Hungry for a slice? Where Erie, Pa., ranks among the top cities for pizza in the US
National Pizza Pie Day is Feb. 9, just two days before the Super Bowl. What better time to try a slice or more of your favorite style pie in Erie, which recently landed on a list of the nation's best-ranked pizza cities.
According to a study conducted by Pizzello, the restaurant-grade pizza oven makers, Erie is listed at No. 127 in a list of 250 of the top cities for pizza. The study was based on average Google review scores, with Erie earning a score of 4.46 out of five.
Pizzello states that Erie pizzerias "serve hearty pizzas with a focus on comforting flavors that are perfect for the city's snowy winters."
Four other Pennsylvania cities made the list with Scranton (ranked 13th, 4.52 Google rating) leading the way. Bethlehem (77, 4.50), Allentown (80, 4.50) and Philadelphia (153, 4.45) also made the list.
It might come as no surprise that New York City, with a storied history in pizzerias, leads the national list with a Google rating of 4.68. The rest of the top 10-ranked cities and their Google ratings include:
Tulsa, Oklahoma (4.65)
Los Angeles (4.63)
Peoria, Arizona (4.61)
Jonesboro, Arkansas (4.6)
Fullerton, California (4.59)
Iowa City, Iowa (4.57)
Glendale, Arizona (4.56)
Albuquerque, New Mexico (4.55)
Denver (4.54)
The survey mentioned that the average pizza connoisseur is willing to travel up to 26 minutes in order to pick up a pizza. Thankfully, in Erie, there are a lot more options at a closer distance.
Many pizza lovers prefer a local independent pizzeria over a national chain. Most other pizza enthusiasts believe that their homemade pizza could outdo any pizza purchased at a restaurant or pizza shop.
"I think the pizza market in general is competitive no matter where you go," said Jason Spore from ippa Pizza Napoletana. "But I think with the rise of some of the different newer pizzerias around town, I figure you're only going to see that increase."
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What makes Erie pizza stand out?
"We do things a little differently out here," said Kevin Stephenson, manager at Donato's at 4829 Buffalo Road. "What people like about our pizza is that we go edge to edge. So our pizzas goes from one edge to the other as there's no crust unless you order a certain kind of crust. But sometimes being different is what people like."
The Erie pizza scene is always evolving. Take it from one of the newest pizza shops downtown, ippa Pizza at 22 N. Park Row.
"I think what sets it apart is an evolution of the pizza game in Erie," Spore said. "You're seeing when a chain develops it's based on concepts from larger markets and what you're seeing in Erie is a combination of larger markets where it's developing it's own style."
Top Erie pizza places on Yelp
According to Yelp.com, here is a list of 10 of Erie's top-reviewed pizza places:
Ippa Pizza, 22 N. Park Row
Vintage Wood Fire Catering and Restaurant, 3826 W. Ridge Road
Virgil's Plate, 1001 W. 6th St.
Lucky Man's Pizzeria, 3651 W. 12th St.
Colony Pizza & Catering, 2664 W. 8th St.
Blaze Pizza, 1930 Douglas Parkway
Passalinqua's Pizzeria, 2319 W. 38th St.
Sticks and Bricks Wood Fired Pizza, 1301 E. Grandview Blvd.
Uptown Browns, 264 E. 30th St.
White Buffalo Bar and Grill, 3406 Buffalo Road
What are the most contentious pizza toppings?
According to the national Pizzello survey, the top 10 most unacceptable toppings include:
Hawaiian
White pizza
Mushroom
Spinach and feta
Meat lovers
Barbecue chicken
Sausage
Supreme
Veggie
Four cheese
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Pizza sales on Super Bowl Sunday
Pizza parlors are also preparing for the big game as the Super Bowl is set for Feb. 11. The USA Today reports that an estimated 12.5 million pizzas are sold on Super Bowl Sunday. So don't forget to tip the driver well.
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at Nsorensen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie PA ranks among top 250 best pizza cities in study by Pizzello
