defend the indefensible: SBARRO

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I was really hoping this thread would be about sbarro, the bonkers/tasteless car designer and modifier!

― haitch to the izz-o (haitch), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 06:16 (twenty years ago)

I had this shit exactly once, in a belgian railway station. I chose a slice of seafood pizza, it barely tasted like pizza at all. So memorably bad that I tore off the "sbarro" logo from the cardboard thingie under the slice, to remind myself of the worst pizza I've ever eaten. Just think of it, if I hadn't done that, I probably would've totally forgotten the name, and thus would never have posted on this thread! Heavy shit, man.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 08:16 (twenty years ago)

i remember going to visit a friend in long island when i was in high school and he said 'let's get pizza, there's this great italian place i know...' and he took me to sbarro. i don't think he was kidding, and it wasn't just that he was cheap (we also ate tavern on the green several times), i think he genuinely thought it was great.

when i worked at the mall in college, sbarro was a quick easy meal that didn't cost too much, although i wouldn't eat there unless i was trapped at work for 7 or 8 hours at least.

― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 08:28 (twenty years ago)

umm...I think I grabbed a pizza or two there once.

how 'icky' of me....

what other 'embarrassing' food have I eaten?

― mickey raft (mickeygraft), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 08:30 (twenty years ago)

how bad can it be?!? its pizza!

― minna (minna), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 09:45 (twenty years ago)

Good grief, I had forgotten about Sbarro. We had one in Woking for a while and it was teh hip. I think they must have put an end to UK ops because I haven't seen one for ages.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 09:48 (twenty years ago)

yall are spoiled as hell, this shit is like fancy dining to me

― _, Wednesday, 19 October 2005 10:47 (twenty years ago)

better pizza than you can get in the UK.

― a, Wednesday, 19 October 2005 11:31 (twenty years ago)

I've never had it be bad, just not great. At least its not bready and cheese-poor, that is the worst. It might be worse overseas.

― Jonothong Williamsmang (ex machina), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

I think it's among the greasiest pizza I've had. Not that that's always a bad thing, but it's not always welcome, either.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

There's a Sbarro in Euston Station...

How is it pronounced? What does it mean?

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

Spar-oh is close enough. Is it somebody's name?

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 12:05 (twenty years ago)

http://www.sbarro.com/welcome/history.cfm

― astor riviera (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 12:21 (twenty years ago)

As far as mall food court places go, there are worse. As a standalone restaurant, this place has to suck. Fazoli's might beat it, easily, although I can't remember if they serve pizza.

― mike h. (mike h.), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

The pizza at Fazoli's is dire. Worse than Sbarro because they try to make it with a thicker crust.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

Ew ew EW. I used to always pass through the WTC concourse when I was hungry (some kind of space-time continuum warp, I'm sure) and the Sbarros always smelled so yummy and tomato-saucy and all those good things. And then I'd be SUCKERED into a slice which would have turned to SILICONE PUTTY under the heat lamps and would nevertheless cost me, like, five bucks. And then something insidious in the waxy cheese would go to my brain and ZIP wipe out the memory of exactly how bad it was, SO I'D DO IT AGAIN NEXT TIME.

― Laurel (Laurel), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 13:48 (twenty years ago)

the summer between i my freshman and sophomore years of college i worked at a bank, where i was employed aside the heiress to the sbarro fortune -- her parents thought that if she had a job, she'd develop some business acumen. too bad she was as dumb as a post, and as a bonus, totally condescending to, racist regarding, and suspicious of her maid. also she spoke in such a way that it was pretty much impossible to understand her, which was a problem since we all worked as bank tellers and had to deal with the public every day.

this did not stop her from being kicked into the management track midway through the summer though.

also, the cheese they use on their pizza is nasty. put that shit on a comics page and it'll copy every drawing upside-down.

― maura (maura), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, it's chain pizza, but it's really not that bad. I like the "stuffed" slices where there is a thin layer of crust on top.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:04 (twenty years ago)

put that shit on a comics page and it'll copy every drawing upside-down.

Wow, pretty cool! I'm going to have to remember to try this the next time I find myself there.

Actually I always thought their pizza was passable (not great), if over-priced.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

i got food poisoning from a sbarro's once. but yeah, there are worse places.

