Dave Portnoy brought his 'One Bite' reviews to Utah. Here's how he rates local pizza

SALT LAKE CITY — Dave Portnoy built an empire through Barstool Sports, which — love or hate — has altered the sports and culture media landscape with its sometimes irreverent style over the past two decades.

He's also developed a reputation as an online pizza critic through his "One Bite Pizza Reviews," which has nearly 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, in addition to traction on social media.

The premise of the latter is simple. He often records outside a local eatery, usually with a plain cheese pie or slice he's just ordered in hand. He takes one bite — or a few — before giving the pizza a score out of 10, while providing other tidbits he's learned about the business or area in which it's located.

Portnoy has uploaded many of these reviews throughout the years, but he had never visited Utah or any of its businesses until last month. Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" chose to broadcast from the University of Utah ahead of the Utes' Texas Tech tilt on Sept. 20, bringing him to the Beehive State as a panelist on the show.

He uploaded one pizza review that week, before uploading several more in the weeks since. The show brought him back to Utah before Saturday's BYU-Utah clash, sparking more reviews, this time from businesses scattered across the Utah Valley — with more reviews likely to come.

Here's what he's said about Utah pizza.

Utah pizza ratings

Baby's Bagels (204 E. 500 South in Salt Lake City)

This slice proves that "you're always going to find ... really good pizza" in any city, Portnoy said, after taking a few bites. Baby's Bagels is open 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day, but it also offers pizza from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Dave's verdict: 7.9/10

Brick Oven (111 E. 800 North in Provo)

This slice is a bit thicker, something Portnoy said is reminiscent of something from Ohio or Buffalo, New York. He says it's personally not his style of pizza, but he can see why others like it.

Dave's verdict: 6.8/10

Maxwell's (1456 Newpark Blvd. in Park City)

Maxwell's was "crazy doughy," different than what Portnoy says he typically prefers. But he said "it's pretty good" for fans of that style. Maxwell's has three other locations in the state.

Dave's verdict: 7.1/10

Nico's Pizza (255 W. Cougar Boulevard in Provo)

Portnoy described it as "good average pizza" — the type that never gets tiring, praising it for being thin and crispy. The review sparked a surge in business, prompting Nico's to close Saturday because it ran out of dough late Friday.

Dave's verdict: 7.4/10

Pie Hole (344 S. State in Salt Lake City)

Portnoy's Pie Hole review came with a few caveats. He said he tried to order a full pie before ordering a slice because of time, and since it appeared to fit how people order there. He also called it a "drunk pizza spot" because of its late-night hours, remaining open until 3 a.m. every day, which immediately gave him "lower expectations."

Dave's verdict: 3.8/10

Secret Pizza Club (1000 S. Main in Salt Lake City)

One could debate whether this is or isn't a Utah pizzeria, but it scored highly either way. Portnoy visited the business, which operates out of Leavity Bread & Coffee a few days a week, and called it "superior" to anything else he had tried in the state at the time.

It's worth noting that Secret Pizza Club currently requires an advance order for pizzas only available on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Dave's verdict: 8.2/10

Slackwater Pizzeria (684 S. 500 West in Salt Lake City)

The place received positive notes for its light and crispy crust, but the "interesting taste" tied to the cheese that he liked but didn't love left him questioning his bite. Slackwater also has locations in Herriman, Ogden, Provo and Sandy.

Dave's verdict: 7.3/10

Slice House (1332 S. Foothill Drive in Salt Lake City)

Slice House is a growing chain owned by renowned pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani that expanded to Utah last year. Portnoy called it the "most boring New York-style slice you can ever eat," but it's also "great, fast, easy pizza."

Dave's verdict: 7.4/10

The Pie Pizzeria (273 S. 1300 East)

This was the first review Portnoy uploaded, and it sparked some controversy among customers who debated whether the pie he received matched the doughy, cheesy pizza that The Pie is known for. He called the pie that he received "pretty good" for campus pizza.

Owners took to social media to say the pie he got has always been on the menu, adding that "guess we should've been louder about it." It has plenty of other locations in Utah.

Dave's verdict: 6.9/10

Villaggio (3144 S. State in South Salt Lake)

Portnoy says Villaggio is proof that "authentic New York guys" are found anywhere in the world, as he recounted his meeting with its owner, Ricci Rondinelli, who moved to Utah after he had retired back east. The pizza earned praise for its crispiness, but his interaction with Rondinelli led to a scoring "with love."

Dave's verdict: 7.8/10

Miscellaneous other ratings

Utah's and BYU's bookstores were bright spots on both trips, receiving 9.2 and 9.6 scores, respectively, amid a completely new review segment created during Portnoy's first Utah trip. He said he spent hundreds of dollars on gear that he ultimately brought onto set each Saturday.

Being on a dry campus, Portnoy also dove into Utah's sweets craze while in Provo. He visited the BYU Creamery on Ninth, dishing out a lofty 9.4 out of 10.

"I don't need to drink, I'll eat," he said, with a cone in hand.

He later learned about the ice cream rivalry between BYU and Utah State that he joked might be "a rivalry more bitter" than the gridiron one between BYU and Utah. Only time will tell if "Big Noon Kickoff" ends up taking him to Logan.

Dirty soda, on the other hand, didn't fare so well. Portnoy gave Swig a 1.8, but he may have accidentally ordered a regular soda while in line.

"I think I did Swig totally wrong," he said. "I have no idea what a dirty drink is or what I was supposed to do."

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