Pudgy Pizza at the Paltz!

New Paltz. It’s 10:17 pm. A house party on N. Chestnut Street just ended. We see a group of college freshmen leaving the party.

Marie: “That party was really fun.”

Jimmy: “Yeah it was. But why do all of these parties always end so early?”

Joe: “I don’t know, but where do we go now?”

This is the typical freshman Friday night. Where will the kids go next? …That’s right, you’ve guessed it! Fat Bob’s.

The freshmen walk to Fat Bob’s on Main Street, most likely their last stop of the night. 

I have been to Fat Bob’s countless amounts of times to satiate my pizza cravings; I visit the pizza shop at least once a week.  I’ll be honest: At first, I did not enjoy the pizza. As I kept going back, the slices began to taste better each time.  Fat Bob’s is a popular spot for college students, who provide them with most of their business.  It is open all day, but the pizza shop gets extremely busy at night; Fat Bob’s has a reputation for filling the stomachs of students who are in search of after-party munchies.  By combining late hours, cheap pizza, and tired/hungry/intoxicated students, Fat Bob’s is spot-on.

Employees.  The employees at Fat Bob’s are quite interactive with their customers.  I respect them for the patience and friendliness they have towards the large amounts of young and rowdy customers.  As a frequent customer, I can brag that one of the employees even remembers what my favorite slice is, which is the BBQ chicken pizza, of course! 

BBQ Chicken Pizza: Perfection on a Plate

Food.  Fat Bob’s is most famous for the unique pizza selection.  I like how Fat Bob’s has such a variety of toppings on the pizzas: from mac and cheese, to chicken bacon ranch, to barbeque chicken—this place is the hungry man’s dream.  And man, those slices are HUGE!  I have seen people order almost every type of pizza from Fat Bob’s and I’ve never seen a slice wasted, so the pizza is definitely yummy, in any variety.  As you already know, my go-to slice is the BBQ chicken pizza.  Chopped and cooked to an impeccable consistency, the chicken is first tossed into BBQ sauce and then melted into the cheese on a large, Fat Bob’s slice.  I absolutely love when the slice is cooked enough to provide a nice crunch, but at the same time maintains its soft toppings and cheese, which are perfectly blended on top.  This pizza has become an equivalent of pizza-heaven on earth. 

Prices.  Although more expensive than the average pizzeria, for such a huge slice, the price is definitely worth it.  Fat Bob’s also hikes up the price of pizza at night. A normal $2.50 slice of barbeque chicken pizza becomes $3.00 in the wee hours.  I respect that they do this; I find it to be a clever tactic since the nighttime is their busiest time of operation. 

Atmosphere/Décor. Fat Bob’s looks like the average American pizzeria.  It is well-lit, the dining floor includes booths and tables, there are large windows to look through, and it has a cute little porch for people to stand, smoke and chat outside.  Behind the counter, there are numbers of thank-you cards and pictures from happy customers.  This is a technique to use that makes the customer think, “Wow. This place must be really good to make all of their customers so happy.”  All of those pictures and notes convince me that not only is the pizzeria successful, but it also has a reliable, happy community of customers.  Fat Bob’s also has electronic aspects added to its environment.  The pizza shop has provided a wide screen television for the customers to watch, usually playing a sports channel. I have also realized that Fat Bob’s has a trend going with the music choice: the employees at Fat Bob’s are always playing songs but popular artists among their customers. For example, songs by Kid Cudi, a moderately popular rapper among the college students, are often playing when I go to Fat Bob’s.  Putting all of these aspects together, I know that Fat Bob’s has the customer’s comfort in mind when handling its décor and atmosphere. 

What people think.  I interviewed a group of students at Fat Bobs last Friday. Here were the extensive and detailed reviews I got from the brilliant students, who obviously had a great night on the town.  They agreed to have their names held back for privacy (and reputation) purposes.

-Good a** pizza, bro. – Female, Class of 2015

-Two thumbs up. –Male, Class of 2015

-It’s obviously delicious. –Female, Class of 2015 

The Aftermath of another night at Fat Bob's.

As you visit Fat Bob’s more often, you develop a relationship with the place—you start to like it a little more every time.  I give Fat Bob’s props for the job well done.  They have definitely established themselves in the little town of New Paltz, specifically on the SUNY New Paltz campus.  I will continue to make my frequent trips to Fat Bob’s; I’m not sure if I’ll ever get tired of that barbeque chicken pizza!