Red Fish Pizza Company, located at 224 South Hollywood Road across from Vandebilt High School, is said to be the place for gourmet pizzas in the Houma area. I decided to compare it to Thibodaux’s very own Pepper’s Pizzeria and cast a decision on which is better. To start off, the outsides of the buildings are completely different. While Pepper’s is on a corner with a majority of the walls being glass, Red Fish is in an old Chinese restaurant with little done to the building to change this image. Pepper’s setting has just a more comfortable feel and atmosphere.

The locations also have a completely different scenario. Pepper’s has a loyal following but is also in a location to cater to those in the downtown Thibodaux area. Red Fish seems to just be placed somewhere that had an opening. It is in the middle of the street surrounded by larger buildings and in front of what seems to be a sleazy motel.

Once/if you get inside, you will see a similar view in both places, high back booths against the walls and tables and chairs in the middle. Both have a least one television on somewhere in the dining room. Plus, the noises from the kitchen sometimes fill the dining room to a point no longer comfortable. Yet another similar sight between the two is the vast assortment of beers and the bar that joins onto one side.

Okay, time to discuss the food. Both serve gourmet, non-traditional pizzas. While Pepper’s seems to focus on variety, Red Fish has an ongoing Italian theme. The pizzas at both have a large amount of toppings but Red Fish had more with cheese dripping from every piece. Quality-wise, Pepper’s seems to be better, but then again Pepper’s costs a bit more. Flavor-wise, I found Pepper’s to have stronger, more pronounced flavors but what is funny is that Red Fish’s pizza seems to develop a burst of flavor when it is cold — the way most college students enjoy pizza anyway. Price can play a part depending on what you want. Red Fish is gracious with its offering of smaller personal sizes, but Pepper’s is a better deal when your orders get larger.

After dining at both locations, I can honestly say that Pepper’s food and service is better, but it is nice to know that if I am ever in the Houma area and looking for a pizza that might be a bit different I do not have to drive all the way back to Thibodaux. I can just go on over to Red Fish Pizza Company and get something there to tantalize my taste buds.