Quest to name best pizza in Beaufort County down to 2 finalists. Which will you pick to win?
More than 75,000 votes were cast in the third round of voting in our quest to find the best pizza in Beaufort County, and we are down to two finalists.
The winner will be named just in time for National Pi Day (March 14 or 3/14), which many celebrate by having a slice of pizza.
Here’s a little bit more about the two restaurants advancing to the final round:
Mama G’s Pizza Bistro
Mama G’s is the newcomer to Beaufort County, having opened in the spring of 2022 in Moss Creek Village, on the Bluffton side of the bridges to Hilton Head Island.
Glen Grace, who is originally from New Jersey, owns and operates the business with his wife and three adult children. They prepare pizza, calzone and stromboli with fermented pizza dough, which Grace says makes it more flavorful and more digestible.
Pizzas at Mama G’s come in a 12-inch or 18-inch rounds. The menu lists a cheese pizza for $14.50 or $22, depending on the size.
Also on the menu: Italian salads, appetizers and Marion’s Gelato.
▪ Where: 1533 Fording Island Road, Suite 302, Bluffton
▪ Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday
▪ Phone: 843-543-MAMA
▪ Website: mamagpizzahhi.com
▪ Facebook: www.facebook.com/mamagpizza
Local Pie
Local Pie started offering its Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza at a location on the south end of Hilton Head, and it proved so popular that a second location opened in Old Town Bluffton in 2016.
Chef Lee Lucier is chief operating officer of the Richardson Group, which owns both Local Pie locations along with FISH at Coligny Plaza on Hilton Head. Lucier has long been an advocate for hospitality workers, who are provided with no-cost health insurance at the three restaurants.
The Local Pie website says that Local in the name not only means “the highest quality, regionally-sourced ingredients ... (but) also represents a sense of community.”
Pizzas come in 10-inch or 16-inch rounds. The menu lists a cheese pizza for $9 or $17, depending on the size.
Also on the menu: Starters, salads, calzones and subs. Delivery is available from both locations through Cool Delivery.
▪ Where: 55 New Orleans Road, Suite 106, Hilton Head
▪ Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
▪ Phone: 843-387-PIES
▪ Website: localpie.com
▪ Facebook: www.facebook.com/localpiehhi
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▪ Where: 15 State of Mind St., Bluffton
▪ Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday brunch
▪ Phone: 843-837-PIES
▪ Website: localpie.com
▪ Facebook: www.facebook.com/localpiebluff
What we are doing
If social media has taught us anything, it’s that people have strong feelings about pizza, and they aren’t afraid to share them.
We decided to settle the debate. We asked Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette readers for nominations for the best pizza joint in Beaufort County. Hundreds of responses poured in, and the top 16 nominees were included the first round of voting. Consecutive rounds of voting cut the field in half and in half again.
In the most recent round, Dough Boys Pizza, located at 1 New Orleans Road on Hilton Head, finished third, and La Pizzeria, located at 1460 Fording Island Road, near the Tanger 2 Outlets in Bluffton, finished fourth.
Now, in our final round, the slate is wiped clean, and this is anyone’s game to win.
Here’s how to participate
Scroll down to the bottom of this page. After verifying you are human, cast your vote.
You can vote as often as you like. Just refresh the page and confirm your humanity to get back to the poll. Because of this, our polls are not meant to be scientific, but they are a lot of fun! The only prize is bragging rights.
Voting in this round ends at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 10.
Watch islandpacket.com for the announcement of the winner.
This story was originally published February 20, 2023 at 2:56 PM.
