I can fully understand their location: within walking distance of the bars, I'm totally convinced this place would absolutely satisfy a drunk, college student.
At 1pm on a weekday, this simply was not I.
(Not, at least, on this day.)
As I've said before, a pizza is pretty darn simple to make... this is why its a fallback food for me. You can go to mostly any spot and pick up a good lil' pie. That's exactly what I'd call the slice I ate here- meh. Decent. Filled the tummy. Just nothing special.
Oh, and for 1 slice, my goodness it took forever to get out.
Seriously good pizza. A downtown Denton tradition. And if you're lucky and keep your ear to the ground, you'll learn of the great concerts they host in their basement.
While the Pizza is good and their most obvious offering, don't forget about their sub sandwiches. Easily the best sandwiches on that part of the square. Great for a quick and easy dinner and a beer out.
It was an overcast day with lots of wind blowing around the square. I had picked up the kiddo a little while ago and she loves walking around there, especially if she's either getting ice cream at Beth Marie's or candy over at Atomic Candy. She didn't get either today. It was Memorial weekend and American Flags were lining all four sides of the square, so that was pretty cool to see them all waving about. I hadn't eaten since 9am and needed something to keep me happy until we threw some lamb chops on the grill later. Yum!
I've been to J&Js twice. Once for a pretty decent Italian Beef sandwich and the second time for a rather lacking turkey sub. Yes, I know the place is called J&J pizza, but I'd yet to try it. I guess it was time. I really didn't have high expectations, I have been know to criticize Texas pizza before. But a slice couldn't hurt me.
We were there in the mid afternoon and they had no slices ready, so we got to have a fresh pie made. I went with pepperoni. There's never anything wrong with a pepperoni pizza, right? Well, unless you're a vegetarian. Anyways, got a nice big slice, which happen to be two regular slices covered with pepperoni and cheese and just smoking away from just coming out of the oven. First thing I noticed, The cheese and pepperoni went all the way covering the crust, kinda odd but it still looked good (see the picture I took). As for the taste? I was surprised, it was good. Good and cheesy. My god they put on alot of cheese. So much so that my daughter was picking off globs of cheese and eating them, and my slices still had plenty on them. The crust was nice and crispy and it was all cooked well. It was very much on the greasy side. I can't tell you how many napkins I went through. It hit the spot and filled me up and even with the hit or miss food I have had in the past, I'm pretty sure I want to try some pizza again from here. That says quite a bit about it.
Good food, cool decor and they have a bar with some good Texas beers on tap including Armadillo which is local to Denton.
Support Denton Businesses.
Overrated.
It's average pizza in an average place. The staff is cool and generally friendly. I agree with most of the reviewers that this place is crazy overpriced; they even add a dollar to your check if you pay with a card! I'm more than sure that the prices they charge for their mediocre pizza and ingredients cover the cost of a credit transaction.
The coolest part about this place is the basement that holds concerts, besides that you're not missing much if you skip this place.
Great Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza and wonderful Italian Beef Sandwiches. Â The older gentleman is one of the owners and is always friendly and has time to greet you. Â Cold draft beer reasonably priced. Â In a great old building downtown on the square with a wall made from local stone and a creaking wood floor. Â Truly a piece of Denton's local landscape!
Review Source:J &J's is first of all really really slow. They need more staff because I waited 30 minutes for my food. I got spagetti and meatballs and my boyfriend got the calzone.
Let me just say this pace was pretty dang pricey. Spagetti and Meatballs was just average, nothing special and I couldn't complain
My boyfriend said his calzone was gross and ended up just eating the meat.
Beer is expensive too.
Also what's with the basement downstairs? Crap music is played all night. It looks like I found where the hipsters dwell
Not too shabby! I only visited here less than a handful of times during my undergrad days but always enjoyed the pizzas that we got with friends and organization meetings. I actually had no idea that we could order pizza by the slice, but I went back with some friends the other day and I was happy to see Pizza by the individual slices. I got all the toppings I wanted, 2 slices of it, and it was just $5.50! I ordered a customized Chicken & Spinach calzone for about $8 and it was good too.
