Create your version of a perfect pie at Uncle Maddio’s

Cosmo Kramer’s dream has come true, though perhaps slightly differently than he imagined. The Build-Your-Own pizza joint is one of the fastest growing trends in the restaurant business, and we have one right off Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins.

When you enter Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint, it looks very much like a Subway or a Moe’s. You select your crust type, size, then toppings — either pre-designed by them or three of your choice. One huge benefit to Uncle Maddio’s is the gluten-free crust as well as the whole wheat. The traditional crust is fantastic, very thin and merely a vehicle for your (mostly) healthy toppings.

As your crust moves down the line, you can ask them to add your choice of six sauces: tomato basil, zesty barbecue, buttermilk ranch, spicy buffalo, herb pesto or just garlic olive oil. Next, you request your cheese: mozzarella, cheddar, goat cheddar, ricotta, feta, blue cheese or even Daiya vegan cheese.

Next up are your toppings. Meats include the usual suspects plus chicken-apple sausage, grilled angus steak, meatballs, spicy sausage and jerk chicken. Unusual vegetable choices include black bean and corn salsa, broccoli, caramelized onions, celery, sun dried tomatoes, red onions and zucchini. After putting it all together, they put it on the conveyor belt to the oven and five minutes later you have your perfect pie.

I’ve never designed my own because I’m a huge fan of the predesigned ones; they’re just a dollar more and most of them have at least four toppings. My favorite is the Spicy Italian with red onions, mushrooms, banana peppers and fresh basil, finished with a little balsamic reduction. The Steak and Blue has an olive oil base with blue cheese crumbles, angus steak, roma tomatoes, garlic, spinach, fresh basil and more of that balsamic glaze.

Any pizza can be made into a salad (the seasonal Thai chicken is wonderful), and foldwiches are essentially a healthier version of the calzone. It’s not as cheap as most chain pizza places, but it’s a whole lot healthier and, in most cases, a whole lot better.

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Create your version of a perfect pie at Uncle Maddio’s."