First Place: Lucci’s Pizza

Just a short walk across campus on East Main Street, Lucci’s Pizza offers a simple menu of Italian classics for reasonable prices. When customers walk into the small box that is Lucci’s, there’s only enough room for the order counter. However, what they lack in size of the store, they make up for in flavor and authenticity. 

“It’s a nice mom-and-pop shop,” Ariel Hall, a cook and delivery driver at Lucci’s, said. “The owner’s really nice.” 

With traditional stromboli and New York-style pizza combined with sides such as breadsticks and salads, it’s no secret that the Kent community voted Lucci’s as the best place to grab a slice in Tree City.

Coupled with daily deals such as $6 10-inch pies on Mondays, the small family-owned restaurant is truly a jewel of the Kent community.

“It’s a basic order, but [I would recommend] a large cheese pizza,” Hall said of the pizza at Lucci’s. “That’s the New York-style, just large plain pizza.”

Serving freshly-made pizza to students and locals alike, Lucci’s opened in 2015 and celebrated a decade in the Kent community last year.

Instead of cheaply made and thrown-together pizzas that customers find at local delivery chains, Lucci’s serves up quality and freshness. 

“I think it’s the stone ovens,” Hall said. “Most places don’t have stone ovens; they’ve got some sort of conveyor-belt pizza. All of our ingredients are fresh. We make our dough every single day.”

In addition to homemade and timeless cheese pizza, customers also flock to Lucci’s for oven-hot stromboli. Customers can swap toppings and customize their strombolis, with a wide variety of fillings and meats to add to Hall’s favorite item on the menu.

“You can make it however you want, but the standard is pepperoni, salami, capicola and cheese,” Hall said. 

Customers can get those same steamy strombolis for just $10. The combination of ideal prices and tasty Italian classics is a perfect reason why Lucci’s was voted as the best pizza spot in Kent. 

“It’s pretty nice,” Hall said. “People come in here and tell us all the time they love our pizza.” 

Lucci’s is located at 405 E. Main Street, and its contact number is 330-673-9833.

Second Place: Belleria Pizza and Italian Restaurant

Above the counter at Belleria Pizza and Italian Restaurant is a framed poster of the cast of the 1990s “Goodfellas,” with the iconic trio of actors Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci. Next to the register, a wine rack of expensive-looking cabernet and merlot sits for customers to taste. 

The Italian environment is palpable at Belleria. It feels as if customers are walking into nonna’s kitchen when they walk into the second-floor building on East Erie Street.

The restaurant’s been in Kent since 2008, and offers a wide range of entrees such as specialty pizzas, pastas and sandwiches. 

“Everything we use is fresh. We make the dough fresh daily, [we use] homemade pizza sauce,” said Thomas Gavozzi, owner of Belleria. “We use the top quality pepperoni, homemade sausage. We take pride in our quality more than anything else. So nothing’s going to come out of here that’s not to our satisfaction.” 

Belleria’s slogan on its website is “We sell taste, one bite at a time.” The Kent location has been selling taste for the last 16 years, and Gavozzi was inspired to bring the family-style cuisine of the restaurant out of friendship and tradition. 

“My best friend in Youngstown’s grandmother started Belleria, and I remember going to the pizza shop with him in the sixth grade, just the feel, the smell just made me want to do it,” Gavozzi said. “I went to Kent State, graduated from Kent State, he [his best friend] and I together actually. “Worked corporate for about 25 years, and then finally, I got a business loan and went into business.” 

When dining at this Kent City classic, the aura and atmosphere of Belleria is obvious to anyone. Gavozzi has dedicated his life to making a welcoming and high-quality pizza shop, and he’s done just that. 

“When someone comes in and says, ‘You’re the most consistent restaurant in this town,’ that’s a huge compliment,” Gavozzi said. “That’s what makes us different, I think. We’re family-friendly, student-friendly. Everyone’s welcome.” 

Belleria is located at 135 E. Erie St. Ste. 202, and its contact number is 330-678-6000.

Third Place: Guys Pizza

Although Guys Pizza is only a small-sized parlor that can fit just a few people before a long line forms down South Water Street, young people flock to this Kent staple on a nightly basis.

It may be because they’re a bit peckish after a long night of partying, and Guys is one of a few places open till 3 a.m. on the weekends, but they wouldn’t be going to this small-chain pizza place if it wasn’t delicious. 

“It’s wild [the weekend environment], we just had Fake Patty’s Day, and there was a line out the door,” said Evan Lundberg, manager of the Kent location. “For the most part, it’s pretty smooth. We do have the occasional fights, but that comes with the alcohol, being open till 3 a.m.” 

The big ticket item at Guys is the “Legendary Guyzone,” a customizable calzone that can come with several toppings and sauces. For brand new customers, Lundberg suggests giving it a try.

“Our guyzones are very popular,” Lundberg said. “Get three toppings, cheese and dipping sauce on the side. Those will fill you up pretty good.” 

The location is synonymous with having a good time during a late-night out in the vibrant community of downtown Kent after dark. 

“We try to make the best pizza we can,” Lundberg said. “If you want, before you order a whole pizza, we have slices daily. So you can come in, if you don’t like it, sorry, but we try to give you the best pizza we can.” 

Guys Pizza is located at 146 S. Water St., and its contact number is 330-678-5368.

Gage Wellman is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].

Kayci Balog is a reporter for KSTV. Contact her at [email protected].