The GO! team put back on their foodie hats (and elastic waisted pants) for some hard-hitting reporting on pizza in Central Oregon. Yep — it’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Since delicious pizza options abound in the High Desert, we narrowed our focus to lunchtime servings of pizza by the slice. We compared cheese slices and meat and veggie combo slices from nine pizzerias: Pizza Mondo, Bronx Born Pizza, Cibelli’s Westside, Bend Pizza Kitchen, Raganelli’s Pizza, Olde Towne Pizza and Little Pizza Paradise in Bend, Martolli’s of Sisters and Jersey Boys Pizzeria in Redmond. ZPizza Tap Room in Bend also serves pizza by the slice, but opened just after our taste test occurred.

As we analyzed and rated the crust, sauce, toppings, appearance and overall flavor of each slice, one thing quickly became apparent: Pizza is highly personal and subjective. Several people would rave about one slice, only for several others to say “meh.” There was rarely universal agreement about the pros or cons of a particular slice.

So read on for a roundup of Central Oregon’s lunchtime pizza by the slice, but feel free to take these rankings with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or hot peppers (whichever is your preference).

Cheese please

Rating a basic cheese pizza seemed like it would help simplify the comparisons. Yet, even these humble slices caused dissent among our taste-testers.

Winner: Olde Towne Pizza set the bar high with its cheese slice. In a rare display of unity, the critics praised its sauce-to-cheese ratio and the crisp, flavorful crust. No gimmicks here, just old-school, tasty, no-frills cheese pizza (mozzarella with a smattering of provolone) that gets everything right and earned the highest overall score from our judges.

It was one of the more costly cheese slices at a $3.75 — but worth the harmony among tasters.

Runner-up: Little Pizza Paradise ranked a close second. The crunchy texture of the crust was a hit and the eight-spice sauce was savory and balanced well with the pizzeria’s signature Wisconsin mozzarella cheese. The lightly browned edges on the cheese also added depth to the flavor and some visual appeal. At $4.25, it was the priciest cheese slice we sampled.

Honorable mention: New kid on the block, Bronx Born Pizza (which opened in March), barely missed second place with its cheese pizza. The firm crust had a satisfying crunch. The herbs from the sauce accented the Wisconsin mozzarella with a touch of provolone for a yummy flavor. A little more kick to the tomato sauce would have boosted the slice’s score. The $2.75 price tag is a bargain.

Bend Pizza Kitchen, which prides itself on using local, organic ingredients whenever possible, was another example of diverging opinions. Two critics declared its cheese pizza “delicious,” with a just-right crust and a flavorful, tangy sauce. Other tasters found it too salty. Still, its overall score landed in the upper third of the pack. Price: $3.

Cibelli’s cheese slice had a soft, foldable crust with a basic pizza flavor. A lack of sauce was the biggest complaint. The cooks used a heavy hand with the cheese (which some tasters thought made it a little greasy). The most common comment on the overall flavor was “good,” which earned it a spot in the middle of the pack.

At $4 per slice, it’s at the high end of the price spectrum.

The cheese pizza from Jersey Boys had a doughy crust and lots of cheese, but critics wished this slice also had more sauce. To sum up, the pizza had a one-note flavor profile, not unlike what one of our critics recalled from pizza in their high school cafeteria. Price: $3.

Martolli’s had a soft, thin crust. Some found it a little chewy, but transporting it from Sisters to Bend may have had a negative impact on the texture. The tomato sauce was praised for its herbacious flavor. But guess what? The judges complained there was not enough sauce. Seeing a pattern?

The cheese itself veered toward salty for several of our critics. Price: $3.

Pizza Mondo’s cheese slice was boosted with herbs and garlic, however, some tasters found the cheese rubbery. Sauce was scarce. At only $2.50, this slice is the easiest on your wallet.

Raganelli’s cheese pizza was another offering that divided the judges. Average crust, lots of cheese and spicy sauce says it all — well, just about. At least two judges detected a sanitizer-like aftertaste, one dubbing it dishwasher pizza.

At $3.50, it’s toward the upper end of the price spectrum.

