Dateline: Downington. Nathan Hurst, reporting.

During my spring break adventures of sitting at home, eating fast food, and working my job as Target retail slave, it was my chance to go out and try the three main pizza "hot spots" in Downingtown. I hit the three shops in order of oldest to newest.  

Sam's Pizza Shop has been on the corner of Washington Ave. and Beech St. since 1977. My father did time as a deliver boy there. 


Lione's Pizza and Restaurant was originally a franchise of Bravo Pizza until Lione's bought the space for the sake of having their own shop (ed. note: Is this not every man's dream?). 


Foster Boys Pizza has been around for almost two years and are the self-proclaimed best pizza and cheesesteak shop town.

Wednesday afternoon, I skipped breakfast because I wanted to be able to scarf down pizza from the three shops. I already had a hankering for some pepperoni. My first stop was Sam's Pizza. Through the glass window you cant tell this shop has been through the good times and the bad. The old men who speak of the "golden" years of the 40's and 50's are hanging out in the back and the man taking your order tells you to speak up. I thought the feel of the shop was good enough for me to declare a winner until they laid a slice of pizza in front of me while I sipped on my root beer. I felt the pie was your basic mom and pop pizza. The sauce wasn't too tangy, and nor too salty. There was ample pepperoni coverage for the size of slice and the cheese was nice, hot, and gooey.

Lione's was my next piece of (what I will refer to from here on as) the pizza tri-force of Downingtown. After about an hour of letting my stomach digest the pepperoni pizza I ate at Sam's, I was ready to chow down again at Lione's. Lione's is small italian pizza shop next to a Wawa and a Chinese restaurant. You walk in and they all greet you with a smile. Nothing fake like, "I am going to steal your money for food," either. You see the sauce being constantly tended to over a burning hot fire and hear the oven's slamming open and closed. My pizza arrived, oven fresh and replete with hot gooey cheese oozing over the sides of the plate. The pepperoni was crisp on the edges making a small little bowl filled with a little grease (ed note: Again, is this not every man's dream? A world where crisp, grease-laden pepperoni bowls exist on every block?). Their sauce is a little tangy. Make what you like out of that. Lione's seems like it has a lot to offer the young and old. It's your "dinner with the whole fam"-type establishment. After dusting off my second root beer, I was on my way to my last location: Foster Boys.
 
A short walk up the street later and I arrived at what some people dub "The best pizza in Downingtown." Mind you I am a bit salty with these Foster Boys. I had already had some experience with Fosters. My first time I ordered, it was burnt, and the second time, they shoved my large meat pizza into a medium box. Still, I tried to keep an open mind. Sadly, it was still your average 9-5er's lunch hour, so many office-types were still out eating.  I had to wait over twenty minutes in line while watching ESPN. Didn't really mind the wait because ESPN was showing top mascots of the century. Got my slice of pizza and sat down to eat. Their pizza dough is a little rough on the crust and was, again, burnt. The cheese was nice and not oozing all over my hands creating first degree burns. In the end, it was kinda alright.

In the end I think Lione's is the best pizza-part of the Downingtown Tri-Force. Come visit and see for yourself! 

Sam's Pizza Shop
121 Washington Avenue
Downingtown, PA 19335
(610) 269-9586


Lione's Pizza and Restaurant
102 Wallace Avenue
Downingtown, PA 19335
(610) 873-2500


Foster Boys Pizza
226 East Lancaster Avenue
Downingtown, PA 19335-2957
(610) 269-6600 ‎


Nathan Hurst is a bored high schooler and resident of Downingtown, PA. Sometimes, he can get a ride to my house, but not always. He lacks a camera but took initiative to make fun drawings. Ask him to draw something for you. He will do it.