It’s a Friday night, and you and your friend want to eat somewhere close to campus before a show. A little entertainment would be a bonus. In that case, Donnie’s Homespun Pizza is probably your best bet. It’s down the street from Dolson Hall, heading towards downtown Millikin, at 126 S. Oakland Ave. I’d been there many times, but I hadn’t eaten their most popular pizza–the ‘Dank Veggie.’

Last Friday, I went to Donnie’s with a friend of mine before the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra concert. It was so different being there before nine o’clock, because there was barely anyone there.

To those who have never stepped foot in Donnie’s, it’s usually packed at night. Hundreds of band posters cover the walls, and Christmas lights are twisted around the exposed piping above. There’s always really good music playing and usually some form of entertainment on the stage toward the front.

When the stage isn’t being used for entertainment, it’s used as more seating for guests. Upon walking in, a waitress took us to a table on the stage with the window beside us. Ambiance is so important to any experience, and Donnie’s has a cool, calm one. There’s a bar across from the stage, and you can watch everyone at work, talking and laughing with co-workers and customers.

After looking at the menu, I asked the waitress what their most popular pizza was, and when she mentioned the ‘Dank Veggie’ pizza, my friend and I decided to share a 14”, hand-tossed ‘Dank Veggie.’ The menu described it as a pizza with “spinach, artichoke, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives, tomatoes, fresh garlic & basil, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses served on Red Sauce.”

Apparently, Donnie’s is known for the vegetarian options. They also have a ‘San Francisco Veggie’ pizza, served on pesto sauce instead of red sauce, along with countless vegetarian sandwiches and wraps.

Their other popular pizza is the ‘Sicilian.’ It’s not just tomato and mozzarella cheese–there’s also bacon, ham, and spinach. I’ve had this before, and it was okay. I got it at a time when it was getting late and they were only making thin crust pizzas.

When the ‘Dank Veggie’ pizza came out, it was colorful, inviting, and sizzling on the plate. It was still really hot when I bit into it, but the cheese stretching away from the slice made it worth it. It melted in my mouth and mingled with the fresh green peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and spices. The vegetables made each bite juicy, crunchy, and exploding with flavor. Even the crust was delicious–a balance between soft and crunchy.

My only issue was that it was too much for two people to eat in one sitting. I couldn’t even finish my last slice, I was so full. But, one upside to that is leftovers!

Overall, the ambiance was wonderful, the waitress was very accommodating (I didn’t even tell her I was reviewing them), the pizza was amazing, and the price wasn’t too bad. $18.50 split between two people for four giant veggie-filled slices–nothing could get better than that. They’re also great about working with performers for events, and even when they stop cooking at 10pm, they will keep the bar open till midnight. For all of this, I give Donnie’s a 10/10.