1 out of 5 Bella Pizza, Hillsborough, NJ -- A Cozy Setup Undone by Food Safety Negligence and Poor Customer Handling From the outside, Bella Pizza in Hillsborough, NJ gives off the right signals: clean interior, cozy vibes, and the comforting aroma of fresh pizza. I stopped by for what I hoped would be a quick, satisfying bite. What I experienced instead was a textbook case of how poor food handling and clueless customer service can derail even the most promising establishment. The moment of disaster came swiftly. The person behind the counter, while preparing a slice for me, handled it entirely with bare hands -- not a light touch, but full contact, fingers all over the slice. Worse, he proceeded to mishandle the rest of the pie in the same fashion. When I politely asked if utensils or gloves could be used to handle my slice, I was met not with concern or correction, but with a blank stare -- like the concept of basic food safety was utterly foreign to him. At that point, I made the decision to skip the slice and stepped outside to their pizza truck -- which, in theory, could have salvaged the visit. Unfortunately, the incompetence continued. I was told that slices were only available inside. When I explained the situation, the response I received was not an apology, an offer to correct the mistake, or even a vague gesture of customer service. Instead, I was met with the dismissive remark: "What's the problem? It's going into the oven anyway." This isn't just a customer service failure -- it's a dangerous mindset. That statement reflects a complete lack of understanding of cross-contamination risks and food handling protocol. The fact that no one on staff had the presence of mind to address the concern, offer a solution, or even pretend to care is appalling. This isn't about the oven -- it's about what happens before the food reaches it, especially when bare hands have been in contact with other surfaces, cash registers, or phones. For the record: this customer is not just a patron -- I am a health inspector. And what I witnessed here was enough to raise serious red flags. Final Verdict: Bella Pizza may have the look of a charming local slice spot, but behind the counter is a troubling disregard for food safety fundamentals and a staff unprepared to handle even basic customer concerns. If the owners are serious about maintaining a reputable business, immediate retraining in hygiene standards and customer interaction is not optional -- it's urgent. read more

Ordered Nona with extra sauce ... wow!! So excellent ! Thanks Ak . This will be our go to

Bella Pizza is tucked away in a small mall across from the YMCA. The mall looks like a ghost town, but don't let that discourage you. If anything, it means parking won't be hard to find! It looks like the indoor seating area recently received a makeover and I'm here for it. It looks clean and more modern. Don't expect a large selection if you're coming in for slices. They typically only have the basics: plain, pepperoni, a thicker plain slice similar to Sicilian, and sometimes Sausage or buffalo chicken. That being said, the classic plain slice is a great go-to at Bella. The sauce is tasty, the cheese is fresh, and the ratio of sauce to cheese is on-point. The base and crust are always pleasantly crispy. Back when I wasn't vegetarian, I really enjoyed the sausage slice too. If you want anything more than the basics, you should definitely call ahead. I also found the owner to be a really cool and likable guy. Bella also has one of the more active social media pages in Hillsborough, so be sure to give them a follow for fun and exciting content (that sometimes leaves you with cravings for pizza). read more

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Best chef salad and calzones in the area! Bella Pizza is always our go to when we're craving calzones and they deliver on taste and quality every single time. 10/10 recommend read more

Bella Pizza - Meat Lovers Calzone - Pizza Near Me - Hillsborough, New Jersey

Honestly, I don't understand the great reviews here. Lets break it down. The location is small and it's tucked away in a really odd place. Almost looks like it's a town house end unit. Not much to say about the interior - walls are bare drywall (signs proclaim it's under renovation, no idea if it is or not). Artwork is honestly a little depressing: it's all about the owner's accomplishments and great things he's done...and the most recent article posted is from 2012. I get it, you can't have press every year...but to have articles still up from 2009 to 2012 and literally not a single thing newer? It's just...a little off putting. You can get away with it if your pizza is the best around. If it's not, leave the past in the past - get some new accomplishments or ditch the old articles. Old, however, seems to be the trend of this visit. Walked in at 5pm on a Tuesday - granted, not exactly rush hour for pizza or dinner as a whole. Nobody else in the place - fair for the above reasons. What is NOT fair is what happened when I ordered a slice: they had a pie on display (as almost every pizza place does) that they'll add toppings to on demand, reheat, and send you on your way - which is fine, except this pie looks like it's been there since lunch time ended...potentially yesterday. Cheese was absolutely rock solid, crust ice cold etc and so on. I've had pizza like that come out of my fridge as leftovers the next day. Knowing that you cannot reheat a slice from that state without it tasting kinda crappy, their solution was to drop on my topping of choice (sausage...cut in teeny tiny bits, but then GENEROUSLY heaped on) and then throwing on a kind of ridiculously small handful of mozzarella, I guess thinking that would make all the cheese taste better. Pro tip: it did not. What came out was a slice that could not be picked up in one piece because it was so greasy that it fell apart. To eat it, I'd need to pull it apart with my hands - not a big deal, but not a great start. Worse...my old-made-new-again pizza had no flavor at all. Cheese had no flavor, crust had no flavor, sauce had no flavor, even the sausage had no flavor. It was like eating crunchy air. Look, I get it. Jersey is FULL of pizza options - if you're local I guess this is what you get. Personally I look for one of two things when sorting through all the options: stand out by being exceptional or at least stand out by being unique. This place is neither. What I would change? Ditch the crap hanging on the walls boys. I know you're proud of what you did a decade ago and you're certainly entitled - hang 'em at home. They make your place feel old, just like the pizza was on this occasion. Posting that you won best pizza of Hillsborough in 2009? Same thing - that's now 12 years ago, and with no new awards it just looks sad! When things are slow, I get it, you're not gonna make a pizza every 15 minutes - but if you haven't sold it in 2 hours, out it goes and make a new one. At WORST between lunch rush and dinner start, you're talking about two pies - and it keeps loudmouths like me from getting a slice that just tasted plain tired! read more

