SAN JOSE, CALIF. —Within the vast amount of pizza places near Silver Creek, there are hidden gems to find, and I sought out to find them.

In an effort to find out the best pizza place, I tried 15 different specialized pizza shops! All the places I’ve tried included: Papa John’s, Round Table, Little Caesars, Pizza Hut, Pizza My Heart, Curry Pizza House, Domino’s, MOD Pizza, Mountain Mike’s, Slice of Homage, Jake’s Pizza, Fast Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen, Pizza Antica and King Kong’s NY Pizza. In addition to those, I also had Costco, Chuck E. Cheese and Jtown Pizza Co.

1. Little Caesar has affordable pizza, topping even Costco. A whole 18-inch at Costco is around $9.95, however, at Little Caesars, it is around $11.09.

2. Pizza My Heart gives really good, large portions, and their topping options are magnificent. They provide very good, thin crust pizza. Another plus is that they are one of few places here that carry 16 oz. bottles of soda. 

3. MOD Pizza has very good pizzas that one person can eat, and they provide lots of options for customizing your pizza. They have really pleasant little ice balls to put in your drink, and a lot of their locations feel very personal and community based, having lots of stickers around.

4. Domino’s is excellent for the pizza alone, but the place also has a lot of extra items like their stuffed cheesy bread. 
   
5. Pizza Hut’s pizza is delicious, especially their cheese. Their square pizzas are good for families and I highly recommend their thin crust pizza.

I found the texture of Mountain Mike’s pizza to be very displeasing, similar to plastic. Jake’s Pizza was very bland and the flavor does not stick well. Although Costco’s pizza is cheap, and it has great value, the bread is very thick and outdoes the sauce and other toppings.

One of the best parts about pizza is that the downside for some might be the best part for others. “I love Costco, it’s so big, very portioned, and it has a lot of protein!” sophomore Hayden Rudolph says.

Silver Creek’s wide variety of pizzas is very friendly for families and students. Where are you going out next for pizza, Raiders?