Behind FAU there is a section called the Research and Development Park.  In past years it was reserved strictly for Research orientated companies.  We looked at space for a company there years ago and were told we would have to have some sort of research focus.

Well the times have changed and so has the economy.  This place has been renamed the innovation center (or something like that) and one of the new innovations is apparently a pizza and sub shop.  Annie's Pizza and Subs is located in what seems like the least findable section of Boca Raton.  Nestled between the Boca Raton airport and a bunch of research companies is this surprisingly busy pizza shop.  For months I had wondered where it was located after seeing a coupon describing it near FAU.  It appeared that maybe they were located in the student union, or somewhere on campus, because I knew there wasn't a shopping center anywhere else.  The other day my son and I were driving around FAU campus, and we exited towards Spanish River.  That is when I saw a rather inconspicuous sign saying Annie's.  So I turned the car around and sent him into the back of this office center, where Annie's is located, to get us a menu.  He told me it appeared pretty decent inside and suggested we go back.

A couple of days later I asked Matt if he would meet me there for some lunch, and he informed me that he had already tried Annie's and it was pretty good.  Upon walking into Annie's, the only thing that impressed me was the number of people eating there.  The ambiance wasn't the nicest, and the layout was a bit backward.  This hidden pizza place, was packed.  We patiently waited our turn in line and when I got up to the counter I asked the guy working there if the pizza is what he suggested?  He told me "everything is the best here".  Not sure he realized I would hold him to these words. I ordered 1 regular and 1 sicilian slice.  I was handed a number and sat down.  Immediately I realized that Annie's, unlike many of the other dumb pizza owners around town, understood the need to turnover tables, and instead of making me wait to order from a waitress, they take the order at the counter and bring it to your table very informally.  No tip, no senseless waiting to order.  I knew Annie's was going to be good.

When my slices came out, I couldn't believe the size of the regular one.  It was literally 2 slices.  If my photo does any justice to how incredibly large it was, you can see that it barely fits on a plate.  For $5.50 I had 1 regular and 1 sicilian slice, with a fountain soda.  But technically it was 2 regular slices, and one sicilian.  This could make Annie's the best bang for the buck in Boca Raton.

Thinking that perhaps my slice was just an anomaly, I glanced over to Matt's slice, which was equally as large.  Just to triple check I walked around the restaurant looking at the other tables, and all had slices that were enormous.  But what good is a gigantic pizza if it sucks right?  Well you do not need to worry about this pizza sucking.  The pizza is by no means the best in town, but it was great just the same.  I would choose this slice over dozens of other places in the area, and I have since gone back 3 times.  Each time the slices were just as huge..incidentally.

My first bite into this big slice was good.  The crust was still a bit thicker then I would like to find, but gets a passing grade.  The sauce isn't overbearingly tasty here, and unless you purposely try to taste it, when in your mouth, you might not recognize it.  Upon putting the slice down, I realize the river of orange oil that had dripped down from the slice.  Some people might hate this, but it added to the greasy type of atmosphere.  The sicilian slice tasted great, and even though I am sure they are using the same sauce, it tasted sweet and smooth.  Maybe they just put on an abnormally small amount of sauce on the regular.  The sicilian crust was just as it should be.  Crunchy on the bottom, soft in the center and silky on top.

Annie's you have won me over as a customer, but let's discuss some other issues.  Although the place seems busy enough, I cannot see college students frequenting this place daily.  Actually, I have yet to find a single college student eating while I am there.  It is all the research park lunch time crowd.  If I was a college student and had to hop in a car to eat, I am not sure I would choose you.  The prices aren't that cheap on the sandwiches, and it is just as far as the shops on Glades.  Hopefully you will continue to have deliveries to sustain business outside lunch.

Annie's gets 5 out of 8 slices.  By the way.....is it a requirement to have tattoos everywhere, in order to get a job there?