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The Birmingham Lunch Club traveled to the heart of Homewood to visit Dave’s Pizza. All 4 members were able to attend this Easter edition of the lunch club. The cycle started over this round with Blake making the selection.

Joey: I’m a pretty light eater, so I try to avoid buffets as much as possible. But after the three other bros ordered the buffet, I felt pressured into ordering it too. I hadn’t felt that much peer pressure since Spring Break ’04, but at least I didn’t come away with a belly button ring this time. Dave’s had 4 pizzas displayed on their counter and I’m not really sure what they were. Just assume they were your normal pizza offerings. We sat on the enclosed patio and I fixed myself a flat fountain drink from a Coke machine. I was planning on ordering sweet tea, but Dave’s Pizza is apparently the only restaurant in Alabama that does not offer sweet tea. And that’s bullshit. But the pizza was great, and I even went back for more slices. I ended up eating about 4.5 slices of various pizzas, with their BBQ chicken being my favorite. I got the pizza buffet and a flat drink for under $9, which is the best deal I’ve encountered on this BLC adventure. If Dave’s can figure out how to make sweet tea or fix their Coke machine, I would love to go back. Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 bros

Brad: Chocolate bunnies, eggs and pizza. That’s what Easter was about… this year, anyway. Dave’s Pizza is tucked nicely away off the strip in Homewood. Having eaten there once before, I was concerned how quickly we could get in and out. However, that previous trip was at dinner and apparently the beautiful people of Homewood don’t prefer pizza for their second meal. More than likely though, it was because of the holiday weekend that the place was relatively empty.

After parking in the public garage, we were able to cross the street and wander straight in. I was not aware they offered a buffet, but I was glad they did. For $8.76 I was able to grab a soda and sample the various options: veggie, BBQ chicken, sausage, Buffalo chicken and also some exotic topping they called “pepperoni.” As I have mentioned before, to me, bread is paramount when it comes to sandwiches, crusts, etc. Dave’s various pizzas were OK. The Buffalo was disgusting and the BBQ was the highlight. The others were average. The crust was crunchy and offered a nice “dessert” at the end of every slice. The soda was as flat as some of the girls Blake has dated, and, despite the efforts of the manager, they remained that way throughout our visit.

I was glad to see a buffet for such a moderate price, and realistically I had no expectations going in. Dave’s Pizza was a good value, but nothing about it separated itself from the major chains. The outdoor atmosphere was perfect for that Spring day, though, and the BBQ chicken pizza is not something I have seen at other places. If you go, sit outside, eat BBQ chicken and a soda that isn’t dead. Perhaps you will review it highly. For this meal, though, it left a bit more to be desired.Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Bros

Greg: The last 2 pizza stops on the BLC tour were quite disappointing for me. I was hoping the trip to Dave’s Pizza in Homewood would be a charm. Blake and I carpooled to help the environment and we found parking in a underground lot close to the restaurant, in the heart of Homewood. The weather could not have been better, so I was hoping we would have the option for outside seating. When we got to Dave’s we found that there is a small lobby area where the pizza for the buffet is kept and then a large patio outside covered on the top and sides. Air was flowing freely and so were the good times. There were lots of TV’s outside on the patio with Masters coverage and all bros brought comedy routines and takes on Bobby Petrino (common take: would).

We all got the buffet at a very reasonable price under $9, drink included. The first round through the buffet, a fellow patron took the last slice of buffalo chicken pizza. I was told one would be up soon and to try some of the other slices. I had a pepperoni and sausage slice while I waited. I thought it was pretty good, the crust was very fresh and the toppings were high quality. Pretty decent sauce to cheese ratio, maybe a little light on the sauce. I checked back in on the buffet after about 7 minutes and there was a piping hot buffalo chicken pizza AND a BBQ chicken pizza ready. I didn’t see that flavor fiesta coming. I enjoyed both of these pizzas. Both were perfect in everything, from ingredients to temperature to crust. I was very impressed. Some of the other bros complained about the issues with the drink machine. I got Mellow Yellow and had no issues with the carbonation to syrup ratio. All in all, I have no complaints with the restaurant and thought the food was excellent. Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Bros

Blake: My pal Blair introduced me to Dave’s Pizza a couple of years ago during the lunch buffet, and I had been waiting on the right time to carry the BLC crew. Now seemed about right. I’ve never had Dave’s when it wasn’t the lunch buffet, but I’d still say it is one of my two favorite local pizzerias in the Birmingham metro area (Tortuga’s being the other). I’m still hoping to get to Rocky’s, but I know I’ll be getting a mufaletta there. It’s tough. Mellow Mushroom is really high, but it’s a chain.

Anyhow, this isn’t about all of the other pizza places I have or have not gone to, it’s about Dave’s. An eclectic buffet complete with a Buffalo chicken pizza that was really spicy, and really good. I had the “all meat” pizza, and a slice of pepperoni. But a lot of that Buffalo chicken. Everyone raved about the barbecue, but I never got a slice. Everyone also got bad sodas, but the Diet Coke fountain worked just fine. When you eat 8 slices of pizza at lunch, it’s always good to get the diet soda and keep it in the health zone. Dave’s food is terrific, and the buffet with drink for under $9 on a patio loaded with sports on television is what a “lunch with bros” should be about. The buffet means no wait time, so even after stuffing ourselves we had a half hour to just sit and chat over flat soda. Crushed red pepper and parmesean are easily accessible, and I didn’t really even miss or have a desire for hot sauce or ranch.

Homewood is chocked full of great lunch options, but Dave’s may have one of the finest pies in all of Birmingham. Great food at a great price in a great environment should be near the top of anyone’s list. Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Bros

Composite Bro Score: 4.125 Bros