Searching for the Best Pizza in West Hendricks County
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Hendricks County has great pizza, and everyone has their favorite. But how do you pick a favorite when everyone takes their pizza in a different way?
Some want a supreme loaded with toppings, while others just want cheese or a single topping. We set out to see who does each of those things the best in our smaller western communities in our pursuit of the best pizza in Hendricks County.
Our staff at Visit Hendricks County features a few “picky” eaters, namely me and my coworker, Ali. We wanted to find the best pizza in Hendricks County, so we baked up a plan. Ali would try cheese pizza; I would evaluate each location’s pepperoni pizza; and we looped in Josh to taste each location’s version of supreme or deluxe pizza.
So, if you’re like Ali and I and you prefer the simpler flavors in life, keep reading. If you eat like a “grown-up”, we’ve got you covered too!
The Method to Our Madness
We agreed on five criteria for how we would score each pizza, giving a score out of 20 for each category, including appearance, crust, sauce, amount/quality of toppings and overall enjoyment. That will give us a score out of 100 for each.
At each west Hendricks stop, we also ordered a side, asking our server their most popular and judged each on a 10-point scale.
Stop 1: Amo Pizza Shop
First on our tour was Amo Pizza, which is located in an old general store in this tiny town located on the Vandalia Trail. If you have never been to Amo, it really has a charming feel to it.
We each ordered a four-slice personal pizza.
- Ali described the cheese pizza in Amo as the cheesiest pizza I’ve ever experienced. Ali's Score: 77 out of 100
- The sauce and pepperoni on mine were excellent, but it didn’t look as good as some of the others we tried during our tour. Kyle's Score: 81 out of 100
- Josh’s Amo Deluxe was heaped with toppings. He doesn’t do black olives, so left those off, but they typically come standard on the Amo Deluxe. Josh's Score: 86 out of 100
Amo Pizza's Cheesy Breadsticks
Our server recommended the cheesy breadsticks as our starter, and cheesy was an understatement. They come smothered in melted mozzarella and cheddar. Josh scored them a 9 out of 10, while Ali and I scored them an 8. Score: 8.33/10
Stop 2: Lizton Pizza
Until this tour, I had never eaten food prepared at a storage unit facility, but that is exactly what you’ll find at Lizton Pizza, as it is located within Lizton Self Storage. Don’t mind the location, though; they make a pretty good pie, and they hand-roll their breadsticks.
There isn’t a dining room (carry-out only), so we did our tasting in my car (the smell of green pepper and mushrooms lingered in my back seat for several days).
- Ali’s cheese pizza had gorgeous browning on the cheese and was baked perfectly. She also thought the amount of cheese was perfect. Ali's Score: 83 out of 100
- I didn’t know what to expect, but I really liked mine. It looked great and didn’t disappoint in any criteria (I might be back to try their meat lover's). Kyle's Score: 82 out of 100
- Josh ordered the deluxe without black olives. He wasn’t as sold on this one. Josh's Score: 80 out of 100
Lizton Pizza's Hand-Rolled Breadsticks
The breadsticks did not disappoint. They are hand rolled and have a great texture and buttery flavor. Ali and I both scored them as a 9, while Josh gave them a 7. Score: 8.33/10
Stop 3: CJ’s Pizza in Clayton
CJ’s Pizza in Clayton has a really cool setup with a pizza parlor and a tap room in the back. They also have some retro video games and claw machines. It definitely would be a great spot to take a team after youth sports, or to watch a game with lots of TVs and the aforementioned tap room.
If you come for lunch, they do have some great specials and a salad bar.
- Ali loved her cheese pizza at CJ’s. All three of our pizzas were great for a cheese pull. Ali's Score: 86 out of 100
- I thought the pepperoni pizza was well executed. All three of us wanted a little more crispness on the crust. Kyle's Score: 80 out of 100
Josh gave his supreme high scores for presentation and sauce with crust being the only thing holding it back from a top score. Josh's Score: 84 out of 100
CJ's Signature Breadsticks
Our server highly recommended CJ's breadsticks as the the most popular side they serve. We tried and ranked their traditional breadsticks, but we also had to try their parmesan breadsticks after our server told us they taste like Cheez-Its.
And it was uncanny how spot on that comparison was. If you are a big Cheez-It fan, they would be worth the visit. As for their traditional, twist-style breadsticks, Josh and I gave them an 8, and Ali a 7. Score: 7.33 out of 10.
Stop 4: Perillo’s Pizzeria
If you’ve never been to Perillo’s Pizzeria, you need to plan a trip to North Salem. It has garnered recognition from national travel writers, and every other table in the restaurant during our visit had people who had driven from outside the county to visit, including one couple from Frankfort, Indiana, who said they discovered it several years ago and make the drive to visit multiple times a year.
Perillo’s offers their New York Style pizza by the slice, which means they add your toppings to a cheese slice and finish it off in the oven. I need to come back to try the Sicilian deep dish, as the table across from us ordered it, and it looked incredible.
- Ali said the crust at Perillo’s reminded her of pizza she tried in Italy, and she said it had a perfect amount of cheese. Ali's Score: 89 out of 100
- The crust and sauce on my pepperoni slice was also really good. I would’ve given more points for appearance if we weren’t ordering by the slice (no chance for a cheese pull). Kyle's Score: 85 out of 100
Josh’s slice was heaping with toppings and he loved the sauce (perfect score!). He likes a lot of toppings, but some people might not. Josh's Score: 90 out of 100
Perillo's Garlic Rolls
For our side, we ordered their garlic rolls, and they were buttery, garlicky goodness. They were Josh’s favorite side at all locations, scoring them a 9 out of 10, while Ali and I each gave them a 7. Score: 7.66 out of 10.
How Did They Rank?
Cheese Pizza: 1. Perillo’s Pizzeria, 2. CJ’s Pizza, 3. Amo Pizza, 4. Lizton Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza: 1. Perillo’s Pizzeria, 2. Lizton Pizza, 3. Amo Pizza, 4. CJ’s Pizza
Supreme/Deluxe Pizza: 1. Perillo’s Pizzeria, 2. Amo Pizza, 3. CJ’s Pizza, 4. Lizton Pizza
Sides: 1. Amo Pizza & Lizton Pizza (Tied), 3. Perillo’s Pizzeria, 4. CJ’s Pizza
