The Findings
Overall: Guido's was well cooked; Bariola's was overcooked.
Crust: Guido's was thin and even, with a nice edge; Bariola's was thicker, with very little edge.
Cheese: Tasted the same, but as it cooled off, there were texture differences.
Pepperoni: Bariola's was a tiny bit spicy, but Guido's had FLAVOR.
Commentary
This was our first time at the Guido's in Tontitown and we both loved it! As soon as you walk in you get that pizza parlor smell. There are tables and red booths, with wood accents. The servers were polite and on-the-ball and everyone was friendly. Their pizza is what Bariola's used to taste like, circa 2005-2007 when it was still Guido's.
Since they've changed ownership, Bariola's is slipping. For months now, we've had trouble at the drive-thru window, so Frank just goes in to get the pizza. Several times Frank would arrive 15-20 minutes after ordering, and they hadn't even started the pizza yet. The wait staff seems to be a bit surly too. Our last pizza was undercooked, this one was overcooked.
Conclusions
After this many incidents at Bariola's and what Frank refers to as "incompetent kitchen staff" I feel fairly confident in downgrading them to 3-1/2 stars. The pizza is not bad, but it's also not Guido's anymore. They seem to have switched to cheaper ingredients and let's call it a "looser" management style. As for the real Guido's in Tontitown, 4-1/2 stars.
