UR Pizza officially arrived on the State College pizza scene last week with its personal-sized thin-crust pies. Located at 214 East Calder Way in the former home of Tazza Fresh, the restaurant allows customers to create custom flatbreads by mixing different sauces, cheeses and toppings. With late weekend hours and a new, reasonably-priced twist on the classic parlor, UR Pizza seems a worthy adversary to the more established eateries in town.

Our staffers weren’t disappointed by the new restaurant’s fresh ingredients, thin crust, and style.

Jim Davidson

UR Pizza’s $9.49 unlimited topping option is the perfect meal if you’re indecisive, or, like me, enjoy stacking a grocery list of vegetables, meats, and fruits on top of your personal pie. I recommend adding both the garlic and classic red sauces before moving on to the cheese station. Here I chose a parmesan and a shredded mix that blended perfectly. I then added zucchini, sausage, chicken, broccoli and pesto sauce.

My order was ready after about 8-10 minutes of waiting. I visited on a Friday night just as the line was beginning to grow to out-the-door size, but hope that the staff can cut down on the wait time as it gets used to the new system. The pizza was excellent and surprisingly filling. The toppings tasted fresh and were thoroughly cooked, and the crust had the perfect amount of satisfying crunch. I will definitely return in the future.

Derek Bannister

My trip to UR Pizza was even better than expected. I went into the pizza joint with high expectations because of owner Hitham Hiyajneh’s recent success downtown and the greatness of both Yallah Taco and Pita Cabana — two other Hiyajneh-owned eateries.

I thought the pizza was fantastic and the ability to put whatever you want on it is unique. The thin crust was baked to perfection and the combination of sauces that I chose couldn’t have been better. The service was a bit slow, but I think that it will become more efficient with time.

Anthony Colucci

You know the pizza scene in State College needed a facelift when the best slice you can find in this neck of the woods is at the Sbarro in the HUB. But Hitham Hiyajneh has done it again, bringing yet another authentic sampling of another culture downtown.

I’ve visited UR Pizza twice already and enjoyed it both times. First and foremost, the selection of sauces, fresh vegetables, cheeses, and other toppings is wide enough that you can have a different, uniquely delicious pie every visit. You have the opportunity for some traditional, Italian flavors with fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes as well as funkier, innovative toppings like pineapples, ranch dressing, and gyro meat. The staff knows what they’re doing behind the counter and while manning the ovens. They’ll even make suggestions of the toppings that would pair best together. The $10 price is right around where it should be and is definitely worth it.

My only complaint was that there aren’t a lot of signs with prices, options, and instructions for ordering. However, there were big improvements made in between my two visits on the second and fourth days the restaurant was open. I just would’ve rather seen the restaurant wait a week or so to open and be fully equipped for customers as opposed to rushing into opening. Pro tip: Order a coating of garlic sauce under the red or white sauce for some added flavor, and top it off with a nectarous swirl of pesto.

Elissa Hill

I heard good things about UR Pizza but even I couldn’t have expected the number of toppings available. I’m generally not a big fan of pizza in State College, but this is certainly one of the best.

The crust was not too thick or too thin, and I was impressed by toppings like artichokes and asparagus. Get the butter/garlic under your regular sauce — you won’t regret it.