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TASTE TEAM
Dayton restaurants — Best pizza
If you're looking for an entirely unscientific and highly opinionated take on local pizza, you've found it.
The taste team sampled pies from 12 pizza places in Dayton to find the best and worst. What we found was that everyone has differing opinions on what makes a great pizza. So check out our comments and judge for yourself.
Disclaimer: We had some delivered and picked some up ourselves, so temperature levels were far from consistent. We also didn't try any crazy topping combinations or plain cheese, although Tony lobbied for barbecue, beans and corn?
Comment on our findings »
Taste: How's it taste? Ten is the best ever! One is I'd rather eat the cardboard box. |
Toppings: We judged the freshness of the ingredients as well as the quantity of toppings. We sampled whatever they called "deluxe" or "supreme" as well as pepperoni alone. |
Crust: We stuck with original crust and rated its taste and texture. Cassano's and Marion's original crusts are thin. |
Cheese: Arguably the most important part of a pizza. We compared the ratio of cheese to toppings, the taste, and even the "stretchiness" of the cheeses. |
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Domino's |
Overall rating: 6.7 Pluses: "A really great sauce! Had much more tomato to it than any others." —Marisa Minuses: "Pretty average" —Steve |
Overall rating: 6.7 Pluses: "Pepperoni was plentiful and fresh." —Steve Minuses: "Didn't strike me as fresh, but it certainly didn't taste like it had been sitting under a heat lamp. Just middle of the road." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 6.7 Pluses: "Fluffy and somewhat doughy, but I like it doughy! And it wasn't burnt." —Maggie Minuses: "Tastes funny, and not in the, 'Haha, that's hilarious' kind of way." —Hillary |
Overall rating: 6.7 Pluses: "I'd say decent stretchiness." —Hillary Minuses: "Not enough cheese!" —Tiffany |
Papa John's |
Overall rating: 7.3 Pluses: "Good sized pieces. I wanted a second piece when I was finished with the first." —Maggie Minuses: "A familiar mediocre pizza." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 7.3 Pluses: "Eating the deluxe version is like drinking a V8, there are so many veggies." —Gerry Minuses: "Not as many toppings as some of the others." —Marisa |
Overall rating: 7.6 Pluses: "A good crust, especially with the garlic dipping sauce." —Marisa Minuses: "Somewhat burnt, hard and crunchy." —Maggie |
Overall rating: 7.2 Pluses: "Nice delicious greasy cheese with a good cheese to toppings ratio." —Marisa Minuses: "Cheese not very plentiful and a bit crusty." —Steve |
Cassano's |
Overall rating: 7.3 Pluses: "Doesn't look great, but tastes surprisingly strong." —Steve Minuses: "A little salty and almost bitter." —Hillary |
Overall rating: 7.3 Pluses: "Toppings were almost perfect. I loved the Supreme." —Tiffany Minuses: "Smaller pieces so the toppings were a little bit overwhelming." —Maggie |
Overall rating: 7.0 Pluses: "Slightly burnt around the edges, but very flavorful and not too floury" —Gerry. Minuses: "Crust was a little burnt and crunchy." —Maggie |
Overall rating: 5.7 Pluses: "This cheese is perfect. It doesn't stretch off the pizza." —Tiffany Minuses: "A lot of empty spots with no cheese." —Steve |
Dewey's |
Overall rating: 8.0 Pluses: "Distinctive flavor. Not just your average out of the box pizza. Great with crushed red pepper." —Marisa Minuses: "The sausage was tasty and spicy, but everything else was pretty mundane." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 6.3 Pluses: "You can barely see the cheese there's so much pepperoni." —Steve Minuses: "Very fresh, yet lacking the flavor I expected." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 8.0 Pluses: "It was golden brown and not too tough." —Maggie Minuses: "Soft and chewy, but a bit too thick for my liking." —Steve |
Overall rating: 6.7 Pluses: "Very good, even cold." —Hillary Minuses: "All the cheese and toppings kept falling off." —Tiffany |
Milano's |
Overall rating: 6.5 Pluses: "Very tasty and had a spicy kick to it." —Tony Minuses: "Small pieces so it was one pepperoni per slice and you'd have to eat 10 pieces to be full." —Maggie |
Overall rating: 7.5 Pluses: "Really good, big mushrooms." —Katie Minuses: "Toppings seemed fresh, but were very greasy." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 6.0 Pluses: "Nice and crunchy and bubbly." —Tony Minuses: "Supposedly on fresh-baked bread, but the crust is so thin you can't tell the difference." —Katie |
Overall rating: 6.0 Pluses: "A little chewy but still really yummy." —Tony Minuses: "Some pieces had plenty, others practically none." —Maggie |
Pizza Factory |