Bella Pizza - Added cheese to make old pie seem new - Pizza Near Me - Hillsborough, New Jersey

Owner is so rude I called to complain about 2 slices that were cold cashier put the owner on the phone and he was really rude. Telling me not how to run his business and hung up on me I have been going to this place for over 5 years and I will never go back. read more

Great local hot spot for food and deserts They also deliver and make fresh to order they are very well known in the community read more

We always order delivery, pretty much either meatball (or chicken) parm or pizza. Don't order hungry! This place gets busy during peak times, co you could wait up to an hour. That said, my son and I agree that it's worth the wait! Warm cheesy goodness every time. read more

I was hungry and I saw this pizza place. I am not sure about the 4.6 star but the pizza for me was pretty horrible. I came in for a few slices and I received pizza that smelled as if it was dipped in soapy dirty water. I still can't get a smell out of my hands and I can only imagine how unhealthy this was. I just hope I don't develop any health problems, it was truly bad. If the owner/employee is unhappy or lost his desire or enthusiasm, then close your business or take some time off. You're providing food for people that potentially could get them sick. Try to understand that. I've had bad pizza and this was pretty bad as well. When ordering pizza, the expectation is that it will be good quality at any place. It shouldn't make you feel like you will be sick. I can't wait to throw this up. read more

It was just ok. I wasn't to impressed by anything I ordered. The pizza was eh, the fries were soggy (maybe because I ordered through grubhub, but the order was delivered 30 minutes before I expected). The Mac and cheese deep fried things were my favorite-yet they were tasteless and had a marinara said every that was so hot it melted the plastic container and leaked everywhere. read more

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This is our go to local pizza place. We love the crust, it has a sweetness to it and we've had nothing but good service here. Also their weekly deals are near impossible to beat. We love their plain pizza, meatball, white with ricotta, the chicken parm calzone, and the penne vodka and chicken parm. We've had some of their speciality pies, which are pricy but were delicious for a special occasion. Their cannolis were pretty delicious too! We will be back always. In fact, we recently moved a third of a mile down the road on Easy Mountain. Dangerously and deliciously close! read more

A group of friends and I ordered pizza and wings from here and we were very well pleased. Food was very fresh and tasty.

Bella Pizza was the food concession at my town's fireworks celebration. I waited 45 minutes in line because they ran out of pizza and had to make more, and when I finally got up to the front they told me I was only allowed to order a total of four slices, two per person (my son was with me). The whole family was ravenous and I'd been planning to order eight. There was no sign explaining this, nor any announcement during the entire 45 minutes I was waiting. The person waiting on me was very rude and refused to cut me any slack - said if my family wanted more they should've been standing on line with me. My kids said the pizza was okay but I will never patronize their business again. Inexcusably bad service! read more

Not only does Akhtar give back to the community all the time, he serves some damn good food. Bella Pizza has become our "go to" pizza place for catering parties whether that means with trays of food or their amazing Bella on Wheels. Our community couldn't have asked for a better group of people and restaurant. Bella Pizza and their generous owner are a testament to what community can be and how we help each other. read more

This is my go-to pizzeria in town lately for takeout. We shared the penne with tomato sauce. It was delicious. The bread was soft and tasted good. Note, the ziti is excellent too. read more

I've moved to the this area before I was living in the city and I always missed New York style pizza...I have to admit this is neck to neck with my fave hometown restaurant...the sandwiches and Stromboli are big enough for 2 possibly 3 , food is fresh, customer service is amazing!!! read more

This is the best food I've ever had. I always get their pizza, phily cheese steak, fries and chicken tenders! My entire family always requests food from this local spot. The owner is so nice and hospitality is amazing. read more

Fanatastic place and tremendous service. The owner operates differently and beyond accommodating and welcoming. This is my go to place.

