Pizza Tour 2024 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!
2024 Pizza Tour Details
Starting Point: South end of the boardwalk, Kono Pizza
Pizza Places Reviewed: 25
Average Price Per Slice: $3.39 (Up 7 cents from 2023)
Most Expensive Slice: Joe's Pizzeria -- $5.00
Least Expensive Slice: Steak 'Em Up -- $2.67
Overall Average of All Slices: 2.26 out of 5 (Down .34 from 2023)
Time Spent: 4 hours 0 minutes (Starting time: 6:00 pm End time: 10:00 pm)
Reviewers: Brian, Chris, Frank, Mike, Tim
The Best Wildwood Slices 2024
1st Place: Steak 'Em Up - 4.2
There’s a lot to say about this year’s first-time Pizza Tour winner —
Not only was Steak ‘Em Up the 24th slice of the night that we sampled, but it was also the least expensive slice on the boardwalk at just $2.67 — a price that, amazingly, somehow, hasn’t changed in 3 straight years. In this economy? Unbelievable!
That said, price isn't what matters when we're seeking out our favorite overall slice. It's all about the taste and that's where this slice delivered.
After nearly 2 miles and 4 hours traversing the Friday night boardwalk, this slice was noticeably fresh, seasoned and flavorful, and absolutely refreshing. It was a total delight.
Ranking 2nd place in 2023, Steak 'Em Up's 1st-place 2024 victory was decisive, rating 4.2 out of 5 stars overall — almost a half point better than any other slice we tried this year. After being a consistent contender for best slice since their opening in 2019, we’re excited to see a victory for the shop.
While getting to 17th Avenue on the north end of the boardwalk might be a trek for some, it is a trek we recommend making without hesitation. Grab yourself a slice of Steak ‘Em Up next opportunity you get.
Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Brian: 5.0 Chris: 3.5 Frank: 4.0 Mike: 4.0 Tim: 4.5
Slice Price: $2.67
Slice Size: 9.5 x 7.0 -- 33.25 square inches
2nd Place: Olympic Flame - Avg: 3.8
Olympic Flame has been a perennial favorite of the Pizza Tour, ranking as one of our top 5 favorite slices, for the past 12 years! And, as we look here at the annual historical stats, no other slice on the Wildwood boardwalk has been so consistently in our top 5 in that time. It’s actually pretty amazing, even for us, to hear that stat!
And this year was no different!
These pies are cooked with a thicker crust than others on the boards and on a pan, creating a great tasting, fresh, yet still wonderfully light and lively pizza. A touch of sauce and plenty of cheese make this slice an absolute delight in every facet.
After ranking number 1 on the Pizza Tour for the past 2 years, Olympic Flame was ever-so-close to pulling off Pizza Tour history with a 3rd straight victory in a row. It might be second place this year, but “it’s still a great slice,” as Brian so accurately put it.
Overall Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Brian: 4.0 Chris: 4.5 Frank: 3.5 Mike: 3.5 Tim: 3.5
Slice Price: $3.00
Slice Size: 8.0 x 8.0 -- 32.0 square inches
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3rd Place: Mack's Pizza - Avg: 3.8
There’s a little old pizza shop on the boardwalk at Wildwood Avenue — and if you’ve gone to Wildwood in the past 7 decades you might have heard of it — you might have even tried it!
Mack’s is about as Wildwood as it gets and there’s no question to us, putting this slice up against all the other pizzerias on the boardwalk, why this pizza has brought happiness to generations of Wildwood lovers. Between the thin crust, the flavorful cheese blend and the punch of the sauce, it is difficult to pick which ingredient is the star. And actually, doing so may be foolish. A Mack’s slice may very well be the text-book example of what’s possible when you bring these ingredients perfectly together. Many try, but only few succeed as well as a Mack’s slice.
Pizza Tour Note: You might notice that Mack’s overall rating actually tied Olympic Flame and we had to rely on our in-house calculation and tie-breaking solution: The Pizza to Points to Price Ratio (P3R)! That is, based on slice rating, size and price, which slice offers the better value? Both slices rated 3.8, both cost $3, but Olympic Flame was slightly larger, thus rating higher in P3R.
Overall Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Brian: 3.5 Chris: 4.5 Frank: 2.5 Mike: 4.5 Tim: 4.0
Slice Price: $3.00
Slice Size: 9.0 x 6.5 -- 29.25 square inches
4th Place: Little Angelo's Pizza Spot - Avg: 3.3
There’s a graphic on the sign at Little Angelo’s that says “You’ve tried the rest, now try the best”. With a boardwalk chock full of pizzerias in either direction, the claim seems bold, if not suspicious, if not maniacal. How true could this really be? Especially with so many reputable pizza shops on the boards?
For us, we’re happy to say it has been pretty accurate — For the past 3 years, Little Angelo’s has rated in our top 5 pizzerias, which is a substantial enough of a track record for us to rule out “luck” or a “one hit wonder”. Little Angelo’s is the real deal.
There’s nothing gimmicky about this slice — it’s a slice of pizza done right and the way it should be. It’s a simple, beautiful thing and we're all for it.
Overall Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Brian: 4.5 Chris: 1.5 Frank: 3.0 Mike: 4.0 Tim: 3.5
Slice Price: $3.50
Slice Size: 9.0 x 8.5 -- 38.25 square inches
5th Place: XO Pizza - Avg: 3.2
If there was a “least controversial” slice award for the 2024 Tour, XO Pizza would be number 1.
All 5 reviewers rated this slice a highly respectable 3 or 3.5. (Note that the overall average rating for all slices was a bleak 2.26 out of 5).
There’s good reason for this consensus — this slice brought great flavor to the table with an exceptionally nice and even blend of sauce and cheese portions. In addition, the thin crust balloons at the edge, making this both a tasty and hearty slice.
