Every Georgetown student faces difficult food choices: Booey’s or Wisey’s? Weekly or block meal plan? Snaxa or Vittles? Each has its own ardent defenders, but generally disagreements will pass politely. But what about the most contentious of choices—where should I get pizza at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night?
Philadelphia Pizza Company has always been the reigning champion of cheap pizza eats in Georgetown. Over the summer, it moved to a new location on Potomac Street (between Prospect and M Streets), making this article worth writing. Large slices and the infamous ranch dressing are still staples, but a visit to Philly’s hasn’t been the same since the cramped hole-in-the-wall on 34th Street shut its doors last spring. Despite these woes, look no further if you love their pizza—the only difference is that the crust has gotten crunchier, and the cheese a little stringier.
Tuscany Café is the underrated gem of the Georgetown pizza scene. Located on Prospect Street (between Potomac Street and Wisconsin Avenue), Tuscany offers stiff competition for the ever-popular Philly’s; Tuscany sells similarly sized slices at cheaper prices. The restaurant also offers a wide array of pastas, subs, and calzones for those who aren’t pizza-inclined. It may not be the best quite yet, but Tuscany is certainly the heir to the late-night pizza throne. Beware, Philly P’s.
For the Burleith and West Georgetown crowd, Manny and Olga’s Pizza is … nearby? Maybe? Have you ever heard anyone praise this place? Let’s be honest, Manny and Olga’s is forgotten more often than Tito Jackson. While it may be open later than most pizza restaurants—until 5 a.m. on weekends—and deliver faster and more reliably than Philly P’s, Manny and Olga’s cardboard dough and chunky ketchup sauce make a pizza that’s not worth the trek.
There’s always Domino’s. Popular nationwide despite a lack of any discernable quality, Domino’s has made a cottage industry out of providing previously frozen, chemical tasting “pizza” to the masses. Every meal you will ever eat at Domino’s will go as follows: in an act born out of equal parts desperation and hunger, you talk yourself into whatever weekly special is advertised, holding out hope that it will be digestible. You will be wrong. Remember, Domino’s may be cheap—but you’ll be ashamed to eat it. When absolutely necessary, though, go for the bacon pizza. Mmm … bacon.
