Never discount the value of good signage. In this case, it was the one proclaiming “$5.99 pizza buffet, including pop” that caught my husband’s attention and brought us to New York Pizza.

Located in a strip mall on 28th Street next to Qdoba, New York Pizza has so far managed to survive the first-year restaurant curse that has plagued its predecessors in that space. The value is probably the reason, along with the fact that it has an evening buffet (priced a dollar higher), which is unique among the plethora of 28th Street pizza buffets.

The pizza itself? Well, it’s a mixed bag. First, be aware that it’s greasy, very greasy, even Pizza Hut greasy. I polled some guy friends to make sure this wasn’t just a dieting female reaction, and they whole-heartedly agreed.

The deep dish that was on the buffet was also close to raw on the bottom. I’ll avoid it in the future.

But the regular pizza was surprisingly good. I’m all about the crust, and this was crispy yet flexible, like a good New York pizza should be. The overall flavor was also good, and the toppings were on top of the cheese, in the New York style.

The buffet itself is small. There’s room for four pizzas, one of which is always a dessert one. The good news is that this means they rotate quickly, so they’re usually fresh.

It also includes salad (a bowl of shredded iceberg and a couple dressings), three kinds of pasta, and some other oddball items. One time there were pierogies; another time, pigs in a blanket.

With the buffet, stick with the pizza. The pasta was uniformly terrible. It looked like it had been sitting out for awhile, and the two kinds I tried, both in a cheese sauce, were rubbery and flavorless. The pierogies and pigs in a blanket were edible but a little tough as well.

The real winner is the cheese bread – soft, crisp on the edges, and gooey with cheese and a hint of garlic. My husband ate one slice of pizza, discovered the cheese bread and made it the remainder of his meal.

Service is not a consideration. You place your order at a counter as you walk in, then it’s purely self-serve, including busing your own table. This makes the buffet even more of a value: no tip required.

The staff behind the counter are friendly. When one buffet diner asked if any other pizzas were coming out, the guy asked him what he wanted and soon delivered a pepperoni and sausage, per request.

I’ve never ordered off the menu, but if you want to do so, there’s a lot of choice. In addition to pizza, there’s burgers, appetizers like chicken wings, pasta dinners, salads and desserts.

The ambiance is standard strip-mall – a dozen tables, all close together. Business has been brisk on our visits, but seating has never been an issue.

One minor annoyance: When we brought our 1-year-old, they wanted to charge us an extra $2 for her to eat off the buffet. Considering that she eats, at most, half a slice of pizza, this seemed ludicrous.

Other than that, the value is impossible to beat. The pizza isn’t the best along 28th Street, but the price is.

New York Pizza  ( Rating: out of 5 )

Where: 2915 28th St. SE, Kentwood
Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight, Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 12-midnight Sunday
Ambiance: Average, not much seating
How much will it cost you: Buffet (includes soda) is $5.99 for lunch, $6.99 dinner. Dinners and subs are $6.99-$10.99, pizzas $8.50-$29.99 (for giant 24”).
Credit cards: All major
Alcohol: No
Reservations: No
Contact: (616) 575-0303
Online: www.newyorkpizzagr.com