Perhaps getting a burger at a place named “Mikes Pizza” is asking for trouble…along the lines of one of those unwritten rules of life which is: never order the fish at a steakhouse.
Located in an out of the way industrial area of San Jose (yet very convenient to both 880 and 101), Mike’s Pizza is probably a place that you haven’t heard of before.
I wouldn’t go so as far as to call it a “hidden gem of Silicon Valley”, but it’s in that direction.
If I could sum up Mike’s Pizza in one word, it would be “Good”. It’s not great, it’s not very good, it’s not average, it’s not above average…it’s good. It’s the kid who gets straight B’s on his report card, it’s the Oakland A’s who are good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to win in the playoffs, etc, etc.
I’ve visited Mike’s Pizza several times before, and always had the cheesesteak…(which is also “good”). They bill themselves as the “house famous philly cheesesteak”. Someone in marketing really needs to help them with a better tagline. As a side note, if you want a cheesesteak in San Jose, Amato’s on Saratoga Ave is the place to go.
TASTE – Good. A nice patty, a quailty bun, fresh veggies, and a nice sauce. Really this is the baseline for what a “good burger” is. It is not exceptional in area, and it doesn’t dissappoint in any area. Except the fries….the fries are mediocre at best. Score: 47
SELECTION – The have the “typcial” selection of burgers, and quite a few sandwiches, pizzas, a full bar, etc. Overall a pretty decent selection, much more than you’d expect given the name of the of the place. Score: 8
CREATIVITY/X-FACTOR – Hmm, it’s not creative, but it’s not “uncreative” either. It’s just the baseline of ‘if you are more creative than Mike’s, I’ll call you creative…and if you’re less creative than Mike’s, I’ll call you boring. Score:7
RESTAURANT – The place is located in an industrial park area. It doesn’t look like much on the inside or the outside. It has a bar that I’ve heard gets busy in the afternoons (I’ve only been there at lunch time, so far). The place overall looks more like a tavern with restaurnt bench seats installed…it’s sort of mismatched that way. Score:6
EXTRAS/FRESHNESS/ETC – Food is good and fresh, and the prices are normal (or less). The fries are mediocre. Also, in place that does have good food, someone should be supplying better mustard than just French’s. Score:4
SERVICE – The is no longer a “Mike”, the place is owned and operated by Anil, who is a very nice guy. The staff is good at what they do. But it’s not really a “service focused” place, and that’s okay with me. Score:4
OVERALL SCORE 76 out of 100.
Tags: best burgers, burger joints, burgers, eating, Food, fries, Hamburgers, Mike's Pizza, rating burgers, rating food, san jose, san jose burgers, silicon valley, silicon valley burgers
