Joe’s Pizza and Pasta

Very good pizza and nice employees. Way to go Joe keep it up!

Dropped by this relatively new place today to pickup something for lunch to-​go. It is located on the corner of Webb Chapel & Beltline in an old small strip center next to the Caribbean Café and a C-​Store (beer & wine). Nothing about this location would draw your attention.
Facilities:
The interior reminds me of a tiny Dairy Queen, so don’t plan to go here for atmosphere. (Also, their a/​c wasn’t cooling the place today) Take out is the way to go, dining in the comfort of your cool home in front of your DVR with a cold beer on a day like today.
Food:
They have a pretty extensive menu for a place of this caliber. A few apps, several salads, soup, pizza by the slice or whole pies, subs, calzones, stromboli, etc, plus (advertised as) homemade pastas, many entrée selections and 3 desserts.
The numerous lunch specials enticed me, so I ordered stuffed cannelloni with sausage, spinach,& cheese with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese on top; served with a side salad, a small loaf of warm bread and a drink for $ 6.95. I also ordered a slice of vege pizza for lunch tomorrow.
Critique:
Cannelloni was okay; the marinara sauce was pretty good as was the sausage, spinach and cheese stuffing. Mozzarella on top was very creamy and melted just right. However, I thought the pasta itself was a little gummy. Perhaps the chef was in a hurry and did not properly cook the shell ?
Salad was crisp and fresh, with lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, cucumbers, onions and peppers, amazing IMO for a neighborhood pizza joint. The house vinaigrette was surprisingly good, very different and very tasty; at first glance, IOMG, it’s cocktail sauce; bright red. Upon further staring at this strange dressing, I then decided it looked like Wishbone Catalina Dressing; but it had a wonderful flaor, also nice and thick. Think I will get an extra side of dressing next time to drink on the way home.
I had to have at least one bite pre-​Thursday of the pizza, and it is pretty good; (green peppers, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, onions) .The crust was not too thin, and certainly not thick. A nice compromise. I am already looking forward to lunch tomorrow. (Or maybe a sneak into the kitchen after midnight with a glass of milk?)
Service was pretty decent; how much can one expect when ordering at the counter, and then having a seat in a red plastic booth to wait? Food prepared reasonably timely. Because of the salad and the pizza, it’s almost, just almost, 3 stars; but because of the gummy pasta shell, couldn’t justify more than 2 stars. Hope other pastas I might try will be better.
Yes, sooo many other places in my part of the Northern Hemisphere for good pizza and pasta, but as a fast, close-​by option, Joy’s will do in a pinch. However, something different next time.
Oh, BTW, something interesting about the name. Sign outside building reads «Joy’s»; T-​shirts worn by staff read «Joe’s». Takeout menu reads «Joe’s». I am inclined to think they are part of the Joe’s Pasta family place on Josey Lane @ Beltline in Carrollton, just down the road, and might be using their menus, shirts, until «Joy’s» are ready? Hmmm, we shall watch the mystery unfold!