If you didn’t already know, pizza is one of the classic college student food groups, in fact it can be said that it is the foundation of our food pyramid. However, any average student will be worried about one thing: the cost. Most chain pizza places are cheaper than local restaurants, but most of these chains use low-quality ingredients, and the money doesn’t come back locally.
To decide the overall best pizza, I put taste, cost and distance to campus as important factors towards my decision, so that I could find the most well-rounded pizzeria.
To put all of the places on equal footing, I decided to only order a cheese pizza from every place, because if a place can’t make a good cheese pizza, then the restaurant just isn’t good. I decided to put the flavor of the sauce at the forefront of this investigation. Considering that there are no toppings on the pizza, the sauce is taking the brunt of that job, hence my focus on it. With that out the way, here are my rankings of the best pizza in Baton rouge, from worst to best.
City Slice
There’s a lot to say about City Slice. When I first walked in, the first thing I noticed was the heat. Oh my god, the restaurant is so hot inside. Not to mention that I saw my own waitress fanning herself with a menu, while I waited for my pizza. I don’t know what was happening on the day I visited, but I could only surmise that it was due to some sort of AC problem.
The memorabilia on the wall were mostly LSU related, which makes sense considering the location. However, what stood out to me was the mural of the north gate of LSU. It was a beautiful painting.
Nevertheless, let’s dive into the pizza itself. The price for my pizza wasn’t that bad, as it was $8.50 for a personal sized pizza. Not to mention it is very close to campus, so it is very convenient to get to, but that’s about all of the positives I have for City Slice.
To some people’s dismay, I did not like my City Slice pizza. The cheese, both the mozzarella and the parmesan were good, but the parmesan I could tell was the store bought pre-grated cheese. Albeit it was still good, but what ruined the experience for me was the sauce. City Slice’s tomato sauce is some of the WORST tomato sauce I have ever had. It does not fit well with the flavor profile of the pizza, it simply causes me to not enjoy the rest of the pizza. You can’t have a winning slice of pie without having a good pizza sauce. 4/10.
The 5
Next up is our dear dining hall on the west side of campus, The 5. The location is on campus, so you couldn’t ask for a better location. Not to mention that meals are “free,” if you use your tiger card. If you don’t have a tiger card, meals will typically cost between $8 and $13. The 5 doesn’t just offer pizza, as it offers different cuisines from Cajun to vegetarian, but the main reason I went was for the pizza.
The 5’s pizza is the epitome of the word “mid.” It’s nothing special. It’s alright at best, but in the worst cases, the bottom can be completely burned. Personally, I would eat it, because it comes with my meal swipe, but if I didn’t have those swipes, I wouldn’t pick The 5 to eat pizza at. I love the 5, but I’d rather eat other things from there. 5/10.
The 459
The 459 is near the center of campus, so for students on the east side of campus, this is another great spot. The price is the exact same as the 5, but The 459 offers much more food options that aren’t offered at the 5. Of course you have pizza, but there’s also the teaching kitchen that shows you how to make food, which is unfortunately not offered at The 5. I’m not one to say that one pizza is better than the other, because I think they’re equally as good when it comes to flavor.
This may come as a shock to you, as the 459 was newly renovated, but the pizza tastes the exact same as it does at the 5. The only difference is that I’ve never had a burned bottom at The 459. When it comes to pizza, The 459 is better, but convenience varies depending on where you live. 6/10.
Fat Boy’s Pizza
Walking into Fat Boy’s Pizza is quite an experience with its tiger memorabilia, the giant pizza in a pizza case and the massive TVs on the wall. What stood out to me was seeing Joey Chestnut’s name on the wall with pure confusion on my face. How the hell can a human eat a two-foot pizza in 30 seconds? I seriously will never understand that.
But regardless, the location of Fat Boy’s Pizza is great, as it is right off Nicholson, which is walking distance from campus. The LSU buses go right by Fat Boy’s, which makes it convenient to get to, even if you live on the east side of campus. Fat Boy’s is near the grocery store chain, Matherne’s, which would make it a great place to go to before or after shopping.
“World’s Largest Slice” was advertised on the walls, and boy they weren’t lying, it’s a large slice of pizza, and for $7 it is a great deal. However, the more I ate, the less I enjoyed the slice. To be fair, it was one good slice of pie, but there are better slices in town. The deal is unbeatable, especially if you pay with tiger cash making the slice $5. Overall, I’d go back to Fat Boy’s, especially over the dining halls and City Slice. 6.5/10.
Schlittz and Giggles
Next up is a staple of Baton Rouge pizza culture: Schlittz and Giggles. Schlittz and Giggles have been around since 2008, and they’ve fully embraced their name, as their slogan is “Silly name, Serious Pizza.” When I walked in, I noticed a big fan on the ceiling and what seemed to be a jumbotron on the wall above the bar. I bet this place would be awesome on a game day.
A slice of cheese pizza costs $5, which isn’t bad, especially considering the slice is relatively large. The color of the pizza is one I haven’t seen before. It’s a darker yellow, which isn’t bad, but it isn’t what I would expect from a cheese pizza. Maybe it’s because they don’t only use mozzarella cheese?
The pizza was okay. The cheese was absolutely delicious, because it was extremely fresh, but I didn’t care for the sauce. It was a very floppy pizza, reminiscent of a New York style pizza. The sauce is up to someone’s own personal taste, but I would 100% recommend going and seeing for yourself. The location is 10 minutes from campus, which isn’t horrible, but would require you to drive. I would have it again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for pizza. 6.5/10.