― astor riviera (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Is Fazoli's the place where someone walks around with a basket and tongs giving you an endless supply of free chewy breadsticks? If so, no contest.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

TONG FAN

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

ihttp://www.matsonfilms.com/img/1Sheet.jpg

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:34 (twenty years ago)

Me and Sisqo.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

It's pretty delicious and it's only in the mall at a stand. They also have caffeine free Mr. Pibb.

I used to know this completely stupid girl who called it "sharpo." I tried to explain it to her, have her sound it out, but no go.

― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

HOW MANY SBARROS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY TERRORISM? 2 AT LEAST!

― Jonothong Williamsmang (ex machina), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:12 (twenty years ago)

Is Fazoli's the place where someone walks around with a basket and tongs giving you an endless supply of free chewy breadsticks?

It is! I used to go there all the time when we lived in Ohio!

― Mun K.E. (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

The pasta is AWFUL though.

― Mun K.E. (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

I have gotten sick 3x after eating at Fazoli's. Never again.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:31 (twenty years ago)

pizaa ONLY at Sbarro's, dude

― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

The pizza is mediocre. One thing I will say though - some of them have this by-the-pound food bar which is not bad. You can get some chicken, pasta, and even vegetables at rest stops where your only other options is KFC or Burger King.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:34 (twenty years ago)

they have pasta at sbarro's?!

― strng hlkngtn: what does it mean? (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

you'd need a hazmat suit for that shit

― strng hlkngtn: what does it mean? (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

yeah. avoid.

― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

i remember the WTC sbarro -- i was also "tricked" into eating there a few times. the food was the very definition of "meh."

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 15:52 (twenty years ago)

The worst is when you're really hungry and get a ton of food from a semi crappy place... like Sbarro. After your first slice you make like 3 bites on the second and have no more desire to eat it.

― Jonothong Williamsmang (ex machina), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

check birmingham new street fior more last minute train desperation food choice. sbarro there is sort of morphed with upper crust i think

oh shit i thinmk u must all be wtrong cos it says here "Sbarro has continually reaffirmed its commitment to sophisticated and inventive Italian fare"

did u not realise how inventive it was. they invented a way to make italian food worse than shit.

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)

It's definitely meh. I'm just saying that I'm still happy to see it when my only options are fast food.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

i am oddly hungry for pizza now, however

― strng hlkngtn: what does it mean? (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:07 (twenty years ago)

I remember always getting a slice of stuffed pizza at Sbarro and an Orangina when I was a kid and we took day trips to DC or Baltimore. I thought it was pretty fancy. :)

― dar1a g (daria g), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

ditto strng

― Roxymuzak, Mrs. Carbohydrate (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

i remember the WTC sbarro -- i was also "tricked" into eating there a few times.

tricked by terrorists?!

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:23 (twenty years ago)

their spaghetti and steamed vegetables - no sauce - are closer to real food than most of what you'll find in an I-95 rest stop. but it's doused in msg, I think.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:36 (twenty years ago)

I ate at that WTC Sbarro's a few times too, usually on my way to the PATH. I wouldn't say I was tricked though.

One thing about Sbarro's pizza is that it seems like their crust is usually a bit too oily. It's really a shame to be reduced to eating at Sbarro's in NYC, when there are often much better pizza options available.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

Is the actual original Ray's in NYC actually BAD as I am told?

― Paranoid Spice (ex machina), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

I was reduced to Sbarro's in NYC once. I spent a week basically living on slices from neighborhood joints (inc. many Ray's, original Ray's, and real original Ray's), but one day I had to hang out with my aunt in Manhattan and do touristy stuff. I hadn't eaten all day was as hungry as I'd ever been, and of course the only thing in sight was a Sbarro's. After I said goodbye to her I RAN in there, and say what you want about it but it got the job done.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:52 (twenty years ago)

Is the actual original Ray's in NYC actually BAD as I am told?

I don't know which Ray's is the original - as I think several of them make that claim. Most of the ones I've been to are nothing special. There's one on 6th Ave, around like 10th St or so, that puts an enormous amount of cheese on their pizzas - so I guess that's good if you like lots of cheese.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:54 (twenty years ago)

Daniel_Rf, you're lucky that the only consequence of choosing a slice of seafood pizza (why!?) from a vendor in a trainstation food stand was that it didn't taste much like pizza. you're just lucky you didn't end up like astor riviera up there.

i wouldn't necessarily praise sbarro. but there were much worse options in the metrocenter mall food court. i liked the spinach calzones for a time, i remember.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

Food-court fast food, etc.