Overall rating: 8.5 Pluses: "Very tasty with great consistency and a big slice. I could barely put it down to write this comment." —Maggie Liked it: "Pretty good, but didn't blow me away." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 8.5 Pluses: "Overflowing with fresh toppings. The mild banana peppers make an excellent addition to the supreme but aren't too overwhelming." —Katie Minuses: "There were a lot of pepperonis. It was a little too much." —Tony |
Overall rating: 8.5 Pluses: "Flavorful, doughy, crispy, yum." —Gerry Liked it: "Somewhat burnt, but not too much." —Maggie |
Overall rating: 6.5 Liked it: "Tastes great, but it was clumpy and fell off the slice taking the toppings with it." —Gerry Minuses: "Couldn't really taste the cheese through all the toppings." —Katie |
Donato's |
Overall rating: 7.0 Pluses: "Wow! I was genuinely surprised when I sank my teeth into this tasty treat." —Gerry Minuses: "Funky tasting sauce. I wouldn't get this if I had a choice." —Maggie |
Overall rating: 7.0 Pluses: "Really big pieces. I especially liked the sausage and onions." —Katie Liked it: "Pepperoni tastes great, but was slightly overdone. Mushrooms were rubbery and had a strange yellowish color." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 7.5 Pluses: "Yum. It tastes like a bakery smells." —Gerry Minuses: "Too fluffy. I would have liked it crispier and thinner." —Tony |
Overall rating: 5.0 Liked it: "Plain cheese, not too much, not too little, but nothing to write home about." —Maggie Minuses: "Not enough cheese to sauce ratio." —Tony |
Pizza Hut |
Overall rating: 6.3 Pluses: "Delicious, thick slices were nice and filling. Excellent!" —Maggie Minuses: "It had very little taste. Very bland." —Tony |
Overall rating: 5.5 Pluses: "Tastes pretty fresh and there's enough to cover the cheese." —Gerry Minuses: "Toppings were disgusting. Mushrooms were way overdone." —Katie |
Overall rating: 6.5 Pluses: "Golden brown, fluffy and lots of it. Just the way I like it." —Maggie Minuses: "Too much uncovered crust and it was a bit too tough for me." —Katie |
Overall rating: 6.0 Pluses: "Perfect! Not super stretchy, not clumpy. Great texture and flavor." —Gerry Minuses: "Eh. Not really noticeable." —Tony |
Flying Pizza |
Overall rating: 6.0 Pluses: "Pretty good. Sauce is different than any other pizza which gives it a unique taste." —Ben Minuses: "Meat was strange and onions were strong. It reminded me of a Gyro." —Gerry |
Overall rating: 6.0 Liked it: "Pepperoni was layered and not too spicy. It didn't cover the entire piece, but that way you can taste the cheese." —Maggie Minuses: "They were not fresh enough. No zest or bite." —Otis |
Overall rating: 6.0 Pluses: "Fluffy, tasty, filling, good crust." —Maggie Minuses: "Way too chewy and bendy." —Tony |
Overall rating: 6.3 Pluses: "Good consistency of cheese and a good amount." —Maggie Minuses: "Cheese slid right off the crust." —Tony |
Cousin Vinny's |
Overall rating: 5.7 Pluses: "Nice unique taste and the crust had cheese." —Ben Minuses: "This may be the oddest tasting pizza ever. Breadsticks are tasty though." —Hillary |
Overall rating: 6.3 Liked it: "Crispy and colorful." —Gerry Minuses: "What toppings? One piece of pepperoni on an entire slice?" —Maggie |
Overall rating: 6.7 Pluses: "Chewy and the nice flavor brings out the flavor of the meats." —Otis Liked it: "Good texture and taste, but not crispy enough. Kudos on the breadsticks." —Tony |
Overall rating: 4.6 Pluses: "Good ratio of toppings to cheese." —Tony Minuses: "Looked like some of it was uncooked." —Maggie |
Little Caesar's |
Overall rating: 6.3 Pluses: "A lot of pizzas try too hard to taste good. This one doesn't. It doesn't try to be too fancy." —Gerry Minuses: "Tasted pretty bland; like eating bread." —Tony |
Overall rating: 6.0 Liked it: "They taste great and the bell peppers were crisp." —Gerry Minuses: "Pepperoni had spices that I didn't really care for." —Ben |
Overall rating: 6.0 Pluses: "Firm and chewy, not too burnt." —Otis Liked it: "Bland and too chewy." —Tony |
Overall rating: 6.3 Pluses: "Good ratio of cheese to toppings and not too stretchy." —Ben Minuses: "Good amount of cheese, I just wish it tasted better." —Maggie |
Marion's |
Overall rating: 6.5 Pluses: "Damn! Very good. The taste bites you even when it's cold." —Otis Minuses: "Bite-sized, thin crust, salty pizza. It's an acquired taste." —Maggie |
Overall rating: 6.7 Liked it: "Definitely fresh and just crispy enough to satisfy." —Hillary Minuses: "Too many pepperonis" —Tony |
Overall rating: 6.3 Pluses: "Great crust. Crisp and delicious." —Otis Minuses: "Thin bland crust. Needs more oomph!" —Ben |
Overall rating: 6.7 Pluses: "It's got great staying power. Yummy!" —Hillary Minuses: "The spices on the pizza kills the taste of the cheese." —Maggie |
And the winner is…
- Pizza Factory
Coming in a disappointing last…
- Cousin Vinny's. Although we all appreciated the free breadsticks and drinks.
