MG’s Pizza

The owner is nuts. I will never go to this place again.

I live in the area, and have never really had a good experience here. i just feel like the food quality is really inconsistent, and it isn’t worth the hassle to deal with the owner, who clearly has an alcohol issue. my husband has enjoyed the prime rib and wings, and i once received a very strange «burger» there, which appeared to have been put in a paninni press. the pizza was fine, but nothing to write home about. i really only go here as a last resort. i was really offended by the fact that owner was drinking while preparing my food, and clearly had a strong buzz on. now i know that those in the restaurant business tend to imbibe, but when you’re working in an open kitchen, at least have the decency to not let your patrons see you chugging a 40 while you cook. do it out back or after work. the one positive of this place, is that it is one of the few places open fairly late in Montclair.

We went twice but found the service really slow both times.

I got a flier for a discounted pizza so i wanted to check it out. I first read the reviews on Unilocal and almost stayed away but thought it would be worth a try. The pizza was thinner than a cracker and looked like it was in the oven too long. My wife and I ate the whole thing so it wasn’t bad just not a whole lot of it. The owner let me try a rib, so that was nice. And I may have seen one of his drinking buddies there at the counter. Small place. There was a patron having a pizza pie that looked a-​lot better than mine. So maybe eating in house may be better. (I think there’s room for only 2 small tables).

This place is great, Mike is more then friendly once you get to know him, good burgers and ribs, haven’t really tried the pizza. People need to chill and leave their negativity at home.

i really like this guy… really down to earth, fun to hang out… and the RIBs, are amazing. Montclair isn’t high on my favorite place to eat list– but this is the exception. I have lived here since i was 4 yrs old. A great place to eat.
~patrick

Awesome little neighborhood place!
Had been meaning to try it for quite awhile. We arrived just after opening on a Sunday night. The pizza was excellent. (We ordered the Del Mar — pepperoni, mushrooms, & olives.) Thin cornmeal crust, light and crispy on the outside, and the dough is unbleached with no preservatives or chemicals. Garden salad really is just that — greens are organic, coming straight from the owner’s garden. Fabulous! (Tomatoes from that same garden will be used later in the season when they ripen.) They also do BBQ ribs, using their house-​made sauce. Once we tried them, we became hooked. Customer service is first rate. We were made to feel at home. For folks in the area, please check them out. We’re planning to go back and make them a regular stop. They do take-​out as well. The owner, Mike, waited on us and made our pizza. Very friendly man. We had a good experience and were very comfortable.

I gave MG’s pizza five stars because the pizza is really great. I think most restaurant pizza is bad and usually to get a good pizza you have to make it yourself at home.
My friend and I had salads with our pizza and they were good, too. I know Mike grows some of the veggies in his garden at home.
About Mike, yes he a bit nuts, but if I wanted a corporate robot greeting me and saying «Have a nice day,» whey I leave I would go to Applebees or some other lame place.

Just had the best steak sandwich I’ve had in ages. The owner is super friendly as well. :-)

I hate to complain too much but they forced my hand. The owner of this place is very rude. Either on the phone or in person, he has been short and sometimes confrontational. The only reason I gave them a second chance is because it is so close to my house. While waiting for one pizza, the owner began trash talking all the other restaurants in Montclair and saying they are all filled with roaches and then he went on a racial commentary… The pizza was hit or miss… The first time we went there it was great with a thin crisp crust and good sauce. After that, it was inconsistent, and of course you have to deal with the owner. Now I just go to Cybelle’s and buy the dough for crust $ 3 and let my kids make their own pizza at home.

Something wrong with this business owner… Have written a complaint to the city… Don’t be surprised if you find some empty alcoholic beverages floating around the Thornhill Drive area… Apparently him and his buddies enjoy a good time in the evenings etc…

It’s time for an update for MG’s Pizza. Mike’s pies remain as delicious as I’ve always found them: fresh ingredients, nicely seasoned crust, and perfect timing in the oven. Why the update? Mike has added garden-​fresh salads. This means salad greens that are grown in his own garden! How many local pizzerias offer salads that originate in the owner’s land? Only the best ones.
Mike has also added a tasty new sandwich to his lineup. He calls it a battered chicken sandwich. A tender chicken breast is breaded and seasoned, gently fried, and served on a soft roll with piquant cole slaw. It’s really delicious. Don’t miss it.
I like how MG’s Pizza always tries new offerings to keep the business interesting and to keep my palate interested. Good going!

As a former employee of the crazy and drunk «MG» DO NOT EAT HERE!!!
the food quality can be okay, the dough arrives usually pretty fresh, but i remember the mayo being months past it’s date and he would still tell me to serve it (for the sandwiches). i would actually have to smell food before using it just to see if it was still good and then he’d get mad at me. i’m sorry if i’m not trying to give people food poisoning.
the oven is ridiculously small. it fits like a pie and a half. so count of waiting like an hour for your pizza, even if he says 20 minutes. Plus it’s over priced, way overpriced for the quality.
He’s crazy, he would leave and come back drunk. he would leave fosters cans and 40 oz in the back of our counter where all the ingredients were and in the back of the fridge where the costumers buy their juice and soda.
He’s always drunk and yells at costumers and he loves his caller ID, so watch out. he’s the driver, so if he’s not drunk and «feels like it,» thats how you will get the delivery. worst boss ever. plus there’s always some of his drunk gross friends that hang out around the counter waiting to hit on you. he’s a sleaze with braces, i mean come on, you’re like 50 at least? it’s time to give up.
DO NOT EAT HERE!!!