While slice size does not factor into our overall taste rating, it is worth noting this was the 4th largest slice we encountered on the boardwalk. If you want a large slice with great flavor, this slice should be on your radar by all means!
Overall Rating: 3.2 out of 5
Brian: 3.0 Chris: 3.0 Frank: 3.0 Mike: 3.5 Tim: 3.5
Slice Price: $4.35
Slice Size: 9.0 x 9.0 -- 40.5 square inches
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Best Value Slice (Taste, Price & Size)
In addition to our taste rating, we also record price and slice measurements to determine the best value slice. We have a special in-house formula to determine best value called P3R (Pizza to Price to Points Ratio) = Slice Area * (Points / Price).
1. Steak 'Em Up - Value Rating (P3R) = 52.30
Our best value calculation is based on 3 factors: slice rating, price and size.
While Steak ‘Em Up’s slice isn’t the largest (it ranks 15th out of 25), the slice’s taste rating (1st overall) + the boardwalk best $2.67 price tag easily make this the best value slice on the boardwalk.
We already touted all the reasons we loved our Steak ‘Em Up slice for it’s flavor and, when you factor in the price, you just can’t beat this return on investment.
Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Brian: 5.0 Chris: 3.5 Frank: 4.0 Mike: 4.0 Tim: 4.5
Slice Price: $2.67
Slice Size: 9.5 x 7.0 -- 33.25 square inches
Value (P3R) Rating: 52.3
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Largest Wildwood Pizza Slices
Some days, you spend so much time walking the boards, catching waves, and having fun in the Wildwoods, that you're starving and just want to get your hands on the biggest slice you can possibly find. We know exactly what it's like and we've got you -- these are the largest slices we found on the boardwalk for 2024! If you normally order two slices, maybe start with one and go from there with these pizzerias!
1. Founder's Grub & Pub - 12.0 x 10.0 in. (60.0 sq. in.)
Founder’s Grub & Pub served up the largest slice of the night with a 12.0 x 10.0 inch slice requiring two-plates! Wow! One slice of Founder’s will get the job done for most hungry boardwalk visitors!
Fun fact: Since we began measuring slices in 2012, there is only one other year Joe’s Pizzeria was not the largest slice of the night. That was in 2017 when the location that is Founders Grub & Pub was Jumbo’s Pizza (both entities owned and operated by the Morey’s family.)
That said, Joe’s did not disappoint with their 2nd largest slice of the night at 12.0 x 8.5 inches.
Other humongous slices included Anthony’s, XO Pizza and Hot Spot Restaurant.
2: Joe's Pizzeria - 12.0 x 8.5 in. (51.0 sq. in.)
3: Anthony's - 9.0 x 9.5 in. (42.75 sq. in.)
4: XO Pizza - 9.0 x 9.0 in. (40.5 sq. in.)
5. Hot Spot Restaurant & Pizzeria - 10.0 x 8.0 (40.0 sq. in.)
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Most Improved Slice
Sorrento II - Avg: 2.5 (Rated 1.9 in 2023)
Sorrento II jumped from a 1.9 star rating in 2023 to an above-average 2.5 for 2024.
This slice was mostly a crowd-pleaser, generally receiving average to above average ratings from all 5 reviewers.
We love to see it!
Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Brian: 2.0 Chris: 3.0 Frank: 2.5 Mike: 2.5 Tim: 2.5
Slice Price: $4.00
Slice Size: 9.0 x 7.5 -- 33.75 square inches
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Most Controversial Slices
While some slices garner general agreement among the Pizza Tour reviewers, there are certainly some that result in mixed opinions. So, which slices were the most controversial this year?
Little Angelo's Pizza Spot, Original Hot Spot, Founder's Pub & Grub, Little Nicky's
Our most controversial metric looks at which slices had the greatest range of ratings from the group. That is, what slices did we have most trouble all agreeing on?
4 pizzerias shared the distinction of having a wide 3 point rating spread among the reviewers.
Perhaps most interesting for 2024 is that Little Angelo’s Pizza Spot, our 4th top-rated slice of the night overall, was among the most controversial! One reviewer gave it a near perfect 4.5 star rating while another gave it just a paltry 1.5! Overall, this slice was highly rated by the group and is likely a safe bet for most boardwalk visitors, even if one reviewer was less impressed.
The Original Hot Spot and Founder’s Pub & Grub made the most-controversial list for a 2nd straight year — we just can’t come to a consensus on these spots!
New Slices on the Boards
Anthony's - Avg: 2.4
We were excited to try Anthony’s, brand-new for 2024 at the former Fisher’s location in North Wildwood. The new restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and — most importantly — pizza. Anthony's ranked a very respectable 2.4 out of 5 for the inaugural season.
Overall Rating: 2.4 out of 5
Brian: 2.0 Chris: 3.0 Frank: 2.0 Mike: 3.0 Tim: 2.0
Slice Price: $2.75
Slice Size: 9.0 x 9.5 -- 42.75 square inches
Domino's - Avg: 1.4
A Domino's location came to the Wildwood boardwalk at the former location of Papi's Tacos for the 2024 season. The renovation of the space was really well done. However, we were unsure if Domino's would serve slices (a prerequisite for inclusion on the Wildwood Pizza Tour), and once we learned they did, they were promptly added to our Pizza Tour ratings sheet. While this slice wasn't our favorite of the night, it is always fun to try a new place on the boardwalk and see how it stacks up!
Overall Rating: 1.4 out of 5
Brian: 2.0 Chris: 1.0 Frank: 1.0 Mike: 0.5 Tim: 2.5
Slice Price: $3.53
Slice Size: 7.5 x 8.0 -- 30.0 square inches
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