The Stone and Paddle

Stone and Paddle is in the former location of Barb’s Pizza in Rocky Hill. I was a big fan of Barb’s and was surprised one day when I showed up for lunch and it was a new owner and business.
I thought Stone and Paddle was OK but nothing to write home about. They specialize in mostly standard pizzeria fare but their main highlight seems to be their hearth stone baked sandwiches.
I only tried standard slices when I was there. They were good but a bit pricey. Their overall menu seems to be over priced when I end up spending ten dollars for two slices (toppings extra) and a soda. Needless to say, as extensive a selection of sandwiches as they have I will not be returning to be overcharged.
Again, sad to see Barb’s leave and just not impressed by this new business. Give me Michaelangelo’s down the road and I’m good with that.

This is a ‘local’ restaurant for my family; we can walk there. For that reason alone, we’d like it to be one of our favorites… but like other review it needs to work on food consistency. I enjoy eating the chicken chopped pasta salad, but have had really good and not so tasty versions. My nephew introduced my girls to the buffalo chicken sandwich, all 3 of them are big fans! It is big enough to share!
Been there when empty and also bustling, service was uneven regardless. Good food takes time to prepare, but doesn’t staff mean shouldn’t be attentive between order taking and order delivery.
Consistency in food and staffing would improve overall dining experience and more repeat business by this consumer.

1) Reason for Coming
Mark and I have our «go-​to» pizza restaurant in Rocky Hill that we gravitate towards but I am always looking for the «next best thing». We have ordered take out from Stone and Paddle (which has another location in Vernon and Manchester, CT) several times so I felt it was time to give it a proper review.
Service is always quick and our pizza is always ready when we go to pick it up.
2) Ambiance
Although we have not had a sit down meal at the restaurant, it is clean and spacious with enough tables to handle a small lunch crowd. There are several televisions positioned in the dining area but the sound is not so overpowering that one could not have a decent conversation while eating a slice or two.
They always seem more busy with take out orders when ever I have gone to pick up our pizza but they do offer lunch specials.
2) Food
Their menu is pretty basic — pizza, sandwiches, salads and two pasta dishes. Appetizers include several flavors of wings, soup and hot dips (crab and artichoke). Their specialty pizzas run the gamut from Prosciutto and Steak and Cheese to your classic Cheese.
We have ordered several pizzas– the BBQ chicken, Grilled Chicken, Hawaiian, and the Classic Pizza. By far my favorite is the BBQ chicken pizza with BBQ sauce, bacon, chicken and cheddar cheese. Mark loves the Hawaiian.
However — what is disappointing about these pizzas (besides the price) is that the pies themselves were not consistent. One time my BBQ pizza had the perfect blend of chicken, cheese and bacon but more recently the proportions of the ingredients overpowered the dough and what I got was a soggy mess. Large slabs of bacon and hunks of chicken (although well seasoned) looked like they were just thrown on the pizza leaving me with a lack of favor balance. This is a case where less is more AND more just left me with a belly ache. Smaller slices of both meats were definitely necessary.
Stone and Paddle claims that their pizzas are cooked on a 600 degree stone but if that were consistently the case then I would assume that the finished pizza I received would be crispy as well as have a crust with a nice char and chew to it. That being said — the crust does have a nice chew but the flavor of the dough can be described as — MEH. We have also ordered their focaccia bread which is seasoned with garlic and rosemary but it appears they are using the same dough as they use for the pizza — MEH and not very airy as other focaccia’s I have had.
I really want to like this place but they really need to work on their quality control and flavor profiles.
3)Overall impression —
Ok pizza but very very pricey for what you get. I understand that quality ingrediants can be pricey but I don’t believe that this is the case with Stone and Paddle — these are not artisian pizzas. It will continue to be in our rotation for take-​out pizza but not one of our top choices — Michael Angelo’s and Pazzo’s still takes the slice.

Popped in for a slice and the aroma of the stone ovens was so overwhelming that I decided to get a small pie and eat-​in. Not only was the server ridiculously friendly — and funny — the pizza was one of the best I’ve had. I ordered the bbq chicken pizza and the only thing I was upset about was that I had finished the entire thing and didn’t have any left to take home. I’d recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone who loves good food and good service.