The wait was about 20 minutes, the place is historic and a bit run down, but it's the perfect "Denton" place to take people because it's such a part of the city. I really like that there's live music at night here-- that's just one more great thing about this place!
Anyone complaining about the price is probably a student or is comparing it to chain delivery places. If you're going to do that, at least recognize that this pizza is MUCH better that those. I've never bought it by the slice, but splitting a large always leaves me super full and satisfied.
Didn't think the employees were pretentious either. My buddy and I were both wearing shirts from diff bands that the guy knew of and we chatted about both with us (completely different genres at that).
They give free Schlitz to performers, maybe I'll bring my recorder next time.
RUDE, unfriendly service. Â Took over twice as long to deliver than promised.
The staff was rude, unhelpful, and pretentious. Â The young woman, whom my girlfriend spoke with, assumed an argumentative tone and refused to cancel or refund our order, even before the pizza had been delivered. Â I had to CALL MY BANK just to get the charge taken away for a pizza I never received! Â
AVOID THESE PEOPLE AT ALL COSTS! Â I have never been treated worse at any restaurant in my life.
I don't understand how they get positive reviews; either these people have never had to deal with the staff, from a customer service standpoint, or employees/owners are writing reviews.
The pizza's definitely good, there's no denying that... but it just depends on how long you want to wait for it and how much you want to pay. Pretty pricey for what it is. 2 average sized slices that have been sitting on a warmer for who knows how long will run you almost $7 without a tip (which seems to be expected even for to go?) I've never been real impressed with the service there, either. Waited over 45 minutes for a large pizza once and was treated like crap when it did finally come out... cold.
I'd say make the drive to Sanger for The Tomato or get to go from T.J.s
We went mid-afternoon, in between typical lunch and dinner hours, and the place was still half-full, which tells you they're popular. The pizza's good. We each got a "slice," actually more like two slices each. D got several meats as topings, and I got tomato and artichokes. He said the jalapenos were the perfect level of flavorful and spicy. We both got Newcastle on tap (I wanted Shiner, but they were out of it on tap). Overall, we were starving when we got there, and the "slice" was enough to satisfy both of us without anything extra. Yum. :) Very chill atmosphere, fun place to hang out if you're spending a day around the Square in Denton.
--C
My daughter and I ate lunch at J & J's Pizza today. Â I ordered the "pizza by the slice" and a fountain drink.
The slice of pizza was pretty big. It looked like two slices, to me. Â My daughter and I shared it.
Food quality: two thumbs up.
Service: three thumbs up. Â The guy (maybe the owner?) that took my order was friendly. Friendly customer service is always worth mentioning.
They do have high chairs.
I used to love this place, but times have changed. Â The prices have gone up, and like some of the other reviewers have said, it's a little too cool for school. I still dig the atmosphere, but the overall attitude of the staff is far less friendly than it used to be. The pizza and calzones are yummy, but I miss the J&J's of old. Â I still love their fresh tasting sauce and crispy crust. Â Yeah, the joint is a little grimy. Â I get that. Â But I wish that the guy taking my order would take a shower once a week and give me a tad less attitude.
Review Source:OVERRATED.
1. It's expensive for what you get.
I ordered a Medium, regular-crust pizza with sausage, chicken and green pepper. It was laughable what they brought out. 7 small pieces of sausage, 10 small green peppers, 5 scary slivers of chicken, $18.
2. There are no drink specials.
There used to be $1 Schlitz, but now they're $2. $3.50 Shiners. Those prices may pass in Dallas, but not in Denton.
3. It's hip but it knows it.
I love independent businesses and I love dive bars, but the employees at J & J's are just too cool for school. Trying to be tragically hip in Denton is just sad.
I absolutely adore J & J's!! Â This may be my weekend hangout...
I can't say much about their underground concert area as I didn't even go there during my visit but there are other reviews you can read about that so I will stick with a review about this divey place during the afternoon.