― donut hallivallerieburtonelli omg lol (donut), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

Sbarro's food almost always looks better than it tastes. And, yeah, as someone upthread noted, they do/did like to locate near Orange Julius.

I associate both franchises with the 1980s for some reason, btw.

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 217 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

SBARRO. NOT PIZZA PROBLEM. CHANE STOREFRODS IN MALLS, IS DOUBLE WHAMY. TRAFFIC DOWN. CONSUBERS PUT AWAY WALITS. CAN'T BOOST REVANUE. CAN'T ADD BREKFESET OR LATE MENU. NOT LIKE OTHER CHANE. COMPEDIDORS LIKE DOMANO AND PIZZUT NO DEBT. STRONG CASH FLOW. INTENISY PRESSURE ON SBARRO AS KEY DET PAYMENTS COME DUE IN 2009.

― mumps (iiiijjjj), Tuesday, February 10, 2009 7:01 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark

beaten to the punch ... i hope the Sbarro thread can live on though!

― a regular Brick City Britney, she is. (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 18:19 (fifteen years ago)

worst fukn food

― five gone cats from Boston (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 18:22 (fifteen years ago)

seems like it would burn

― fat fat fat fat Usher (DJP), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 18:23 (fifteen years ago)

i didn't know t✧✧@k✧✧.e✧✧ had a finance degree!

― j., Tuesday, 19 April 2011 18:27 (fifteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

http://www.slate.com/id/2293006/pagenum/all/#p2

slate officially half a decade behind ilx

― goole, Thursday, 5 May 2011 01:35 (fifteen years ago)

I swear so many journalists crib their ideas from ilx

― dayo, Thursday, 5 May 2011 01:42 (fifteen years ago)

I laughed out loud reading most of this; a shame he didn't visit Sbarro locations at interstate rest stops.

― ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 5 May 2011 01:47 (fifteen years ago)

Pizza Hut is emphasizing its "WingStreet" brand

― Audrey Tuomason (dayo), Thursday, 5 May 2011 02:52 (fifteen years ago)

I swear so many journalists crib their ideas from ilx

― dayo, Wednesday, May 4, 2011 8:42 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

ditto

― cop a cute abdomen (gbx), Thursday, 5 May 2011 02:57 (fifteen years ago)

we should sue!

― Dziękuję bardzo panie robocie (Eisbaer), Thursday, 5 May 2011 03:16 (fifteen years ago)

Blair Chancey, editor of fast-food trade journal QSR magazine, told me that Sbarro's target demographic is "young, hungry males," and this might be so. But it also seems as though Sbarro courts the indifferent eater—tourists, children, people who just want a slice and a place to sit while they talk about the amazing pants they saw on sale at The Limited.

like we suspected ... sbarro targeted hungry bros and Michael Scott.

― Dziękuję bardzo panie robocie (Eisbaer), Thursday, 5 May 2011 03:38 (fifteen years ago)

the dispender demo

― Stomp! in the name of love (WmC), Thursday, 5 May 2011 03:42 (fifteen years ago)

I swear so many journalists crib their ideas from ilx

― dayo, Wednesday, May 4, 2011 8:42 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

ditto

― cop a cute abdomen (gbx), Wednesday, May 4, 2011 7:57 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

rolling thread?

― dblake (symsymsym), Thursday, 5 May 2011 07:19 (fifteen years ago)

Aww, Sbarro…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu-s-SeigWs

― naus, Thursday, 5 May 2011 13:18 (fifteen years ago)

one year passes...

NAPKIN DISPENDER.

― This cad needs a cordial introduction to Eugene of Oxbow. (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 17:56 (thirteen years ago)

I swear Little Caesar's is infinitely better. But all they have are 2-second pizzas and yummy breadsticks.

― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Civil Rights Day at the Fucking Ballpar (Mount Cleaners), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 22:55 (thirteen years ago)

one month passes...

My brother-in-law just gave me this as a wedding gift at the groom's dinner:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8104389200_660fede01b.jpg

― Bobby Ken Doll (Eric H.), Saturday, 20 October 2012 03:46 (thirteen years ago)

u read my mind eric h. i knew it was time for the yearly revival of this thread.

also lol @ that t-shirt.

― spicy bacon, bitch! (Eisbaer), Saturday, 20 October 2012 04:51 (thirteen years ago)

ten months pass...

