As a flavorful highlight to Ashland University’s homecoming, seven pizzerias-and one pub-whipped out countless amounts of pizza slices to the public for free.

The event took place Saturday in the Amstutz parking lot from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Each establishment served customers side-by-side in two long tables, allowing hungry pizza-lovers to move down the rows to try all the different styles and variations of a beloved food.

The vendor at the first table was Papa John’s, which had run out of pizza in less than an hour and was forced to wait until more was delivered.

“It was pretty hectic. I felt kind of bad we ran out of pizza,” Lauren Osborne, a Papa John’s employee, said.

When the pizza did arrive, there were only two toppings served-pepperoni and cheese.

Because it was fresh, it was served steaming hot and the cheese was melting off the pizza.

The sauce was thicker and had a slight sweetness, but the pizza dough itself was so dense it blocked out many subtle flavors. The crust was thick and chewy.

The next pizzeria in line was Donna D’s Family Pizza, which served pepperoni, sausage and ham, mushroom, and cheese toppings.

According to Deb Derr, a Donna D’s employee, pepperoni was the most popular customer selection.

Notably, the pepperoni had an unusual spiciness to it, as did their pizza.

The pepperoni was complemented with other bold flavors, especially in the smooth pizza sauce.

However, Morgan Polovick, an AU alumnae, did not agree.

“It looks flavorful but it’s not,” Polovick said. “The sauce doesn’t have any taste, it’s not sweet, and it’s not salty.”

The vendor adjacent to Donna D’s was Dor-Lo pizza.

They served pepperoni, pepperoni and sausage, ham and pineapple, cheese, and cinnamon sticks.

Cindy Pettit, a Dor Lo employee, said the cinnamon sticks were among the most popular.

There wasn’t another vendor that served them to customers, making Dor Lo the pizzeria with the most variety in food items.

They also served the “White Pizza,” which had a garlic butter sauce in place of the traditional tomato sauce and plenty of cheese.

The garlic flavors were strong and dominated the pizza, yet the overall texture of the pizza was good if one likes a softer thin crust.

It wasn’t too doughy and it wasn’t too soggy.

However, the cheese was baked a little too long, which caused it to lose that desired soft, melted elasticity and took on a more rubbery texture.

On the other hand, Becca Flower and Brandon Roberts both agreed that Dor Lo still has delicious flavor.

“It’s really good, I’ll have to try it again sometime,” Flower said, referring to the White Pizza.

Similarly, Roberts said that Dor Lo is his favorite pizza out of the eight vendors.

On the end of the first row was Domino’s pizza, which served cheese, mushroom and sausage, ham and pineapple, and pepperoni.

According to Scott Hartsel, the general manager, the ham and pineapple was the most popular and quickly ran out.

Domino’s crust was one of the best. It wasn’t too thick or spongy.

Instead, seasoned with the right amount of parmesan, it was good enough to eat on its own.

The crust tasted very similar to buttery, flavorful breadsticks.

Although there wasn’t enough sauce on the pizza, the cheese was melted to perfection.

Winding down to the second row, AU dished out its finest pizza, including unique toppings such as chicken parmesan, bruschetta and a variety of meats.

Kristina Taylor, an AU catering employee, said that the meat-lover’s pizza was the most popular.

As for the chicken parmesan pizza, the chicken itself was rich in flavor and was slightly spicy.

There was a generous amount of cheese, though there was not enough sauce.

Overall, the texture of the pizza was good; it wasn’t too greasy or too dry.

Next to AU’s Pizza was Pizza Hut, featuring Veggie Lovers, Supreme and Hawaiian pizzas.

They also served the traditional cheese and pepperoni toppings.

Amanda Nardo, a Pizza Hut employee, said that pepperoni was the most popular.

The crust was a little spongy but the flavors were bold and the pizza had the right amount of cheese, sauce and toppings.

Besta Fasta, as the winner of Ashland’s Best Pizza of 2009, was one of the most populated spots.

They served pepperoni, sausage and mushroom toppings.

Kathy Norris, the owner of Besta Fasta, reported running out of pizza several times throughout the event.

Sara Garska is one of many who favors Besta Fasta over the other vendors.

“I think it’s the best, I like it-it’s my favorite of the pizzas in Ashland,” Garska said.

The last of the vendors at the event was O’Bryan’s, one of Ashland’s local pubs.

Their pizza was highly received, despite only serving pepperoni and cheese toppings.

As opposed to the other vendors, O’Bryan’s only offers thin crust pizza.

“We have all thin crust because we just like thin crust,” said Brad Bryan, owner of Obryan’s. “We figured, if you like thick crust, go someplace else!”.

The limited pizza options didn’t seem to affect its popularity.

“It’s very delicious,” Dr. Deborah Sullivan said. “I like the thin crust, and it seems to be done perfectly.”

O’Bryan’s served up an ideal thin crust pizza that was light and crispy without being too dry.

The sauce had a rich, sweet undertone to the bright tomato flavors, which complemented the mellow flavor of the cheese.

The Pizza Pizza Pizza Fan Fest was capable of satiating even the hungriest pizza lover and will return for next year’s homecoming.