Pizza Tour 2017 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 the best slice. Here, we reveal our findings… For more info, read the 'About the Pizza Tour' page!

2017 Pizza Tour Details

Starting Point: South end of the boardwalk, Alex's Pizzeria
Pizza Places Reviewed: 21
Average Price Per Slice: $2.58 (Up 9 cents)
Most Expensive Slice: Sorrento -- $4.25
Least Expensive Slice: Fredo's Pizza -- $1.00
Overall Average of All Slices: 2.8 out 5 (Up .4)
Time Spent: 3.75 hours (Starting time: 7:30 pm End time: 11:15 pm)
Reviewers: Chris, Brian, Mike, Frank, Tim

The Best Wildwood Slice 2017

1.) Franconi's Pizza - Avg: 4.3

When you think of the quintessential American pizza slice, you envision that perfect chemistry of sauce and cheese on a perfectly cooked crust. This is exactly what we got in our Franconi’s slice. Each of the ingredients were great on their own and even better together; The crust was thin, crispy and sturdy, supporting the juicy blend of sauce and cheese that sat atop. It was truly a pleasure to eat. All 5 reviewers gave the slice a rating of 4 stars or higher (out of 5 stars).

Despite the wonderful glitz and fanfare of the boardwalk in Central Wildwood, Franconi’s still feels like your reliable, go-to neighborhood pizza. There are no gimmicks — it is simply pizza done right. Winning the 2017 Best Slice award marks Franconi’s 4th victory in our 11 years conducting the tour, which is the most wins by any pizzeria. Their reliability, over the years, is commendable. Further, they served the 3rd largest slice of all pizzerias (42.75 sq. inches) at the 3rd best price ($2.00) — It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Chris: 4.0 Brian: 4.0 Frank: 4.5 Mike: 5.0 Tim: 4.0
Slice Price: $2.00
Slice Size: 9.0 x 9.5 -- 42.75 square inches

2.) Olympic Flame - Avg: 4.1

Olympic Flame, the 2016 Pizza Tour Champion, did not disappoint with their light and doughy pan-made pie. Topped with just a touch of sauce, the cheese and medium-thick crust are the real stars of the slice, providing a flavorful and enjoyable pizza eating experience. Over the past several years, Olympic Flame has been regularly spotted near the top of our list, ranking twice at number 1 and five times at number 2. This is a slice we would gladly eat any day of the year!

Overall Rating: 4.1 out of 5
Chris: 3.5 Brian: 3.5 Frank: 4.5 Mike: 4.0 Tim: 5.0
Slice Price: $2.50
Slice Size: 7.5 x 8.0 -- 30.0 square inches

3.) Little Nicky's - Avg: 3.8

Waiting for us at the North Wildwood end of the boardwalk with flashing white lights, Little Nicky’s served the group a wonderful slice. It was the 21st (and last pizzeria) of the night. The phrase “last but not least” could not have been more accurate. The crust was crispy and chewy, the sauce had a touch of sweetness and cheese was flavorful and stretchy. Over the past 10 years, Little Nicky’s has consistently ranked in the top 10 but really stepped up their game this year, jumping from 8th place in 2016 to 3rd place this year. Two thumbs up.

Overall Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Chris: 3.5 Brian: 4.5 Frank: 4.0 Mike: 3.0 Tim: 4.0
Slice Price: $2.50
Slice Size: 9.5 x 7.5 -- 35.63 square inches

4: Alex's Pizzeria - 3.5
5: Mack's Pizza - 3.5

Best Value Slice (Taste, Price & Size)

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

1. Franconi's Pizza - Value Rating (P3R) = 91.91

With another Best Value victory in 2017, Franconi’s Pizza is a 5-time in this category. To calculate Best Value, we use a formula that evaluates taste, price and slice size. It’s easy to see how Franconi’s ranks so well; Besides having the best tasting slice of the year, their $2.00 slice is the 3rd best price for a slice on the boardwalk (58 cents below the average price of $2.58) and they have the 3rd largest slice on the boards (only behind the giant pies at Jumbo’s and Joe’s Pizzeria). Simply put, Franconi’s Pizza is an all around success by our measurements!

Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Chris: 4.0 Brian: 4.0 Frank: 4.5 Mike: 5.0 Tim: 4.0
Slice Price: $2.00
Slice Size: 9.0 x 9.5 -- 42.75 square inches
Value (P3R) Rating: 91.91

2: Alex's Pizzeria - P3R: 65.73
3: Route 66 - P3R: 54.50
4: Little Nicky's - P3R: 54.15
5: Jumbo's - P3R: 53.39

Largest Wildwood Pizza Slice

1. Jumbo's Pizza - 54.0 sq. inches

We can’t say this is shocking, but it is interesting; Since we started measuring slices in 2012, Joe’s Pizzeria has ALWAYS won this category. This year, Jumbo’s easily achieved victory with their 54.0 sq. inch slice. Joe’s only measured 45.0 sq. inches by comparison.

Is this a fluke? In 2016, Jumbo’s measured an unusually small 40.0 sq. inches (10.0 sq. inches less than 2017) and Joe’s measured 50.75 sq. inches (5.75 sq. inches more than 2017). In 2015, both were larger than 50 sq. inches. It seems Joe’s had a small slice this year and Jumbo’s had a small slice last year.

Don’t get us wrong; both slices are huge! We’re just being pizza nerdy.

Slice Size: 12.0 x 9.0 inches - 54.0 square inches
Chris: 4.0 Brian: 4.0 Frank: 3.0 Mike: 3.5 Tim: 3.0

2: Joe's Pizzeria - 45.00 sq. inches
3: Franconi's Pizza - 42.75 sq. inches
4: La Vecchia Sicilia - 40.0 sq. inches
5: Alex's Pizzeria - 40.0 sq. inches

Most Controversial Slice

Little Angelo's Pizza Spot - Reviewer Rating Range: 3.0

We're not really sure what to call this category yet...but following the tour this year, we had an interesting conversation; While many slices are generally liked or disliked by all reviewers, are there any slices loved by some reviewers and detested by others? If so, which slices had the greatest range of ratings? We decided to look at the data.

It turns out that Little Angelo’s Pizza Spot received the greatest range of ratings. One reviewer gave the slice 5 star rating while another gave it only a paltry 2 star review. In short, we were quite polarized. Overall, Little Angelo’s came in 10th place, with a 3.1 out of 5 average rating, so it's in the middle of the pack. If you’re feeling adventurous, this slice might pay off for your tastebuds.

Overall Rating: 3.1 out of 5
Chris: 3.0 Brian: 2.5 Frank: 5.0 Mike: 2.0 Tim: 3.0