Atlas Pizza Parlor - San Bruno

637 San Mateo Ave, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 553-5005
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10a-12a, Fri-Sun 10a-1a

Last Visited: July 22, 2018

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Atlas Pizza opened on San Bruno Avenue a few months ago and since there aren't too many Indian pies in the area, I wanted to give it a try.  Newly remodeled, the big space has been divided into four sections - the dining area, the kitchen, and private two areas which seem to be primarily used for storage and a ping pong table in the back that isn't open for public use.

The front seating is ample, facing the three large screen televisions mounted on the wall and a side wall with various sports figures. On the television today were Olympics archery and a soccer game.

A large menu is printed above the counter and features Italian pizzas, Atlas Fusion Pie, subs, appetizers, salad, chicken wings, and pasta.  Although their printed menu says they serve BBQ, their only bbq offering is chicken wings.  You won't find other typical bbq items.  From the sign above the counter, there is no way to tell that they have a wide variety of juice and smoothie offerings, but a whole page is dedicated to this in their printed takeout menu.  All items are halal.

I decided to split my pie so that it was half Italian and half fusion to try out both.

- Medium Half Mighty Meaty (Red sauce, pepperoni, ham, ground beef, sausage, red onions, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese) and Half Atlas Tandoori Chicken Pie (creamy garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, red onions, diced tomatoes, tandoori chicken, green onions, and fresh cilantro) - First, the crust was very fresh tasting and the edges stayed crispy.  The menu specifically notes the fresh hand made dough.  The tandoori chicken pie was really good - smooth and creamy with a mild taste compared to the Italian half, but very flavorful.  The only improvement would have been to add more chicken.  On the Italian side, the toppings were more moist and had gone through to the bottom of the crust so that the pan showed juices flowing through.  This side was also significantly saltier than the tandoori side.  Overall, I would recommend the tandoori chicken pie since the Italian didn't stand out in comparison.  Medium 12' whole pie - Fusion $12.99, Italian $12.99

From a service standpoint, there is a lot of room for improvement.  There were some challenges understanding each other as I asked for water and there were a few exchanges before it was clear on their end that I wasn't ordering coconut water.  Also, when completing your order, you'll get a number on a stand.  All that number does is remind you of your number when it's called so that you can go retrieve your order - nobody brings you any food.  There's no point to having a number on a stand.  In some cases, I saw people go up for their pizza and about ten minutes later, go retrieve their chicken wings.  They weren't given a number at all.  Instead, the person behind the counter just yelled out 'hello' in their general direction.  For dine in, you get those super thin paper plates, and only one per person.  One of mine was dirtied by pizza sauce smudges.  When you enter or exit, there is no greeting for anyone, so don't expect a hello or thank you.

In summary, try a fusion pie and lower your service expectations.