My friend and I hit up Sauced for lunch last Friday afternoon. This marked my first time at the restaurant, so I was pretty excited to see what was going on at one of WLR’s newer dining spots. The menu features a dozen Neapolitan style pizza offerings, along with a few Italian sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, and starters like burrata, meatballs, and a charcuterie board.

The décor and atmosphere were both immediate positives. The restaurant, while not enormous, is bright and open with modern touches throughout. The entire place felt very comfortable, so a tip of the hat to the designer. We sat in a booth adjacent to the kitchen. This spot gives you a wonderful view of  both the wood-fired oven (and its mesmerizing burning logs), as well as the beautiful bar on the opposite side of the restaurant.

We were dead set on splitting a sandwich and pizza but our server convinced us to try the Special, a lamb burger with whipped feta tzatziki sauce. I’m glad she was adamant about ordering it because the burger was fantastic. The medium-sized patty of Chef Ivy’s house-ground lamb was grilled just right, with a hint of pink running through the middle. A heavy hand of tzatziki gave the overall burger a perfect amount of moisture and paired well with the soft bun.

Each burger/sandwich at Sauced comes with a side, so we opted for the Brussels sprouts with the burger and shoestring fries with the Chicken Parm sandwich. While the shredded Brussels sprouts with bits of smoked pork belly was an absolute winner, the fries proved to be disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, there’s rarely such a thing as bad fries and these weren’t terrible by any stretch, but Sauced could stand to have a thicker, fresh cut version to match the quality of burgers and sandwiches.

Brussels Sprouts

Speaking of sandwiches, the Chicken Parm was also a winner. Visually speaking, it’s not a real show stopper, but the taste more than made up for a somewhat boring appearance. The hoagie was soft and fresh and gave the thin, perfectly fried chicken breast a nice resting place. Toppings of marinara and mozzarella finished things off for this delightful sandwich … one I wouldn’t hesitate ordering again.

Chicken Parm

My first experience at Sauced was a good one, and while this review feels a little incomplete without writing about such a prominent menu item as the pizza, it does give me an excuse in the very near future to go back. It’s football season and Sauced seems like a nice place to sit at the bar, have a beer and pizza, and enjoy the Hogs.

Sauced Bar and Oven
11121 N Rodney Parham Rd #9a
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11am–9pm; Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm; Sunday Brunch 10am-4pm
Phone: (501) 353-1534