COST MORE MDONILLDS. BETTER THEN MDONILLDS. COST MORE BURGER KING. BETTER THEN BURGER KING. SBARRO COST MORE DOLLARS AND BETTER THEN THOSED ONES.

― عليك ارتداء ماكياج من مهرج مثلي الجنس المتداول مائة عميق في سيارة مصغر (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 03:48 (twelve years ago)

THEY DO THE REST.

― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 03:51 (twelve years ago)

there's a sbarros near the kremlin in moscow and i've eaten there.

― zingon grammar (Treeship), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 03:52 (twelve years ago)

*sbarro.

― zingon grammar (Treeship), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 03:55 (twelve years ago)

СБАРРО

― j., Tuesday, 10 September 2013 03:56 (twelve years ago)

Was just in Manhatten and only saw one Sbarro's. They used to be everywhere there when I was a kid.

― This Is Not An ILX Username (LaMonte), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 03:59 (twelve years ago)

Is it near penn station? That area is like a radiation zone of undead chain restaurants you don't see elsewhere in the city

― #fomo that's the motto (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 04:11 (twelve years ago)

Similar deal at port authority iirc

― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 04:12 (twelve years ago)

Yeah you could probably just mark penn station to Times Square as a corridor of that. I really hate that whole part of manhattan

― #fomo that's the motto (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 04:13 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S06TVYqXcxk

― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 04:30 (twelve years ago)

if you really miss 'em in Manhattan, you can hop the PATH and eat @ the one in the Newport Centre Mall. there's one @ the Hoboken train station, but it's still closed on account of Sandy.

― عليك ارتداء ماكياج من مهرج مثلي الجنس المتداول مائة عميق في سيارة مصغر (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 04:38 (twelve years ago)

they also have two in Dublin, Ireland!!

― عليك ارتداء ماكياج من مهرج مثلي الجنس المتداول مائة عميق في سيارة مصغر (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 04:40 (twelve years ago)

five months pass...

155 fewer nabkin dispenders.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/sbarro-close-155-locations-22589321

― Taking Devil's Tower (by mashed potatoes) (WilliamC), Friday, 21 February 2014 17:59 (twelve years ago)

Oh no

― curmudgeon, Friday, 21 February 2014 18:37 (twelve years ago)

They should just use money.

― Eric H., Friday, 21 February 2014 18:50 (twelve years ago)

three years pass...

SBARRO IS GOOD. EAT AT SBARRO. SBARRO. EAT THERE. HAVED SOME FOOD. SPADGETTY. BIG BOWLS. SBARRO. FORK. KNIFE. MILKSHAKE DRINK. TASTES GOOD. NABKIN DISPENDER. HOT AIR BLOWER. COST MORE MDONILLDS. BETTER THEN MDONILLDS. COST MORE BURGER KING. BETTER THEN BURGER KING. SBARRO COST MORE DOLLARS AND BETTER THEN THOSED ONES. HAVED SPADGETTY. SBARRO. BIG BOWLS. SIT AT BOOTHS. WAIT FOR SPADGETTY. FORK AND KNIFE. HOT AIR BLOWER. THEY COST MORE. THEY ACT NICE. SBARRO PAY THEM. YOU PAY THEM. JUST USE MONEY. DISPENDER. HOT AIR BLOWER. GARLICK BRED. FORK AND KNIFE. BIG BOWL OF SPADGETTYS. TO GIVED THEM MONEY. EATING BOOTH. JUST PAY WITH MONEY. THEY DO THE REST. PARMAZING CHEEZE DISPENDER. TASTES GOOD. BETTER THAN MDONILIDS. HOT AIR BLOWER. GARLIC BRED ROLL. TASTES GOOD. WAIT FOR SPADGETTY. CHAIR FOR BABIES. USE DISPENDER. USE FORK. USE KNIFE. USE BOOTH. USE SBARRO. THEY DO THE REST.
― T✧✧@K✧✧.E✧✧, Wednesday, October 19, 2005 12:16 PM (eleven years ago)

― j., Friday, 19 May 2017 18:09 (nine years ago)

they have one in Aruba. i know, because i walked past it in the airport.

http://vintage.johnnyjet.com/photos/Aruba-April-2009-285.JPG

― 빨간 럼 ఎరుపు రమ్ רום אדום (Eisbaer 👼), Sunday, 21 May 2017 18:02 (nine years ago)

pizza has to be pretty fucking bad before I won't eat it

― akm, Sunday, 21 May 2017 19:07 (nine years ago)

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