In downtown Parkersburg, Maka Mia replaced my beloved DiCarlo's. I won't hold it against the pizza restaurant; instead, I'll go in with an open mind - and stomach.



I didn't realize they have more than a handful of restaurants, though I have been to the Ripley location. Some background:

"In 2006, an independent grocery store owner in Kentucky had an idea. He was looking to attract new customers and increase sales to current ones, while staying ahead of the larger supermarket chains. The plan was to use existing deli facilities and staff to create a unique food destination. The concept didn’t come together overnight. It took months of experimenting, baking dough, creating the best tasting sauce, and never settling for anything but the highest quality ingredients. This was important to the concept, because everyone wants a great tasting product and fresh ingredients, with the option to customize it. The next step included branding and marketing, which took more than five years of work, research and design. Today, Máka Mia is a fully registered, trademarked company. From full color counter fronts and outdoor signage to professionally designed digital menus and online ordering, the Máka Mia Team created a package ready to deliver big results in a few short set-up days. The final product is a signature pizza and hoagie concept with over 40 stores in five states, proving the Máka Mia concept a success. Check it out for yourself and see if you don’t agree that Máka Mia is the best tasting pizza you’ve ever had!?"



So, it's a franchise and by looking at the locations, it seems the product is available in grocery stores, food marts and grocery stores - plus a few restaurants dedicated to the name. 

The space has limited indoor dining - whether that's by design or due to COVID19 - but I had placed an order online so I was just picking up anyway. The space has some wood panel flooring, corrugated steel and basic decor. 



The pizza is above average. I like that the pizza sauce was a little bit sweet, and the dough was toothsome - not cracker thin but could actually get some bite from it. 



I also order pretzel bites with cheese, and these were decent, too. I don't see these on menus as often as I'd like, so it was nice little treat. Overall, decent flavors - nothing too different - but still a reliably good slice.

Grade: B