Combo time

For those who like more than just cheese on their pizza, we also compared combo slices from each pizzeria.

Winner: Once again, Olde Towne Pizza came out on top with a build-your-own combo slice that included pepperoni, sausage, red onion, bell peppers and mushrooms. The crunch-pleasing crust brought high praise. Just-right crunch on the bottom and softer under the generous portion of toppings. The spicy sausage was a hit. It was balanced by the other toppings and the robust sauce. You pay per topping, so the price maxed out at a hefty $5.30. On the other hand, one slice would probably make two meals for many people.

Runner-up: Little Pizza Paradise’s combo slice, The Usual, missed the top spot by mere hundredths of a point. It featured pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, red onion and black olives. The crispy crust, again, drew raves as did the zesty sauce. Tasters also appreciated the variety of toppings, where the meat dominated. Price: $4.25.

Honorable mention: Pizza Mondo’s pizza selection available by the slice rotates. The Kingpin was the combo on offer when we visited. It’s a white pie, with a garlic and oil spread instead of tomato sauce, topped with salami, Italian sausage, roasted bell peppers, olives, red onion and herbs. The delicious, garlicky goodness made it stand out from the crowd with one judge declaring “I could eat this every day of the week.” At $3.50, it’s also the cheapest combo slice we tried.

The Chicago-style deep dish combo from Bend Pizza Kitchen probably triggered the biggest reactions and opinions from our judges. Did I mention pizza is a personal and subjective experience? The crust was thicker than most — good if you’re a fan of crust. The liberally applied marinara sauce covered the toppings rather than sitting under them, making for an unusual presentation. The zesty sauce blended well with the toppings that included sausage, onions, green bell peppers, mushrooms and pepperoni. The mozzarella cheese got a little lost in the mix. Price: $5.

The Bronx Zoo combo from Bronx Born Pizza includes pepperoni, chicken Italian sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, red onion and tomatoes. It had one of the best crusts of all the pizzas (cheese and combos). The poppy and sesame seeds provided a crunchiness and an interesting flavor. The sauce was tangy. The ratio of meat to vegetables was well-balanced. The chicken sausage, an interesting twist, received positive comments. The large slice is a great value at only $3.75.

Cibelli’s starts with a basic cheese or pepperoni slice and piles on requested toppings. We started with pepperoni and added sausage, black olives, mushrooms and green peppers. The crust and sauce were satisfactory, if unremarkable. The noteworthy thing about this pizza was the heavy application of toppings, with the pepperoni and sausage dominating the flavor. You certainly wouldn’t be hungry if you ate the whole thing (or even half of it), but the critics wished for — wait for it — more sauce. Another complaint, the toppings should have been baked into the cheese. The $5 price tag is on the high end, but you could probably get two meals out of this large slice.

Da Boss pizza from Jersey Boys Pizzeria features Redmond Smokehouse spicy Italian sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, green peppers, local mushrooms, black olives, red onions and a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese. The critics wished there was more tomato sauce on this combo and that the toppings had been applied more evenly, but they liked the flavor of the sausage. Da Boss slice costs $5.

Martolli’s Outlaw Supreme combo slice scored solid marks with the judges. It was a meatier offering, with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, red onion, mushrooms and black olives. The crust held its crispness all the way from Sisters to Bend. At $4, it falls in the middle of the price range.

Raganelli’s lets you build your own slice, so we included pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms and olives. The crust was deemed a little chewy by our critics, but they liked the flavorful sauce. With a bounty of toppings rising almost three inches high, you definitely needed a knife and fork to eat it (or maybe a shovel). Due to the pricing per topping, the tab for this slice was a whopping $6.50, but given how generously they’re applied, choosing fewer toppings next time would probably be a better approach.

Here to stay

With a 2014 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finding one in eight Americans consume pizza on any given day, it’s safe to say pizza’s popularity is assured. Innovations and new variations in crusts, sauces and toppings pop up frequently, so there’s something for everyone. A slice of pizza is often one of the cheapest and most filling options around, with many of the local pizzerias offering meal deals that include a salad and/or a drink.