What would college be without pizza? Whether it’s your late night drunken snack, your hangover breakfast, or your actual lunch or dinner, pizza is a staple in our college diet. Thankfully Gainesville is aware of the importance of this and has tons of places to get pizza, and most of them are just walking distance to campus. When that pizza craving comes (probably now tbh), check out this list of the nine best places to get pizza in Gainesville.
1. Leonardo’s By The Slice
Photo by Ruchika Agarwal
While I’m usually one to down three slices of pizza with no problem, one or two slices of Leonardo’s pizza usually has me beat. These huge slices come in either thin crust, such as the pepperoni, sausage or veggie pizza or thick crust, such as the cheese, Big Veggie or Big Leo. Leonardo’s also does a “slice of the day” each day of the week, so make sure to check their website to see if your favorite pizza is being featured that day.
#SpoonTip: The “slice of the day” on Friday is a must-try; Leonardo’s serves up its BBQ Chicken pizza with bbq chicken, mozzarella, smoked gouda, red onion and fresh cilantro.
2. Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza
Photo courtesy of @mrjustin6k on Instagram
Located right across from Heavener, Piesanos is a great restaurant to grab either a bite with a big group of friends or to have a more intimate date. Like most other pizza joints, Piesanos allows you to make customized pies with a variety of classic toppings, in addition to specialty toppings like eggplant or artichoke hearts.
However, at Piesanos I recommend that you stick to their pre-set gourmet specialty pizzas. There are 29, yes 29, specialty pizza options ranging from the Pepperoni Explosion pizza with pepperoni, and double cheese to the Palmero Special with sausage, onions, calabrese peppers and garlic.
#SpoonTip: Don’t eat too many of the free house rolls (yes I know it’s tempting) or else you won’t have room for these huge pizza pies.
3. Italian Gator Pizza By The Slice
Photo by Sammy Silverstein
No one can deny the fact that Pizza by the Slice is the ideal food to get after a night at Mid. While you might be used to just grabbing a cheese or pepperoni slice, the menu has more to it. You can order any of their specialty pies such as the Supreme pie which has pepperoni, sausage, onion, green peppers, and mushrooms or the Hawaiian pie with ham, pineapple and extra cheese.
#SpoonTip: Pizza by the Slice is currently closed for renovations so keep a look out on their Facebook page to see when they will be reopened.
4. Satchel’s Pizza
Photo courtesy of @satchelspizza on Instagram
Satchel’s is the ultimate package; most importantly it has downright delicious pizza, but it also has a quirky environment that you won’t find anywhere else in Gainesville. While you might have to wait for your pizza, there’s tons to see and do when you’re there.
Like it says on the menu, “it’s all about the pizza.” While they offer a classic cheese pie, they are known more for the long list of toppings you can choose from to make your own personal creation. The list has everything from bacon, ham, broccoli, onions and steak. In addition to the endless toppings, Satchel’s prides itself on its deep dish pizza where you can get three toppings and extra cheese for just seven dollars.
#SpoonTip: If you’re planning on getting the deep dish pie, it’s not always available so make sure to call ahead before going.
5. Big Lou’s NY Style Pizzeria
Photo courtesy of @edithboucher on Instagram
Big Lou’s is the closest to NY pizza that you will get down here in Gville, so listen up northerners. If you want to keep it simple you can make your own individual slices with toppings costing 40 cents each. You can also order any of their 14 specialty pies; some of the specialty pies are Buffalo Chicken and Bacon Cheeseburger (hello love).
What you really need to get here is the thick crust Sicilian; this comes in a large at $17 ($2.50 extra for toppings), so make sure to come with friends.
#SpoonTip: Big Lou’s offers gluten free crust for small 10″ pizzas so everyone can enjoy the pizzas.
6. Blaze
Photo by Ruchika Agarwal
If you’re on the run, or just too hangry to wait a long time for your food, check out Blaze Pizza. Even if the lines are long, the pizza is cooked in just under 180 seconds to perfection, so you won’t ever have to wait too much. The novelty of this pizza joint is the Chipotle style ordering; each customer can build their own pie by picking the toppings and how much they want on their pizza as the staff builds it in front of you.
You should also give their signature pies a chance. Of course it’s fun making your own customized pizza, however, they also have some awesome specialty pies. One of my favorites is the White Top which has a white cream sauce, mozzarella, bacon, garlic, oregano and arugula.
#SpoonTip: Once your pizza comes out of the blazing hot oven, ask for a drizzle of pesto on top for an added layer of flavor.
7. Dough Religion
Photo courtesy @doughreligion on Instagram
Similar to Blaze, Dough Religion has the convenient Chipotle style ordering. To make your customized pie there are a variety of toppings such as red or white sauce, broccolini, eggplant, green peppers, roma tomatoes, and gorgonzola cheese. They also have some killer signature pies if you’re not in the mood to get creative; my favorite is the Bianca which has white cheese sauce, mozzarella, sausage, broccoli, artichoke, evoo and garlic.
#SpoonTip: Dough Religion doesn’t just have savory pies; if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth you can order the sweet pie with Nutella, banana and powdered sugar.
8. Root and Pecker
Photo by Taylor Widom
Root & Pecker believes in making better pizza that is healthy, nutritious and tasty. Here’s the catch though, they only offer their pizza on Wednesday-Sunday from 5-10pm, so make sure if you’re there for the pizza you follow these times.
Unlike most of the other places, Root & Pecker uses a naturally leavened sourdough because this can be digested easier than other crusts. The chef has created a list of 10 stellar speciality pies where you cannot make any substitutions (but honestly you don’t need to change anything). We recommend the Spicy Pancetta pie which has thinly sliced pancetta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, red pepper flakes, fresh mozzarella, and a drizzle of local honey.
#SpoonTip: If you’re feeling extra spirited for Gator Nation, order the Orange & Blue pie which has parmesan, buffalo chicken, gorgonzola, provolone and celery.
9. Humble Pie
Photo courtesy of @humblepiepizza on Instagram
Humble Pie is a little less conventional than the other places mentioned above in that it’s a food truck. You can catch Humble Pie set up at many of Gainesville’s food truck rallies, events or you can even get them to private cater an event. Check out their website to see the event calendar so you can keep track of their whereabouts.
The pizza is a Neapolitan style thin crust 10″ pie that is cooked at 1000 degrees in their handmade and mobile wood-fired oven. Humble pie uses mostly local, organic and seasonal produce for their pies, which makes them super fresh and high quality.
Some of the fan favorites include the Sweet/Savory which has Granny Smith apples, candied walnuts, blue cheese, honey and mozzarella, the clifton which as kale pesto, blue cheese, walnuts and mozzarella, and the Bianca which has herb infused olive oil, ricotta, arugula, garlic, mozzarella and parmesan.
#SpoonTip: Last week at the Union Street Farmers’ Market Humble Pie made a breakfast pie that was topped with locally grown eggs, so watch out for these special pies.