Date: 3/29/2017
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain and Chicken Bacon Ranch
Website: jimmysnewbrunswick.com/

​Jimmy's is a small pizzeria tucked next to Hidden Grounds on Easton Avenue. Historically, Jimmy's was one of my favorite spots to grab a late night slice. The owner is a great guy and super polite. There is plenty of indoor seating and usually a decent selection of slices to try, as well as a full menu including fat sandwiches and wraps. 

The plain slice was pretty decent and had a subtle garlic taste. The crust was fluffy and the cheese was fresh. The chicken bacon ranch slice was pretty good. There was a fine amount of ranch applied which combined well with the cheese to create good flavor. The chicken wasn't anything to brag about, nor was the bacon. It seemed pretty standard and didn't stand out to me. Overall the slices were average for the area but the staff is the real reason to enjoy a late night slice here. They are always good for some conversation.

Date: 3/02/2017
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Chicken Bacon Ranch and Plain
Website:  www.knightsexpresspizzagrill.com/

Knights Express is a small pizzeria on Easton Avenue closer to Tacoria, Paulie's Pizza and what was the NJ Book Store. Parking at this establishment isn't very convenient, as it is street parking and Easton Ave at this section is usually very busy. The interior itself has a decent amount of room for sitting at normal sized tables, which have the Rutgers Knight carved into them (a nice touch).  There is a very good drink selection and another positive for this pizzeria is that it's open earlier than nearly every other pizzeria on Easton Avenue. You can purchase breakfast at this pizzeria if you wanted, which is a nice convenience. There's also an ATM inside. 

The plain slice was run-of-the mill. Nothing too special about this slice, but it wasn't bad. The crust was fluffy and the slice had a salty taste to it. It wasn't overly greasy and the cheese tasted fresh enough. The sauce was on the sweeter side, but still pretty good. Like many pizzerias in this area, it would have been better to have more sauce on it. The Chicken Bacon Ranch slice was extremely filling, but not overly amazing. It was greasier than the plain slice on account for the 50% more cheese they put on it. The amount of ranch to cheese was fair, but the bacon wasn't crispy enough for my liking. It wasn't bad, but I thought that if the bacon were crispier, it would have made for a better slice. 

Date: 2/21/2017
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Margherita and Palermo 
​Girlfriend: Vodka Sauce and Plain
Website: krispypizza.com/

When I heard that a Krispy Pizza was coming to Rutgers, New Brunswick I was ecstatic. I knew immediately that it would steal the top of the best pizza in New Brunswick list having been to the Jersey City location and really enjoyed the pizza there. I can honestly say that the New Brunswick location is the same excellent quality as the Jersey City location. The atmosphere is very much the same with a large mural on the wall and a very Italian cashier. There is more indoors seating in the New Brunswick Krispy Pizza than the Jersey City location, but there is also some outdoor seating available which will definitely get used during the spring and summer months. Parking isn't easy for this location. There are meter spots on Hamilton Street but a majority of the people coming here for lunch will be College Students living in the Yard or on campus for classes. The location is extremely convenient as it is located right across from Scott Hall and next to a major College Ave bus stop. 

The margherita slice was absolutely delicious. The sauce is perfect and flavorful and the cheese is fresh and chewy. The crust and bottom of the pizza were extremely crispy (or should I say krispy?). The palermo slice was very filling and combined the delicious Krispy Pizza sauce with perfectly sauteed onions. It was a real treat of the highest quality. Luckily for me, my girlfriend doesn't mind sharing and I managed to grab a bite of her slices. The vodka sauce slice was pleasant with a creamy sauce and good flavor. The plain slice was surprisingly buttery and salty. Not what I expected....but in a good way! The crust and bottom weren't as crispy as the other slices, but this could just be a fluke. Overall, I'm very confident this location will place in the Top 3 for my Rutgers Power Ranking...if not Number 1!

