While almost nothing in the world of journalism can be certain, one key element of print nights at The News-Letter is delivery pizza. Putting out a print paper is a labor of love and one that requires endurance. Food is fuel, so we always make sure to take a break in the evening — in between editing articles and laying out pages — to enjoy a hot slice of pizza, with the leftovers reserved for stress-eating after midnight.
Considering our many print nights over the past year, we consider ourselves connoisseurs of pizza delivery places near the Homewood Campus. Find below our ranking of the best spots near us!
First place: Ribaldi’s Pizza and Subs
Ribaldi’s has been our go-to pizza place since last semester. Located near Wyman Park, the restaurant is not too far away from campus, making it a great option for delivery. Their New York-style pizza is delicious, with flavorful tomato sauce and generous amounts of cheese that never fails to fill our stomachs.
That isn’t to say Ribaldi’s is without its faults. The crust is thick and inflexible, reminiscent of cardboard. Additionally, the amount of cheese was inconsistent, either lacking or flowing off of the slice.
A large pizza runs at $12.95, and delivery is always consistent. Overall, Ribaldi’s is an average-to-good New York pie. We can’t quite close our eyes and imagine we’re in Times Square while we’re eating it, but it gets the job done and keeps us motivated as our production process continues late into the night.
Crust: 3/10
Sauce: 7/10
Cheese: 8/10
Delivery service: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Second place: HomeSlyce
We couldn’t do a delivery pizza rundown without considering good old HomeSlyce, a staple here at the Homewood Campus. Despite its proximity to our office, we were surprised to learn that the majority of our staff have rarely — if ever — eaten there.
We will credit HomeSlyce for having the best crust among all of the pizza places. Crispy and thick, the crust was made tastier with its special garlic parmesan seasoning. Large cheese pizzas were also just over $16 each, which is good value. However, the delicious crust, fair pricing and convenient location were the only good things going for HomeSlyce.
The pizza itself was overwhelmingly greasy, with the oil seeping through rolls of paper towels that our staff used to blot the pizza. While the tomato sauce was tasty, the grease still overpowered its flavor. The cheese also tasted fake and chewy, rather than fresh. While HomeSlyce is the closest to campus, we would not want to sacrifice a quality slice of pizza just for convenience's sake.
Crust: 6/10
Sauce: 3/10
Cheese: 2/10
Delivery service: N/A
Value: 7/10
Third place: Pizza Boli’s
Looking for other notable pizza places around Baltimore, we happened upon Pizza Boli’s as another contender for our bi-weekly delivery pizzas. Though it has locations across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, the first Pizza Boli’s opened in Baltimore in 1985.
We will give credit to Pizza Boli’s for their great service. We always order traditional cheese pizzas, but Pizza Boli’s accidentally delivered a pepperoni pizza with our order. Fortunately, the delivery worker informed us of his error even before dropping off the pizza and even brought an extra cheese pizza for us. Where the pizza lacked in quality, it made up for itself in service.
A large pizza runs at $19.99, which is slightly more than the other pizzas on our list. While we would be willing to pay this for a great pie, Pizza Boli’s left a lot to be desired.
One of our editors summarized Pizza Boli’s best when she said, “It tastes corporate.” The pizza itself had incredibly acidic marinara sauce and the thick layer of cheap mozzarella cheese on top did not do it any favors. Overall, the pizza tasted like it could’ve been delivered by Papa John’s.
Crust: 6/10
Sauce: 3/10
Cheese: 0/10
Delivery service: 10/10
Value: 6/10
Honorable mention: Domino’s
While this ranking does not factor in national pizza chains, we want to give an honorable mention to Domino’s, which provided much-needed sustenance during our first print night this year. Shout-out to The News-Letter alumni, Jacob Took and Alyssa Wooden, for visiting the staff during one of our print nights, giving us some much-needed advice and bringing us a few boxes of Domino’s for encouragement.
