Cooking Outside the Pizza Box at Pop's Mexican Pizzeria

Salsa? On a pizza? Steven Grandolfi, owner of Pop’s Mexican Pizzeria in West Kingston, is definitely cooking outside of the pizza box with his Mexican Pizza. Topped with salsa, refried beans, Mexican ground beef and more, this pizza is more satisfying than nachos.

 But he does serve nachos for those who like their Mexican food served with the traditional nacho chips and pizza with the cheese and pepperoni. In a town known for its pizza joints, Grandolfi  wanted Pop’s Pizza to stand out, and has billed his restaurant as a Mexican Pizzeria.

 The menu features burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, pizza and more.  “I make a fantastic burrito,” he boasts.

In addition to the traditional cheese and pepperoni pizzas, Grandolfi has several specialty pizzas to please every palate. Mom’s pizza is topped with tomatoes, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and a balsamic vinegar glaze. Margarita pizza is topped with pesto, tomato and cheese and the Mac & Cheese pizza topped with gooey Mac & Cheese.

“Everything is made fresh and the house cheese is my secret combination,” Grandolfi explains.

Several dessert pizzas, S’mores, Oreo, apple crisp, red velvet and blueberry peach cobbler provide a luscious ending.

Pop’s Mexican Pizzeria is BYOB for those who like a beer or glass of wine with their pizza or burrito. A regular customer ventures into the kitchen to mix his own frozen margaritas. “I like my customers to feel comfortable here,” Grandolfi said.

Pop’s has weekly specials, ranging from two for one small pizzas, a $1 taco special on Wednesdays and a $5 burger special on Saturday. Grinders, sandwiches and a kid’s menu rounds out the selection.

 Like most people in the restaurant business, Grandolfi started in a family restaurant at age 14. He attended Johnson and Wales and worked in Rhode Island before venturing out to Kentucky for a few years. Family brought him back to Rhode Island and he met up with a couple of local fishermen who were starting a new venture together, a tavern in Wakefield, The Mews. “I helped with a hammer and a frying pan there,” he reminisced.

 After 16 years, Grandolfi was ready for a new challenge and a friend told him about the vacant restaurant in West Kingston. The location near his home in Richmond was perfect and Grandolfi decided to take on the challenge and opened Pop’s Mexican Pizzeria in early 2012.

 The fresh coat of paint and bright dining room carpet at Pop’s Mexican Pizzeria at 410 Kingstown Rd. in West Kingston are the first indications that this is a fun place.

 Gandolfi’s love of Snoopy is evident throughout the restaurant. A painting of the beagle napping on top of his red doghouse is on a wall, as are other renderings of the cartoon pooch. In front of the restaurant a life-sized wooden doghouse cutout is set up for kids to take their pictures with Snoopy.

Samantha Bowen, painted the Snoopys throughout the restaurant, as well as a cactus and a sombrero. Don Kettle and many other friends also helped with getting the restaurant ready.

He is steadily building up a regular clientele and received some extra exposure during the February storms when he had power to provide hot food to local residents without heat or electricity.

A chalkboard wall is strategically placed next to a kid-sized table, inspired by his five-year-old daughter, Lillian. Kids can draw on the wall with chalk while their parents enjoy an uninterrupted meal. Kid’s handprints decorate part of a wall, intentionally put there by young visitors with washable paint. Grandolfi plans on allowing kids to leave their mark for a little while, then will wash the wall for the next round of handprints.

 “I have wonderful customers here,” Grandolfi said. “I am becoming part of the community. I serve quality food at family friendly prices, it’s all good!”