Sophia’s Pizzeria in Hartsville, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Sophia’s Pizzeria

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 128 East College Avenue in Hartsville, SC (near Coker College)

Website: https://hartsvillesbestpizza.com/

Date of Review Visit: December 2015

What I Ordered: Small (10”) pizza with Canadian bacon and pepperoni; Mr. Pibb to drink

Price: $10.72 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Sophia’s Pizzeria makes Greek-style pizza.  The pan crust has a perfect texture: crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside.  My pizza was baked the perfect amount.  Greek pizza is not my favorite style, but this crust is excellent.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: On the other hand, the sauce on this pizza is not the best.  The sauce does not have much taste, and the pizza is slightly undersauced.  When I did get a taste of just the sauce, it tasted somewhat overspiced.  Score: 5/10.

Cheese: The cheese tastes like good quality provolone, and it appears in good quantity.  Sprinkling on the parmesan they bring to your table (without you asking for it) only adds to the flavor.  What’s not to like? Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The Canadian bacon is excellent: it tastes like ham with a little extra sweetness, as it should.  The pepperoni is pretty average: it comes in thin slices and produces a lot of grease.  I could taste some spices in the pepperoni, but it is not good quality meat.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 7/10.

Overall Taste: This pizza produces a nice balance of crunchiness and gooeyness, spiciness and sweetness.  While not quite top-quality, everything comes together pretty well.  Score: 8.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The toppings just under the cheese produces and excellent appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining atmosphere is that of a typical small town diner: homey but a little stale.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive on my visit.

Monetary Value: Sophia’s makes pretty good quality pizza, and the price is reasonable.  Thus, the value is better than average.

The Final Judgment:

Their URL says it all: Sophia’s Pizzeria makes Hartsville’s best pizza, and it stacks up pretty well on an absolute basis too.  Score: 85/100.