Backlot Pizza Kitchen

Despite the subpar reviews, I've been looking forward to trying Backlot Pizza + Kitchen since they opened because I want the restaurant/bowling alley/theater concept at Bayshore to succeed. My family won a gift card for them on social media, so that was the perfect opportunity to stop by. I ordered the meatball pizza and added cream cheese, my wife got the Detroit classic pizza without sauce, one kid got chicken tenders, and the other got grilled cheese. We also shared cheese curds. The cheese curds are the greasy, cornmeal-like breaded kind I don't care for. Sigh. The kids liked their chicken tenders and grilled cheese, but one didn't like the pepper in the seasoning on the fries.For the most part my wife and I liked our pizzas. Both of us thought the shredded Parmesan on top was unnecessary and I wish they had put more cream cheese on mine. I wouldn't rush back for the pizza, but I'd get it again.Near the end of our dinner our server brought over a QR code and said she'd give us a discount on our meal for a "shout out" in a Google review. Like pretty much everyone else we didn't think the service was worth a positive review, so we skipped the discount. It is sad, though, that they need to bribe customers for good reviews.

It's a bit pricey, but in a pretty, open space with an intimate feel. Conveniently attached to the bowling alley and right next door to Buchanan's. Family friendly.My husband ordered the Bourbon BBQ hamburger, minus the BBQ sauce, and I ordered the BPK Salad with the dressing on the side. While the kitchen initially made the burger with the sauce, our server caught it in time, and they made another one without. It was very good, with the double burgers being nicely seared on the outside and juicy on the inside. The fries were hot, crispy, and perfectly salty.My salad, on the other hand, was a disaster. Firstly, it didn't have the advertised feta cheese or black olives, and I looked. What I did find was salad dressing and diced veggies at the bottom of the bowl. So what it looked like they did, was make my salad minus the feta and olives, put on the dressing, realize they messed up, took off as much dressed lettuce as they could, flipped the salad over into a new bowl, then threw on extra lettuce.After asking for feta cheese and getting a very small amount, I tried to make the best of it but couldn't do it. I told our server I couldn't eat it, and she took it back. While she was apologetic and told me she'd discount the salad, I laughed after checking the bill and seeing the discount on my $15 salad was only $3. I'd be willing to go back and try something else, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

First visit. Backlot has locations at Bayshore Town Center and Elkhorn, NE and owned by the ACX Entertainment company that took over the former IPiC Entertainment Center movie theater, bowling lanes, and restaurants.I sat at the bar and received great service from Vee, who had a busy bar to take care of on her own. I arrived during Happy Hour, which is 3:00-6:00 during the week and 1:00-6:00 on Sundays. I ordered the Detroit Classic pizza which is "double pepperoni" and the Calamari, both $9 each during Happy Hour.Tbe Calamari came with three dipping sauces, Marinara, garlic aioli, and some kind of ranch. The flavors of the marinara and garlic aioli were decent but the textures were off. The marinara was too thick, and tasted just like the pizza sauce, so I'm pretty sure they are one and the same. The garlic aioli was a bit clumpy. The herbs in the seasoning on the calamari was really good, but the breading was too thick for my liking. The calamari itself was fine.The Detroit Classic didn't have the amount of pepperoni I expected for having "double pepperoni" in the description but for a $9 Happy Hour price, I'll give them a pass. The pizza sauce was thick and had a good, slightly spicy flavor, and the pizza tasted good overall, but it did not meet the characteristics of a Detroit Style pizza. The cheese didn't spread to the edge and caramelize, the pizza crust was too dense and fluffy, similar to Rocky Rococo, and did not have the buttery and crisp texture underneath that is common with Detroit style pizza.So, the flavors hir but textures did not, and texture on Detroit style pizza and calamari matter to me. So you should check it out to see if the food works for you, but I learned what I needed to learn on this visit, so I won't have to go back.

Was told to seat ourself when we wandered in. Our waitress was not very friendly, but opened up as we continued to try and have conversation. Needs attention to detail for cleaning. Just seemed sticky, and the windows had food and handprints smeared all over. The firecracker dip is literally pizza sauce with red peppers and goat cheese, it didn't even come with the sourdough that was described on the menu, surprise we received pita bread. Wine was overpriced for a small pour. Pizza was good, but didn't stand out compared to the rest of the experience.

Date of visit: October 15, 2023The North Shore is--let's be honest--a bit of a restaurant desert. Many of the other Milwaukee-area shopping centers have a plethora of dining options but Bayshore is lagging behind. I viewed the pending opening of Backlot Pizza + Kitchen with a fair amount of trepidation; this space has been a couple different things in the past and both had some solid bits but also left much to be desired.Our initial visit during their soft opening however, was excellent! I was able to make reservations through OpenTable (always a plus!) and we had a great meal. They were running a great Happy Hour on Sunday evenings, I always appreciate opportunities to stretch my dollar further.We started with some Spinach & Artichoke Dip, which was amazing. The breadcrumbs on top have a bit of spice to them, but it doesn't linger too much, so don't be scared off if spice isn't your thing--it definitely isn't mine!I ordered the Detroit (essentially pepperoni) and my husband went with the BBQ Bourbon Chicken. After trying a piece of the other's we ended up swapping! The Detroit wasn't bad, it just had an herb-like flavor that wasn't hitting for me. The sweetness of the barbecue though, was fantastic.Pizzas are about the size of a piece of paper, and come cut into four pieces, though the toppings definitely encourage you to use a fork and knife, at least initially. The happy hour prices are right on for the pizzas, the regular prices a bit less so. Hope they adjust that when they "go live."Anton, our server, was attentive and great at explaining menu options. We will definitely be back when the full menu is in effect.

A great addition to Bayshore.I've been here several times since they opened and the pizza is very good! They have a nice cocktail menu- and the space is causal and fun. Date night appropriate, or just hanging out- it fits the bill. My favorite pizza is the Cadillac and it's even good the next day cold!

Very cute environment, conveniently connected to ACX bowling and movies. Bar seating and booth and table seating. Went with friends and it was a great girls night. We went on a Friday and they were not busy at all we were seated very quickly. Joanne our server was super friendly and so nice! One of the best waitresses we've ever had! They had a nice cocktail menu and even had dessert cocktails. My friend loved their espresso martini. I had the "Tijuana Brass", strong taste and smell. The pizza was good I loved how buttery and thick the crust was while not being too crunchy! I personally was not a big fan of the smoked bacon Mac n cheese. It was very creamy and there were lots of bacon pieces but the overall flavor just wasn't there, it was bland. Overall we enjoyed our time there and the price is reasonable (some items could be lowered) for the ambiance, service, and quality.

The Detroit pizza was probably the best pizza I have ever eaten . The service was great...I will be coming here again!!

I ordered 4 gluten free pizzas on Christmas Day (2 Detroit Classic and 2 Combos). I arrived 25 minutes early and waited. When the pizzas were ready and handled over to me in a bag, I did not look at them until I arrived at the family gathering. All 4 of the pizzas were burnt on the top and the crust was brown. The Detroit Classics were inedible due to the black burnt toppings. The Combo pizza toppings were brown but not black as the Detroit Classic. I was very disappointed because the pizza I ordered in the summer was baked perfectly and was very good. I will not be returning. I

Every time we're at Backlot the staff is wonderful! Great service at the bar - delicious martinis and fun and kind service. The gluten free pizza is AWESOME and the topping are very generous.