Do you love pizza? Are you looking for a great pizza place near campus that’s both affordable and delicious? Well look no further lovers of the slice, there is a fantastic pizza place that has just recently opened on 23rd Street. Benny’s (officially known as Benny Cantiere’s) is bringing their signature delicious pizza, known across the country as “The Virginia Slice.” to Newport News.

If you’ve lived in Virginia in the past decade, chances are you’ve heard of Benny’s. They have opened seventeen locations across the state as well as locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Wyoming, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The chain was founded in eastern Virginia in 2011 and has grown into a highly successful chain. The company claims on their website that an Italian born chef named Benny perfected his pizza recipe working under Italian chefs in NYC and came to eastern VA, where he made brick oven pizzas for his neighbors. The anonymous Benny’s recipe is the basis for the restaurant. 

They’ve garnered attention for their 28 inch pies, brick ovens, and affordable prices for their large slices. The Newport News location opened in April of this year and has already proved to be one of the best pizza places in the country.

From the moment you enter Benny’s, it feels like a place you want to be in. Fantastic art decorates the wall, classic rap plays, and there are plenty of places to sit. You have a diverse selection of bottled drinks in a fridge and chips if you desire. You can see the employees make the pizza by hand and put it into the brick oven. 

A Benny’s slice has all that you could ever ask for in a pizza. The brick oven style leaves the pizza cooked to near perfection. The cheese is delicious and gooey in all the ways that matter. The crust is delectably thick and warm, leaving you thinking about how the dough could possibly be this good. The sauce isn’t too much or too little within the pizza but just enough tasty tomato goodness that’ll leave you very satisfied. The slices themselves are so big they need two paper plates to carry them. You’ll definitely be full when you’re done with your meal but that delicious pizza will stay with you and you’ll definitely wanna come back for more. 

Benny’s is located at 212 23rd St., Suite 200 where they are open from 11am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11am to 10pm Friday & Saturday.