In my world, there’s never enough pizza to eat! And thankfully, the Triangle has been in a bit of a pizza renaissance over the past three years. From Neapolitan to NY-style, great pizzerias have been popping up in Raleigh, Cary and Durham. But one twist we’re just starting to see here are pizza parlors focused on pizza by the slice. More of an urban tradition, grabbing a slice and eating it on the run is usually handled on late-nights after an evening out. Benny Capitales was the first pizzeria focused on grab and go, now we’ve also got the Pizza Times brought to you by the Rocky Top Hospitality!
Located at the top of Wilmington Street, you’ll find the small storefront for the Pizza Times. Two old-school plate-glass doors adorn the front of the place, one for hungry diners entering and the other for those with pizza in hand. The huge on-wall menu covers the basics here: pizza by the slice and pie along with toppings, salads (boo), drinks and a lunch special. A single cheese slice is priced at an affordable $2.50 while topped slices will be in the $4 to $5 range.
Up front, Pizza Times has some pies on display and your slice will most likely be re-heated outside of prime-time hours! I go with the standard cheese and pepperoni and it takes a bit of time to get them, 10+ minutes. The pies at Pizza Times are substantial with a nice, well-browned and chewy crust. The sauce is laced with a lot of garlic and they use a standard shredded mozzarella (along with other cheeses) at Pizza Times. Trying both the pepperoni and cheese, I can say that toppings are decent quality and the pies are nicely put together. It’s a bit thicker and more substantial than a thin NY slice by a little bit. So one slice makes for a nice snack while two should fill you up pretty well.
Open from 11am to midnight, I can definitely see Pizza Times as a good late-night option. As a pizza-holic, I’m always happy to have one more option for pizza in downtown Raleigh. But I’m going to have to put Pizza Times behind our other good options like Oakwood Pizza Box and Benny Capitales. The lack of seating, wait time to reheat a slice and overall style of pizza served here makes it an acceptable lunch or option for a quick meal if you’re in the area.
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