This place may not look like your typical sub shop.

“Usually people are like, Wow, is this a bar? Is this a club? Like what’s going on in here?”

But what is going on is a tasty new mash-up called THE PIZZA BAR.

Located in this unassuming strip mall in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, The Pizza Bar combines all of the charm of a neighborhood pizza parlor with the sexy sophistication of a nightclub.   Owner Eva Tsiantikou set out to make a place with a European feel and an American menu.

“The Pizza Bar is not the typical pizza place that you’re going to find every day.  We wanted to create the ambience of like, club type of thing. We wanted like to have music and like drink. Since we come from Europe, we wanted to give that vibe.  Definitely, like cozy and warm,  and not your typical pizza place.”

So Phantom broke out his best elastic waistband club pants…

And got out a fork in search of THE PERFECT MEAL.

The place may be called the Pizza Bar, but they’re actually most popular for their burgers.

“We are a pizza place but we are known for our burgers. The burgers are huge. Hefty. Delicious.   Usually people automatically put that like on their Instagram. They look amazing, but they taste even better.”

There’s the Texas BBQ Burger- topped with bbq ranch, melted cheddar, onion rings and lots and lots of bacon. Or the Old Style topped with tomatoes, mushrooms, lettuce and bacon, along with American, cheddar and gorgonzola cheeses.

“They’re going to get the full flavor and all those like melted cheeses and also it has the twist of the blue cheese and the mushrooms that I think it makes it like very unique and special. It’s delicious.”

But the Fatboy is the ultimate burger…and it’s almost TOO FAT for some customers to get their mouth around.

“This is what I’m talking about.  The Fatboy Burger. I squeeze it.  I smush my mouth right in there.”

“The Fatboy burger has barbecue sauce, the beef, the pulled pork, onion rings, it has caramelized onions, the bacon.  I think it’s like the combination that if it’s not going to make you fat boy it’s definitely going to give you a heart attack.”

Since you are at The Pizza Bar, a pizza is a must order.  Traditionalists will love the Old World, topped with sausage, pepperoni, caramelized onions and roasted red peppers. While adventurous eaters will love the Smoked Pig, a white pizza with smoked Gouda, pulled pork, sweet corn and honey bbq sauce. And if you’re a downright daring, you may want to push your palate and order the Pickle Pizza.

“Pickle pizza sounds crazy to everybody.It’s a white based pizza, topped with mozzarella cheese, pickles, and fresh dill. Even if you’re not a big fan of pickles, you need to try that pizza.”

Hot heads will want to try the Diablo spiked with marinated steak tips and hot cherry peppers. But for the ultimate Pizza Bar experience, Phantom recommends The Sweet Mellow.

“The sweet mellow pizza is out of the world. It’s a white based pizza with pears, caramelized onions, ricotta cheese. It’s topped with prosciutto, fresh basil and honey.  When you bite that pizza it’s like sweet like sweetness of honey and like then the saltiness of prosciutto, it’s all that like brings it together and you definitely need to come back for more.”

Of course, any good sub shop has to have a solid line up of sandwiches.  There’s a Chicken Parm that will rival all of your favorites. And the Pizza Bar Special Sandwich, loaded up with grilled chicken, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, mixed greens and balsamic dressing. But if you want to go big before you go home, The Pizza Bar’s Chicken Club is the sandwich for you.

“Our club sandwiches are humongous. It’s a typical club sandwich with like the mayonnaise..tomatoes, lettuce, bacon. And then on the very top, you get those huge chunks of grilled chicken, which are topped with like American and cheddar cheese, which definitely covers the whole like club sandwich. You’re definitely gonna need like two hands like biting that.”

The Pizza Bar offers many other items on their menu like this oversized Mediterranean salad served with so much chicken, it needs its own plate. Big rice bowls topped with teriyaki steak tips, with grilled mushrooms onions, and peppers. And addictive wings that are ultra crispy on the outside and juicy in the center.

But it’s the Mediterranean fries that are the perfect plate for sharing, topped with a blend of Greek cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, and a secret blend of herbs.

“When you bite it, like you of course you feel like the crunchy steak fries. And then like, all the cheeses meld together. It’s like heaven.”

A Fatboy Burger, the Sweet Mellow Pizza, a Chicken Club and the Mediterranean fries make for THE PERFECT MEAL at The Pizza Bar.