Pizza Tour 2019 Results

Every year, our group of five spends one entire evening tasting, reviewing and rating a slice of pizza from every ”legitimate” pizzeria on the Wildwood boardwalk, in search of our favorite slice. Here, we reveal our findings… For more info, read the 'About the Pizza Tour' page!

2019 Pizza Tour Details

Starting Point: South end of the boardwalk, Alex's Pizzeria
Pizza Places Reviewed: 22
Average Price Per Slice: $2.75 (Up 16 cents)
Most Expensive Slice: Joe's Pizzeria -- $4.75
Least Expensive Slice: The Mall Cafe -- $2.00
Overall Average of All Slices: 2.58 out 5 (Up .08)
Time Spent: 3 hours 50 minutes (Starting time: 7:30 pm End time: 11:20 pm)
Reviewers: Brian, Chris, Frank, Mike, Tim

The Best Wildwood Slice 2019

1.) Mack's Pizza - Avg: 4.2

Mack’s Pizza is regularly a top contender in the 13 years we’ve conducted the Wildwood Pizza Tour.

But what makes it so special?

I wouldn’t say any of the 5 reviewers are Mack’s loyalists or one of the many hardcore fans who must visit the pizzeria every summer. On the other hand, we’re very disinterested in bias, and if anything, the Tour was started to find the lesser-known Wildwood pizzerias who know how to make a great pie. To level the playing field. To give the underdogs a chance. To throw the history books out. To remove traditions and cliches.

Yet, Mack’s still managed to surprise us after all these years. The slice was fresh and bursting with flavor, which drew a stark and noticeable contrast to some of the more bland slices we sampled earlier in the night. Each of the individual aspects of the slice — the plentiful sauce, flavorful cheese, thin crispy crust, carefully-added spices, and spot-on preparation — meshed seamlessly together, the way ingredients in a great pizza slice do. It was a perfect and cohesive partnership, where the slice was better than any of the ingredients individually, in that fantastic pizza-kind-of-way.

In a year where the top rated pizzerias of the 2019 Tour scored a little lower than usual, Mack’s remained clinged to the top and consistent in their 4.2 out of 5 rating (the same rating they received in 2018). To us, this shows their ability to be consistent, in the event that their 60+ years in business didn’t.

After presenting the award to Mack’s and having “one last slice” of celebratory pizza, we felt even more confident that the Mack’s slice had earned its 2019 Wildwood Pizza Tour victory.

Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Brian: 4.5 Chris: 3.5 Frank: 3.5 Mike: 5.0 Tim: 4.5

Slice Price: $2.75
Slice Size: 10.0 x 7.0 -- 35.0 square inches

2.) Joe's Pizzeria - Avg: 3.8

We always look forward to Joe’s Pizzeria and were beyond excited when we discovered that their jumbo slice was not only huge, but enjoyable by the metrics that truly matter: the ingredients!

(Side note: Could you imagine having to eat a 59 sq. inch slice that wasn’t good? That would be seriously brutal!)

The medium-thin crust sat below a great layer of cheese and the wonderfully spiced sauce pulled this brick-oven slice together in a near-effortless way. It’s the kind of slice that leaves you satisfied, both in your taste buds and in your decision to order it in the first place.

Overall Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Brian: 4.5 Chris: 3.5 Frank: 4.5 Mike: 2.0 Tim: 4.5
Slice Price: $4.75
Slice Size: 14.0 x 8.5 -- 59.5 square inches

3.) 3 Brothers - Avg: 3.6

Despite being one of the last slices of the night, the fresh slice we received from 3 Brothers was exactly what we wanted.

It was a perfectly cooked slice, and though it had less sauce than some of our favorite slices, the quality cheese and perfect touch of seasoning pushed it into the top 3 of our list.

The North Wildwood boardwalk pizza scene has shaken up this year with the absence (and uncertain future) of Little Nicky’s and the opening of Steak ‘Em Up (which respectably ranked 8th place). Luckily for the north-enders, the long-standing 3 Brothers is holding down the pizza fort and putting out quality pies at 20th Avenue.

Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5
Brian: 3.5 Chris: 3.5 Frank: 4.0 Mike: 4.0 Tim: 3.0
Slice Price: $2.73
Slice Size: 9.0 x 6.5 -- 29.25 square inches

4: Little Angelo's - 3.4
5: Olympic Flame - 3.3

Best Value Slice (Taste, Price & Size)

P3R (Pizza to Price to Points Ratio) = Slice Area * (Points / Price)

1. Franconi's Pizza - Value Rating (P3R) = 54.40

At number 7 overall for taste, Franconi’s ranking is a little lower than usual this year, but that doesn’t change the fact that it tops the charts by our best value calculations. In addition to being a top 10 slice, it is the 4th largest slice and costs just $2.50, which is 25 cents cheaper than the average boardwalk slice price.

So, in short, Franconi’s offers a large, good priced slice that also manages to taste pretty good!

Sounds good to us!

Overall Rating: 3.2 out of 5
Brian: 3.0 Chris: 2.5 Frank: 3.0 Mike: 4.0 Tim: 3.5
Slice Price: $2.50
Slice Size: 10.0 x 8.5 -- 42.50 square inches
Value (P3R) Rating: 54.40

2: Mack's Pizza - P3R: 53.45
3: Little Angelo's Pizza Spot - P3R: 49.04
4: Joe's Pizzeria - P3R: 47.60
5: Olympic Flame - P3R: 47.52

Largest Wildwood Pizza Slice

1. Joe's Pizzeria - 59.5 sq. inches

There are some indisputably huge slices of pizza on the Wildwood boardwalk. These kinds of slices aren’t good for one-handed eating, general multi-tasking, or for people who aren’t hungry. Think twice before ordering two!

Joe’s Pizzeria tops this category with their 59.5 square inch slice. Luckily it’s pretty good too -- It claimed 2nd place on this year’s Tour! A large slice that is also that good is, indeed, a very unique offering!

Special shoutout to the runner’s up: Jumbo’s, Angelo’s Pizza, Franconi’s Pizza and Alex’s Pizzeria.

Slice Size: 14.0 x 8.5 inches - 59.5 square inches
Brian: 4.5 Chris: 3.5 Frank: 4.5 Mike: 2.0 Tim: 4.5

2: Jumbo's Pizzeria - 49.50 sq. inches
3: Angelo's - 45.00 sq. inches
4: Franconi's Pizza - 42.50 sq. inches
5: Alex's Pizzeria - 42.50 sq. inches

Most Controversial Slices

Hot Spot 4 + Sorrento II

While some slices garner general agreement among the Pizza Tour reviewers, there are certainly some that result in mixed opinions. So, what slices were the most controversial this year?

Two pizzerias, Hot Spot 4 and Sorrento, received the greatest spread of rating with a full 3 point spread of ratings. One reviewer only gave Hot Spot a paltry 0.5 rating, while another another gave it a 3.5. Similarly, one reviewer gave Sorrento just a 2 rating and another gave it a 5 — the highest rating possible!

So, in short, you might want to try Hot Spot 4 and Sorrento. You might agree with the reviewers that rated them well — and their slice may just be one of your favorites...