Kenny Rosales
The cheesy-as-ever Mac and Cheese slice (left) and the more classic Pomodoro, with sauteed greens and feta.
It’s the drunk student pizza place. It’s the union protest pizza place. When Madisonians watch the Parks and Recreation episode “Jerry’s Retirement,” and see Leslie Knope fiercely make out with husband Ben Wyatt after she learns he’s making her mac and cheese pizza, we all nod, thinking of the pizza place that we believe perfected it, if not invented it.
And yet, I have had more than one encounter with people expressing surprise that there was a new Ian’s Pizza on the east side, in the new Garver Feed Mill renovation. Apparently, there’s still more to learn about this exceedingly well-known Madison food commodity. (For one, Ian’s didn’t invent mac and cheese pizza, but that hardly matters here.)
Upon further reflection, it shouldn’t be too stunning that it’s still under the radar for some folks. There’s an ad hoc-looking sign at the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue and the winding, woodsy Garver Green, but other than that, you’ll struggle to find any exterior Ian’s signage. The roadway leading to the Feed Mill’s parking area is, we’ll say highly idiosyncratic; please just pay attention to where your lane is leading you. And as we move toward more hours of darkness, you may notice a distinct lack of exterior lighting and the absence of windows cut into this big old building.
David Michael Miller
Ian's Pizza is the public-facing centerpiece of the Garver Feed Mill Development.
Ian’s Pizza is the public-facing centerpiece of the Garver Feed Mill development, which feels like it’s been going on forever, even though the proper restoration work didn’t really begin until the end of 2017. Considering that this was the very definition of a blank canvas, it’s utterly confounding that Ian’s has chosen such an awkward layout for ordering and order retrieval.
In the main line, which often stretches across the entryway on weekend evenings, you will first pass the salad station. There’s some detail on the menu board for building your own or ordering a prefab recipe, but not enough. Pricing tiers for components are not transparent, and there’s often only one very overworked staffer making the salads, which means you might stand there for quite some time, watching the rest of the line swell behind and eventually meander past you.
That said, the salads are typically fresh and flavorful, not to mention quite large. The Southwest salad will deliver sunny vibes year round with kernels of corn and a spicy green chile ranch dressing. Artichokes are a pleasantly atypical addition to the Greek salad; this is not a “eh, let’s just add olives” salad recipe.
Past the salads is the real Ian’s goldmine, the row of pizzas ready to be pointed at and probably questioned. Ian’s steadfastly refuses to post any type of sign to indicate which pie is which — not a problem when you’re there for that iconic and cheesy-as-ever Mac and Cheese, but more problematic when the diner may not know the difference between the regular Penne Alfredo slice and the Baked Penne that was a September special. If you order a whole Penne Alfredo, by the way, the salty, shaved, wonderful Heritage Farms ham makes a premium addition.
If you know Ian’s menu by heart, however, it’s clear that, oh yes, there’s the Smoked Brisket and Tots slice — as smoky as billed, but the tots are never crisp enough for me — and there’s the Macho Nacho, spicy indeed. Another September special, the Italian Meat Sandwich, included a Dijon mustard cream base instead of tomato; this rich contrast to all the peppery, vinegary toppings was a great call.
I liked the Side Sticks, a breadstick innovation imported from the Denver and Milwaukee locations a few years back. I liked the Dough-to-Go option for making Ian’s hallmark crust at home — especially on the grill. I really liked the Churro Chow, a cinnamony and less sugary-sweet riff on Puppy Chow cereal snack mix. The beer bar and ice cream counter are solid value-adds, too.
What I haven’t liked about Ian’s Garver is the flow that has been set up for ordering and receiving food. After making your stop at the salads, pizzas and register, you’re sent all the way around the whole Ian’s operation to a cramped, awkward pick-up area that seemingly never works like it’s supposed to.
This is not an exaggeration, mind you; every takeout order I placed took at least twice as long as the estimate I was given. On that first day of business, when the crush of eager customers exhausted Ian’s supply of food and functional oven space, I can understand being in the weeds. Months later, on an early Wednesday evening, it becomes less excusable.
Pizzas at Ian’s, as reliably good as they are, will continue to draw in people willing to wait in a very long line. But the popularity of Ian’s does not render it immune to the employee shortage plaguing restaurants all over Madison. Garver lunch service — including the introduction of a new-to-Ian’s selection of wraps — was optimistically marked in July as “Coming Soon,” but I was told it’ll be a bit, while staffing is firmed up. We will, it seems, just have to wait a little longer.
Ian’s Pizza - Garver Feed Mill
3241 Garver Green 121; 608-257-9248; ianspizza.com
3 pm-10 pm daily; $1.50-$30; Accessible
