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Us
Published
by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. CLICK FOR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
Friday, October 19, 2001
Feels like you're at Mom's house
Filling food and friendly service is the norm at Fat Farren's Pizzeria
Good news
Fat Farren's has great food, low prices and friendly, attentive service. You get a relaxing atmosphere that provides a real lunchtime getaway.
Bad news
If more customers don't start warming the chairs of this charming eatery, we fear we're in danger of losing it. We ate at the height of a weekday lunch hour, and only had one other couple joining us in the upstairs dining room. Yikes.
Food for thought
We stepped into Fat Farren's and immediately liked the quiet atmosphere and import décor.
We ordered downstairs, where Tejano singer and Corpus Christi native Jennifer Pena had scrawled, "I ate pizza at Fat Farren's and it was goooood!" on the wall during a visit earlier this year.
We ordered a pizza and a sandwich and walked upstairs to take our seats. The iron chairs were hard and lined with thin cushions. Not the coziest arrangement, but we soon forgot about it as we peeked over the railing to watch our entrees take shape.
It's like going home to watch Mom make your favorite meal. My companion's pizza dough was gently attacked with a rolling pin, and bins and baggies of toppings were pulled out one by one to create his was a custom-ordered pie with Canadian bacon, jalapenos and fresh garlic. Small-10-inch- pizzas start at $4.99 and run to an extra-large, 16-inch pizza for $16.99 plus toppings, which are 99 cents each and include the usual pepperoni, olives, onions, pineapple and Italian sausage.
Our hostess apologized for the wait as she refilled our drinks twice before the food arrived. Since we could watch our meals being made by hand, however, we didn't mind.Those with a one- hour lunch might get a little nervous but, to be fair, our hostess was taking orders, cooking and waiting on us.
Lunch arrived hot and tasty. My companion's pizza was bursting with spicy flavor fresh ingredients on a thin,and a crispy crust. It was quickly demolished. My salami sandwich, which could have been an ordinary affair, was also a good, hot meal. Thick slices of salami (not your ordinary deli meat)had been heated in the oven and added to wheat bread along with Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato. The potato chips were ho-hum but the sandwich was so filling it really didn't matter.
Reluctant to leave this quiet corner of downtown, we inched our way downstairs and paid our bill, were unable to resist a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie on the way out. At first it seemed dry, but with each biteIt was clear that while this wasn't the chewy cookie we prefer. It was pleasantly light and fluffy, a perfect end to a nap-inducing lunch.
Service
Service was very friendly. Again, it was like going home to Mom for lunch, or at least a maternal neighbor. We didn't feel smothered, but we were asked frequently if we needed anything and whether everything was up to par. It was, and we'll be back.
Fat Farren's Pizzeria, Deli & Imports, 402 Peoples St., #1-A, 882-3917
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Entrees: $3.50 to $4.99 (plus pizza toppings, at 99 cents each)
Checks: Yes
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair accessible: Yes
Food: 2.5 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 2.5 stars
Restaurant reviews are written by a team of freelance writers. The Caller-Times pays for the meals. From time-to-time the writers visit previously reviewed restaurants to update the information.
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