Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Afton Pub & Pizza in Concord, NC. This family owned restaurant offers a complete list of Italian dishes, specialty pizzas, sandwiches and a variety of appetizers. 

Dora here. Afton Pub & Pizza (Pub) is the sister to Afton Tavern (Tavern), my go-to restaurant (read favorite). From the picture, you might be able to tell it's tucked in a mixed residential/retail environment, a fabulous, relaxing place to hangout on the weekend or stop by for dinner on your way home from work. While we visit the Tavern for our favorite salads, the Pub is all about the pizza for us. :)

We start with Garlic Knots. Warm fresh baked dough, drizzled with garlic butter, flaked with parmesan cheese and served with marinara sauce. These garlic knots were large, soft, and full of garlicky flavor and the marinara sauce complemented well. They were outstanding and I could have made an entire meal just eating them. 

Garlic Knots

Dora here. Me too! Buttery. Soft. Doughy. Lick-your-fingers for the last speck of parmesan delicious!

We followed that with a Ryan’s 4 X 4 pizza. Pepperoni, bacon, prosciutto, and a ton of cheese including mozzarella, parmesan, Monterey jack, and cheddar with a hint of red sauce. This pizza was great, cooked perfectly, and loaded with ingredients. This thick crust pie is the best that we have tasted since living in North Carolina.

Ryan's 4x4 Pizza, extra parm on hubby's side

Dora here. Everybody has their favorite pizza, right? I'm a Chicago style pizza fanatic, but good luck finding a deep dish like that here! The Pub's 4x4 comes in a close second. Thick and cheesy, with just the right amount of dough to cheese ratio, and I really appreciate that it's not heavy on the marinara. Totally satisfying for those pizza cravings, and of course, we brought much of this big boy home.

We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.

What's your perfect pizza?