I’m of the belief that Northeast Pennsylvania is home to some of the best pizza, wings, and food in the world. I have been touting this for years because the mom and pop restaurants in our area take so much pride in what they serve. These local proprietors really know what they are doing. But even I am shocked from time to time at where you can find great food in NEPA. Take for example the fact that hundreds of people have mentioned to me over the years that a few bowling alleys in our area have fantastic food and amazing pizza in particular.
Think Bowling Alley Food Stinks? Think Again!
When I think of bowling alley food, I think of buying a stale bag of chips off a wire chip rack! Add on a fountain RC Cola served in a Styrofoam cup, and a slice of Nardone’s pizza heated up in a toaster oven. How could I have this perception of bowling alley food while so many people say otherwise? Could this many people be wrong? Rather than perpetuate this generalization in my head, I decided it was time to make a move and investigate for myself! I was already in the Dallas area trying out TC Riley’s so I decided it was a better time than ever than to hit up Spare Time Pizza which is located inside Back Mountain Bowl in Dallas.
Upon entering, I noticed that Spare Time Pizza was no concession stand, but a full service restaurant with dining room and bar. I grabbed a booth in the dining room because the bar looked to be very busy and I like to review my pizza in peace. The service was amazing, I was greeted right away and had a trio or perhaps a quartet of servers continually checking on me to make sure I didn’t need anything. I knew I had to take some food back home so I grabbed a large tray (12 cuts) of pizza and an order of wings. They were both ready in no time flat despite how busy it was. I was amazed at the volume that this restaurant was pushing out of the kitchen.
Reviewing Spare Time Pizza!
Please check out the detailed reviews and ratings of the 3 pizzas I tried at Spare Time Pizza. This pizza certainly measures up to non-bowling alley pizzas (if that’s even a thing) and receives my recommendation to the NEPA Nation to try out. After completing this review, I am again left amazed by yet another NEPA eatery which offers great food even when it’s attached to a bowling alley! Next up – Chacko’s Family Bowling Center!
Want to know which pizza sauces are the best? I taste tested them all so you don’t have to! Here are my Rankings of the Best Pizza Sauces!
Rating Spare Time Pizza’s General Tso Pizza
- Restaurant: Spare Time Pizza (Back Mountain Bowl)
- Location: 120 Memorial Hwy C, Dallas, PA 18612
- Date: April 2024
- Pizza Ordered: 6 cuts General Tso Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza
- Eat In/Take Out: Eat In
The General Tso Pizza is a relatively new addition to the Menu at Spare Time in Dallas. It already has a massive cult following and is gaining broader recognition by the day. I just had to try this, but also wanted to try the legendary hot wing pizza. Ordering a half tray of the general and a half tray of the chicken wing seemed like the natural choice!
You can see my description of the crust in the hot wing review below, but this one is really about the toppings and sauce. Chicken, broccoli, cheese, and General Tso’s sauce are on this pizza. Now, I’ve had my fair share of General Tso at the Chinese buffet over the years. Suffice to say it’s not my favorite but I’ll put a chunk or two on the plate just to feel like I got the full experience. I can’t say I’ve ever had a memorable or even enjoyable experience with this food – until now.
The sauce on this pizza was sweet, had some punchy heat, and a hint of saltiness to it. Really a well balanced sauce that tasted fresh and not syrupy like I’m accustomed to at the buffet! The broccoli was chopped up small and provided a subtle flavor contrast, and a unique texture. I ordered this with optional onions which brought out even more flavor and texture.
The flavors were so vibrant and complex that it was difficult for me to believe that chicken, cheese, and onions were the only toppings on this pizza. However, I couldn’t find any other ingredients on this tray! Exceptionally well executed pizza that is easy to love.
| Rating Category | Rating Score |
|---|---|
| Crust | 7.8 |
| Sauce | 8.1 |
| Cheese | 8.1 |
| Taste | 8.7 |
| Crispy/Cooked Properly | 7.7 |
| Value | 7.7 |
| Overall Rating | 8.1 |
Rating Spare Time’s Chicken Wing Pizza
- Restaurant: Spare Time Pizza (Back Mountain Bowl)
- Location: 120 Memorial Hwy C, Dallas, PA 18612
- Date: April 2024
- Pizza Ordered: 6 Cuts Chicken Wing Pizza (Hot)
- Eat In/Take Out: Eat In
Spare Time Pizza in Dallas is consistently the favorite chicken wing pizza of NEPA locals whenever I poll my readers. I’ve heard about this pan fried Sicilian buffalo chicken pizza for over a decade! You can just imagine how high my expectations were with all of the hype. I opted to order the pizza without onions and with their hot sauce on it.
The buffalo sauce was a great match for a buffalo chicken pizza. It featured a medium level of heat, a hint of sweetness, and even some smoky notes. It had a shiny sheen to it and a medium viscosity that was neither runny nor thick. Each cut was loaded with diced white meat chicken. I presume the cheese underneath all of the toppings was cheddar as most pan fried Sicilian pizzas have. To finish, they added some bleu cheese crumbles.
The crust on this pizza was soft and tender with a slight crisp on the bottom and a crunch on the outer edge. The pizza was absolutely loaded and a bit messy to eat, but so satisfying. The combination of the toppings and ratio of each ingredient was outstanding. A brilliantly executed pizza that is absolutely deserving of every bit of hype. This is elite hot wing pizza, and now I understand why people love it so much!
| Rating Category | Rating Score |
|---|---|
| Crust | 7.9 |
| Sauce | 8.1 |
| Cheese | 8.1 |
| Taste | 8.2 |
| Crispy/Cooked Properly | 7.8 |
| Value | 7.5 |
| Overall Rating | 7.9 |
Pizza is Similar to: Sicilian Bella Festa, Togoz Pizza
Rating Spare Time’s Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza
- Restaurant: Spare Time Pizza (Back Mountain Bowl)
- Location: 120 Memorial Hwy C, Dallas, PA 18612
- Date: April 2024
- Pizza Ordered: 12 cuts Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza With Onions
- Eat In/Take Out: Eat In
The pan fried sicilian pizza came out looking fantastic. The cheese on top allowed for spots of deep red sauce and diced onions to poke through. You can order the pizza with or without onions. I’m of the opinion that pan fried Sicilian pizza was designed to come with onions on it to provide flavor, texture, and aroma but if you’re an onion hater there are options.
These onions were diced larger than most other pan fried Sicilians in the area and were the size of most onion toppings you’d receive on any other pizza around. The pizza was light on the sauce but there was certainly enough present to provide some moisture and flavor into the equation. The crust was wonderfully light and crisp particularly around the edges.
One question that many people ask is “how greasy is the pizza?” I would say this pizza was one of the least greasy pan fried Sicilians that I’ve ever had, right up there with Pizza Heaven of Luzerne. So on a scale of 1 (no grease at all, totally dry) to 10 (skip the napkins and go get a beach towel) this pizza came in somewhere around a 4. Overall, I enjoyed this pizza as it was cooked properly, had good flavors and wasn’t too greasy.
| Rating Category | Rating Score |
|---|---|
| Crust | 7.9 |
| Sauce | 7.7 |
| Cheese | 8.1 |
| Taste | 8.4 |
| Crispy/Cooked Properly | 7.8 |
| Value | 7.7 |
| Overall Rating | 7.9 |
Pizza is Similar to: Pizza Perfect, Teberio’s, Ernie G’s
