Having been to half a dozen pizza joints in the western suburbs, I had to make more an effort to find one that I hadn’t been to. A quick Google search indicated that the Riverside Pizza House on Tapleys Hill Road was one that I had yet to visit.

Upon arrival, I was delighted to find that this place had a few designated parking bays which were shared by all the shops in the complex. The outside of the place looked a bit old and tired, and the inside wasn’t much better. With only one table in the waiting area, it was safe to say that most of their clientele were take away customers.

Their pizzas come in two types of crusts; original and deep pan. Like their competitors, there is the small, large, family and party size pizzas, however, this place has gone one better and offers the “Rivermonster” sized pizza which is rectangular and measures 12 inches by 24 inches. They also sell schnitzels, fish and chips, pasta, ribs and wings. There’s also a gluten free menu for those that are intolerant.

Tonight, I ordered a large Hawaiian Pizza which is part of their “Royal Show” Facebook special. The pizza was ready 13 minutes after ordering and was pretty much on time considering their competitors roughly take 10 minutes. Inside the box they had a piece of cardboard under the pizza to prevent it from sticking. They also included a pizza protector, which I haven’t seen in quite some time.

The amount of topping was generous and I liked how the cheese was cooked to a light golden brown. Unfortunately, the pineapple was out of a can and the ham was the processed variety. The pizza base was of a consistent thickness and it held the toppings well. I did think the crust was a bit dry and hard.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. Their special saw me pay $8 for the large pizza, which was very good value, having said that, their normal prices are on par with their competitors.

Verdict: It’s fairly hard to make a ham and pineapple any more special than it is. I thought the hard crust was a bit of a let down.

WHERE: 234 Tapleys Hill Rd, Seaton