(Let’s face it: There are times when you’re starving and you’re just not rolling with much cash. Pop out the plastic? Well, no; got a bill to pay on that. What can you do with the one bill sitting in your wallet–say, a five-spot? Glad you asked. We’re on a mission to find the places in the SGF that will feed you a decent meal for five dollars or less, with tax.)
We’ll begin with a little-known south-side pizza shop with an incredible deal.
The chicken alfredo pizza, the slice of the day on our visit.
Rosati’s Pizza (3049 S. Fremont Ave., 417-877-2008) specializes in Chicago-style pizzas and, thanks to its prime location just a stone’s throw away from Battlefield Mall and several shopping centers, caters heavily to the quick-lunch business crowd at midday. No wonder: You can get a slice of pizza and a drink for less than $5. The usual price is $3.50, but I opted for the special of the day ($3.75), which was an outstanding chicken alfredo pizza.
Before you think something along the lines of “how the heck is a slice of pizza going to satisfy my all-consuming food craving,” understand that if you put all the slices of this pizza back together it could double as a nightstand. This is no small pie, and the slices it makes are enormous. Each one comes individually boxed in a perfectly sized, slice-shaped box and, while they’re made in advance, they taste relatively fresh. With the steady stream of traffic moving through the small restaurant to pick up a get-it-and-go meal, these slices don’t sit around long enough to age.
The total: $4.96 for pizza, drink and tax.
