Bella pizza is on South Park in what I believe to be Lackawana, so it technically slips out of what I would consider the initial range I set out for these reviews…but I heard good things and was driving by, so why not. What are you, a geography Nazi? Actually, according to some of the other posts I’ve seen on our cozy little subreddit, that is exactly what some of you are. Anyhow, Bella is set up well for lunch with a very cool variety of combination specials. I got the #1, which was a large slice of pizza paired with 5 medium wings (couldn’t select your own sauce) and a fountain drink for $7.50. The wings were awesome, like notably so (even though I prefer hot) and I liked the idea of something other than the standard 2 slice + pop deal. Lets get crackin.

Bella’s self-proclaimed “Big Hot Slice” is a good size, but I wouldn’t say it’s much or any larger than your average pizzeria’s slice. If you calculate $0.50 wings and a $1 fountain drink, that makes this a $4 slice…not a great deal. However, I liked the variety in the deal offering, and they were bomb wings. Slice looks good, but nothing too much to note at first glance.

These pepperoni were crispy. Some of the more unique ones yet, for sure. This wasn’t an accident of any kind. Bella advertises Margherita Fine Pepperoni on their website, and their pepperoni looks this way in all their imagery. I’m assuming the “Fine” refers to the thickness, but it could just as easily be a remark on quality. Honestly, I thought Bella was going to take a hit on this, but these actually had tremendous flavor. The experience reminded me of Pizza Hut’s pepperoni if it were higher quality. Same concept though. Pepperoni is a lot like bacon. The crispier stuff is typically saltier and more intense (I happen to be into chewy bacon). On top of what was a very soft pizza, I really enjoyed this contrast the crispy pepperoni provided.

The cheese was great. This is a category that hardly anyone fucks up, but it’s the cornerstone to a good slice. Obviously bubbled and browned perfectly, and had quality texture and flavor. However, for being what I was told was a fresh pie I would have liked a little more stringiness to it for mouth feel and the sheer enjoyment of it.

Dough is Bella’s only real downfall. This is the softest dough yet. This dough makes Imperial look like NY style pizza. It was very bready and at times I thought it may have been a little raw. If you look at the next photo, you may be able to see what I’m talking about. It kind of congealed into a big chewy doughball in my mouth, which I wasn’t really into. The flavor was nicer though on some of the browner sections of the underside.

Bella has a great sauce. VERY slightly sweet, and easy to tell that it was made with quality tomatoes. Maybe a touch thin, but there was a lot on the slice. Certainly one of the better ones I’ve had. Made for a nice contrast against the saltiness of the cheese and intense pepperoni. Let’s use the taquitor and crunch these numbers.

Dough🥖: (C) There are people who love the bread-dough thing. I’m not one of them.
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Cheese🧀: (A-) Top quality, but could have strung out more.
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Sauce🥫: (B+/A-) Very fresh flavor, but a little thin.
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Pepperoni🍖: (A-) Shocking for how they looked, but they actually complimented the pizza extremely well.
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Overall🍕: (B/B+) Bella has some creative lunch deals that I will be back for. The pizza was really quite good too, but that dough is damn soft. Pepperoni, easily the upset of the year in a good way. On sight, I had it pegged for a C grade, but it came through in a big way. Thanks, Bella! Sometimes I feel like I need to reiterate this. I would eat this and almost every other slice from everywhere else I’ve had so far with a smile on my face. It’s all great. Being picky comes with the whole critique thing in a city with amazing pizza. #blessed