Blue Tip Billiards of Bloomington Indiana

My hopes for this one weren't super high. In fact, the guy on the phone was somewhat surprised that I wanted to order a pizza for pick-up. But I guess the local delivery services do work with this place, a decent pool hall with a snack bar. Aside from the pizza, none of their other menu items sounded worth getting, though I was curious about the difference between their nachos and their chips with queso.

Onto the pizza. It has a ratio of 3cr/2ce/4ch. Their crust gets a 3 out of 5. It's a lot like Noble Roman's gas station pizza. Somewhat dense, with a nice chew, nice flavor, and a tiny bit of crusty grease soaked into the bottom. And I assume this is some variety of gas station pizza, perhaps Hunt Brothers, since the sauce isn't as good as I remember from Noble Roman's. Still I give Blue Tip's sauce a 3 out of 5. It's somewhat thin for my taste, but still good. I ordered a side of red sauce to get a fuller experience, but ended up with nacho cheese there. No big deal.

For overall quality, Blue Tip's pizza gets a Bloomington 5 out of 5. With all the cheese, it was a bit of a mess to eat. The bottom also could have gotten more cook. Otherwise, I have zero complaints. I really like this kind of pizza, even if it is frozen from some factory. And if I'm wrong and they do make their own dough, please let me know. Otherwise I'm giving them a 1 for style. It's not fancy but done right, which is good. Only you can probably get this exact pizza in many places. And that's fair. People go to Blue Tip to play pool, and they eat and drink for comfort while they engage in the establishment's main activity.

With a final score of 60%, I say you should definitely try the pizza if you happen to already be in this exact location.

Azzip (pizza) of Bloomington Indiana

It's pronounced Ay-Zip, and I'm happy to finally patronize this fresh regional chain. Located in the mall, it's kind of like a Subway. You can pick one of a few varieties of crust, like the zip, the big zip, the square zip, and the gluten free style, then you choose your sauce and toppings. Everyone gets their own pizza, however they like it. Each Zip comes with one meat and unlimited veggies. And the monthly special is a Crab Rangoon pizza. While I think a plain cheese is the measure of quality, Crab Rangoon Pizza sounds good! Either way, I couldn't pass up some free toppings on half my pizza.

The ratio for my Big Zip was 2cr/2ce/2ch. Their crust gets a 1 out of 5. I don't mind that the crusts are pre-stretched. The texture is chewy, flexible, and a little crispy on the handles. But there's no flavor. It's like they added baking soda to compensate for yeast and sugar, and kneaded their dough to the extreme. The only time I caught some flavor in the crust, it was more like a saltine than a pizza. And I looked around at all the other customers happily enjoying their Zips, and couldn't help but wonder why they weren't talking about this weird crust. Next time I'll try the Square Zip, which looks more like a pan pizza.

Oh well. Their sauce gets a 4 out of 5. It's adequately thick and smooth, delicious. A good pomodoro sauce. For overall quality, they get a Bloomington 4. Aside from the crust, there was nothing really wrong with the pizza. It could've used more time in the oven, but I like how fast they were able to churn out this food.

For style, I have to give Azzip a 5 out of 5. You order at a counter, and can get your own soda refills. Nobody needs to come to your table. There are also beers on tap for people who like those, and a hot sauce/seasoning station. Their pizza dust is delicious, for whatever's in it. Garlic salt and stuff. Azzip does fast food right, except for their weird crust. So their final score is a 70%. They say flavor favors the bold, but I that can't always be the case. Either way, if you want to try something new and cool, check out Azzip.

Lennie's Brewpub of Bloomington Indiana

Lennie's is a pretty cozie joint on the Kirkwood strip of collegiate eateries, where you can get sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and expensive beers. Per tradition, I bought lunch for my buddy Mitch's birthday, and he was especially down to join in my endeavor to try every pizza in town. While Lennie's offers two varieties of crust, thin and "traditional", we went with the traditional. More bang for the buck.

