Pizza. The eternal pie of everything good and holy, the staple of every poor college kid’s diet, and the crusader of cheesy goodness.

Pizza is what brings us together today.

As a self-proclaimed pizza enthusiast, it’s my mission to discover the best pizza joints in town. And let me tell ya, we’ve got a lot of pizza places. Like, a LOT. Who knew that Auburn housed over ten different pizza joints within a 20-mile radius? We are clearly one big, pizza-loving family.

While I would have loved to eat, sleep, and breathe all that pizza for two straight weeks, my bank account would have strongly protested. Instead, I focused on rating the five most common pizza joints in the Auburn area based on their proximity to campus, quality, atmosphere, and their leftover appeal. To ensure the consistency of each experience, I chose to solely compare each pizzeria’s classic cheese pizza. After all, the cheese pizza is the foundation for all other pizzas.

Mellow Mushroom

If you are looking for a nice, sit-down restaurant to eat some good pizza, this is the place for you. The staff are very attentive and the atmosphere holds true its name. Their quality goes beyond their pizza and into their expansive menu. I’ve never had anything bad there!

Proximity to Campus

Five to 15-minute walk depending on where you are on campus. Centrally located downtown.

Quality

• Bread: Nicely flavored, light and crispy.
• Sauce: Perfect amount. Complements nicely.
• Cheese: High quality and delicious.

Atmosphere

Structured but low-key. A bit on the pricey side. Great service. Service can be a little slow.

Leftover Appeal

Their pizza is good hot, cold, and a day old!

Little Italy’s

When I think of college students and pizza, this is the place that comes to mind. During the day it draws a crowd of families and students alike, but when the sun goes down it becomes part of the night life. They have the perfect slice of cheap pizza for those late night hunger pains!

Proximity To Campus

Five to 15-minute walk depending on where you are on campus. Located downtown.

Quality

• Bread: Light and crispy. Nice flavor.
• Sauce: Compliments the rest of the pizza nicely.
• Cheese: Everything you would expect cheese to be. Bless it.

Atmosphere

Local’s favorite. Very low-key. Open LATE and very CHEAP.

Leftover Appeal

Would definitely toss in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Uncle Maddio’s

I was so impressed with this place! It’s a little farther from the downtown area, but it is a good, cheap pizza! Despite its 3rd place rating, I would wholeheartedly claim Uncle Maddio’s as the MVP (Most Valued Pizza). They bring in a little bit of all the good qualities from the other restaurants in an easy-going atmosphere. Watch out if you get the late-night munchies, they close at 9 p.m.

Proximity to Campus

Can walk from campus. Driving preferable. 5 minute drive from campus.

Quality

• Bread: Light and crispy.
• Sauce: Not too overwhelming. Great flavor.
• Cheese: Surprisingly high quality. Solid cheese pull.

Atmosphere

Build-Your-Own personal pizza style. Good vibes. Quality service.

Leftover Appeal

You might not have any leftovers!

Domino's

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of their pizza, I completely devoured their cheesy bread. Like, ate the entire thing. Plus their employees were incredibly nice and helpful from the time they answered the phone to the time I received my pizza.

Proximity To Campus

Close to campus. Might want to drive. Use delivery for the zero-effort option.

Quality

• Bread: Light and fluffy. A little on the bland side.
• Sauce: Too much for my taste. A bit overpowering. 
• Cheese: Looked delicious, tasted pretty good. Nice cheese pull.

Atmosphere

Call in and get it delivered to your door for the “In-home” experience. Phenomenal service.

Leftover Appeal

You definitely want to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds!

Pieology

Perhaps I went on a busy night, or maybe their mojo was off. Either way, I was left very underwhelmed with the quality of their pizza. The cheese tasted kind of rubbery, and it was poorly seasoned and a little undercooked. On the bright side, they did have good service. In their defense, I later had one of their specialty pizzas and really enjoyed it! I’m definitely not knocking them off my radar just yet, but let’s be honest— did we really need another pizza place? #SoMuchPizza

Proximity To Campus

 Five to 10 minute walk from campus depending on where you are. Located across from Toomer's.

Quality

• Bread: Thin crust. Could have cooked another minute or two.
• Sauce: Nothing special.
• Cheese: Quality wasn’t that great. Poor flavors. Nice cheese-pull, though.

Atmosphere

Build-Your-Own Personal Pizza. Modern industrial vibes.

Leftover Appeal

Didn’t care to eat it the next morning.

Willing to give them a try? Let us know what you think!

As always,

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Jack P.