By JOEL SILVERBERG

AJ’s Pizza Pub is a stone’s throw from the new Walmart shopping center in Cornelia, less than a five-minute drive from campus. 

The restaurant, once Johnny’s Pizza, stands next to Great Wraps.

The cool and relaxed atmosphere inside the eatery is a solid blend between a usual pizzeria and a classic sports bar. 

At least four television monitors line the walls, ready  for customers to catch the big game. 

AJ’s is spacious and holds a lot of seating without it seeming too crowded or obnoxious like a typical pub. 

The restaurant was about half full and there was minimal noise.

The menu featured the old-fashioned pizzeria lineup: pizzas, pastas, calzones, subs and over a dozen wing flavors. 

I ordered the recommended chicken parmesan, which came with a salad and two garlic knots. 

While waiting for my meal, I had a chance to use the free WiFi and enjoy the classic tossing of the pizza crust from the head chef, which is performed out front so customers can see it from their seats.

Within 20 minutes, the waitress brought out everything I ordered all at once. The Caesar salad was an excellent start with the standard cheese, dressing and croutons over lettuce combination. 

Next was one of the garlic knots, which were a nice alternative to the usual breadsticks or rolls that we typically see at Italian joints. 

The knots appear on the plate sitting in garlic butter and are topped with a garlic spread. 

Even after eating the salad, the knots were still warm and full of flavor as if they had just emerged from the oven. Most pizzerias don’t throw in garlic knots with an entrée. They’re normally an appetizer that needs to be purchased separately.

Finally, the main dish was placed in a bowl that sat on top of the plate to keep it warm. 

Despite it being nearly ten minutes since it was placed on my table, the pasta was still hot. 

The cheese and seasoning melted together with the chicken and spaghetti into a nice mix rather than coming apart in layers. 

Following the pasta, I downed the last garlic knot, which tasted just as warm and soft as the first.

AJ’s Pizza Pub is a definite try for the average Italian fan. I paid $10.69, not including tip, for a fairly large Caesar salad, two garlic knots and a handsome amount of chicken parmesan. 

The menu doesn’t get much more pricy than that. 8-inch subs are $6.99 and wings are only 55 cents on Saturdays.

Overall the restaurant boasts a mouth-watering menu that provides multiple reasons to head back and try something different, while AJ’s daily specials for pizza will help save money for groups. 

The service was polite and efficient and the food was of excellent quality and I didn’t leave hungry, which for a college-aged male, is saying quite a bit.