Bella Roma in Hampden

Inflation: this is a word that we see often. Prices getting higher and higher as the quantity (or quality) of the product gets lower and lower. My father would tell me stories of times when he was a kid and how far a dollar uses to get him. He would tell me that a dollar could get him two slices of pizza, a candy bar, a bottle of Coke, and he would still have change left over to buy a movie ticket. All that from a single dollar, that’s more bang for your buck than even the dollar menu can provide. However, these prices seem like only bedtime stories for our generation. Gone are the days when people would pick up change because what are a few pennies going to get you in this day and age?

There is a place in Hampden called Bella Roma, a little pizza place on the corner of Falls road and The Avenue (across the street from the 7-11). Now here is a place where you can get what the locals call “the best deal in town”. All of the locals know that if you have $4.66 you can stop in and order two slices of pizza and get a Coke. I know it’s no dollar, but it is the best deal in town. Now these pizza slices are not your average slices of pizza, they are huge! I’m talking the kind of size where you finish the first slice and that second slice is starring you down, challenging your ability to finish your $4.66 lunch. I know this because my second slice is doing just that to me right now.

Photo Credit: Jedda 

At Bella Roma there are other options than the best deal in town. You can also order the Falls Road special, named after yours truly! The falls road special is the brainchild of my roommates and myself. It is a large cheese pizza with breaded chicken cut into pieces and used for the topping of the pizza. Let’s just say that after eating one of these bad boys your going to need to get yourself into the gym the next day or you will start to look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. However, after many nights of surviving off of the Falls Road special, I can tell you that it is worth the mandatory visit to the gym the next day. Another helpful tip when ordering the Falls Road special is to leave a nice tip for the people because the Falls Road special is a time consuming pizza to make. So please, show your appreciation for hard work.

So what have we learned? While the days of the mighty dollar have come and gone, you can still get a large amount of quality food for only $4.66. And if you are feeling up to the challenge of ordering the Falls Road special, you are going to need a little help from your friends (and the gym).

Location: 3600 Falls Rd. Hampden Baltimore, MD 21211.

Hours: 11:00am to 11:30pm Sundays through Thursdays

11:00am to 12:30am Fridays and Saturdays

Phone: 410-467-2751

Parking: Street parking available

- Nick