Apna Pizza located on Travilah Road had its grand opening on Nov. 12 with free tastings of their unique “Indian” style pizza.. Taking over the location of Pizza Palace and neighboring China East, Apna pizza serves not only pizza, but also wings and “loaded” fries. The restaurant serves traditional Indian toppings on pizza, but also has specialty pizzas such as Meat Lovers and Hawaiian.

The menu includes six core pizza flavors, such as Chicken Tikka Pizza,Shahi Paneer Pizza and seven specialty pizzas that are more familiar. They also offer cheesy bread or mozzarella sticks as sides with a wide variety of toppings and sauce. There are nine meat toppings, 14 veggie toppings, five Indian toppings and three different base sauces available. An interesting option on their menu is that they can add an Indian twist to the order by making the pizza Hala for an additional $1.50 and they also offer Masala Lays chips.

At first glance the pizza is thin, but heavy with toppings ranging from marinated lamb to butter chicken. I was fortunate enough to taste their Butter Chicken Pizza during the free tasting and it was flavorful and colorful. “I like the large selection there is for flavors and toppings because it opens opportunities to experience new flavors, while still having the comfort flavors to fall back on,” senior Devlin Mccarthy said.

At first glance, one of the downsides of Apna Pizza is their high prices compared to their chain competitors, such as Dominos. For a plain cheese pizza, a small (12 in) costs $15.49, a medium (14 in) costs $18.99, and a large (16 in) costs $21.29. The prices of their core pizzas and specialty pizzas align with prices typically seen in the area. Although the prices for a plain pizza might be high, their Indian styles pizzas that come with toppings and are set at a fair price.

From the outside it’s hard to miss the store with its purple LED lights shining through the front glass. The inside is a little small but it has a clean aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye and the menu is easy to follow. “As someone who lives in the neighborhood adjacent to the store, I’m glad to see a restaurant that is lively and welcoming because in the past no one has considered those restaurants as good places to eat,” senior Saurav Khetan said.

Apna pizza brings a fresh take on pizza with unique flavors and toppings, which sets them apart from their competitors. Although on the pricier side, the pizza is flavorful and packed with toppings every bite. I recommend trying one of their Indian-style pizzas and experiencing the warm welcome. “I hope Apna pizza is able to be the spot for pizza and revive that strip of stores because it’s in a very convenient location,” junior Maddie Sisco said.