I wish we had never ordered Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza.
Because now I know how good this local delivery chain is, and it’s become a battle to keep my waistline from expanding.
It’s just too easy to order Garlic Jim’s chicken-bacon-ranch pizza.
Normally, I turn my nose up at nontraditional pizza recipes and sauces, but this pie is a winner.
Billed as the delivery crew’s all-around favorite, this treat comes topped with grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, diced tomatoes, red onions and creamy ranch sauce.
It is simply delicious, the chicken club of pizzas, and I mean that in a good way.
Let’s start with the chicken. It’s not the standard-issue boneless-skinless food-service-truck breast chunks you usually find on chain pizzas.
No, this pizza features tasty shredded chicken nestled into the pizza, not cubed on top.
Cheddar and mozzarella interplay perfectly with notes of smoky, fresh-chopped bacon bits.
And the ranch? You don’t even notice it. It plays a smooth and subtle supporting role. And it makes sense. This pizza doesn’t call for marinara, so you don’t miss it.
If that weren’t enough, Garlic Jim’s crust is positively dreamy.
It’s light, airy and chewy. It’s also not overly bulky, even the hand-tossed style crust. And — unlike any other pizza I’ve had in a long time that wasn’t cooked in a wood-fired oven — it really tastes fresh, like the dough was made on site.
I’ve had Garlic Jim’s thin crust, too, and it’s even lighter and more inhalable.
I’ve haven’t tried the gluten-free crust yet, but it’s already been accredited by the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America.
All the other pizzas we’ve ordered from Garlic Jim’s have been tasty, too, with ingredients sprinkled on lightly, allowing the crust to shine.
Garlic Jim’s has also mastered great service — on the phone and in person. Our delivery guys have all been friendly and warm.
They’ve also been accurate. Out of more than a dozen orders, we’ve had no mix-ups yet.
If you wish to minimize human contact, Garlic Jim’s online ordering system is excellent, too.
You can specify which toppings you want with an ingredient chart with buttons on each line for whole pizza, left side, right side or, when you want to avoid a topping on any pizza, you can choose, simply, “none.”
You can also request normal, extra, light and double for various ingredients. Prices are adjusted accordingly.
Note: If you like your pizza toppings piled high and heavy, be sure to ask for a lot of different toppings, because even when you double-down on ingredients with Garlic Jim’s, you’re not going to get a heavy-duty pizza like you might from some other local places.
Prices aren’t low.
Our chicken bacon ranch costs $15.99 for a 12-inch, $18.99 for a 14-inch and $21.99 for a 16-inch. You can get a gluten-free 14-inch for $21.99.
Everett-based Garlic Jim’s, which is primarily a delivery and take-out kind of place, started in Snohomish County eight years ago.
It has expanded into four other states.
Snohomish County locations include Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill Creek and Mukilteo.
I hope all the locations are as good as mine in Edmonds.
Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza
9796 Edmonds Way, Edmonds; 425-771-5467; www. edmondsgarlicjims.com or www.garlicjims.com.
Speciality: Pizza.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Vegetarian options: Several.
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