Local Pizza: Who Are the Winners and Losers?

The small town of Fleetwood delivers some good soccer, a tight-knit community, and some pretty good pizza around town. The Tiger Times set out to try a regular cheese slice at each pizza joint in Fleetwood and determine which place offers the best tasting slice. McKenah Rapposelli and Sam Schappell tried a piece from each place: Cristina’s, Massimo’s, Fiore’s, Fleetwood Pizza, Olyvia’s, and Mazzola’s, assessing the cheese, sauce, crust, and overall taste.

SS: The first place tested was Cristina’s. This Blandon Italian eatery sells a large pie for ten dollars. This is the cheapest pie in all of town, and rightly so:  the slice was not that special. The sauce was lacking in substance and not that special in taste. The crust was average, and overall the piece had a bland taste that was rather below average. Ratios are a big thing when it comes to the quality of a pizza, and this slice’s ratios were off. There was not enough sauce or cheese, and the crust taste was too prevalent. Overall, Cristina’s is below average when it comes to pizza, but I will say the service is spectacular and their other Italian food is very good. Pizza is just not their strong suit.

MR: As the cheapest slice we tried, there was not much expectation. Overall, it was not terrible pizza, but the sauce was the best part about the pizza. There was barely any, though, which made the pizza a tad dry. There was enough cheese, and the ratio was a little off, but the cheese was nothing special, and the crust was your normal Berks County pizza crust.

SS: Following Cristina’s, we hit up Massimo’s. The service was, again, pretty good. The pizza, however, did not necessarily hold up. The slice was a good size with a pretty good crust. The ratios were only off by a bit, with the slice having a bit too much sauce. This does not always bother me, but Massimo’s sauce is very sweet and has a lot of it, which makes the sweet taste overpower the rest of the pizza’s components. A large pie here comes in at $11–not a bad deal but not my first choice for pizza in the area.

MR: Just as Sam said, the ratio of sauce to cheese was not bad, but with how strong of a flavor the sauce was, it could have used less. The price is only a dollar more than Cristina’s, but the extra dollar may be worth it, even though Massimo’s is not my first choice in the area. 

SS: The next spot we went to was Fleetwood Pizza. This little joint in town sold a cheap large pie for $10.25, a good price. The slice we tried had great ratios and a nice sweet sauce–not as sweet as Massimo’s, but a nice sweetness complimented well with the ratios. This place was honestly a pleasant surprise.

MR: For my first time at Fleetwood Pizza, it was a surprise. The pizza was better than the last two and only $10.25 for a pie. The taste was not like the rest, but good nonetheless. The sauce was a little sweet, but not too sweet, and a nice crunch to the crust was a good complement, making the pizza above average.

SS: Fiore’s was next. This well-known Italian restaurant in the town of Fleetwood has the most expensive large pie, $11.25. This slice was very cheesy. It did not have a ton of sauce. The pizza is a prime example of good components being ruined with bad ratios and proportions. The piece did not impress me enough to convince me to buy an entire pie for the price they are charging.

MR: Fiore’s charging $11.25 for a pie was a little bit too much. Filled with cheese, the pie had promise, but with the lack of sauce and boring taste, the ratios were thrown off. The slice was better than Cristina’s but also more expensive.

SS: Next we tried Mazzola’s. This place, situated across from Olyvia’s on Pricetown Road was really good. It smelled like a good pizza joint, and the slice held up. It was a good-sized slice as well, always a plus. The sauce had a great tomato taste, and the ratios were very well executed. Overall, the pizza was a very tasty one, worthy of the $11.00 price tag for a large pie. 

MR: First appearances are big, the smell was great, and Mazzola’s pizza did not let down. Ratios are a top priority with pizza, and they hit it. $11.00 for a pie here is most definitely worth it.

SS: We must have saved the best for last because our last stop was Olyvia’s. Also on Pricetown Road, this Italian restaurant had terrific pizza. The sauce has an incredible flavor with a hint of sweetness, the ratios are nearly perfect throughout, and the floury crust tastes absolutely amazing. A large pie goes for $10.50 here, an absolute steal. We certainly saved the best for last with Olyvia’s.

MR: Sam is not wrong–Olyvia’s pizza was all around great. The sauce came out amazing, complementing the cheese and crust, making this the best pizza we tried, and for a great price.