Pizza ChaCha is really jazzing up the business district near the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. You can’t miss the building. It’s painted pea green with bright red trim and situated alongside classic red and yellow brick structures on McCallie Avenue.
THE MENU
There’s not an extensive list of offerings on the menu — two salads, two appetizers, three sandwiches, five specialty ChaCha pizzas and a list of ingredients to build your own on thin, hand-tossed and gluten-free crusts. There are no desserts on the menu, but there’s no need either. You’ll have your fill of carbs once you’ve finished your meal.
The order (for two): Pepperoni and basil specialty pizza ($9.75); veggie hoagie ($6.50).
Pizza ChaCha may be the shape of things to come — which is the biggest difference you’ll notice between it and other pizza restaurants. The signature pizzas are shaped like doughnuts, with the center cut out and filled with house or Caesar salad. It’s an interesting way to serve it, and it’s plenty enough to share.
The pizza crust is thin and looked hand-tossed, although it’s not made from scratch. The dough had little flavor, but the toppings were very fresh, if sparse. The Caesar salad was surprisingly good.
I was impressed with the hoagie. The bread was crisp on the outside, tender inside. As were the pizza toppings, the sandwich fixings — lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, bell peppers and red onions — looked and tasted as if they’d just come from the garden. Sweet/hot peppers added a great deal of flavor. I liked the vinegar-and-oil dressing. It had more taste than others I’ve tried.
If you go* Where: Pizza ChaCha, 863 McCallie Ave.* Phone: 468-3205.* Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.* Price range: $3.75 (house salad)-$11.75 (veggie ChaCha pizza).* Alcohol: Peroni and Moritti beer.
I’ll try building my own pizza next time on a hand-tossed crust. I saw one at another table loaded with sliced Italian sausage, onion and fresh tomatoes that made my mouth water. One thing I really liked about the pizza at this restaurant was the lack of grease — a very good thing. Ever had to take a paper towel to your pizza before?
Best bets: Build-your-own Pizza ChaCha ($8.75 plus $1 per topping); ChaCha Mozzarella and Tomato with basil ($8.75); ChaCha Italian Hoagie ($8.50).
THE SERVICE
Orders are placed and paid for at the counter. You fill your own drink at the soda counter, then take a seat. Meals are delivered to your table. The sandwich came in just a couple of minutes. Pizzas took a little longer, but we were in and out in under an hour. If you’re in a hurry, takeout is a good option.
THE SPACE
The interior is somewhat more subdued than the bright green and red facade outside. Modern artwork adorns the walls, and windows across the front let in natural light. There’s a large concrete deck with tables for al fresco dining, though McCallie Avenue was a little too busy for me. Parking is free at the side of the building.
THE VERDICT
Though open for just a few weeks, Pizza ChaCha has set itself apart from other pizzerias with its pizza panache. It’s comparable to other specialty pizza parlors, but the cutout shapes and fresh vegetables set it apart.