Roxee M.
Yelp
I recently had a very disappointing experience at Pizza Express on Western Avenue in Albany.
After a long day of work and doctor appointments, I was excited to find the only place open late at night. I placed an order through their app for a Baked Pasta Combo Entree with a side of chicken, a salad, cheese fries with marinara dipping sauce, their signature bone-in buffalo wings with garlic Parmesan, and a beef gyro meal with a side of pita bread and rice.
The total came to $56.48.
I placed the order at 12:08PM and arrived at the store at 12:25am. They said it would be ready at 12:27Am. I walked inside the store at 12:40 after giving them another few minutes as I wanted a slice of pizza to eat on my 20 minute drive home. The pizza was great and I was tempted to order another slice but when I walked in, they had already given me my web order, which was surprisingly already sitting in the corner ready and waiting for me. The containers were steaming hot, which made me question how they could have prepared my food so quickly.
When I got home, I was extremely disappointed. While I enjoyed the slice of pizza I had while waiting in the store, everything else was a complete waste of money.
The chicken wings were not fresh and seemed to have been reheated in a oven as the aluminum containers they were in was filled of oil. The French fries were soggy and not fresh as if they were made in a oven as well. They lacked flavor and tasted like they were frozen fries placed in an oven to be reheated. The gyro over rice was shaved lamb meat or beef served over plain white rice with green peppers and onions.
Despite being hungry, I could only manage to pick at the gyro platter and pick at the French fries. I placed everything else in the fridge to take back to the store for a refund when they reopened the next day.
The next day when I called the store, I spoke with Iyahd, who hung up on me mid-sentence as I was explaining my concerns. It appears he assumed I was a college student, given their location across from UAlbany and their late-night hours catering to students. None of the food seemed freshly prepared, and the pizzas sitting in the window for display even looked old.
I asked for a refund for the pasta dish and the bone-in wings, but Iyahd refused and called the manager or owner, explaining the situation in their language (not English). I reiterated that I wanted a refund for everything I did not eat, but my request was declined by him.
Overall, this experience was deeply disappointing. I would not recommend Pizza Express to anyone looking for fresh, quality food, especially late at night.
The owner said he would issue me a refund on Saturday when I spoke with him. I left everything on his counter even the picked at French fries and the half left gyro platter. Today is Tuesday, September 24, 2024 and he issued a refund of $31.58. In essence, he was still charging me for the gyro platter and cheese fries. I will never order from them again and I recommend that others don't.