The pie we got had a ratio of 4cr/2ce/2ch. While cooked in a nice looking brick oven, the traditional crust was your regular pan pizza, like at Pizza Hut, Mother Bears, or Domino's. It gets a score of 3 out of 5. It was somewhat bready and lacking in goo. Also, this type of crust ought to have a little more butter on the bottom. The fact that it was cooked in a nice oven had no effect on this style of pizza. But altogether it was pleasant and enjoyable.

Their sauce gets a somewhat generous 4 out of 5. It was somewhat bland, but very enjoyable. It was of medium thickness with lovely chunks of tomato, really amping the comfort factor of the pie. For overall quality, Lennie's gets a Bloomington 5 out of 5. The top wasn't cooked as much as I think it could have been, even though the cheese had some stretch to it. But I guess with a brick oven, you can't control that kind of thing.

Finally, for style, Lennie's gets a 2 out of 5. For a pizza that doesn't stand out at all, $18 for a 12 inch one topping is a lot to ask. I feel like Lennie's deserves better than an overall score of 70%, but I really don't see myself considering it again. It was delicious, but for the cost there are much better options.

Baldy's Pizzeria of Bloomington Indiana

It's been a few years since the first time I went to Baldy's, and I liked it then. I like the theme of bald men, since I'm going to be bald someday, with a wizardly skullet of some kind. I like the vibe of the cozy family restaurant, not fancy but done right. As of now the dining room is closed, and I was greeted by several friendly employees who weren't busy making pizza. Then I had to wait in my car while my pie was prepared, but that's fine.

The pie I received has a ratio of 2cr/3ce/3ch. Their crust, lighter than it looks in the picture, gets a 5 out of 5. It's crisp, yet fluffy and deliciously sweet. A real treat with mucho gluten, begging to be devoured. It's what I call a midwest style crust, a pan pizza that's not especially thick, cooked with just enough oil to give it that crisp that melts in your mouth. Their sauce also gets a 5 out of 5. It's thick and packed with delicious tomato flavor. I'm surprised this pizza didn't make a stronger impression on me the first time. Perhaps I was distracted by the decor, or resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be making it this far south very often.

For overall quality, I'll give Baldy's a Bloomington 4 out of 5. It was somewhat of a gooey, sloppy affair. And I admit, I started eating it fresh from the oven, without a plate or a spatula. If I'd waited a good half hour, the cheese might have held onto each slice a little better. Still, the pie could have been cooked a bit longer, with a better distribution of sauce and cheese. Most of the sauce was in fact on the first half of the pizza I ate, giving the sauce a ratio for a 3. But the last slice I ate cold this morning only had a 1 or a 2. For Style, Baldy's also gets a 4 out of 5. It's totally my kind of place, and a wonderful model for a local pizza joint. But they only offer one style of awesome pizza, they'd need to do something to stand out more to get a 5 here.

So Baldy's final score is 90%, one of the best around. If you live in the area, I highly recommend checking it out and inviting me. I'd love an excuse to try their toppings and sandwiches.

Goodfella's Pizzeria of Bloomington Indiana

"A slice of New York City," touts the huge box, which required me to enter my house and kitchen backwards. Less than a block from Nick's English Hut, sits this little shop, serving $3.50 slices from a 22" pie. For $8, you can add a fountain drink and a giant breadstick, which is itself more bread than any person should have at once. The ratio for Goodfella's Pizza is 2cr/1.5ce/1.5ch.

Their crust gets a 4 out of 5. It's chewy but not rubbery and crusty but not dry. There's not a lot going on in the flavor department, but that's fine. It has a nice coating of burnt flour on the bottom, common for a huge, east coast pizza. But the crust is too dense for anything from New York, and while you'd be inclined to eat a slice folded in half, to eat it like that would be exhausting. There's just too much dough here for its intended style.

