Buck’s Pizza

Honestly this was the grossest pizza we’ve ever had. Thin, cardboard like crust. Greasy, so greasy. Absolutely would not recommend.

I’ve had better pizza from a bowling alley. With how many better pizza joints there are to choose from I don’t know why you would ever eat here.

When I was visiting Madison and deciding whether I was willing to live here, I met a father-​son duo equally interested in the campus tour. Once I sufficiently ascertained that they were from Madison, I asked them what I had been waiting to ask of a Madison native: where’s the best pizza?
It’s not a question that one has answered simply, definitively, and firmly, but I was impressionable and they rattled off a few: mainly Ian’s, Glass Nickel, and Buck’s. Knowing what I know now, this was a decent response – those were perhaps the staples of Madison, with perhaps some nuance of preference mixed in. It took a while to get to Buck’s – they’re farther from downtown and it was clearly the odd man out of the lot.
Buck’s pizza has the bready consistency of Roman Candle, the cheesy consistency of Glass Nickel (without the taste), and very pasty sauce. It’s an uncomfortably greasy pie that is served in a bag. Perhaps this is some sort of tradition but it is now a novelty or gimmick that just makes little sense next to the functionality of pizza boxes. They cut their pie in a tiny grid, but perhaps our guy was new because the grid was not parallel, not cut all the way through, and really, who functionally eats pizza in rectangles the size of credit cards? Its ingredients tasted on par with Pizza Hut and its style was on par with frozen food aisle pizza.
I’m on a pizzaquest for the best pie in Madison. I’ve had a few great ones, and there are some that I won’t touch (thanks, Unilocal), but I hope this was just an off day at Buck’s because it was easily a pizza I would like to forget. It gives me no pleasure to write this, but I need you to know how hard it is for me to give up on a pizza, and that Buck’s made it happen.

Buck’s is the best game in town for thin crust pizza and one of the tops pizza places overall. Their zesty, perfectly seasoned and balanced sauce is one of the things the separates them from their competition — as well as their awesome, thin signature crust. I’ve consulted for 20 years and among other things I always check out the best pizza places in each city. Buck’s is one of the best pizza’s in the country for thin crust. Super fresh mozzarella and high quality toppings just add to the fact — Buck’s has nailed the thin crust pizza to perfection.
I just wish they delivered, but this is the only pizza I will drive for.

I’ve had a lot of pizza in Madison. There are a LOT of choices. But I will say Buck’s is probably the best thin crust pizza around. They’ve been doing thin crust pizza for over 50 years — they’ve got it down.
It’s a bit pricey for what you get (a deluxe/​supreme runs about $ 20) but it is worth it. My favorite is a deluxe (no anchovies) — your standard cheese, pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, onion, black olives & green olives with a rich, hearty Italian sauce. This pizza is great fresh or frozen (they only do carry-​out) but it’s also killer re-​heated for lunch or dinner!
If you’re looking for very bread-​y pizza, then Buck’s will not please you — try Pizza Brutta or Glass Nickel for that — but otherwise, these guys & gals do thin crust just the way you want it!
Only complaint: wish there was another one downtown. The locations definitely don’t get them any student business (right on Univ Ave near Middleton or out on Cottage Grove Rd), but they seem to do just fine!

Not the best presentation but sauce and crust was amazing. Could use a little more topping

Pizza’s like sex even if its not great, its still ok. Should have read reviews. Weird thin crust, the sauce was ehhhh n didn’t care for cheese. I hate giving low reviews but this pizza just didnt cut it.

This is a very good pizza. I usually pick up a couple with a Bucky Book coupon, making it a pretty good deal. It’s a great thin crust with a nice cheese: sauce ratio. The flavor is excellent whatever the toppings. The location is convenient to where I can call ahead and pick them up on my way home from work.
Tip well — those kids work hard there!

I was skeptical because of some of the negative reviews. However, this is the best pizza I’ve had in Madison since moving her ~2 years ago. Just good old fashioned pizza. Reminds me of some of the great pizza joints in Milwaukee (e.g., Marias). Only complaint is that the crust could be crispier, but for Madison — a town that lack awesome pizza, this might be the best place.

