With the goal of creating ‘ease, simplicity, and connection amidst the hustle and bustle of busy lives’, Trail media reporters Shishyan Bhatta and Yabe Beneberu venture out to see if Dion’s is a viable option for CT students. Dion’s is a fast, casual restaurant chain, which offers pizzas, subs, salads, and soft drinks.
With the $4.99 student meal, Dion’s is a great quick lunch for CT high schoolers. The meal itself includes one pizza slice and a medium drink. Though the slice itself is smaller in size compared to Wild Pepper Pizza (WPP), a local competitor, the consistent, and good slice gives Dion’s an edge in our eyes. The subs at Dion’s were priced similarly to WPP, being around $8-9 for both locations, though Dions included a side and dressing, which was not offered at WPP. The quality of the subs is also far better than its competitors.
The sub that was served by WPP was burnt in our experience and tasted odd, there was no complexity in flavor or texture, and it tasted like a bad pizza rather than a sub. The differences between the subs are contrasted by Dion’s who served us nicely made subs, as the bread was not overly toasted, and the savoriness of the meats was balanced by the freshness of the veggies. The sandwich served by Dion’s also came with many extras compared to Wild Pepper Pizza, as we got a pickle, sauce dressing of choice, and a side of choice. The pizza’s quality was also much more consistent compared to WPP, as in our experience we got wildly different slices during our visits. Dion’s always delivered with a crispy crust, melty cheese, and satisfying toppings.
Dion’s is one of the closest restaurants to Cherokee Trail, making it a fantastic option for time-conscious students. A trip to Dion’s doesn’t require any vehicles for most able-bodied students, as it is a 5-7 minute walk. It is a great place to grab something during the brief student lunch periods.
Although the service is not as quick as Wild Pepper Pizza’s ready-to-go slices, it is still swift as we got our pizza slices within 5 minutes, and our sandwiches in 7 minutes. The wait time for the subs from WPP is also considerably slower than Dion’s, which is another point for the Dion’s. Ordering from Dions compared to the ready-to-go process of WPP made us feel as though we had more freedom to order their food, as their wait time is short and there are no premade slices clouding your judgment.
The atmosphere at Dion’s is cozy, with wooden furniture and spacious indoors. The first thing you realize when entering is the warm-toned lights that make the place more comforting to the customer. But the major difference we noticed was the huge indoor seating Dion’s had to offer, which was a far cry from the cramped seating options provided by WPP.
On the whole, Dions brings a complete package when it comes to the ideal student lunch experience. Ranking high in terms of taste, location, accommodation, and relative affordability for demographics of all grades and schedules. Stay tuned for the next installment of CT Cuisine where we try a worldwide sub chain, Subway, and see if it stacks up to the two pizzerias we have tried so far.