Their sauce gets a 3 out of 5. It tastes like the good tamatoes, cooked down to proper thickness, but there's something lacking. For style, I'll give Goodfella's a Bloomington 3 out of 5. If this joint were on the east coast, with any level of tourism, it wouldn't even make the map. It doesn't even succeed at emulating the style it's going for, which would already prevent it from standing out in any capacity. Aside from that, $3.50 for a slice made of 75% flour is far too much to ask. But while this style of pizza can be found in most shopping malls, it's still rare for our neck of southern Indiana.

For overall quality, Goodfella's gets a Bloomington 5 out of 5, nuff said. This leaves our fellas of goodness with an overall score of 75%, perhaps above the national average.

Nick's English Hut of Bloomington Indiana

To be honest, I'd never have thought to check this place out if they didn't come up when googling "Pizza Near Me", requiring me to try it because, who knows, it could be a hidden gem. On the Kirkwood strip toward campus, this sports pub is mostly a place for bros and fatherly alumni to take their kids for a burger while they're in town for homecoming or whatever. But I could be wrong since I've never been on a Saturday night.

The interior is crowded but cozy, and to pick up my to go order, I found myself vying for eye contact with the bartender to announce my intent to pick up a pizza. A situation only tolerable after large beer or two, which I'd not had. My $15, 14-inch pizza (not including a $2, giant order of red sauce) came in a no-frills white box, with an encouragingly substantial heft. The ratios for said pizza are 3cr/2ce/3ch.

The crust gets a 2 out of 5. It's chewy and pizza-like, but fairly dense, and flavorless. Justine suspects it was precooked, like a store bought crust. It's possible, but either way the dough needs more yeast. The sauce gets a 1 out of 5. While fairly thin, I couldn't taste any tomato. All I could taste was parsley and lots of it, stems and all.

For style, I guess they get a 2. Nick's has pizza, but it's not their thing. Serving the standard fair of a sport's pub, I'm sure something else on their menu is especially good, and I have to suspicions about what that is. For overall quality, their pizza gets a Bloomington 4. You can't blame a good cook for a bad recipe. I was very disappointed, considering how good the pie looked. But it hardly tasted like pizza. So all in all, Nicks gets a firm 45%. Sorry guy. If you're going to serve the worst pizza in town, you should be charging way less.

Pizza Pantry of Elletsville

I first had this pizza about four years ago, and I thought it was all right. Average, I guess. The restaurant had a nice, homey vibe, with a buffet and seating at an upper and lower level. There's nothing fancy about this place, but I like that. It's not fancy, but done right. And now that I've given a 100% score to one pizza joint, perhaps I have a clearer view on the benchmarks of my pizza thought.

Pizza Pantry's ratios are 2cr/2ce/2ch. Nothing is lacking, and everything is as it should be. I'll give their crust a 4 out of 5. The flavor is there, with never a moment of dryness or crumbliness. But it was a little soft, so a lot of my chewing was done on the pizza's cheese. Pizza Pantry's sauce gets a five out of five. It's adequately thick, with the flavor I think of when I think of good pizza. It's not Happy Joe's, which I admit isn't everyone's up of tea, but it's objectively good, and I would have to disagree with anyone who doesn't like it.

For style, I guess I'll give Pizza Pantry a 3. It's great pizza that doesn't stand out in the least. I love how they offer a $6.99 shrimp dinner with fries and coleslaw. The pizza is cheap, too. I love that they have a buffet, all night salad bar, and let you order at the counter. But when one has an opportunity to be creative, even with a pizza joint, I think one should make some semblance of rising to such occasion. The classic cheese will always be an option.

And for overall quality, Pizza Pantry gets a 5 out of 5, not fancy but done just right. It was an objectively great pizza, with a total score of 85%. It was an objectively wonderful pizza, and I'm looking forward to visiting again. Maybe on date night, maybe even on my birthday. Thank you Pizza Pantry.

