Bella means beautiful in Italian – and I couldn’t agree more when it comes to Bella Pizza. I recently hit up the Lackawanna location (they have a Hamburg location as well!) and was really looking forward to this one. So many Buffalonians have recommended Bella Pizza to me and it was finally a good night to try it.

I always say that you know it’s going to be a good pizza based on how busy the establishment is. Well, when I went to go pick up my pizza, there was a line out the door and about 7 people in front of me waiting! That was a good sign that Bella’s is a popular place and fairly reputable in the WNY community.

I went with a classic large cheese and pepperoni (cup-and-char always, folks). I’ve seen other people’s pictures of Bella’s Pizza and knew this was about as Buffalo-style as it was going to get!

Bella’s Pizza did not mess around! This thick, indulgent, savory, messy pizza was exactly what I wanted. For one, it was huge and since it had a thicker crust, we had some leftovers the next day for sure. It had a flavorful, buttery-like, spongy under crust with a crunchy end crust. The flavor and texture helped to balance the sheer amount of dough that comes with this thicker style of pizza. It’s sponge-like consistency allowed for it to be easily digestible with some air and fluff throughout.

I haven’t tasted dough like this except for maybe 3-4 other places that I love. It was definitely in the same vein as other amazing Buffalo-style pizzas like Lovejoy Pizza, Carbone’s, and Mustachio’s.

As for the toppings, I mean just look at it. The cheese was cooked to perfection with the burnt spots that I love and add so much to the overall taste. With Buffalo-style pizza, you air on the side of messy for sure, but this cheese-to-sauce-to-dough ratio was all in line with one another. It definitely was a lot more pizza to physically handle while eating, but it held it’s own amongst generous portions of cheese and sauce.

My feeling is that if it’s not a little messy, it’s not a top-tier Buffalo-style pizza. It’s all about the indulgence and drama – a true work of art!

The pepperoni topping fell right in line with this style of pizza a well – excessiveness is key. Plus it feels like you’re getting your money’s worth when you get this much topping on a pizza. It pulls the whole look together and I definitely respect Bella’s Pizza for their craft and details.

One perk and intention of this blog is to push myself outside of my town to try new places and spread the local support. I’m sure the majority of people order their pizza from their town, and that it completely valid. However, I would definitely encourage you give Bella’s Pizza a shot if you don’t live in Lackawanna or Hamburg. They truly embody Buffalo-style pizza and do a hell of a good job. Besides, it’s always exciting to try somewhere new and have an adventure.

Pizza & love,

Mandy