Date: 2/10/2017
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain and Buffalo Chicken
Website: http://www.lafamilianj.com/index.html

​As part of my quest to review all of the New Brunswick pizzeria's that service the Rutgers off-campus student population, I decided to stop in a La Familia for lunch. The first thing I appreciated was the "lunch special" where you buy two slices and get a free water or can of soda. Since two slices are my usual, this deal is much appreciated. The staff was friendly and polite and the atmosphere is very casual. Parking isn't very plentiful here, but also not very necessary when the targetted demographic is primarily off-campus college students in walking distance. 

I went with the standard plain slice and the buffalo chicken slice as there weren't many options available. A little surprising, considering it was lunch time, but it didn't bother me. The plain slice was just that, pretty plain in taste and didn't stand out especially. It did have a pleasantly crunchy base, however, which I did appreciate if only the flavor was there too. The buffalo chicken slice, though it looked as if it had been reheated from the night before, was actually quite good compared to others I've sampled in the New Brunswick area. The chicken was flavorful and the buffalo sauce was a pleasant mix of spicy and tangy. While I'm not a die-hard buffalo chicken fan like many of the college students are, I would happily have another slice from this establishment.

Date: 01/02/2016
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain, Peppers and Onions
Website: ​http://www.pauliespizzanb.com/index.html

Paulie's Pizza is located near the intersection of Easton Avenue and Somerset Street. There is on-street parking, but no parking lot. I had not heard much about this establishment prior to eating here and I wish I had. The pizza here was pretty good! The plain slice had a good cheese to sauce ratio, sporting fresh cheese and quality sauce. The cheese on this pizza was especially stringy and stretchy. The slices are perfectly sized to fold in half for convenient eating. This is the recommended way for eating this slice, as the bottom of the pizza has a tendency to bend easily and dip under the pressure of the sauce and the cheese. The peppers and onions slice was also quite good. Instead of just throwing the toppings on a plain slice, extra cheese was added to the slice to hold on the toppings better. The extra cheese not only changed the appearance of the slice, but really helped increase the flavor. This place serves a good slice for New Brunswick and should definitely look into doing some more advertising. 

Date: 12/18/2016 (and later: 12/31/2016)
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain and Chicken Bacon Ranch, then Plain and Buffalo Chicken
​Website: ​http://www.pjsgrill.com/

PJ's Grill is located on Easton Avenue in the epicenter of the Rutgers night-life. Sitting between College Avenue Campus and a large population of off-campus housing, this pizzeria is one of the most popular in the Rutgers are. I've had many friends express their opinions to me that PJ's Grill is among the best pizza in New Brunswick. There is more room for seating than most pizzerias in the area and there is usually a large selection to choose from when deciding on a slice to eat. While the establishment lacks in parking, there is some available on Easton Avenue and the nearby streets, though most of the customers are within walking distance to their house. 

Despite the praises by many, the pizza is pretty average. The plain slice is fairly decent with fresh cheese and good quality sauce. The crust is fluffy but not overly flavorful. The slice is on the greasier side, but not overly so. The chicken, bacon ranch and the buffalo chicken slices, some of the trending and popular picks among college students were both satisfactory. It is my personal opinion that Pizza City does a better Chicken, Bacon Ranch slice as PJ's wen't a little crazy with the ranch dressing. The ratio ended up being a bit off and the chicken wasn't as good as Pizza City's. The Buffalo Chicken, one of the most popular slices was adequate in my opinion, but didn't really stand out as deserving of so much praise. The buffalo sauce seemed old or stale and the chicken didn't have much flavor. Don't get me wrong, PJ's is a solid pick compared to some of the other options along Easton Avenue, but not the number one in my personal opinion. Final thoughts: an average pizzeria serving average slices. 

