This past week, I ate my way through the North Hills in the attempt to find the best pizza in the North Allegheny School District. From Franklin Park to McCandless to the heart of Wexford, I eagerly “oohed and ahhed” with each new slice I tried.

I came up with criteria to grade each pizza and gave overall ratings. The criteria for the judgement included the following: dough, cheese, sauce, and crust. I went to six unique pizza shops, Mama Lucia’s, Freedom Pizza and Deli, Monte Cello’s, Sir Pizza, Luciano’s, and The Oven Pizza Company, rating each one on a scale of 1 to 5 pizza slices — 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best.

Without further ado, I present to you my take on the best pizza in the NA School District:

Mama Lucia’s: 

My first stop was Mama Lucia’s — a family owned pizza shop located in the heart of Wexford. Mama Lucia’s has been baking their famous wood-fired pizza for 34 years. I had indulged in their colossal sized slices years ago, and, after being handed the cheesy slice, I was reminded of just how large it is. The outside of the pizza looked very pleasing, with a thin, crispy crust and more cheese than the average person should eat. I was excited to dig in. It was amazing, to say the least. A close comparison to New York style pizza, the crispy crust and extensive cheese made it truly taste like a slice of New York’s finest. While the grease did play a small role in the judgement of the pizza, I am giving Mama Lucia’s 4.5  slices out of 5.

Freedom Pizza and Deli:

Located just feet away from the entrance of NASH, Freedom Pizza and Deli is a rather overlooked option when considering where to eat. After getting my slice, I was a little taken aback by the presentation of the pizza. I am well aware of the saying, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts,” but in this case, I felt the complete opposite. The cheese and sauce appeared to be just thrown on top, and it looked like a sloppy mess. I soon noticed how sweet the sauce was — it was something I had never tasted before. However, despite the unique flavoring of the sauce, the dough, cheese, and crust all tasted too generic and something I could eat really anywhere. It had the distinct taste of being cooked in a conventional type oven rather than a wood-fired pizza oven. Overall, it was a good slice, but not great — and that is why I am giving them 2.5 slices out of 5.

Monte Cello’s: 

It is likely impossible to be a student at NA and to have never eaten Monte Cello’s pizza — the official pizza of North Allegheny, I might add. While their buffalo chicken pizza takes first place as a crowd favorite, I sat down and tried a slice of their traditional pizza. Initially, I thought the pizza looked like a generic slice that you could get at any chain pizza shop. After indulging in a few bites, I noticed how dense the sauce was, almost like it came from a store-bought can. The crust was rough on the outside but very doughy and sort of gummy-tasting on the inside. However, Monte Cello’s is not known for their traditional pizza, and that is why they are so popular. I am rating Monte Cello’s plain pizza 3.5 slices out of 5. 

Sir Pizza: 

Perhaps the most uniquely cut and styled pizza, Sir Pizza was next on my list. Cut into squares and served hot, Sir Pizza has forever been known for the way they cut their pizza. But, in addition to the cut, they use provolone cheese on top rather than mozzarella but not very much of it.  Their motto states, “Good to the every edge.” There is not much of a crust as the sauce and cheese run all the way to the edge. In discussing what very little crust was there, I would almost compare to a frozen pizza. It seemed as if it could be baked in a regular oven. But maybe the frozen pizza taste is what makes many come back for more, or maybe it is the square cut. Whatever the reason may be, locals still flock to indulge. I am giving Sir Pizza 3 slices out of 5.

Luciano’s: 

Detouring out of Wexford, I headed to Luciano’s. The first thing I noticed after getting a slice was how puffy the crust was, and I later found out it was very airy with little dough. With another distinct sauce, consisting of mostly herbs, the large amount of grease on top of the pizza is what overtook all the flavor from the pizza. And — trust me — I am not one to complain about grease or something being too unhealthy, but, after this, I felt like I needed to spend a week in the gym. The amount of grease was a little outrageous and, in addition, the amount of cheese piled on top did not serve the pizza well. With the airy dough, herb-filled sauce, and giant heaping of both grease and cheese, Luciano’s probably takes the prize for the worst pizza, in my opinion. I am giving them 1.5 slices out of 5. 

And for the best pizza in the area, I present the The Oven Pizza Company: 

Situated on a corner lot in the Village at Pine, The Oven is a great take-out or dine-in pizza place. My initial thought on the presentation of the pizza was confusion as to why the sauce looked as if it was squirted on like ketchup, but I soon found out that this is what makes it so unique. The crust definitely had the most authentic wood-fired taste out of all the pizzas I tried, and the crisp crust was really enjoyable for someone who usually prefers more dough. The cheese-to-sauce ratio was perfect, which is something I feel very few pizza shops get right. Overall, I really could not find any flaws or red flags that prevented me from ranking The Oven the best pizza in the NA School District, with a 5 out of 5 slices rating.  The only problem is that The Oven is not in NA — it’s in (oof!!) Pine-Richland!