Finding the best pizza in Bloomington

Pizza connoisseurs have come to the right place. Bloomington boasts about 10 different pizza places, many with several locations each unique to Bloomington. But with a selection so gargantuan, students might need some initial help sorting out what’s good from what is only considered edible between 3 and 5 a.m.

For the pizza consumer who craves pizza at 3:30 in the morning and appreciates a quick delivery, Pizza Express, voted best late-night munchies in the Indiana Daily Student’s 2007 Best of Bloomington poll, is the best bet. Kiley Schmitz, a junior, said she loves Pizza Express because it’s open late (until 4 a.m. on weekends) and delivers faster than most other places. The restaurant offers a “Big Ten Bargain,” which consists of a large one-topping pizza, two drinks and eight bread sticks for $12.95.

Additionally, it offers 11 specialty pizzas, including its most popular pizzas, the Dixie Chicken and the Supreme.

Jesse Bloom, general manager at the 10th Street Pizza Express, said what differentiates Pizza Express from other places is its speed of service, usually about 20 minutes.

For students looking for something even more affordable than the Big Ten Bargain, Aver’s Pizza offers the Crazy Aver’s Deal for $9.99. It offers a medium one-topping pizza, a dozen bread sticks, dipping sauce and two fountain drinks. For another $2, students can upgrade to large. It might not cost much, but it’s still good, said Aver’s General Manager Chris Wolf. He said Aver’s has better-quality food and service than other Bloomington pizzerias. Also, Aver’s has the Cream and Crimson pizza, which features alfredo sauce, gorgonzola and cheddar cheese, oven-roasted red potatoes and bacon seasoned with garlic and dill.

But for students who would rather kick back and enjoy live music while fulfilling their pizza craving, Cody Young, an IU alumnus, said his favorite Bloomington location to snag a pizza is Max’s Place.

“They have incredible pizza, incredible calzones and live music,” he said.
Max’s Place Owner Travers Marx explained that the restaurant makes its dough and sauce and creates pizza the best traditional way possible: on a thin crust baked in a brick oven. Max’s has a variety of less standard toppings, such as spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, roasted garlic and ricotta cheese that come on its most-demanded house pizza, the Crossroads. The bill will cost you a bit more than at some other establishments, but many may think it’s worth it for the atmosphere of live music on the weekends and the brick-oven taste.

The kingpin of Bloomington pizza, though, seems to be Mother Bear’s Pizza, affectionately termed by many students as “Mo Bear’s.” Mother Bear’s has been voted the best pizza in Bloomington in the IDS Best of Bloomington poll two years in a row.

“Everything is fresh, the dough is made daily, (and) the vegetables and ingredients are fresh and not frozen,” Manager Karen “Wiz” Wisniewski said.

But students have their own reasons for loving Mother Bear’s. Junior Kaity Dunn attributes her Mother Bear’s affection to the fact that they put the sauce on top of the cheese for deep-dish pizza. And sophomore Meagan Shebel said the bread sticks are what keep her coming back. Mother Bear’s boasts the Munchie Madness special, which includes a 10” one-topping pizza, a choice of bread sticks or cheesy bread, a two liter of soda and two homemade brownies for $11.95.

“You just can’t get what they have anywhere else,” Ivy Tech Community College sophomore Rebecca Luzier said.