The atmosphere during the day was laid-back and not intimidating at all. Â I came here to grab some pizza to go but enjoyed the unpretentiousness of the place so much that I ordered my grub, a pint of beer and decided to stay instead. Â I sat at the bar with my Blue Moon and read a book!! Â ...And best of all, it wasn't weird. Â The bartress (very cool chic) and I even exchanged a few comments about one another's books...
I didn't think the pizza was THE BEST OF DENTON but it was good. Â I liked that they had artichoke hearts available as a topping as there aren't too many around town that offer that option. Â Lots of interesting decor to keep your eyes wandering and your thoughts buzzing with questions.
Anyway, I suggest this place if you're tired of going to a coffee shop. Â If you just want to read a book in a bar and not be judged, then go to J & J's!!
BEST pizza in Denton!
Hadn't tried J&J's since we had a staple Pizza place already and now I feel so sad that we hadn't had it yet.
The first time in we asked for BBQ Chicken pizza even though it's not listed and they made the best BBQ Chicken Pizza I've had (New York Style). Soo good- liked the employee hipster vibe too. Definitely a place for everyone. Chicago style is delish too- obviously not true Chicago deep-dish and I prefer New York which again is soo good. Everyone
should go here when in the square.
Great Prices too and love that they offer slices and build your own. We get mediums (the smallest size) and it's quite large. Excellent.
J&J's is the epitome of what all pizza joints should strive to be. It's got character, it's got class, it's in a great location, the service is good and their pizza is the best I've had in Texas! Minimal marinara and lots of stringy, gooey cheese!! I could eat here everyday if I could. Pizza and beer all day, baby.
Review Source:Coming from the Midwest and spending a lot of in time Chicago makes the DFW area's pizza offerings seem disappointing at best. Â Time after time I try a new pizza place in the DFW area and I am disappointed. Â I am happy to say that J & J's is one of the few that actually gets it right.
Its not the franchise pizza place that serves cardboard with cheese for $0.99 a slice. Â If you're that cheap then go pick up a hot and ready that tastes terrible. Â To be honest though, J & J's isn't really that expensive. Â I am a large guy with a big appetite and my girlfriend and I had no trouble splitting a medium deep dish, we even took some home. Â
The deep dish is is similar to a Chicago style but the sauce isn't on top. Â The crust however is the same thick, buttery crust that you get when in Chicago. Â The pizza came with a good amount of topping and a ton of cheese.
All and all it was an amazing pizza.  I have also had their cheese bread  on another occasion and it was amazing as well. Â
I would strongly recommend this place to anyone who is sick of $5 hot and readys and wants a real pizza. Â You may pay a few more dollars for this place but it is worth it by a mile.
I pretty much dig on J&Js. Â It's a great combination of things I hold dear:
Pizza, beer, and music.
Yea it's basically a dank, grimy place and every surface is some form of sticky, but I like it. Â It's kind of like if The Max from Saved By The Bell survived the apocalypse. Â Yea it takes some time to get your food, but the quality is consistent and their soups during the winter kick some serious ass. Â Shows are also fun to watch their if you're not in to sound quality and like to do things for free while enjoying cheap beer.
I still think J&J's is one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Sure, it looks like a dirty hole in the wall but aren't those usually the best places? This one lives up to that assumption. The pizza is a little pricey for a college town but they make up for it by offering cans of Schlitz for a buck and I'm pretty sure Lone Star is a dollar as well.
If you're looking for cheap pizza, go pick up a Hot and Ready. This is a quality pizza so naturally it's going to be a bit pricey. I think it's worth every penny.
Best pizza in Denton. The pizza is thick and is always piping hot. I am surprised to see how many people said this place is expensive. I thought it was pretty cheap for all the food you get. J&J's serves the best cheese bread. It comes with a marinara dipping sauce. For a while this place lost their licence to sell beer so they had beer for a donation. Now I think its back to dollar Pabst and Lonestar. They have some old school video games and a music venue downstairs. The music venue is basically a dingy old basement. It kind of scares me down there. But, it is pretty fun if you've had enough PBR. There is plenty of parking in the square. They have other beers on draft to choose from, but if you are in Denton, you gotta go with a dollar can. Sometimes I crave the pizza from this place. I love it.
