A Mystic local, Stefan (nicknamed “Mango”) founded Mango’s Wood-Fired Pizza Company and has been deemed one of the best pizzaiolo in America, according to Mango’s website. He seems rather serious about his pizza pies, so I was enthused to visit, and mentally prepared myself to eat some decadent pizza.
When I entered Mango’s, tucked behind several shops crowding each other in the Old Mystic Village, lime green, bright pink, and neon orange that coat the walls grabbed my attention as I pulled out a surprisingly light-weight, dark-wooded chair and sat with my roommate. I slid my legs under the simple dark-wood table that probably has the same weight as a feather, similar to the chairs, as my eyes glued to the two-sided menu with “Pies” on one side, “Starters & Salads”, “Sub Sandwiches”, and “Beverages” on the other. I glimpsed down the straightforward menu for a catchy name until I spotted “Buff Chick”, smiled with amusement, and effortlessly ordered it. “Buff Chick” is a pizza pie which consists of gorgonzola and mozzarella cheeses, Tabasco sauce, red peppers, and chicken. Although the gorgonzola was overwhelming, the mozzarella weak, the Tabasco sauce runny, and the red peppers smushy, the chicken squares were very supple. I also noticed the bottom of the pizza had blotches of black blending with the standard tan pizza-dough-color so that it looked like a granite countertop. To my surprise it didn’t taste burnt, but instead the slice tasted as if I had just popped a block of gorgonzola cheese—which tastes exactly like bleu cheese salad dressing—into my mouth. Furthermore, the Tabasco sauce seemed like a bit of an afterthought, which made it drip down the sides of the pizza. The Tabasco on top of the bleu cheese flavor made for a sour slice of pizza; and clusters of oily red peppers that appeared straight from a can continued to contribute to an overall acerbic taste. The chicken, however, was soft, succulent, and evenly dispersed on the pizza. The chicken reminded me that maybe today was not the best of days for pizza at Mangos, and that perhaps they could make excellent pizza on a good day.
Sipping at the bliss in a bottle that is the mango soda also encouraged me to appreciate Mangos. This fun, fruity, supremely bubbly beverage comes in an old-fashioned glass bottle and has potent mango flavoring that tastes like a popsicle with a little sting from the carbonation. It’s a sublime blend of sweet and tangy that can only come from Jarritos, which is the first national brand of soda pops in Mexico. Jarritos offers nine other unique flavors of soda, two of which (pineapple and guava) are served at Mango’s. I was surprised to see that a Mexican brand was served to me at this restaurant that does not give hint to any Mexican heritage; and though the logo for the company is a pirate, it doesn’t really have a shipwrecked or beachy feel either. It reminds me a bit of the LGBTQ center because of the bright, happy walls. There are also a vast amount of large windows providing sunlight and plenty of sky and people-watching space—that is, if any people ever pass through the Old Mystic Village…maybe on a Friday night instead of this desolate Wednesday afternoon. I wouldn’t spend thirteen of my dollars for a pizza pie just to watch people pass by, but I would spend a few George Washington’s to sip at another Jarritos, a brand that only Mangos seems to provide. Mangos is a pleasant place to sit, chat, get a change of scene, and drink a fun beverage, but this time wasn’t so great for actually eating. I might have picked the worst possible day to test them out, but the walls and flavored Jarritos soda were the most memorable elements of Mango’s, so I may need to go back and try a different pizza pie. Maybe the “Chick N Choke”, which has chicken and artichoke hearts, or the “Bootlegger” which would satisfy the carnivore within me.
Salads and Starters: $5-$9
Pizzas: $10.50-$17.50
Subs: $6.50-$8.50
Fall hours: 11:30AM to 8PM
www.mangospizza.com
Old Mystic Village, Mystic
Correction: this review was replaced with its finalized version on 10/20.
This is the most inaccurate review I have ever seen.
It appears this writer is more interested in reading/hearing her “witty wording” than to actually give an honest review of a business.
No tobasco is on this pizza. #1
You have to be Mexican to serve a Mexican brand of soda?? #2
“If people ever pass through the Old Mystic Village”…. have you never been there on a weekend, or in the summer? Yeeaaaaaa. #3
“synthetic wood tables” — actually REAL wood, have sat there many times….. #4
And the review of the pizza itself is about as far from the truth as it could get.
This “food critic” thinks that Gorgonzola tastes just like BLUE CHEESE DRESSING, and does not the difference between BUFFALO SAUCE and TABASCO…. we can leave it at that.
If this is the best this writer can do in regards to a “food review” I don’t see a future for her in that department.
Not sure what your use to as far as pizzas go, but this place has one of the best pizzas around. You would think with this review that the writer has an interest in their competition or something….. I mean, who comments on the WEIGHT of a chair? lol
I am friends with 2 people at Mango’s and when I saw this, I called one and talked to the staff that served this girl and her friend, they ate the WHOLE pizza, commented how great it was and would be BACK for SURE…… if it was not good why eat the whole thing? LOL They were offered to come in and try the pizza for free, ate every bite and than thought it would be witty to leave this “review”.
Shame, because it is about as far from accurate as it comes. Try it for yourself, they really do make excellent pizza, there has to be a reason there is a LINE to get in on the weekends…. but I am sure the writer knew that….
A joke of a review