DeAngelo's Italian Creole Restaurant of Bloomington, IN

I've always liked DeAngelo's pizza. It's orange on top, and a really good deal on Mondays, when they have a buy one get one deal. They use the region of New York in relation to their pie, and when you get the large, it's akin to any east coast pizza. It has a ratio of 1.5cr/1.5ce/1.5ch. Not quite a 1, but the crust is thin and chewy, also somewhat dry. There's not much in the dough's flavor, and as you can see in my picture, there were some pretty imposing bubbles. Despite the presence of those tiny bubbles on the bottom, which I love, their crust gets a 3 out of 5. Their sauce also gets a 3 out of 5. It's good, but it's somewhat thin, like spaghetti sauce. It's also more savory than tangy, like spaghetti sauce.

For style, I'll give DeAngelo's a 3 out of 5. I like that it is cheap on mondays. I like the restaurant. It's a nice place, but not pretentious or expensive. They don't have wings or crazy bread, but all of their italian and creole menu items appeal to me. It's the kind of place you'd want to go with your grandparents. That being said, there's nothing really special about the pizza or the place it came from. For overall quality, I'll give DeAngelo's a Bloomington 4 out of 5. It's consistent and generally satisfying, earning an overall score of 65%.

Swing-In Pizza of Bloomington, IN

My first time dining at Swing-In, it was in a little shack on the side of 17th street. You could sit and eat your pizza on paper plates and turn the tv to whatever channel you wanted. Since then, it's moved onto a less endearing spot on College Ave, but the pizza remains the same. It has a ratio of 2cr/2.5ce/2.5ch.

The crust gets a 3 out of 5. Party cut, it's chewy and bendy, but sturdy. But it doesn't have much flavor to it, which isn't a big deal. It's a classic midwestern crust, pan cooked but not thick, proficient on all fronts. Their sauce gets a 5 out of 5. It's thick, rich, and goes a long way. I couldn't get enough of it.

For style, Swing-In gets a 3 out of 5. For what you get, it's kind of expensive and the pizza itself doesn't stand out a lot. While I love a stromboli sandwich, Swing-In's other menu offerings don't have much appeal. And their breadsticks are brown-n-serve. For overall quality, though, Swing-In gets a Bloomington 5 out of 5. Founded in 1963, this is an original midwestern pizza. With an overall score of 80%, there's no doubt why the shop has stood the test of time, and I hope it lives forever.

Mother Bear's Pizza Campus of Bloomington, IN

Here's a local staple I've been trying to get around to. Out of three crust options: Deep, Pan, and Thin, we chose the Pan. It has a ratio of 4cr/3ce/4ch. A very decadent pie, it looks a lot like a classic Pizza Hut pan, but made with more love.

Their crust gets a 3 out of 5 for me. It's both soft and chewy, but somewhat dry for a pan pizza. I expected the bottom to be greasier, melting into a sauce/soaked goo. And there wasn't much flavor to it. Maybe the sauce has something to do with the dryness. It's a thick, hearty sauce, which I'll rank a 4 out of 5. It could use a little more zing, but it's sweet, floral, and totally delicious.

Not all will agree with me on this, but I give Mother Bears a 3 out of 5 for style. I know they let people write on the booths, and I know they serve cheese sauce with their otherwise disappointing braedsticks. I know their mascot has huge furry appeal, and their menu is somewhat expansive. Their pizza doesn't really stand out to me, and none of the bells and whistles do much for me. That's right, I don't care that they'll let me get tapenade as my pizza sauce.

For overall quality, I will give their pizza a 5 out of 5. I could tell it was made with love, by people who know what they're doing. And I appreciate a pizza-master who can take a Pizza Hut pie and think, "You know what? I'm gonna make it great." So Mother Bear's gets an overall score of 75%. Love it.

