There is nothing else like it. It is late at night and you get hit with the craving. After spending hours on homework, you deserve it. So you pick up your iPhone and start scrolling Urbanspoon for the one thing that will fill your nighttime craving: pizza.

But where do you go? Before you find yourself calling up Papa John’s or –– gasp –– _Domino’s_ –– , here is what Columbia really has to offer.

**Shakespeare’s Pizza** on Ninth and Elm streets is easily one of the most popular places in all of Columbia. What isn’t to love? With a great atmosphere, a bar, and pizza by the slice during lunch on weekdays, it seems like everyone and their mom can’t get enough Shakespeare’s.

However, despite local fame, I give Shakespeare’s taste a 3 out of 5. While I would not dare venture to say the quality is bad, I’m not convinced that the pizza itself is worth all the hype.

A 12-inch cheese pizza starts at $9.25 but if you’re new to Shakespeare’s, you have to try The Masterpiece.

This mound of critically-acclaimed pizza is topped with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and black olives. It may be the most supreme pizza that Columbia has to offer.

**Gumby’s Pizza** on Broadway is an on-campus favorite for delivery. Featuring some of the more unusual specialty pizzas I’ve ever seen, Gumby’s provides a great opportunity to break away from the typical pepperoni pie.

Perhaps the oddest of them all is The Stoner Pie, topped with pepperoni, bacon, mozzarella sticks, French fries and cheddar cheese. To anyone brave enough to dive in to such a monster, I hope you enjoy it –– a heart attack inevitably follows.

Gumby’s gets a 4 out of 5 on taste, and because of the wide variety, it’s hard to find a pizza that won’t hit the spot. A one-topping 12-inch pie starts at $7.99, but if you’re feeling dangerously hungry, see how many slices of the 20-inch Massive pizza you can finish.

**Wise Guys Pizza** on Sixth Street doesn’t have the popularity that Shakespeare’s or Gumby’s does. But it should.

While it’s nothing out of the ordinary, it’s very good pizza, especially for the price. A 12-inch one-topping pizza costs only $8.49.

Wise Guys does not feature many specialty pizzas, but you can build your own for a low price and expect a good pizza. Chicago-style deep dish or stuffed pizzas are definitely recommended, especially for heavy eaters. Wise Guys easily merits a 4 out of 5 on taste.

Finally, a “pizza place” that may come as a surprise to many. If you haven’t tried the pizza from **Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe**, you’re missing out. If you’re a fan of thin crust, well-seasoned pizza, then you have to check it out.

Sitting on Broadway right off of Hitt Street, Pickleman’s accommodates carryout, dine-in and delivery. I give the taste an impressive 4.5 out of 5. A 12-inch cheese pizza will run you $8, but despite their rather limited selection, the Asiago Chicken and Buffalo Chicken pizzas are definitely worth a try.

So please, don’t confine yourself to commercial chain pizza. You deserve better, MOVErs.