Date: 11/22/2016
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain and Chicken Caesar 
Website:  http://www.rugrillandpizzanj.com/

Another review for a Rutgers Pizzeria. This location is on Easton Avenue near Old Queens and the Scarlet Night Club. It's a tight little pizzeria with not much room for sitting in and eating. The slices remind me of frozen pizza I've eaten. The crust doesn't even seem like it should belong to a pizza. It's bready and like cardboard. The plain slice was totally unremarkable and lacked both flavor and sauce in general, practically. The chicken caesar slice only reminded me why I have never tried that combination before... IT DOESN'T WORK. The dressing tasted funny and I doubt I would have even enjoyed it on a salad. I couldn't even finish the slice. Clearly my fault for thinking this was a good idea. Overally, I'm honestly surprised this place is still in business considering the competition in New Brunswick. In conclusion, you can buy better pizza in the frozen isle at shopright. 

Date: 10/25/2016
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain and Pepperoni Slice
Website: www.giovannelispizza.com/

Giovanneli's Pizza is one of the few on the opposite side of Hamilton Street along Easton Avenue. For some, it's out of the way, but for those in the vicinity of the Golden Rail Inn and the Corner Tavern, this is a convenient stop before home. The pizzeria is a little tight and can get quite crowded late in the evening. There are places to sit, but most take it to go. This is also one of the few pizzerias that opens before noon, which is why I didn't choose anything unique for a specialty slice, as there wasn't much at 11:30 am when I stopped in. I have heard, however, that their buffalo chicken pizza is decent...not sure I believe it. The slices I ordered were both lacking in the sauce department and were greasier than I liked. The crust and base was bland and flavorless. There was really nothing interesting happening with this pizza for me. When you're coming home after a long night, it might hit the spot, but there are better slices to be had. 

Date: 10/24/2016
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain Slice and Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Slice
Website: www.pizzacitynewbrunswick.com/

Pizza City is a small pizzeria tucked in the corner off of Easton Avenue. It's right next to one of the greatest burger joints in New Brunswick, Diesel and Duke, but that's another story. This pizzeria looks small from the outside, but has a reasonable amount of seating area on the inside with classical pizzeria booths and benches. The staff was friendly and welcoming. I got the usual plain slice and then I decided to go with the chicken-bacon-ranch as a specialty. I personally am not a huge fan of chicken on pizza like many other college students seem to be. I've never even bothered with the CBR slice before today but seeing the slice behind the glass told me I had to try it. The CBR slice was absolutely fantastic. The chicken wasn't too dry and was flavorful. The bacon was just the right amount of crispy and the ranch was rich and creamy. The flavors of the slice worked really well with each other and the thin base of the pizza really emphasizes the other ingredients. The plain slice was also quite charming, sporting a thin base and a light crust. The slice was light in general for a pizza slice, but still filling nonetheless. It was pleasantly crispy and the cheese was very good. I didn't think highly of this pizzeria before stopping in, but I left know that I would happily return to enjoy another slice in the future. 

Date: 10/11/2016
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Pizza Ordered: Plain and Cheese Steak (Also tried the remainder of Kristen's Penne Vodka slice)
Website: N/A        [Phone Number: (732) 545-0186]

I have heard tales of the fabled Daniel's pizzeria for over a year before I tried it. The pizzeria is a hole in the wall and it shares its space with an asian food / sushi establishment. There are exactly two tables, one of them broken, so if you lean on it, it might collapse. The fridge is stocked with water, coke, sprite, or diet, all the sodas being in cans. Parking is non-existant and if it weren't for the bland, zero-frills sign, you wouldn't even know there was a pizzeria in the building. All of that being said, this pizza is some of the best I've had in the New Brunswick area. The plain slice was crispy and the crust had perfect crunch. The cheese and sauce is fresh and delicious. The herbs and spices are subtle and not overpowering. The cheese steak slice tasted like cheese steak I used to eat on boy scout camping trips years ago, but honestly, it didn't compare to the penne vodka slice. The penne vodka slice was absolutely delicious. I don't really ever go for the pasta pizza, but the sauce was thick and creamy and truly a tasty blend. Though it was a little on the salty side, it was far better than I could have imagined at first glance. This leads me to conclude that Daniel's pizza is a hidden gem among New Brunswick Pizza and serves a great specialty slice. Though there's not much room to sit and the drink options are far from plentiful, this pizza is a pleasant surprise in a town of pizzerias that caters to the drunken frat-bro.