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Rotolo’s
Another Baton Rouge staple is Rotolo’s. Similar to Raising Canes, it started out with one restaurant and has since branched into a multi-state corporate conglomerate. The inside of the restaurant is very spacious and modern. The most memorable part of the decor was the big sign saying: “Good Food. Good Vibes. No Bullshit” and I thought that added to the quirkiness of the restaurant.
This Rotolo’s is in a very new area, Ben Hur, and this area happens to have a very posh façade. This unfortunately is reflected in the prices, as a whole cheese pizza costs $17, which is the most expensive of all the restaurants I visited. For $17, a 13-inch pizza doesn’t seem like enough. It’s just way too much money for such a small pizza.
Rotolo’s pizza is pretty good, and the sauce is one of the best I’ve ever had. However, the price is something I can’t get over. Even though the sauce is extremely flavorful, the cheese is lacking, but thankfully the sauce compensates for the lack of cheesy goodness. Essentially, this pizza is not worth $17. 7/10.
Isabella’s Pizzeria
Before this experience, I’d never heard of this place. Eventually, I came to find out that this place has been around for almost two decades. This one is quite the distance from campus, as it is a 15-minute drive. However, the drive is worth it.
When I first entered the establishment, this place made me think of a quaint and small operation. The decorations are very family oriented with what looks like family heirloom dishes and pots along with modern art and vases. The light above my table had stained glass with grapes designed on it, which was very cool to see.
Isabella’s Pizzeria does not only sell pizza, they also sell a wide variety of Italian foods. These include spaghetti and meatballs, paninis and wraps. They also have a chocolate cake for dessert, which sounds absolutely divine.
My cheese pizza cost $11.50 which is a bit high for a 10 inch pizza, but it is absolutely worth the price. If anything, purely due to the tomato sauce. Isabella’s crust is a bit off, but I can ignore that because of the pure deliciousness of the sauce. It seems like they use a dry wine in their sauce, and you most certainly can taste and smell it. This pizza screams homemade and I’d absolutely be willing to come back. 8/10.
Jabby’s Pizza
This next place is a personal favorite of mine, but I won’t let my bias cloud my judgment of their pie. Jabby’s Pizza is a wood fire pizza restaurant that has multiple locations in south Louisiana. The one I went to is the one closest to LSU, as it is at the intersection of Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway.
This location isn’t very big, and doesn’t have a lot of indoor seating, but they do have outdoor seating. So, if it ever cools down, it would be a perfect place to sit and enjoy pizza. It is on the same street as other pizzerias on this list, so it is around a 10-minute drive from campus.
The cheese pizza cost $8.50, which is the same price as the City Slice pizza, but one of the key differences between the two is Jabby’s pizza is much larger.
Jabby’s Pizza has quality pizza. The crust isn’t very crunchy, which some people aren’t a fan of, but personally I am. The sauce is good and the cheese is good. Overall, it’s a very good and tasty pizza. It’s perfect if you want a solid pizza. It’s not the best pizza in the world, but it most certainly is a quality pie. Consistently, Jabby’s has very good pizza, as I’ve never had a bad experience there. I will absolutely be back for more on any given day. 8.5/10.
New York Pizza and Pasta
This next place is definitely the furthest distance from campus, New York Pizza and Pasta. When I was younger, I remember going there often and really enjoying the pizza there.
From a fresh point of view, the inside is adorned with sports merchandise, from LSU to the New Orleans Saints. It looks like it used to be a fast food restaurant, but it most certainly does not feel like it anymore.
The pizza slice that I bought was a nice $3.50, and for that cheap, it’s a pretty big slice. The slice has some garlic on it, which only improves the taste. My only gripe is with the sauce, which there isn’t enough of. The cheese is absolutely divine, and it most certainly is of high quality. This slice is the most reminiscent of a pizza found in New York City that I can find in Baton Rouge. 9/10.
Red Zeppelin
Towards the end of my journey, I went to Red Zeppelin, which is a quaint little restaurant off of Perkins Road. It is around 10 minutes away by car, but if you don’t have a car it is a bit of a hike. At Red Zeppelin, there’s both an inside and an outside sitting area to sit in, but considering the heat, I decided to sit inside.
The restaurant has a classic rock vibe to it, with a lot of music references. I mean, the name alone is a reference to the classic rock band, Led Zeppelin, complete with a blimp as their logo.
When I was there, they were running a special where a 14 inch cheese pizza was $8, which was really good considering the pizza was cut into 8 pieces, which really costs $1 a slice. So, for any college student, this is the cheapest price in town. With the fantastic price, the pizza itself was pretty good. It definitely needed more sauce, but when it was paired with a side of sauce, it became three times better.
Red Zeppelin Pizza is truly a great spot, especially with its proximity to LSU. When it cools down, this spot would be great to be at to chill out, eat pizza and watch cars whizz by. 9/10.
So, where’s the best place for pizza in Baton Rouge? Well, overall, it’s Red Zeppelin. However, the best tasting pizza place has got to be New York Pizza and Pasta. Despite the 20-minute drive away (with no traffic), it’s the best tasting pizza in Baton Rouge and most certainly lives up to its name. So, try some of these places and you will get some of the best pizza that you can find near campus.
Andrew Sarhan is 18-year-old mass communication freshman from Baton Rouge, LA.
