Pizza and Salad Buffet Under $10? Yes, Please

I'd heard a lot of good things about Bosses' Pizza on 57th Street in Temple. An endless stream of "you gotta try it" from Bell County regulars. So today, newsman Aaron Savage, Trey from our hip-hop station, and yours truly made our way to the restaurant and were very pleasantly surprised by our experience.

Make that completely floored.

Walking in, with the crazy signs and video games, it seemed like stepping back in time to Junior High pizza nights with the family. The first words out of my moth before ordering, much less trying, the food were, "this is my kind of place."

First off, the pizza buffet and salad bar is no trowel-it-out, quantity-over-quality smorgasbord. It was quality pizza, fresh salad veggies, and tasty dressings. The Italian dressing in particular looked and tasted homemade. I could have grazed on the green stuff for days.

Bosses' soft drink selection was eclectic! Instead of Coke or Pepsi, they offered Royal Crown (RC) Cola, which I must admit has been a favorite of mine for a long time (I have family in Georgia and in addition to Coke, RC has a huge fan base, especially when paired with a Moon Pie.) Plus, they had genuine Big Red at the fountain. As delicious as the stuff is in the bottle, coming out of that tap is the ideal way to have Big Red.

Finally, Bosses had a selection of non-carbonated beverages one doesn't often see at a restaurant, including pink lemonade and two flavors of Kool-Aid. Both Aaron and Trey paid tribute to their inner Jimmie "J.J." Walker by indulging in mixing both grape and fruit punch Kool-Aid together.

Okay, the main event: the pizza. Hands-down, Bosses not only featured an amazing selection of pizza flavors on the buffet, but they were all delicious. The gooey cheese made my chops salivate - I don't mean to be gross but the sensation of biting into that dairy gooey goodness made was like a rush of happy stimuli to the brain. The crust was Brooklyn-style, which lent itself well to being eaten with a fork. Now, I know some folks bemoan forking a piece of pizza, but for those watching portions like dieters do, the truth is that cutting the slices into pieces makes your selection seem larger. I, for one, have a tradition of wolfing down pizza slices, but given the pleasurable reaction I had to the cheese, I may have passed out from the intensity of eating too much too fast.

Once again, local pizza knocked me upside the head. Loved it. Trey loved the atmosphere: "This place is like Friday night." Indeed! Best of all, this lunch cost about EIGHT BUCKS! I'm sold!

I'm eager to try their other menu offerings. Since they serve beer, I know I'll be back.

Here's the Yelp review of Bosses in Temple. I personally trust my review better, but if you need a second opinion, go ahead.