Alex Guida, co-owner at Slices Pizza Co., prepares a Mona Lisa pizza.
When you leave the bars on Route 1 or head home from a party late at night, chances are you are going to want some grub. The downtown area offers many options for late-night food, but based on the number of pizzerias in College Park, it’s pretty clear: students prefer pizza.
For the drunken student who doesn’t want to venture far from the Route 1 stretch just off the campus, there are four businesses offering pizza by the slice into the wee hours of the morning and another on the way. We’ll help you narrow down the options.
PIZZA MART
The original Pizza Mart was established in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington. The chain claims to be the creators of the original jumbo slice, which is cut from a 36-inch pie. Pizza Mart was featured on the Travel Channel’s Food Wars and named one of the top 10 pizza shops in the county.
The College Park location aims to provide that same quality pizza to the hungry college crowd. Pizza Mart sells a jumbo cheese slice for $5, and they’ll warm it up for you in minutes. You can add toppings for 80 cents each, and they’ll put them on top of the premade slice.
“The jumbo slice is a really great deal,” sophomore psychology major Sam Kellman-Wanzer said. “It’s $5 for a huge slice that’s probably twice the size of one from Slices. Pizza Mart is a great alternative to the traditionally sized pizza, but I think the quality is a little better than Pizza Kingdom.”
PIZZA KINGDOM
Pizza Kingdom also offers a jumbo slice of pizza for $5. Each additional topping costs another dollar. The pizza joint, located off Lehigh Road near Potbelly’s, also sells Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and offers free delivery for online orders over $15.
Some students said Pizza Kingdom isn’t always their first choice for a slice because they have to turn the corner to see it on their way home. But the size of the slice keeps them coming back.
“I was amazed by the size of the slice, but I was not in any way amazed by the quality of the pizza itself,” senior civil engineering major Ryan Clancy said.
We recommend bringing a friend and splitting the cost of a slice — $2.50 will be enough to fulfill your late-night pizza craving.
SLICES
Tired of the same old plain cheese or pepperoni pizza? Located near the corner of Hartwick Road and Route 1, Slices Pizza Co. offers more than 20 types of by-the-slice gourmet pizza options, ranging from macaroni and cheese to Philly cheesesteak. Slices uses a traditional 16-inch pan for their pies and charges about $4 for a specialty slice. A plain cheese slice costs $3.
Slices prides itself on using the highest-quality ingredients to produce their homemade pizzas. And if they run out of a particular specialty pizza, they’ll make a new one in 10 minutes and serve it to you fresh. If you are looking to save some money, you can buy any whole pizza and get the second one for half price on Monday nights.
“Slices is the best late-night pizza,” sophomore criminology and criminal justice and English major Brian Frosti said. “They have the best in store set up with great marketing, they display everything better than the rest of the stores.”
Junior economics major Jamal Anifowoshe said Slices is his favorite College Park pizza establishment.
“They have the most innovative pizzas,” Anifowoshe said. “It may not be the best economically, but the flavor is there.”
RATSIE’S
Ratsie’s Pizza has been a College Park staple since 1984. Its prime location at the corner of Knox Road and Route 1 makes it a popular first choice for students leaving the bars right across the street.
Like competitors Pizza Mart and Pizza Kingdom, Ratsie’s offers a jumbo slice option. But unlike the other pizza joints, a slice of cheese at Ratsie’s will only cost you $3, and you can get a variety of combo deals with soda and wings.
Some students said they choose Ratsie’s for its convenience, cheap prices and late-night hours. The restaurant is open until at least 2:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
“It’s not good pizza, but I admire the environment,” Clancy said. “It’s kind of fun to just sit in there because you might see a fight or any number of things. Ratsie’s is more people-watching than pizza.”
BLAZE PIZZA
If you just can’t get enough pizza, just wait for chain restaurant Blaze Pizza to open up next to Bagel Place. The pizzeria promises to make your 11-inch personal pizza right in front of you and cook the dish in 180 seconds to crisp perfection.
You’ll be able to select a pizza from the restaurant’s menu, or — if you’re feeling creative — create your own gourmet concoction.
Blaze replaces Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, which closed in September 2013. The restaurant is still under construction, but it is now hiring employees.