Gatti's Pizza of Martinsville, IN

I could take for days about Gatti's (or Mr. Gatti's) Pizza, but I'll keep it to a few paragraphs. At the location in Ashland Kentucky, I used their buffet to set a personal eating record of 21 slices, including crust. They were small slices, but I will always remember the victory. On Sunday nights, while I was in jr. high school, my dad would drive a van of college students to the church where he worked, and on the way home, we'd usually pick up a stack of Gatti's pizza, which I would stuff myself with and stuff myself again for breakfast while watching Zaboomafoo. Those school days were filled with belly-burning farts, but I didn't mind. I was a pig for that pizza.

So I'm going to try my best to be unbiased. While the Martinsville shop is a buffet, filled with erratically staggering anti-maskers, I usually prefer a fresh pie. Buffets are good, but with my 35-year-old metabolism, I have to prepare for a few days before that level of gorge. Let's talk about the pizza. It has a ratio of 2cr2ce2ch, perfect. Their crust is a little weird. While delivering a perfect goo factor, it seems to have either too much gluten or too much baking powder. It's crispy and chewy, and tastes good, but it's more stiff than you'd expect. I love this crust, but I'm going to be objective and give it a 3/5.

But their sauce gets a 5/5. It's super good, and I'm not totally sure why. It's thick and savory, and maybe has shredded onions in it? I don't know, but I think I could detect it if they used msg. I can't get enough.

As you can see, the old ladies at the shop really didn't put much love into this pie. However, there's nothing really wrong with it, despite a poor covering on the crust. It was cooked well, and the cheese had a really nice stretch. I really want to give it a 3 for overall quality, but I guess I'll go with a 2/5.

For style, I'll give Gatti's a 5. Either you love it or you'd much rather have something else, the way people feel about Pizza King, which is a pizza with definite style. Gatti's Pizza joints usually have a game/arcade room, which is sometimes comically shabby and sometimes really sweet. Their buffet has soft serve ice cream, salad, pasta, and other great stuff. I also love that they don't have table service. And to top it off, they offer a "value" pizza, which is like a regular pie but cheaper because it has less stuff on it. With a side of sauce, this is perfect because there's only so much cheese you can handle in one sitting.

Gatti's Pizza ends with a score of 75%, which makes me happy. I love it, and try to stop in as often as possible.

Bucceto's Pizza and Pasta of Bloomington, Indiana

Since my first bite, I knew Bucceto's was my favorite pizza in Bloomington. But that was five years ago, in a world that's always changing faster than I am. I was obedient to the 'wait to be seated' sign, even though my order was to go. You might guess my order, a large cheese with a side of red sauce. The red sauce they gave me was spaghetti sauce, within which most of its flavor was suffocated by hamburger grease. Maybe the people at some pizza shops don't know that I mean pizza sauce when I say red sauce. And I say red sauce, because Marinara is not what goes on pizza. Marinara is meant to be chunky and watery, while Pizza sauce is meant to be smooth like Pomodoro sauce.

So anyway, I wouldn't give so much attention to the side sauce, if there was more sauce on their pizza. There was more on it than would usually go on a Domino's pie, but not enough to really taste aside from the clear hints of oregano. Also, their crust was much thicker this time than it has ever been. So as of today, Bucceto's pizza has a ratio of 3cr/1.5ce/3ch.

I'll rate their crust a 4 out of 5. It's sweet, chewy, and easy to eat, almost as good as what they have at Greek's. Their sauce, going on what I've had before, also gets a 4 out of 5. It's not so thin that I could drink it, but I would if I could. It's savory, tangy, sweet, and floral, and when combined with their sweet crust, it makes Bucceto's pizza a real treat.

For overall quality, I'd give Bucceto's a Bloomington 4. It seems like they're having some issues with consistency, as if their Manager lets the cooks make the pizzas exactly how they want, instead of exactly how it's always been done. Still, the 'za was of good, acceptable quality.

But I will delegate the penalty of their inconsistency to Style, which gets a 2 out of 5. There's nothing outstanding about Bucceto's standard, midwestern pizza. Their menu has other things, like pasta, all made with a combination of very few ingredients. I've had one of their salads before, and it was on par with Steak'N'Shake. Aside from the very cool 90s art on their walls, Pizza is the only thing Bucceto's has going for it. And at $14 for a 16" cheese, I don't get it too often, leaving this joint with an overall score of 70%.