Review Source:Two up-front thoughts, then some elaboration:
1. This place is way over-priced.
2. You have to wait wayyyyyyy too long for this place to be so small.
So I went in here for lunch today, and paid $5.41 for a slice of pizza and water. Seriously. That's all I got. I spent almost $6 for two slices of pizza that somehow make up one that are both the equivalent size of Domino's slices. That's kind of a really lame price for what you get.
But what was even worse was that I waited in line 10-12 minutes just to order (only 3 people ahead of me), and then I had to wait an additional 25 minutes for a slice of pizza. FOR A SLICE OF PIZZA. NOT A WHOLE PIZZA. I swear they probably spent the 25 minutes carefully constructing bread into my single triangle slice or something like that. I honestly have no idea what the hell they were doing for 25 minutes. The "wait staff" didn't look that busy, they were just walking around in circles kind of looking lost and dumb.
So my slice of pizza took over 25 minutes to get to me. However, my poor friend ordered a calzone, and his meal wasn't ready until about 30 minutes after he ordered it. Reminder - we were eating in the restaurant, and it wasn't terribly busy.
So sitting and waiting on them ate up our entire lunch hour, and my friend was late back to work and had to eat it there. But low and behold, when he opened his box to eat the calzone, they had given him a veggie calzone instead of a pepperoni.
They did not do anything right at this trip. I've only eaten here once before, but I recall being agitated at how long it took to get one slice of pizza out to the table. Just be warned - if you're on the square and want a "quick lunch", this is NOT the place to go. If you want to do anything within an hour of entering this establishment, IT MOST LIKELY WON'T HAPPEN.
Just a little peeved at how much this ruined our day. I actually asked for my money back before my slice was ready, which I was refunded, and then the owner gave me my slice anyway. I just wanted to get out of there. But they only offered my friend with the screwed up calzone a discount in the future. Just come talk to the manager.
Dude. So many other better choices in Denton. TJ's is great. It's trips like these that make me miss the price and speed of the Tomato, even if it did give me food poisoning 50% of the time...
The pizza is way overpriced for what it is. The staff is pretentious and obviously trying to be "cool". Kind of a letdown considering how popular it is in Denton. If you are hungry, be prepared to spend a lot of money for only pizza.
On a 2nd note, the basement is a really neat place to see a band play, I recommend this as a great underground music venue!
The pizza is certainly edible, but nothing more. Â The crust is weird and biscuity. Â Plus, it is OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive--a slice costs $3.75, which is bizarre. Â It certainly isn't worth that much.
The only advantage to J&J's is that it's on the square, which makes it a nice place to hang out. Â If you are just looking to eat pizza and location is not an issue, Luigi's is much better and about half the price.
Fact: J&J's Pizza is the equivalent of Grand Central Station in this little truck stop town. You're bound to be seen by at least someone you know here, whether you're eating a fresh, tasty slice upstairs or watching someone perform for free in the "dirty (and stuffy) old basement."
It feels like a party whenever there's a show booked - although it's hard to find out about them besides looking at flyers or hearing about them through word of mouth. Over the past five years I've seen tons of national and local acts perform here, as well as the comedian Neil Hamburger, and even though the acoustics aren't that great I've always had a good time. Almost all of the shows are free but they always end at midnight. It's inevitable that one of the employees, usually female, will come down and yell, "Drink down your beers, you've got 5 minutes!" If you don't finish she'll grab it out of your hands - in a nice way.
Fact: The pizza is so good here even employees at rival pizza places eat here. At least that's what one of the owners' told me.
Fact: It's a tradition to order $1 Schlitz beer. Don't ask me why.
Fact: All of the employees are awesome.
I love this place!
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