Three cheers for the red, white and blue — and mouth-watering pizza, too. Eagle One Pizza, a new southside Italian joint, recently made its nest at 11613 S. Western in Oklahoma City.

From its eagle-emblazoned logo to pizza boxes adorned with a star-spangled shield reminiscent of Captain America himself, Eagle One serves up incredible Italian food with an unmistakable American flair.

Don’t worry — I’m not talking about those macaroni and cheese, bacon-topped atrocities big-time pizza chains try to pass off as authentic Italian chow.

I’m talking about true blue Italian goodness served up by a true blue American family.

The owner of Eagle One is a combat veteran, and that sense of pride, responsibility and patriotism is evident in everything from the amazing food to the squeaky clean floor.

For a relatively small restaurant, the menu is extensive. Eagle One offers a scrumptious array of Italian goods, including sandwiches, calzones, salads and, of course, pizza.

There are also numerous side items, including amazingly-seasoned garlic bread sticks and cinnamon bread to satisfy those with sweeter teeth.

Although there are many foods to choose from, it’s hard to pass up the pizza because it is just so perfect.

For starters, it’s cheap: large pizzas with a couple of toppings start at $4.99, and you can snag a loaded-down speciality pizza for a dollar more.

Of course, price doesn’t mean anything if it tastes like cardboard soaked in grease and sprinkled with cheese. But that’s far from the case at Eagle One.

The crust is freshly-baked and cooked to perfection.

While you can choose what kind of crust you want at most pizza joints — and you can here as well — you normally don’t get a say in what type of sauce that crust is subsequently smothered in.

At Eagle One, you actually get to choose from three different types of sauce: traditional marinara, alfredo or barbecue.

I decided to go the old-fashioned route and opted for the marinara sauce, and was not disappointed.

The portions were perfect — no soggy crust here — and the seasonings absolutely heavenly.

You also get a smorgasbord of toppings to choose from, from fresh veggies like peppers and mushrooms, to meats like ham, chicken and pepperoni.

Once you’ve made your decisions, the end result is hands-down one of, if not the best pizza you will ever eat.

All of the flavors come together perfectly. The pizza is shockingly light, but still every bit as indulgent as the greasy stuff you’ve probably become accustomed to over the years.

And if delicious, inexpensive pizza isn’t enough reason to stop by Eagle One, the fact that the staff is among the nicest you will ever meet might be.

In this world of drive-thru windows and fast food, it’s refreshing to meet a staff that seems to not only genuinely take pride in their food, but in their customers, too.

Much like the majestic creature for which it was named, Eagle One Pizza is a rare gem that soars high above the rest.

Rating: A+

—Whitney Knight

Online Editor

To contact Whitney Knight, email onlineeditor@occc.edu.