Papa Del’s Pizza Factory is a well-known C-U favorite for its iconic pizza. Although its winning streak was briefly interrupted in 2021 by Manolo’s Pizza & Empanadas, the family-owned restaurant has won the “Best Pizza” category for the Best of C-U four times in the last five years.

The restaurant was founded by Robert Monti while he was a student at the University. The pizzeria relocated and opened additional locations multiple times before settling on one: the former Coca-Cola bottling plant on South Neil Street. Today, the restaurant is owned and operated by Monti’s daughter, Andrea Seten.

“That’s awesome that students are still realizing that Papa Del’s is the pizza they want,” Seten said.

Papa Del’s offers thin-crust, stuffed-crust and pan pizza with a total of 18 topping options. Seten said sausage is the most popular topping, and thin-crust and pan pizzas are equally popular.

Whole pizzas range in size from small to party. Pan pizza is offered by the slice daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Its menu also features pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches, soups and starters, breads and desserts.

Seten said the restaurant’s legacy, the use of high-quality ingredients and the generous application of toppings are the qualities that set Papa Del’s apart from its competition.

“It’s the legacy of, you know, ‘I went to school here in the ’70s,’” Seten said. “And then their kids come here, and then their kids come here.”

Seten said the sausage used at Papa Del’s is freshly ground three times a week. There’s more than two pounds of cheese on a party size pizza and more than one pound on a large.

“We put a lot of toppings on there,” Seten said. “If you order sausage on your pizza, you’re not gonna miss it.”

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