week we hosted my sister and brother-in-law and wanted to try a local spot. Most of the reviews on Yelp said to arrive early, because they get busy. They only seat fully present parties. We arrived at 5:10, right after they opened for the night, and the dining room was full by 5:30 pm. 

There's only like 12 tables and 4-5 bar stools. The whole room is decorated with train-related things, including a miniature train that traveled around the perimeter of the room on a mounted track. You can see it in the picture of Zane and Kevin, right between their heads. Daisy LOVED that part. 

There's not really room for large parties at one table, because they only have booths. I don't know that I would venture back with any more than one small child. Daisy did pretty well, but the food takes 30 minutes to cook, so you have to have patient kids. We saw several people come in for take-out though. 

Daisy's expression? I just don't even know. 

Speaking of the food, it was delicious! We ordered a large double-decker pizza, because that's what Babe's is known for. It was soooooo good! Soft crust, fresh cheese. Very dense, filling pieces. We only ate about half of it. We also got a small salad that feeds 4 people with their signature creamy Italian dressing. Yum! Daisy enjoyed the club crackers mostly. 

The prices were reasonable. They have fresh-brewed tea, and they give you little pitchers of your beverages, so you can refill at your leisure, which I personally love. 

The service was great. The whole staff was relaxed. They were respectful, real, confident, and knowledgable. No-nonsense and no sugary flattery to get a good tip. They just do their jobs well. The restaurant is run like a well-oiled machine. 

I'd love to return sometime. This is a perfect place to bring visitors who love pizza and love local dining!