Movie & Pizza Company - Dinner & Trivia

WHERE WE WENT:   
Movie & Pizza Company
110 Harbor Town Square
Memphis, TN 38103



WHAT WE ORDERED:

 Sausage and Cheese Platter, Garlic Bread, Beef & Spinach Stuffed Shells, Yeungling,
Shiner Wild Hare

WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 7       
Menu - 6
Presentation - 5
Taste - 7
Price - 8
Service - 9
 Overall -7


Atmosphere - The space of the restaurant is typical of a restaurant in a strip mall, since it does not stand alone. It is one room where you can see everything the moment you walk in the door. The walls are a semi-obnoxious, not quite lime green that did not match our personal tastes, but some people may be a fan of. It has a nice focal point - a big screen TV that is mounted high directly behind the bar. The whole restaurant sort of gravitates toward it. The seating is a combination of booths and tables very few of which seem to match. The great part about it though is the wall decor. Mounted on the awful green walls you'll find framed photography, aluminum signs of beer logos and movie posters showcasing some of the greats like Pulp Fiction and The Godfather. Also, if that wasn't cool enough, there's a giant King Kong replica caged in the top corner.

Menu -  The menu contained a decent variety of pastas, sandwiches, pizza and a few salads. There were substantial vegetarian options. Where the menu loses the bulk of 
 its points is in ease of use and pure error. First off, there were three chalk special boards placed randomly throughout the restaurant each detailing different items. If you didn't look closely, you could miss one, like I did. When I saw it as we were leaving, it made me wish I had gotten something else. It would have greatly improved our experience if they had just had a sheet explaining the specials. They have a good selection of wine and beer, including many craft beers and local brews to the tri-state area. HOWEVER, they do not know how to categorize their beer. They have it divided into "Domestic" and "Imports." Only four of the beers listed in the import section were actually imported. They seem to use the two terms interchangeably with "cheap" and "cheaper."

Presentation -You don't expect fantastic presentation from a place like Movie & Pizza Company, but you do expect consistency. The beef & spinach shells were served in ceramic dish that had obvious wear, making it feel like a home-cooked dish. The sausage and cheese platter and the garlic bread were both served in red diner baskets with wax paper. The sausage and cheese platter had a lot of potential for interesting plating, or at least a plate.


Taste - The sausage and cheese platter was good. The sausage was crisp on the edges with a great texture and just the right amount of spice. The BBQ sauce served with it was an excellent addition to the taste, both sweet and smoky. It had the makings of a great dish if the cheese pairings had been a little more original than sharp cheddar and pepper jack cubes. The overabundance of crackers was also distracting. As for the shells, the sauce was delicious, just a little sweet. All 3 shells were overflowing with spinach and ricotta, HOWEVER there was a distinct lack of beef, just enough to say they held true to the name but not enough to contribute to the taste. It felt like eating florentine shells, which would have been delicious if that were the order. The garlic bread...well you can't really mess up garlic bread.

Price - The menu was well priced, especially considering the portion sizes. Beer and wine as reasonable, both draft, bottled, and pitchers. At the changing of seasons they have $2 "firesales" to get rid of their seasonal beer.

Service - Our waitress was attentive and friendly. She answered questions and gave suggestions enthusiastically. The only issue is that it took a long while to get our check.

Extras - Tuesday nights are movie nights, where they screen a classic up behind the bar.
Friday nights at 8:30 is free team trivia.
Check the website linked below for a schedule.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Yes. It's a great place to hang out. The food is good and the drinks are affordable.

Here's a link to their website: www.moviepizzacompany.com/‎