Malawi's was a pleasant surprise. My husband and I love pizza, and love to try new kinds whenever possible (after all, Dominos, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut get old). We saw the sign when we were driving by the Riverwoods one day, and decided to give it a go.
Malawi's Pizza has taken over the space that Magleby's used to occupy. It is a very large space, that can accommodate a lot of people. I don't ever see this place being completely full (not because it isn't good, but because it is huge). The decor is awesome. The owners clearly put a lot of thought (and money) into revamping the space to give it a very modern serengeti feel. They have a small art piece made from blown glass (which is one of my very favorite kinds of art).
The ordering/paying process at Malawi's Pizza is set up similar to Noodles and Company or Pei Wei. There are huge menus at the front with a cashier. You order your food, they give you a number, you choose a table, put your number on the table, and they bring your food out to you. One of my favorite parts about this type of restaurant is that you don't have to linger around the counter waiting for you number to be called, but you also don't have to tip! Tipping isn't that big of a deal, but it always makes your trip to the restaurant 15-20 percent more expensive. Anytime I can save money...I'm all for it.
The restaurant also has an open kitchen concept. Every step of the preparation can be watched. You can also see all the really fresh ingredients they use. I like restaurants like that because you know exactly what you are getting. The restaurant also really prides themselves on using fresh/healthy ingredients. Their menu states, "We are working hard to get you a HEALTHIER pizza. Wheat bread, vegetables, lowest fat cheeses and meats, roasted chicken, fresh tomatoes... We go easy on the toppings for the same reason but frankly, it makes a better tasting pizza, especially if you cook it in a spectacular wood burning stove."
The menu is quite extensive. They have pizza, pasta, salads, and dessert pizzas. For each of those, they have signature items and create your own items. My husband and I both ordered pizza (after all it is called Malawi's Pizza). My husband ordered the Santa Fe signature pizza and I ordered the Primo Pepperoni traditional pizza. Both pizzas had a thin, crispy crust...which is common with wood burning ovens, and are about 10".
The Santa Fe had a ton of toppings--lime salsa, southwestern chicken, black beans, green chile's, onions, tri-colored bell peppers, chipotle aioli, avocado, and tomato--(they lie when they say they go easy on the toppings), and was on a honey wheat crust. Everything on the pizza tasted really fresh and good.
The Primo Pepperoni was more basic with just pepperoni on a white crust. The tomato sauce on the pizza was VERY fresh, and there was plenty of pepperoni. The one thing I will say is that the cheese was a little weird. It wasn't bad at all, but it also wasn't my favorite (maybe because it is low fat).
Malawi's serves Coca-Cola products, which is what I like. I won't drink any Pepsi products. Next time I go, I would like to try the pasta--some of their signature pastas sounded really good, such as the Chicken Pepper (trotelli, alfredo, chicken, parmesan, and basil). Also, if you are into sweets, their dessert pizzas looked excellent. Just know that they are just as big. If I was on a date, I would order one pizza and one dessert pizza and that would be plenty of food (my husband and I did not finish our two pizzas...it was a lot of food).
Finally, Malawi's Pizza is a company that gives back to the world. They claim that, "For every meal we sell, we will donate a nutritious meal to orphans in Malawi, Africa." Obviously, this is where they get the name. I really like companies that do things like this, and I try to support them whenever possible.
Overall, I will definitely be returning to Malawi's Pizza. The pizza was good, the atmosphere was fun, and we helped someone in need.
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