At 1236 N Riverside Ave, Shakey's Pizza Parlor offers a dining experience marked by a particular kind of chaos. During a recent visit, the wait for a medium pepperoni, mushroom, and olives pizza extended to nearly 40 minutes, a duration complicated by the apparent prioritization of unarrived party reservations over seated diners. This delay extended to beverages, with a beer taking an equivalent amount of time to reach the table, contrasting with the swift delivery of drinks to other patrons. The quality of the food itself did not elevate the protracted wait.
Further compounding the visit, an individual pizza order was remade after an initial error in preparation, which involved the incorrect inclusion of olives. This second iteration also required a significant wait, approximately 15 minutes. Issues extended to the salad bar, where preparations of bell pepper were uneven, gelatin was clumpy, and peaches showed signs of spoilage, appearing brown and tasting unpleasant. A front-desk employee offered to replace the peaches but did not address the broader concerns regarding food quality or service attentiveness.
In contrast to these difficulties, a specific manager observed during a later update was noted for running an efficient operation. This individual actively engaged with customers, supervised kitchen staff to ensure timely order fulfillment, and personally delivered food. Staff members under this management were described as attentive and hardworking, with the overall atmosphere being welcoming.