This review of Formaggio's Pizza in Lithia, Florida is long overdue. My aunt has ordered two pies from this place every single time we've visited her for the last few years. I've eaten a ton of their pizza.

On a jaunt over to the Brandon area last week, we stopped in to see her once again and I picked up two pies (one pepperoni, one cheese) to take to her house.

A few disclosures:

1. I've never eaten this pizza on-site, in the restaurant, fresh from the oven. I've only ever had it as take out.

2. The area of Lithia is small. Tiny, even. The choice of quality pizza restaurants in this part of town is slim pickins.

3. Formaggio's was running a special during that time where all 16 inch large pies were $8.88 a piece. A very decent deal.

All that said, it's good pizza if you're in the area and have a craving. I like the sweetness and consistency of their sauce, which wasn't chunky but resembled standard marinara. I've found their pies to be a tad on the greasy side, especially the pepperoni, which can sometimes be a deal-breaker. If you like a light feeling in your stomach after eating pizza, this isn't for you. I also wish their dough had a tad more salt, as I found it to be slightly sweet for my taste.

This pizza has some decent staying power, as you can pick up a slice about an hour later and still genuinely enjoy it without desperately feeling the need to nuke.

Formaggio's is worth a stop if you're in the area, which requires lots of driving on back roads outside of town. A few extra minutes of cooking time in the oven to really crisp up the bottom and the cheese and this place would jump up a slice. 4 out of 8 for now.