I’d heard about this pizza place that opened in July called Runaway Meatball, 3592 N. Oakland Ave., and I kept seeing ads in one of the local periodicals, so I figured I may as well pay them a visit.

The lobby at Runaway Meatball was more spacious than I expected for a take-out and delivery business. There were two large refrigerators with Coca-Cola products directly opposite the counter, which had large menus hanging behind it.

In the center, against the wall, were two small, white patio tables and a couple of chairs. A portable heater sat in front of the counters to help keep the customers warm.

The place must be popular because there was steady carry-out traffic while I was there, and phone calls were coming in constantly.

The menu at Runaway Meatball consists of pizza, hot dogs, sides and sandwiches, including six meatball sandwiches, such as the garlic parmesan meatball, Mediterranean meatball and Sicilian Runaway Meatball sandwich with roasted sweet peppers, onions, marinara and mozzarella cheese. The only entree listed is a spaghetti and meatballs dinner for $9.

One of the items listed in the sides section is an order of "4 Meatballs on a Stick" for $5. Since all menu items are only available for carry-out or delivery, four large meatballs were served in a foam container with a wooden stick beside them so you can build your own skewer. The order also includes a side of marinara sauce and parmesan cheese in individual plastic covered cups.

I felt obliged to order them given the name of the pizzeria. I liked the texture and flavor. They weren’t too soft or mushy, and were subtly seasoned. I played along and drove the wooden skewer through all four meatballs and rather than pour the sauce and cheese over the meatballs, I dipped the meatballs instead.

I think they should either serve the meatballs on the skewer, or do away with the skewer and change the name. I doubt anyone else will take the time to build their own meatball skewer, especially if sharing the meatballs.

Create-your-own pizzas are available in 8, 12 and 16 inches. Cheese pizzas range from $7 to $15 with toppings ranging from 50 cents to $1.50 each.

Specialty pizzas are available in 12 and 16 inches with simplified pricing of $15 and $16 respectively. Specialty pie options include the bianco, deluxe, four cheese, mac 'n' cheese, vegetarian and meatball.

The vegetarian includes your choice of seven toppings, and the meatball includes your choice of four toppings in addition to the meatballs.

Runaway Meatball also offers a double crust pizza, which is only available in 16 inches and includes four toppings for $22.

I ordered an eight-inch cheese, sausage and pepperoni pizza. The hand-tossed crust was thin and slightly crisp along the perimeter but otherwise very soft. I’m not sure what I would compare the crust to.

The slices were on the floppy side so they could be folded like a New York-style crust. However, the crust didn’t have the "pull-away," chewy texture that New York-style crusts typically have. So I’d say the crust was unique in that I haven't had anything like it anywhere else in the Milwaukee area yet.

The pepperoni and sausage had a great spicy flavor, but I could barely pick up the taste of the sauce. It was very lightly applied and difficult to isolate. It didn’t seem tangy or sweet to me from what I could taste. Like most pizzerias, they start with a canned base and add their own seasoning blend to it.

Based on photos I’ve seen I was expecting a slightly different style of pizza. I liked the pizza I had, but I would have liked it a little more with a heavier application of sauce and crisper crust.

Since I enjoyed the meatballs I ordered, I’ll likely go back to try the Mediterranean meatball and Southwest meatball sandwiches. If you haven’t tried them yet and are planning to, you can find coupons and specials posted on their website, so take advantage of the offers when you order.