Brick 3 Pizza is located on 1107 Old World 3rd St. and in the midst of other fine eateries, is the second stop on Marquette’s pizza excursion. The first place we reviewed was Transfer Pizza. Brick 3, right near the Bradley Center, certainly did not disappoint. This restaurant provides a bevy of New York style pizzas which includes barbecue chicken, spinach artichoke and other specialties.
Upon arrival, it was clear that Brick 3 focuses on maintaining a pristine eating space, which certainly helps. Their venue is aesthetically pleasing, with beige brick walls and black and red furniture donning the entire eating area. They have televisions throughout the restaurant, a must for any sports fan or person wanting to stay connected with the world. Many small food joints, specifically pizza parlors, do not seem to pay much attention to the inside of their business because their services are focused more on delivery and take-out, but Brick 3 shows how to lay down a welcoming environment, piece by piece. Even if there had been some dissonance or uncertainty about eating at Brick 3 Pizza, the setting of this place was warm and inviting in itself.
As for the pizza, it had a very nice ratio of meat, crust, sauce and cheese. However, it would have been nice to have a little more sauce, specifically on the pepperoni option. Brick 3’s pizza crust was somewhat thick and included a fair amount of cheese, two gripes that were present after eating at Transfer Pizzeria. Also, once a particular pizza is gone, you must wait 10 or 15 minutes for a fresh batch, which can be a disadvantage for someone on the move. That said, pizzas are offered as 14, 16 and enormous 34-inch pies as well as by the slice. Being able to order a slice of pizza instead of a larger one is another advantage that Brick 3 Pizza has over Transfer because you are able to experiment with two slices of pizza versus spending way more money and being dissatisfied with a larger pizza. The slices were fairly large, and only cost about $7, which is not a bad deal for any college student looking for a bargain.
Brick 3 also offers a wide range of sides including salads, fries and fried ravioli—the last two being my side choices. The ravioli was served right after the pizza with steam coming off of each delectable piece. Marinara sauce was also provided, the perfect complement for finger food like fried ravioli. The french fries were seasoned very well and had a nice crunch to them, an impressive feat considering this was not a burger joint similar to Sobelmans, Oscar’s Bar and Grill or AJ Bombers.
After eating a slice of pepperoni and barbecue chicken pizza, it was safe to say that Brick 3’s niche is specialty pizza. This is the same realization that came after eating Transfer Pizzeria. Eating specialty pizzas with ingredients that are not as commonplace as sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms is the best way to go when trying out new pizza spots. Think about it: most pizza places sell pepperoni and sausage pizzas that taste extremely similar, but consuming a pizza with an unusual ingredient allows you to appreciate the distinct taste, along with the other major components of a typical pizza even more.
Overall, the low pricing of their food, close proximity to campus, modern and clean environment all made for a pretty enjoyable trip to a pizza place in downtown Milwaukee that has only been around for five years. With big slices at low prices, Brick 3 is a great option to consider when looking for quality pizza. Now that’s how you slice up the competition. Rating 4/5
