Why: The Megabite Pizza continues the tradition of the former Smokey’s Pizza with hearty pizzas and family-friendly dining. Two longtime employees of Smokey’s purchased the pizza parlor and upgraded some of the ingredients. The menu selection has not changed; just a few of the items’ names have changed, and the salad bar is gone.
What I tried: I ordered the popular combo pizza and the jojos. The jojos are made from jumbo-sized wedges of potatoes that have been coated with a peppery seasoning mix, and deep-fried. The coating reminded me of the kind used when frying fresh-water fish instead of the typical kind used to fry chicken. I thought the jojos were appetizing, especially dipped in ranch dressing.
The combo pizza is topped with sliced sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, beef, olives, canned mushrooms and a bit of cheese.
The pie’s crust was not overly doughy, it was crisp from the middle to edge, and it held up well under the ingredients. Although there was not a lot of sauce on the crust, the tomato sauce was very flavorful — sweet and slightly spicy. I was disappointed with the use of canned mushrooms. I noticed both canned and fresh mushrooms are listed as topping choices for build-your-own pizzas. If I was to order the combo pizza again, I would definitely ask that fresh mushrooms be substituted for canned. Overall, the pizza reminded me of what I could get at Round Table.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The Pounder pizza is made with 1 pound of Canadian bacon. The Mega Supreme is loaded with toppings to suit a hearty appetite. The Grinder Sandwich consists of sausage, Canadian bacon and three different cheeses all baked hot in the oven before being topped with cold lettuce and tomatoes. Fish n’ Chips are made with cold water cod. Tortilla chips are piled high with mild nacho sauce, onion, tomato, beef and jalapenos for the Mega Nachos. Sour cream and salsa are served on the side.
Atmosphere: You can expect the same game-cave sort of entrance when you walk into Megabite. The restaurant has faux brick and decorative wood paneling. The main dining room remains unchanged as well and showcases game-related posters and pennants on the walls. Booths and table seating are available.
Other observations: I tried the to-go service and found the wait time reasonable. It’s not out of the question to pick up food there for a one-hour lunch break, granted you do not have to drive far. The staff was friendly. The downside to this establishment, other than the canned mushrooms, is the air quality. Much of the equipment used for baking has layer upon layer of residue that has burned and continues to emit an eye-watering haze during the baking process.
Cost: Specialty pizzas come in small, medium, and large sizes and range from $10 to $28.95. Build-your-own pizzas (with 16 toppings to choose from) come with one, two or three toppings and are available in a personal size, with prices ranging $4.80 to $24. Sandwiches are $7.95. Other menu items and sides range from $2.25 to $10.50.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Where: 6920 N.E. Highway 99, Vancouver.
Contact: 360-836-8082 or www.themegabite.net. The Megabite is also on Facebook.
Health score: The Megabite received a score of 15 on July 23. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