I have had great experiences with MG’s Pizza. I love their Meatball subs especially. I’m hoping Chicken Parm Subs will be added to the menu and garlic knots. I’m from the east coast and they have the best meatball sub I’ve had in 15 yrs living in the Bay. I enjoy talking to the staff and would highly recommend you check them out. They are on my speed dial on my phone ;b.

i’m not really sure what all the complaints are about, but they sound personal.
i decided not to review mg’s until i had had multiple experiences with it, and now, after three visits, i can officially say it is pretty damn good.
i haven’t had any negative experiences with the staff or the owner, in fact, quite the opposite. there were some teenagers working there the first night i went, and they were good kids. i sat and talked with them for a while, waiting for my pizza.
the second and third time, i dealt directly with the owner. he’s cool. i mean, he’s not some overly nice guy. he’s opinionated, yes, but who cares really?
i only do take out so i can’t comment on the delivery, but the pizza always seems to take the standard 20 minutes to prepare for take out. the quality of the pizza is good. it tastes fresh and hot, and… ok, it’s not the best pizza i’ve ever had in my entire life, but it’s pretty freaking good. i brought friends here from tahoe and they were ecstatic about it.
i don’t know. it is slim pickings in montclair, but i can say i would still order from this place even if it weren’t. that says something, right?
oh, and they are open later than most spots in montclair.
recommended.

Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch?
Today I stopped in to get a bite to eat … and when I went to pay, I realized I forgot my wallet. Bummer. A nice woman at the counter, Carrie, said she would be happy to buy my lunch. I was shocked and thrilled. That was such a generous thing to do.
What a nice neighborhood spot that is very convenient. We will be back to try the pizza.
And when you go here, don’t be in a hurry … cause it can take a while.

I have a one year old baby and not enough time to write out my entire experience with MG’s, but I will point out the highlights (or should I say «lowlights»)
1) They were so bizarre when taking our order. Way too casual and distracted. When my husband said we wanted delivery they said they had no driver.
2) Then 2 seconds later they caller-id’d us and said the driver just walked in– weird… They would deliver us a pizza, but it had to be a large, for five dollars more, and not the medium we wanted.
3) We agreed to get the large and the guy on the phone was so rude, that when my husband said to hold on while he got his credit card, because they called us, you remember„ the guy said, «forget it just pay cash».
4) Then he said the pizza would be here in 20 minutes and hung up on us.
5) 40 minutes later the pizza still has not arrived, so I call to check on it and he asks me for directions. I’m like, dude, you havent even left yet. He starts yelling at me that the pizza just came out of the oven and would be here shortly and what do i want him to do about it. I’m like, «uh, apologize and maybe give me a discount» He says «Nope theres no discount», just like that. No apology. So he says, «what do you want me to do». I’m like, «Sorry, but you are rude and I dont want the pizza. » He hangs up on me.
6) Then he calls me back!!! He tells me not to order from there anymore! I got fired as a customer!
7) Then he calls me again. He tells me there are 6 people listening to me on speakerphone and he starts yelling at me about how is takes 20 minutes to make a pizza, and he has it there and I asked him why he told me 20 minutes if that is how long it takes to make the pizza and doesn’t include the driving time. He hung up on me.
8) then he calls back and starts yelling at me and saying he has the pizza and it is free. I’m thinking I would have to be crazy to put that pizza inside my body– god only knows what he did to it. I say no thanks and when he starts yelling I tell him he is harassing me and to stop calling my house.
I am not kidding when i say we were really scared that this crazy dude has our address. He was so rude and his behavior was truly bizarre. I will NEVER EVER call MG’s again!!! And I love pizza, order all the time from rustica and thought we would try something new– but hell NO!!!

I went once. The owner appears to have zero food service experience. The pizza is very average, and the oven looks like something that would reside in a dorm room. I was hoping Montclair could get an alternative to Rustica (expensive) and Cybelle’s (just bad) but this ain’t it.

11:30pm on a Friday night and our friends came over after a movie and hadn’t had dinner. They wanted some pizza. We called several places and they were all closed (what’s up with that Oaktown?). They said they saw lights on at MG’s just down the hill so we rang them up and I was surprised when someone answered since their menus say they close at 10pm on Fri/​Sat.
Score!. .. or so I thought.
The ½ hr estimate turned into an hour. Doorbell rings and one of my friends got the door and paid the driver.
«How much?» was asked when he came back so folks could chip in.
«$ 29.50. I gave him $ 32»
I bolted up. $ 29.50?!? I found the take out menu. 1 item large = $ 21!!! WTF! Even their large special combos are listed at $ 22.50. Unless they have a $ 7 delivery charge for driving a mile up the hill or prices have gone up 40% in the last 3 months, the driver scammed us.
To add insult to scam-​jury the pizza was the most misshapen (think kidney bean, not circular), over herbed, over cooked thing I have eaten in a long while. Not good at all. Maybe some of Mike’s friends were hanging out on a Friday night and just decided to answer the phone and fulfill an order? I can only hope.
Avoid. Shady. Very shady.

This is in the phone book (and on google) as the Montclair Pizza Company, but Mike, the proprietor thought that was too fussy and changed the name to MG’s Pizza. He makes an honest pie in a two-​pie max oven out of a place in a strip mall. He’s a character, a former builder who took home a Round Table pizza one night after a hard day and had to throw it out it was so bad. Anyway, he’s decided to try and compete in this difficult market. He has one advantage for me – he’s right down the street. Another is that its fun to go in and talk to him while he makes your pie.
We talked about Rustica, the gourmet pizza in Montclair and how fresh their stuff is. Mike, if you want fresh then cut it to order! When you get bigger, hire a prep cook.
So the pie. Its very good. Sausage and Pepperoni is my staple. A medium is under $ 15 and I know its fresh ’cause I watched it being made. Check it out if you live in the area. I think they deliver now, but, really, you should drive down and talk to Mike while its being made!