Was ok pizza, but I picked it up, and by the time I had gotten it home, the grease had gotten through the paper packaging and actually got on the seat of my car. Quite a bummer.
Pizza was cheap, lots of cheese (if you like that), and all the toppings are a la carte. Wasn’t bad, but they should invest in a wax covered bag instead of parchment.

Thin crust, perfect pizza. In our back yard. Perfect! Doesn’t look fancy but they sure make a mean pizza!

So I knew I wanted some thin crust pizza and was flipping through my Bucky Book. I was thinking I’d like to eat it at home… Do I want to drive to Monroe Street for Pizza Brutta or something closer. I’ve had Pizza Hut, ick! I then seen Bucks, I’ve driven past a million times and never thought anything of it. I called and the nice gal said 15 – 20 minutes. I provided her my coupon and walked out the door with a pizza that had 5 toppings on one side and 2 on the other. I wanted half and half. My Bucky Book was 50% off any medium or large pizza. I only paid $ 8.70 total.
The sauce was sweet, the cheese was nice and gooey, the pepperoni was nice and salty. Everything about this pizza was perfect. The cashier told me to save my receipts as you get a free pizza for every 10 receipts you save.
I’ll be back!

Basic, inexpensive, and tasty pizza. Nothing amazing but for the cash it’s not bad. Good coupons online.

BUCKS is hands down the most delectable addictive amazingly priced pizza anywhere! Once you try this perfect thin crust wonder, you will be hooked. Great tasting sauce, generous toppings, crunchy tasty crust, nothing bland whatsoever. This will become an addiction to those of you who REALLY know good pizza. There are simply no negatives i can say except i wish there were more locations. (they have great coupons located in ad books also) don’t be detered by negative reviewers who seriously do not know what they are talking about. Absolute sheer perfection. Trust me.

Let’s all agree that most Madison take-​out pizza is bad. Of course you have Lombardinos, Pizza Brutta, Porta Alba and the like, but I don’t classify those as take-​out.
Glass Nickel is terrible (why don’t they cook their dough?).
Falbos — enh (cheap cheese… in WISCONSIN!)
Rosati’s — cardboard (and expensive).
Roman Candle — how do they stay in business?
So on to Bucks…
The ingredients at Bucks are cheap but the pizzas are not. If I wanted a cheap pizza I would go to Pizza Hut for $ 10 with unlimited toppings.
What I DO want is a place that can do simple, good, take-​out pizza.
In addition to the cheap ingredients, their sauce is bad. It tastes like it came straight from a can (which I’m sure it did). Also, no cardboard pizza boxes there so be prepared for cold pizza when you get it home. If I wanted to use my oven I’d make my own pizza or get a frozen one.
They put the toppings (onion in our case) UNDER the cheese. So basically the toppings stay raw and stew in the canned sauce.
As I write this I’m really tempted to slash my rating to one star…

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for old-​school thin crust pizza, and when this mood strikes you’re not going to do much better than Buck’s. I’m told they’re a Madison institution and I can believe it. Their thin crust pizza reminds me of the impossibly delicious pizzas of grade-​school birthday parties and post-​ballgame pizza parties. Sweet tomato sauce, crispy thin crust and tons of cheese — this is the stuff memories are made of!
Don’t get me wrong, I usually go for Falbo’s or Roman Candle for take-​out in Middleton and I tend to prefer the fancy specialty pizzas like the Professional or the Italian Stallion. But if I’m feeling nostalgic for a simple pepperoni and cheese (and there will be a lot of cheese, mind you) Buck’s is the first place that comes to mind. The place is take-​out only and the hours definitely aren’t for the late night crowd — I believe they close at 8:45 although the menu says 9. The prices are very reasonable, especially if you don’t add many toppings. And finally, I haven’t gotten this in years and I don’t know if they still offer it, but you used to be able to get a «ball of dough» for a buck, which you then could take home to make your own large pizza. It was like DIY take and bake.

Crispy thin crust, thick (and I mean THICK), gooey cheese, and a hearty sauce. An homage to Racine-​style pizza (but not quite as good).
I personally didn’t care for the flavor of the cheese, or the volume, but a lot of people would be super-​stoked with such heavy-​handed application.
The pizzas are super-​cheap ($ 4 for an 8″ and $ 10 for a 14″ — toppings extra), so it’s worth giving a try if you’re a fan of thin crust.
Carry-​out only; no delivery and no tables inside for sitting.