by Laura Brink, Akron Pizza Task Force

The Akron Pizza Task Force is back, and our first visit was to Pavona’s Pizza Joint.

We had extremely high expectations going in. We could tell from the exterior of the building that we would not be disappointed. The exterior was decorated with corn stalks for fall and had picnic tables on a patio. Inside, the restaurant is cozy. Wood is used throughout most of the interior: on the ceiling, the floor, the bar, and the tables. Employees were kind, attentive, and offered great suggestions.

We ended up ordering a custom pizza (Sicilian sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, black olives, onions, and mushrooms), a meat hook (their premium “meat lovers” style), a buffalo chicken pizza, a regular cheese pizza, and a margherita pizza.

The Bricks that Build This Brick-Oven Pizza

Crust: The crust at Pavona’s is amazing: thin crust, a crispy base, and still slightly chewy. While the main part of the pizza has thin crust, the outer edges remain puffy and delicious.

Sauce: The traditional sauce at Pavona’s is a Sicilian. It is a smooth red sauce with the perfect amount of sweet with a slight kick of spice at the end. Pavona’s has a range of sauces, including garlic, ranch, and vodka cream.

Toppings: Pavona’s offers more than 20 toppings to choose from. They are very generous in their use of toppings. The pizzas are full of fresh ingredients, but not so heavy that they do not support themselves.

Photo: Akron Pizza Task Force

Leftovers: The pizza did a decent job of reheating in a microwave after being stored in the fridge. It was not as crisp as when it was fresh, though, and the bottom of the pizza did not hold the toppings as well.

The Final Slice

Pizza: Everyone in the Task Force agreed that the crust was perfectly balanced in taste and quality. The sauce was traditional and got great ratings from our reviewers. Everyone was at satisfied by the quantity of cheese. The quality and variety of toppings were great. But the reheat and leftover-ability of this pizza was just so-so.

Cheese pull: The goal of a well-made pizza, in the Akron Pizza Task Force’s opinion, is a beautiful cheese pull. Let me tell you, this pizza has one of the best cheese pulls we’ve ever seen. Ooey-gooey strings of fresh mozzarella come streaming from the perfect slices. Needless to say, we enjoyed it.

Photo: Akron Pizza Task Force

$$$: These pizzas were on the pricier side, with a small 10-inch pizza starting at $10 plus $1 per additional topping. The most expensive small specialty pizza is $16. Large pizzas (16 inches) are more expensive and cost $2 per additional topping.

Atmosphere: Our reviewers believe that the atmosphere and selection of beer make this place stand out. We highly recommend Pavona’s for a family dinner, night out with friends or even a date night. If you don’t have the desire or time to eat in, you can order online or over the phone for pickup.

Rating: Overall, the APTF gave Pavona’s Pizza Joint 9.67/10 slices.

The Akron Pizza Task Force is Joni Allen, Adam Biats, Laura Brink, Michael Ciavarella, Alexis Cunningham, Gracie Davis, Umuhawa Kamara, Thomas Kellar, Paige Locy, Kaley Pedulla, Victoria Shaffer, Cole Shupe, Tyra Tolton and Qiana Washington. They are students at the University of Akron. Follow them on Twitter at @AkronPizza.