When I walked down the streets of Manhattan as a giddy little freshman with a purple lanyard around my neck, my eyes were drawn not to the bright lights of the city, but instead, to the artisan cafes and restaurants serving elaborate dishes on rustic plates. I’m still a freshman and I only moved into college a couple of months ago, but it’s already that time of the year when my bank balance has floored, and my mom is about to disown me for my extravagant spendings on coffee and boba.
My eyes have now glazed over those restaurants that my limp wallet cannot afford, and I have a newfound interest: dollar pizza.
Given that I'm a newly converted dollar pizza aficionado, I have compiled a list of $1 pizzerias around the city and ranked them according to my standards of the perfect balance of cheese, sauce, and doughy crunch!
#5. 99 Cents Fresh Pizza
71 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Technically, it was 99 cents, not a dollar, but when I gave the vendor a dollar he didn’t give me change, and even my broke soul found it awkward to ask for the penny back, so we’ll just call it a dollar.
Cheese: 3.5 Stars
Sauce: 2.5 Stars
Crunch: 1 Star
For 99 cents, it’s pretty good. Honestly, I think it’s better than Domino’s, but definitely not Pizza Hut (I love Pizza Hut, don’t @ me). It’s quite salty, though, but I guess if you’re in for a sodium fix, this would be the go-to. Also, it’s on the more chewy side of the pizza spectrum, which I don’t love but that’s just me. Overall, not a bad pizza. It's good if you're in a pinch and are close by.
4. Champion Pizza - Essex
123 Essex St, New York, NY 10002
Cheese: 1 Star
Sauce: 4 Stars
Crunch: 1 Star
Okay, I know that I gave this pizza less accumulative stars than those at #5, and though the cheese and crunch weren’t quite there, there was something about this pizza that I enjoyed. You can definitely tell cheap cheese was used and the bread of the pizza tasted more like a tortilla than a pizza. It was an overall confusing experience, but I did not leave Champion feeling unsatisfied. Maybe the ingredients weren't of the best quality, but that's not what I'm getting my $1 pizza for. It was gooey, warm, and delicious.
3. 2 Bros Pizza
32 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003
Cheese: 3 Stars
Sauce: 2.5 Stars
Crunch: 2.5 Stars
This dollar slice was not bad, but not amazing. I've heard a lot of hype about this one, so I guess I was just expecting more. It was kind of salty and there wasn’t as much cheese as I would’ve liked. The crust was impressive, however, and even though I’m one of those people who doesn’t usually finish the crust of the pizza, I made an exception for this one. That says a lot.
2. Percy’s Pizza
190 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012
Cheese: 1.5 Stars
Sauce: 3 Stars
Crunch: 5 Stars
THE CRUNCHHHH. I. LOVE. CRUNCHY. PIZZA. It’s all the satisfaction of crunchy apples, but without all the health benefits (Who wants that??). My friend keeps saying that pizza is crispy, not crunchy, but she would be wrong. I would rank this #1 except its cheese and sauce were lacking. The sauce tastes amazing, I just wish they put more of it on the pizza. But then again, it was a dollar so what do I expect. When funds are low, sauces are a no-show.
1. Vinny Vincenz Pizza
231 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003
Cheese: 5 Stars
Sauce: 5 Stars
Crunch: 5 Stars
I literally have nothing bad to say about this pizza. It has the cheese, it has the sauce, and most importantly, it has the perfect amount of crunch. But I have something to confess...it was $1.50, so it's not technically a $1 slice, but the extra 50 cents are 1000% worth it. Swear.
So, those are my rankings for $1 (for the most part) pizza around the city. I strongly encourage everyone to go out and try dollar pizza for themselves. It’s definitely worth the money (and has saved me from many an argument with my parents).
P.S. Most vendors only accept cash, so be sure to bring some with you!