Butch's Grillacatessen & Eatzeria of Bloomington Indiana

I like to call it Butch's, known for having one of the most extensive menus I've ever seen. But I think the only thing they do really well is make pizza.. In a tiny town with tons of 'za, I think Butch's gets us the closest to New York. Their ratio is 1.5cr/1ce/1.5ch.

While they don't get as thin or as light as you might at first hope, their crust is quite delicious and easy to scarf. It gets a 4 out of 5. Their sauce gets a 5 out of 5. It doesn't step out much, and doesn't need to. It's made with the good tomatoes.

For Overall Quality, they get a 4. For Style, they get a 3. While they succeed at making great pizza and serve knots, their knots aren't very good, and their pizza is only a passing substitute for what it's trying for. I'd give them a 2 if their menu didn't offer tons of side options. So, Butch's ends with an 80%.

Pizza X of Bloomington Indiana

When it comes to ordering late night pizza, I don't normally go to Pizza X, even though they're very good. They just don't offer anything other than pizza and breadsticks, which are also exceptional. Pizza X pizza has a ratio of 2cr2ce2ch. Their CRUST gets a 2 out of 5. It tastes all right, is chewy, and folds well. However, it tends to be somewhat dry and rubbery, laborous to chew. Also, I gave it a mass of 2 out of 5, but the pizza gets progressively thicker toward its outer edge, leaving you with an excess of chewy bread to deal with when you'd rather be grabbing a new slice.

Their SAUCE gets a 4 out of 5. It's thick, delicious, and flavorful, great for dipping. A little bit goes a long way.

For STYLE, Pizza X gets a 3 out of 5. A big plus is that they give you reusable cups of soda when you order one of their deals. Also, they put candy in your pizza box, free dessert. However, there's nothing remarkable about their pizza. If they had a dine-in establishment, I'd love to do a fresh review.

For OVERALL QUALITY, Pizza X gets a (Bloomington) 5 out of 5. I think it's safe to say they care more about their reputation than the big chains. So their final score is 70%. Pizza X rules.

Eric Gordon's Greek's Pizzeria of Bloomington, IN

It's been a while since I've had a new pizza. Too long, actually. Is this life even worth living? I guess, if I must live. There used to be a Greek's Pizzeria in Bloomington, a long time ago, but I guess it closed. That was before I had affected such a discerning taste. Sometimes you don't know what you've got until it's gone and comes back again.

There are ratios in Greek's Pizza. 3cr/2ce/3ch. I'll rate their crust 5/5. It was delicious. Sweet, yeasty, and with a light dusting of garlic powder on its handles. It was sturdy, chewy, and bendy without being tough. This is a midwestern-style crust done right. I'll rate their sauce 4/5. It was tangy (by way of tomato), floral (by way of oregano), decently thick, and delicious, and complimented the crust so perfectly. Be aware, if you get sauce with your breadsticks, their breadstick sauce is not the same as their pizza sauce. I was somewhat bummed by this, because their pizza sauce was so good.

For style, I'll give Greek's a 3/5. It's a classic midwestern style pizza, no frills. The store is right next to the stadium, which will be convenient for some, but impossible for at certain days of the year, for those of us with a serious jones.

Overall quality gets a 5/5. I think it's the best pizza in Bloomington. With just a little more sauce, it would have come out a bit less dry. But it wasn't dry like Domino's and Pizza X, completely goo-free. There were a couple bubbles on my pie, which are often inevitable. Neither of these nit-picks are strong enough to bring down that solid 5. I think someday I'll try to get a job there. Eric Gordon's Greek's Pizzeria gets an 85%! Great job EG-10, preparer of my selection. I'm going to have to look at this Pizza Forum.