Ok, so there is TC Jr’s in Kenmore and TC Wheelers in Tonawanda. I don’t know if they’re in cahoots or what. Never been to either, but today I hit Jr’s for lunch. The place has a dining room that looks like your creepy uncle’s basement, but the kitchen was wide-open, clean, and staffed with very friendly employees. Who knows, one could have even been T.C himself. Tyler the Creator? Tyson Chandler? Tommy Chong? Who are you, T.C? 2 + can-o-pop = $5. Now that’s the deal I like to get down with. Let’s get physical.

The box was shockingly heavy, which is dope because I was so hungry. Treck to Kenmore had me worn down, son. Popping the box open, I was happy with what I saw. Nothing too unique, but I’m seeing a lot of sauce and a ton of cheese. Good value, T.C.

T.C brought the weight on the cheese, and, but it’s not great. I don’t know what happened, but it go grainy instead of stretchy. I don’t know if it wasn’t warm enough or it was the cheese itself, but you can see it kind of cracked and crumbled rather than pulled. Pizzaed when it should have french fried. Well, technically it should have pizzaed too…Anyhow, LOOK at that crater around the pepperoni! Solid layer here, which’ll save it from the grave.

These were re-heated in the oven, and the bottom got that nice light char that comes with that process. One of my favorite elements of the NY style pie that I like to see outside of the category.

Shit T.C…ya blew it. This is the PERFECT thickness for my liking and I was VERY happy to see the proportions, but the dough was pretty raw. I don’t know if you can see it, but just above that crispy bottom layer is pretty much raw dough up to the sauce. Goddamn shame. Lot of potential if this was pulled off well. Particularly because…

…this sauce is awesome. Silky and rich and so much ladled on. I just wanna inject it into my eyeballs. Ya know? Don’t play with my emotions, TC. Could have been a little more powerful, but the subtle flavors made it taste pure. Like unicorn tears.

Not much on the pepperoni. These are the standard, but nice amount and properly charred. Damn fine job, but you’ve heard it all before. Let’s run the machine.

 

Dough🥖: (D/D+) Bottom char saved it from a straight “D”. Really undercooked.
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Cheese🧀: (C/C+) Cracked when it should have pulled. Solid flavor and lots of it, but super weird consistency that really hurt the slice, especially considering the dough was already gone.
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Sauce🥫: (A-) Nice subdued flavor in mass quantity.
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Pepperoni🍖: (B/B+) When you provide the classic, it’s a judge of quantity.
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Overall🍕: (C+/B-)

TC Jr’s could be one of those joints that deserves another shot. There are a couple on that list. Everything but the dough was good enough that it could have hit high…but was crippled by raw dough. Plus, T.C (tell me it was you, man) was a nice guy and he is wheelin out a deal that is hardly matched anymore, apart from Reakwon the Chef who made C.R.E.A.M on 2/$5s. As I crawl farther North, I look forward to the the pizza to come. Thanks for the slices, TC Jr’s. Stay warm, Buffalo. Mr. Slices loves you.