Editor’s Note: In 2021, Michael and Nicole Borrell began reviewing Lebanon Valley’s restaurants and eating attractions as the Lebanon Valley Food Critics. Since then, the couple has aimed to offer unbiased reviews of the eating and drinking establishments the Lebanon Valley has to offer. LebTown is pleased to be partnering with LVFC to share these reviews with our readers. Bon appétit!

Welcome to the second season of our highly anticipated Lebanon Valley Pizza Wars. There will be a total of 8 entrants. Round 1 will be head to head. The final round will be between the four remaining places to be declared the winner of Best Pizza in The Valley.

Our judgement will be based upon several factors including taste, texture, sauce, crust, and overall critic impression.

For the first round, we will be having a standard slice with pepperoni.

We begin with our first match-up of Mancino’s Pizza & Catering vs Mark’s Pizza.

Mancino’s Pizza & Catering

Address
2294 Lebanon Valley Mall
Lebanon, PA 17042

Phone: (717) 272-3642

Website
https://www.mancinosinthemall.com

Hours
Mon: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Tue: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wed: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thu: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Fri: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sat: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sun: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Mark’s Pizza

Address
748 Locust Street
Lebanon, PA 17042

Phone: (717) 274-2200

Website
https://www.markspizzalebanon.com

Hours
Mon: Closed
Tue: 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. (or later)
Wed: 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. (or later)
Thu: 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. (or later)
Fri: 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. (or later)
Sat: 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. (or later)
Sun: 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. (or later)

At Mancino’s, our slice came out fresh with a fair amount of pepperoni and plenty of cheese. A noticeable amount of grease was there but the slice itself was not too greasy. The sauce is mild and sweet and to us it had a slight basil flavor that made the bite more enjoyable.

At Mark’s, the slice comes out looking very appealing. A nice golden edge across the dough. The sauce is on the sweeter side. The thin crust is crispy and firm. The slice had six pepperoni and we were three bites in until we tasted it.

The winner: Mancino’s – The slice is a great mixture of some grease, fresh dough, and the sauce, which really stuck out. They will move on to Round 2.

We will now move on to another of our first round match ups. Do you agree with our pick? We encourage everyone to try all the spots in this “war” that we do and find your best pizza.

If you have a restaurant you would like us to visit or review, whether a place you like or are nervous to try, please message us on Facebook or email lvfoodcritics@outlook.com and let us know. We thank everyone for the recommendations and the kind words we have received.

Read more from Lebanon Valley Food Critics here

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