Odd Moe's Pizza

Odd Moe's Pizza has roughly 5-6 locations throughout the Salem-Keizer area. I recently went to the one just off Lancaster Drive NE in Salem.

Picture from when pro eater Naader Reda visited over Memorial Day Weekend!
It's OregonMania, baby!

The pizza here is hand-tossed, and they use generous portions of fresh ingredients. There are roughly five types of sauces, three types of dough (including a gluten-free option), and various pizza toppings. About 11 different pizzas on the menu, with another option to customize.

The artichoke pesto pizza sounded real good to me, so I ordered a medium pizza with a honey wheat crust. Mike put a little homemade pesto on the bottom, then topped it with fresh spinach, mozzarella, Roma tomatoes, artichoke hearts, feta, and fresh garlic. A few minutes in the conveyor belt oven, and my pie was ready.

Before going in the conveyor belt oven

"Green Monster" pizza
(Odd Moe's Pizza)

Vintage closeup shot!

I decided to speed eat it right in the store. Each bite was delicious. Very clean flavors, not greasy, and quite light overall. The honey wheat crust was very airy and light. The pesto, garlic, and feta exploded with flavor, while the spinach and tomato kept things refreshing. See? When pandas take a break from the spicy heat, it's about nutrition, quantity, and flavor!

The pie was gone in about five minutes, certainly under six. I opted to consume the pizza without liquids, so it took more time to chew and get it all down. Still, a very quick death. Vintage panda snack!

(Finally the video is uploaded! Medium pizza in five minutes!)

They also have two challenges, one spicy and one quantity. The spicy challenge is ten wings in three minutes with their "Hurts Twice" sauce. I've already beta-tested this one and it needs more heat. Something tells me the next batch will bring the pain. No extracts, simply a multi-pepper blend with garlic, salt, etc. Unfortunately, the wings are basically from a package. I wish they cooked up and sauced fresh wings instead.

(Here's a video of me destroying the wing challenge in two minutes!)

The quantity challenge (which you probably should ask Mike about) is someone consuming the entire "Triple Play" special: basically a medium combo pizza, ten wings with the "Hurts Twice" sauce, and a pint of ice cream. A pro eater did it in 11 minutes. Can you beat his time? I sure as hell can't...I'd be pretty content by the time I hit the ice cream. Vintage panda hibernation food coma!

When it comes to pizza, I'm sure people have their favorite places and types of pizza. The pizza at Odd Moe's resembles your typical chain pizza. It's not necessarily life-changing, but I think it's pretty damn good. The honey wheat crust, while it would sound like a denser crust than the normal style, is actually also quite light.

I've sampled their BBQ sauce (excellent, great KC-style feel) and their pesto sauce (explosive flavor). Yet, when it comes to heat, they get hesitant. I'd basically have to be their taste buds. Can't blame the staff, really. But sorry fellas, I don't care if it burns your mouth. If you're still on board to make your spicy sauces something that equates to Chernobyl, you gotta taste it with me and embrace that damn pain. I love being a sadistic panda. It's my calling in life.

Taking everything into account, it's really more the higher end of my "A-OK" list. I really like their pizza, yet using precooked wings out of a package (heating it up in the oven) just doesn't sit well with me. Granted, it's a pizza place, and a bunch of pizza joints probably do the precooked stuff (I wouldn't know firsthand). But really, if they ever decided to do fresh wings, it would set them apart, and I'd really be a happier panda. 6.75/10