"Whoa! We weren 't ready for the unconventional buffet dining experience at Brick Oven Pizza. Saturday, 6pm on Thanksgiving weekend... probably not the best time to try a family restaurant, but we were out of options, having tried other local pizza places and been let down. First, the positives: We were quickly seated; our server, Zac, was polite; and the homemade root beer was good. We quickly learned that Brick Oven is the Chuck E. Cheese of St. George; with kids running around, sorting through the salad and soup bar help-yourself playground . Large tables filled with feasting families clamoring like little chicks, competing for a freshly caught worm that mother just brought to the nest; as servers pass by with trays of pizza served Chinese Dim Sum style. Dirty dishes were stacked across the tables as patrons waited impatiently for the next pizza carrying server, who seemed never to come by as frequently as they hoped. Chineses Dim Sum style restaurants have perfected the table-side Chinese food buffet model, as they keenly understand the needs of their guests. However, the table-side pizza buffet model fails miserably at Brick Oven Pizza on a Saturday night. Our meager table of three could not compete with the large tables of 8-16 guests, (which appeared to be their target market). After out first slice of cheese pizza, we didn 't see another pizza server for almost 15 minutes and unfortunately the rest of the evening went about the same. The pizza wasn 't the best; again, like Chuck E. Cheese, but better than Rigatti 's Pizza across town. After our first trip to the salad bar, we felt it was safer to just stay away. It kind of made you feel dirty . Staff was busy trying to keep up with the demand, while cleaning and retrieving croutons from containers of salad dressings, cucumber slices from the kidney beans and carrots from the dried cranberries. Not the best salad bar in town , as advertised... but actually a bit scary. We were hungry... and with only the Dim Sum pizza delivery to satisfy our cravings, we were disappointed. We came to the conclusion that the only satisfactory way to eat pizza and salad in this restaurant is to order your own pizza and bowl of salad for your table. ...but, did I mention the root beer was good... Zac was polite... and we were seated fairly quickly? Not sure if we 'll ever make it back to Brick Oven, but it 's very clear that they don 't live and die by their Yelp reviews and ratings; as evidenced by the 2 1/2 stars. The place was packed with patrons possessing indiscriminating palates and a penchant for paperboard pizza. Buon appetito?!"
