With the discovery of Pete’s Pizza, students may find yetanother reason to head down to the square.

Located on the east side, Pete’s Pizza offers patrons a relaxedatmosphere that mixes hospitality with fun.

Although I was a little nervous and didn’t know what to expectwhen I opened the door, Pete’s Pizza turned out to offer much morethan just a pizza counter and tables. In fact, the small first roomfeels more like an arcade than a restaurant – pinball machines andvideo games line the walls and a pool table sits in the center ofthe room.

Going further into the restaurant, one walks through a narrowhallway leading past the open kitchen and bar areas. Although thesmall bar area was seemingly crowded for 6:30 on a Thursdayevening, my dining companion and I were able to squeeze our way tothe back room to find a table at which to seat ourselves.

As I viewed my surroundings, I felt more like I was sitting insomebody’s recreations room than in a restaurant. The decor reallygave the room a unique, laid-back feel. Sports memorabilia andalcohol signs covered the walls and ceiling, and in a way it feltmore like Pete’s bachelor pad than Pete’s eatery.

Posters on one wall paid tribute to past seasons of Simpson andIndianola High School athletic teams. On the opposite wall asignificant chunk of an old race car offered a sculptural elementto the decor. There was enough Schlitz, Corona and Miller signs tomake any typical college guy drool enviously. Perhaps my favoritedecorations were the many inflatable hot-air balloons advertisingalcohol and tobacco companies with a nod to Indianola’s balloonfest tradition.

The dining tables were fairly full, mostly with familiesenjoying a pizza or two. The buzz of family chatter created afriendly din that made the ambience more fun than romantic, but notso loud that one couldn’t easily converse.

Our waitress came up to us in a reasonable amount of time, tookour drink order and pointed out our menu options listed on a signon the wall. My companion and I ordered a small Canadian baconpizza, although we could have chosen between several pizza toppingsor one of several sandwiches. Appetizers like nachos or hot wingswere also available.

The pizzas were all reasonably priced: one topping pizzas cost$4.75, $9 or $13.45. Specialty pizzas like taco pizza run somewhathigher at $6.25, $12 and $16.85. Sandwiches, salads and appetizerswere consistently in the $3-$5 range.

Once our pizza finally arrived, I eagerly dug in. Although a bitgreasier than I usually like, it tasted refreshingly more homemadethan Indianola’s more commercial pizza places. The crust was thin,but not obnoxiously crispy. At only $9, it was plenty to happilyfeed two very hungry college students.

Students who wish to experience Pete’s Pizza themselves cancheck it out at 118 N. Howard, near Harrison’s on the square.