Happy Valley's Best Pizzas: Official VAB Taste Test Results and Reviews

The first U.S. pizzeria opened in New York City in 1905. Today, over 61,000 pizzerias serve Americans, with 13% eating pizza daily and spending $38 billion yearly on this beloved staple.

For pizza lovers, Happy Valley offers diverse top spots for lunch, dinner, snacks, or even breakfast. The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (VAB) selected pizza for its latest expert taste test.

Pizza preferences vary—deep dish vs. thin crust, sausage vs. pepperoni, white vs. red sauce. Debates rage over toppings like pineapple (we say no). Sampling eight Happy Valley favorites revealed personal favorites and an overall winner.

SNAP Custom Pizza – Kennett Square Mushroom with Cauliflower Crust

SNAP Custom Pizza delights with creative builds: three crusts, six sauces, seven cheeses (including vegan), six proteins, 14 veggies, and 17 finishes. Lines form at this downtown State College hotspot, but it's worth it—SNAP ranks high in Onward State polls. We tried the Kennett Square mushroom (herb butter, mozzarella, goat cheese, local mushrooms, arugula, truffle oil) on cauliflower crust: light, crispy, and flavorful. (SNAP Custom Pizza and Salads; snapcustompizza.com; 814-954-7416; 132 W. College Ave., State College)

Hofbrau – Classic Cheese and Pepperoni

Bellefonte's Hofbrau, serving for 80+ years, boasts fresh hand-tossed crust: crisp outside, chewy inside. Topped with heavy basil-tomato sauce, spice blend, olive oil, mozzarella-provolone, and bold pepperoni that crisps perfectly. Testers loved it. Pair with Otto’s craft beer at this satellite spot. "The only pizza," says VAB's Bellefonte native Lori Miller. (Hofbrau; hofbraupizza.com; 814-355-5529; 106 Bishop St., Bellefonte)

Faccia Luna – Genovese

This State College trattoria excels in wood-oven pizzas (10-14 inches), pasta, salads. The Genovese—potato, basil pesto, tomatoes, basil—crunched with perfect crust and pesto. A "pizza symphony," per testers. Multiple veggie options, Italian wines, microbrews. Best of State College winner. (Faccia Luna; facciaslunastatecollege.com; 814-234-9000; 1229 S. Atherton St., State College)

Brothers Pizza, Centre Hall – White Pizza

White pizza divides like pineapple—bland look, bold taste. Brothers' garlic-rich version (ricotta, mozzarella) shines: garlicky intro, ricotta finish. VAB's Dave Gerdes' pick. Visit 239 N. Pennsylvania Ave. (Brothers Pizza; brotherspizzacentrehall.com; 814-364-9817; Centre Hall)

Angelo’s Pizzeria – Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Boalsburg's Angelo’s buffalo chicken (chicken, sauce, cheese) delivers buttery spice on hearty dough. Great hot or cold—perfect for leftovers. VAB's Judy Maurer raved. (Angelospizzaboalsburg.com; 814-466-1980; 6013 Boal Ave., Boalsburg)

Otto’s Pub & Brewery – Braised Beef with Gouda

Adventurous wood-fired pie: A.V. Farms BBQ beef, pepperoncini, ricotta sauce, gouda. Smoky-savory harmony; some noted spice, all praised toppings and crust. Pairs with in-house brews. (Otto’s; ottospubandbrewery.com; 814-867-6886; 2235 N. Atherton St., State College)

Hi-Way Pizza Pub – Vodka Flaky Pizza

State College staple since 1963 (three locations). Vodka flaky crust with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, secret spice blend. 29+ varieties. (hiwaypizza.com; 814-237-0375; 1688 N. Atherton St./340 E. College Ave./1301 W. College Ave., State College)

Home D Pizzeria – Veggie Pizza

Since 1954, Home D's veggie (sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, olives, broccoli, tomato) has peppy sauce, fresh flavors, hearty crust. Try Greek too. Microbrews included. (homedpizzeria.com; 814-237-7777; 1820 S. Atherton St., State College)

Canyon Pizza – Bacon Cheeseburger

Penn State favorite: affordable, late-night. Bacon cheeseburger pie (American cheese, beef, bacon, onions, mozzarella, ketchup drizzle). Hawaiian option too. (canyonpizzapsu.com; 814-867-5672; 219 E. Beaver Ave., State College)

And the Winner Is… Angelo’s Pizzeria!

Scoring flavor, crust, toppings: Angelo’s buffalo chicken won for broad appeal. More great pizzas await in Happy Valley. Share your fave on Instagram/Facebook with #HappyValleyPA.

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Did You Know?

October is National Pizza Month

Plan a Happy Valley pizza taste test weekend!

Lesley Kistner is Public Affairs Director for The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.