Pizza. What a wonderful word. 

Here in the greater Madison area, we’re lucky to be spoiled for choice. From fast-casual slices to wood-fired tradition, local pizza spots bring a wide variety of flavors and culinary philosophies to the table.  

For this review, we ordered from three of the most popular pizza places in the Madison area: Pizza Brutta, Sugar River Pizza Company, and Ian’s Pizza – taking care to sample their most popular offerings, as recommended by staff. 

Each of these restaurants brings something unique to the table, from sweet-and-savory to traditional to nostalgic. There’s certainly bound to be something you’ll love. 

Pizza Brutta
Our traditional representation, Pizza Brutta offers classic Italian-style pizza with high-quality and flavorful ingredients and the signature soft, charred, and light crust typical of Neapolitan pizza. 

We tried two pizzas: the Margherita, a beloved favorite, and a white sauce pizza with asparagus and lemon ricotta. 

The Margherita was everything you could want from a classic pizza – San Marzano tomatoes, fresh and slightly sour; mozzarella, soft and well balanced with the sauce; and a lingering taste of basil that didn’t wear out its welcome. In particular, the sauce ran away with its flavor, blending excellently with the flavorful crust. What else is there to say? A wonderful pizza. 

The asparagus and lemon ricotta white sauce pizza was much more adventurous. The cheese – a blend of fontina, asiago, and great big spots of lemon ricotta – brought a buttery richness that paired well with the earthiness of asparagus. It also remained moist, with a nice olive oil base, lightly salted.  

Some felt the cheese leaned a little heavy, especially since the pizza lacked the delicious, tangy tomato sauce of the Margherita. The combination was original and still liked, though views were more divided compared with the other choice. 

While a few of us found the crust a bit too thin and pale, others found great satisfaction in its chewy softness, expressing that it tasted “homemade” and unique. 

Verdict: Inventive and flavorful. Ideal for those who appreciate traditional Italian-style recipes and authentic wood-fired cooking. 

Rating: 8/10 

Sugar River Pizza Company
Sugar River Pizza’s recommended offering was their maple syrup and Canadian bacon pizza – a bold and flavorful combo. 

The pizza was undeniably aromatic; the moment we opened the box, the rich, salty scent of crispy bacon wafted out, carried along with the faint sweet smell of maple syrup. The crust had a slight crunch but was surprisingly soft and moist on the inside, with a nice thickness. 

Sweet-and-salty is a classic combination for a reason, and the maple and bacon worked very well for many of us. The syrup mingled with the salty Canadian bacon to create a very synergistic flavor profile with the likewise sweet tomato sauce – though a few found it too sweet and felt the flavor was overpowering. 

Portion-wise, the slices were small but deceptively filling. Thick crust, thick ingredients, thick flavor. 

Verdict: A memorable pie. If you’re into sweet-savory combinations and hearty toppings, Sugar River delivers a wonderful Midwestern pizza experience. 

Rating: 7.5/10 

 

Ian’s Pizza
Ian’s Pizza is a Madison staple, famous for its creative topping combos and single-slice serving. The recommendations we got were their famous mac and cheese pizza and a simple, topping-free regular cheese pizza. 

The mac and cheese was pure comfort food – creamy noodles stacked high upon a plate of crust. It wasn’t the most flavorful pizza we tried, but it scratched a specific itch: decadent, late-night heavy carbs not out of place at a friend’s Friday party. 

The cheese pizza was simple and solid. The sauce had a pleasant sweetness and a nice aftertaste, and the cheese was familiar and comforting. I found it a dependable and easy-to-eat pizza. 

One frequent remark was the dryness of the crust, which stood out when compared with the other pizza choices. 

Verdict: Casual, comforting and classic. Not exceptional, but a dependable Madison favorite. 

Rating: 6/10 

 

Final Thoughts
Each of these pizza places brings something unique to the table – from decadent Midwestern to wood-burnt Italian to comforting classic. We have a glut of choices available. 

Be adventurous. Which one do you like best?