The taste team:
- Gerry, 23, the non-picky eater.
- Tony, 24, the very picky eater.
- Otis, 32, not too picky.
- Marisa, 21, will try anything once!
- Hillary, 23, "Pretty much all pizzas are tasty!"
- Steve, 29, eats most toppings, but not mushrooms or olives.
- Tiffany, 18, will eat everything except olives.
- Maggie, 32, "The most adventurous I get is a meat-lovers."
- Katie, 22, "Where's the deep dish?"
- Ben, 22, Not picky when it comes to pizza.
Comments
By White pizza lover
April 3, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this
As stated, “everyone has differing opinions on what makes a great pizza”, oh so true! I can’t agree more with ‘togaTapper’ - a classic message about the burgers, cracked me up! These pizza you reviewed are chains and truly don’t have great pizza, it’s more convenient VS. tasty. If you are from the northeast ‘Flying Pizza’ is the best I’ve tasted locally. I’m still looking for the best white pizza in town and I heard that ‘Palermo’s’ is pretty good (next on the list to try)!
By Clem
April 1, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this
Chris, What are you reading or are you reading at all? The winner was a LOCAL shop. The runner-up was a LOCAL shop. Half of the places profiled are LOCAL shops. Stop sniffing glue just for a moment and think about your comment.
By Tiffany
March 31, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
I found that Oregon Express has some wonderful pizza and I am sad that it was not on your list. I am not a Dayton native and being able to find some good pizza has been my one of my tasks. I would definately recommend Oregon Express chicken pizza and Dewey’s. If you are south of town, Franklin’s PH Bistro has some pretty good pizza too!
By Chris
March 27, 2008 9:56 PM | Link to this
Nice idea to rate pizza in Dayton. But why not support Dayton pizza chains. I’m pretty sure everyone already knows what Pizza Hut, Dominos, Papa Johns, etc. tastes like. If someone is visiting from another city or state, they want to try the local establishments and not something they can get in any other city in the country.
By Derek VanHoose
March 26, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
Troni’s is by far the best pizza in Dayton. The closest you can get to New York pizza! Do yourselves a favor and try it, you will be hooked!
By togaTapper
March 25, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
Seriously…this is the list?
Missing are pie selections from (and all of these are better than most on the list in my opinion): Giovanni’s Troni’s Oregon Express Disalvo’s Deli Joe’s Pizza McGillicutty’s LaRosa’s
You all have enough time to try every terrible chain restaurant in the city, but not enough time to try some of the best pizza joints in Dayton? When we test burgers will you only be trying McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Big Boy, Applebee’s, & Rally’s?
By Sue
March 13, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
Jimmie’s Cornerstone Bar & Grille has the best pizzas in town! From the Barbeque Chicken & White Pizzas to the deluxe, all their toppings are top quality & awesome!
By FoodLover
February 20, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
Godfather’s Pizza is the best pizza in town. Here is the address & telephone number. 4628 BRANDT PIKE
HUBER HEIGHTS, OH 45424 (937) 233-9900
By FoodLover
February 20, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this
Godfather’s Pizza is the best pizza in town. Here is the address & telephone number. 4628 BRANDT PIKE
HUBER HEIGHTS, OH 45424 (937) 233-9900
By jerry z
February 19, 2008 7:56 PM | Link to this
where’s joes pizza on airway rd. and pisanello’s pizza downtown franklin
By Tony
February 11, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
I agree, Giovanni’s is delicious.
By Michael
February 1, 2008 10:09 PM | Link to this
Giovanni’s definitely rates a try. Dewey’s is a favorite with me and my friends. They do a half and half that gives everyone what they want.
By Barbara
February 1, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this
Next time, try Giovanni’s on Main Street in Fairborn. My favorite is with sausage, onions, and extra cheese.