Fall in State College means crisp temperatures, changing foliage, and perhaps most importantly, Penn State football. And one of the best pairings with college football is pizza; we’re talking wood-fired, Detroit-style, or classic thin crust.
We’ve put together a list of 10 of our favorite pizza joints in State College for Penn State game days, whether you’re looking for some of the tastiest pizza in town, giant pizzas to feed a crowd, or a great atmosphere for cheering on the Nittany Lions (while munching on pizza).
Doggie’s Pub
Doggie’s Pub is one of the best places to spend a day in downtown State College, whether you’re ordering food and drinks inside or enjoying the large beer garden. It’s particularly bustling on Penn State game days, when scores of people head to Doggie’s to catch the game on TV—and enjoy the pub’s pizza.
The pub offers a wide variety of pizza options, including specialties like barbecue chicken, as well as the option to build your own pie with your favorite toppings. You can grab an 18-inch pie with a traditional crust or a 10-inch cauliflower crust.
Fresh Bite Pizza
Fresh Bite Pizza is the place to go for thick and chewy Detroit-style pizza in State College, though the restaurant’s large menu also features tandoori-style pies as well as traditional round pizza. The family-owned restaurant is on South Pugh Street, not far from Penn State; in 2025, it took over the space previously occupied by 8 Mile Pizza, which also offered Detroit-style pies.
“No one in town has Detroit-style pizza, and I want to give a different style because everyone has just the regular stuff,” owner Bimla Dadra told StateCollege.com. “This place already had that flavor, and I just did a little bit of changes in the ingredients,” she said. The restaurant also serves loaded fries, wings, and paninis.
HiWay Pizza Pub
Head to the long-running HiWay Pizza Pub if you’re looking for a pizza restaurant in downtown State College, where you can enjoy the hubbub of a Penn State game day while also treating yourself to HiWay’s massive pizza menu. In addition to classic pizzas like Sicilian, Chicago deep dish, and Neapolitan pizza, HiWay also offers pizzas with pesto, buffalo chicken, white sauce, and vodka sauce. And if you prefer your pizza toppings in calzone or panini form, you can order those too.
You can always get takeout, but the downtown spot has plenty of TVs so you can catch the game there.
Benny Leone’s Pizza
Benny’s Pizza has several pizza locations on the eastern side of the country, including Benny Leone’s Pizza in State College. With its giant 28-inch pizza, this is the pizza joint for feeding a crowd at a Penn State tailgate or watch party—or if you’re just really hungry. Besides the 28-inch full-size pies, you can also grab (huge) slices from the restaurant.
Pizza varieties include classic pepperoni, cheese, mushroom, and sausage pizzas, plus monthly specials like “the Soprano”—a bacon mac and cheese pizza.
Champs Sports Grill
Champs Sports Grill is a classic State College sports bar, and it’s a top place to watch games while enjoying beers and bites even if you weren’t looking for pizza. But the good news is you can head to Champs for a great Penn State fan atmosphere, along with quality pizza.
The North Atherton Street restaurant has a large menu with a variety of pub food as well as Italian food, including 12- and 16-inch pizzas with traditional toppings and San Marzano tomato sauce. You can order for takeout or eat there to take in the game on Champs’ big screens.
The Arena Bar & Grill
The Arena Bar & Grill is attached to Northland Bowl, but it’s much more than a bowling alley restaurant. In addition to traditional American fare like sandwiches and wings, Arena also makes its own pizza dough and sauce for a small but mighty pizza menu. You can get classic cheese, white, hot honey pepperoni, buffalo chicken, and even dill pickle pizza, plus you can add your own toppings from a long list of vegetables and meats.
In addition to 25 TVs around the space, the bar and grill also has its own 144-inch big screen for Penn State football games, so you can catch the game while enjoying a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the high-energy bars downtown.
Happy Valley Brewing Company
Happy Valley Brewing Company is a local brewery in a restored, 200-year-old barn on Elmwood Street. While the brewery is best known for its craft beer, it’s also a full-service restaurant that serves a handful of signature pizzas. You might grab a classic cheese or pepperoni pizza—with red sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes—or the “PBR pizza” made with pickles, bacon, and house-made ranch dressing. There’s also a veggie pizza with a garlic cream sauce base and featuring cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and herbs.
Plus, rather than waiting for a table during the busy football season, you can make a reservation online.
Monte Pizza & Wings
Monte Pizza & Wings is a no-frills spot offering both thin crust and thick, Sicilian-style pizza, so you have choices when making your game-day takeout order. The menu also has wings, calzones, subs, and more. It’s also a good option for post-game eats, since the shop stays open until 2:30 a.m. Plus, if you’re looking to feed a crowd for cheap, you can take advantage of a current deal: an extra-large pizza with two toppings for just $15.99.
Faccia Luna
Faccia Luna has been a pizza staple in State College since 1991, when it first brought its wood-fired pizzas and bevy of Italian cuisine to the city. The restaurant, with its open pizza kitchen, is often considered among the very best pizza on offer in State College. Order Italian classics like Margherita or more inventive specialty pies featuring toppings like artichoke hearts and pesto, available in 10-, 12-, and 14-inch sizes.
Faccia Luna opens at 4 p.m., meaning it’s best as takeout for night games or as a post-game dinner.
Allen Street Pizza
Allen Street Pizza is a popular downtown pizzeria on, you guessed it, Allen Street. You can order from a host of traditional pizzas as well as Indian-inspired options like paneer tikka pizza and veggie vindaloo. It’s also an affordable spot for pizza—a 10-inch cheese pizza is just $10—and a good late-night option, as the pizzeria is open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Beyond pizza, you can also order other big game staples like wings, fries, and mozzarella sticks.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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