Columnist Erin Davoran rates Athens’ excellent pizza scene in light of the devastating news that Kiser’s Barbeque on Court Street will soon be a new pizzeria.
News broke Monday that Kiser’s Barbeque closed its Court Street location and a new pizzeria will be taking its place.
As a huge Kiser’s fan, I was so sad to hear this news. Yeah, I know the East State Street location is remaining open, but Court Street was so convenient. And on top of Kiser’s closing, it’s being replaced by a pizza place? ANOTHER pizza place? We don’t need another pizza place, we need Kiser’s.
Athens already has great pizza. To prove it, I’m going to run down all of the pizzerias in town to show why we don’t need another.
Avalanche Pizza
329 E. State St.
Rating: 4/10
I am not a fan of Avalanche. I used to be; it was cool to be. It gets creativity points for its speciality pies, but then I had it too often and ate other, more superior ’za that made me see the light: Avalanche is overrated. Sorry, not sorry.
Courtside Pizza
85 N. Court St.
Rating: 6/10
I’ve only had one bad experience with Courtside Pizza when the cheese was weirdly not completely melted, but other than that, it’s delicious. To be fair, I don’t know if I’ve ever had Courtside pizza soberly, so this opinion may be skewed, but pizza, along with most food, is always better when intoxicated. However, I know there are avid Courtside enthusiasts who are eagerly waiting for the suspended bar to reopen, mostly for the pizza.
Domino’s Pizza
12 Mill St.
Rating: 8/10
Domino’s is my second-favorite pizza joint in Athens. It’s close, quick and delicious. The crust is amazing and the desserts are divine. It’s a chain, but a successful chain for a reason. Yum.
Donatos Pizza
688 E. State St.
Rating: 7/10
I have always and will always love Donatos. Is there a pizza quite like it? It’s thinner and more flavorful than most. Also, there is a drive-thru, which is weird in an awesome way. The only reason it doesn’t beat Domino’s is because of the distance, but of course, there’s always delivery.
GoodFella’s Pizza
6 W. Union St and 35 N. Court St.
Rating 9/10
GoodFella’s has the best pizza in town, hands down. It’s hearty and makes me happy. The one downside is that they don’t deliver, but that’s a small downside for how delicious it is. A+++
Little Caesar’s
906 E. State St.
Rating: 2/10
I feel really bad about this because I do appreciate that Little Caesar’s is always hot and ready (pizza pizza), but someone has to be last. Little Caesar’s might not deserve the terrible rep it gets as a subpar pizza place, but in this case, I agree with public opinion. Especially with the hefty competition in this town. No contest.
Papa John’s Pizza
443 E State St.
Rating: 3/10
Second-rate Domino’s that I forgot was even in Athens. Full disclosure: My opinion may be negatively influenced by Papa John’s annoying commercials featuring sports stars I can’t name.
Plus 1 Pizza
600 E State St.
Rating: 5/10
I’ve only had Plus 1 once, but from what I remember, it was tasty. It wouldn’t be my first choice ,mostly because more prolific places in town get more attention, but it seems easy to find good deals there.
Honorable mention: Hungry Howie’s
Rating: 8/10
Oh, how I miss Hungry Howie’s. The flavored crusts. The Wacky Wednesday deals. Hungry Howie’s was underrated and uber delicious. Like Kiser’s, I was so sad when Hungry Howie’s closed. So, in memory of Hungry Howie’s (R.I.P.), I will focus on being grateful that at least one Kiser’s location remains in town.
Erin Davoran is a senior studying journalism. What's your favorite pizza place in Athens? Tweet her @erindavoran or email her at ed414911@ohio.edu.
