Pizza has been debated since it was invented. What toppings are the best? Is deep dish pizza considered pizza? Is stuffed crust superior to regular crust? These are all intriguing questions to add to the conversation. However, there is one question that always comes up when talking about pizza: What is the best local pizza? Everyone has their own opinion. I would like to toss my hat in the ring.

   Before we get into this, I would like to set some criteria for what can be included. I want to keep my opinion local, meaning that chain restaurants won’t be considered. No Papa John’s. No Pizza Hut. No Domino’s. I also would like to stick  to the traditional style of pizza. Crust first, sauce second, cheese third, toppings last. No deep dish pizza will be considered, as much as I do love the style. The three restaurants that I will be talking about will be Lino’s, Greenfire, and Capri. These are my three favorite pizzas in Rockford.

   I would describe Lino’s as being a classic pizza place. Cheap, greasy, and good tasting pizza. The price for a twelve inch cheese pizza is $11.49. The flavor of the pizza, like I said, tastes like a classic pizza place. It is like a pizza that tastes like pizza if that makes any sense. The cheese drags, the sauce is thin, but the taste brings you comfort and it takes you back to familiar times. The cheese on the pizza is my favorite part about the pizza. I am normally not a cheese fan, so I hope that Lino’s takes that as a major compliment. This is also why I love their garlic cheese bread. I always get it when I go there. The only downside really is that the pizza is insanely greasy. There is nothing wrong with a greasy pizza once in a while; however, there is a point where the pizza becomes unbearably greasy, and Lino’s has gotten to that point numerous times. Once in a while it’s fine, but the grease is just too much at times. I think the only time that I would go to Lino’s is when I really need pizza that tastes like pizza, or when I need comfort food.

   I would say that Greenfire is  the best pizza in Rockford. The ingredients are the freshest out of any pizza in Rockford that I have ever had. The pizza tastes the most clean out of all the pizzas that I have had, especially when you have vegetables on the pizza. The vegetables taste like they were just pulled from the garden. The meats are also very good. They taste the most flavorful and seasoned out of any pizza meats that I have ever had. However, all of these pros come at a price. Literally. The base cheese pizza at Greenfire is $16. Granted, it is the best cheese pizza I have ever had in my life. You can tell that the mozzarella is fresh and the basil they add on the pizza is a nice touch, but the prices at Greenfire are insane! The prices for pizza go all the way up to $22 for an all meat pizza! While Greenfire would be the best pizza in terms of flavor, I would personally only have this pizza if I am celebrating something, or I really want to cheer myself up. 

   Capri is the best of both worlds. The pizza is more comparable to Lino’s, tasting like the classic pizza style. However, the ingredients are fresher tasting than Lino’s. It is not in any way close to the quality of ingredients as Greenfire, but it is better than Lino’s. It’s not greasy in the slightest. The biggest win for Capri is price. For a base cheese pizza, it is $4.50. Granted, it is only a seven inch pizza, but that’s all you need. I feel like if you want the best pizza for a cheap price, it is a steal.

   Now, Capri may be my favorite, but as of now, Capri is condemned. In October 2022, Capri burned down in a terrible accident. For three months there have been no talks of reopening. There have been some news about a possible temporary location opening, but nothing is set yet.

   Capri has been a Rockford institution ever since its opening in 1963. When it comes back, I feel that we owe it to Capri to support it. To support our local community, and to support the best all-around pizza restaurant in Rockford.