I don't go anywhere else for pizza after trying Bella's (unless I'm craving Dominoes, but is that *really* pizza?) Pizza is hands down the best pizza I've had in town. Service is reliable and to the point. Never tried delivery or anything else they serve, so the pizza and service are the four stars. Do recommend it highly. read more

Owner was rude and disrespectful. Had to wait forever to get my food too. Not a pleasant experience.

Delicious food and amazing customer service. They always go above and beyond to deliver exactly what you want! Highly recommended! The eggplant is delicious. read more

Coming from NYC, I know pizza better than most.. Bella Pizza is one of the best pizza around.. if you are in the area or live in the area you should definitely come here.. plus the customer service is on point.. read more

Stopped in for a slice last night. I decided to get a Sicilian slice which never turns out good. I love Sicilian pizza, but most places don't know how to make it. I was pleasantly surprised when I took the first bite of my slice. Absolutely amazing. Just added a little parmesan and some garlic powder. Another good chose is there buffalo pizza which has a sweet buffalo sauce on it. Really good. Had a dinner here one time and it was ok, nothing to rave about. I would stick to the pizza. read more

Bella Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Hillsborough, New Jersey

Absolutely disgusting. Incredibly long wait time- and when I asked what the delay was for my order the owner copped a nasty attitude with me! He is a rude jerk with terrible customer service skills. Dirty tables and floors. Gross. Go to victors instead! read more

Ate here for the first time two weeks ago. When we walked in, it was as if they had never seen eat-in guests before and didn't know what to do. We were invited to grab our drinks from the refrigerator case (fine), but no offers of a glass, ice or anything else. They were even out of straws. It gave the very strong vibe of a business that's struggling to keep the lights on. All of this made for a very awkward eating experience. I will say that my penne vodka was very good and my companions liked their food as well, which is why I'm giving this two stars and not one. That said, we've had meals that were just as good with much better service at the other Italian eateries in town. I MIGHT try them once more for takeout, but would never think of eating in. read more

Consistent food and my number two choice for pizza in Hillsborough.

Our favorite pizza place in town. Ask for the pizza well done and get their pepperoni. Mozz sticks are good even as take out.

Best pizza in Hillsborough. Owner is very friendly and always pleasant. Very surprised by some of the bad reviews on here as this has been my pizza place for almost 7 years. Always look forward to and enjoy Bella pizza read more

$35 for two pies ordered well done soggy in the middle total crap dollar fifty for using a credit card 250 for delivery charge ridiculous never order here again when did you make the Dow two years ago come on please read more

Amazing pizza and pasta. I've been going here for years and they have some of the best buffalo chicken pizza. They always deliver on time and their service is also pretty good. I would recommend this place to anybody who looking for a good slice of pizza or some really good pasta. read more

Great pizza and the owner is a great guy. My son and his four friends did something nice for a neighbor and the owner of Bella pizza heard about it. He offered to treat my son and his four friends to pizza one night for doing the good deed. I thought he would treat them each to a slice or to....instead he treated them each to their own pizza pie! They got to choose whatever pizza they wanted off the menu! The pizza was great and he couldn't have been nicer! Thanks !! read more

The service was so bad that I had to call the place from my cell phone to get my food wrapped. If you never go here, you are not missing anything. The food was not great- sauce out of a can- pasta over cooked- come to think of it, why did I get this wrapped anyway?? read more

Run of the mill pizza place with affordable prices and a very nice owner (the kind of guy who runs coat drives, sponsors little league teams, etc). It's physically small (three tables) so it's ideal for takeout. There's plenty of parking and there's a liquor store nearby should you need alcohol. read more

Looking for a new pizza spot as I'm tired of the same old Boro joints. Very disappointed in Bella's. No sauce, bland cheese. I'd rather eat garlic knots. Not ever going back. read more

Having lived in Hillsborough for a number of years and trying many pizza spots, I have to say this is the best around. Freshly made sauce, and dough, and homemade entries. Very friendly staff too. Only three tables. We often order delivery now that we relocated to Manville. Their pizza is definitely better than anything in Manville, and worth the drive. read more

The pie we tried was bland. Although they put an abundant amount of peppers and onions the pizza had very little sauce. The pie itself was mostly crust. For the price and quality I would find another pizza joint. Sal's on Triangle is pretty good, or Lenny's. read more

I've seen the owner go off twice. Once at a customer and also years back when he had a disagreement with an employee at the Liqueur store. With all the delicious Italian cuisine in the area like Angelo's pizza and Joes.. Bella is easily forgettable. read more

I can not eat pizza with part skin mozzarella. The people at Bella pizza made sure that I got one with whole milk mozzarella. It was nice to see that there are still businesses that will go out of there way to satisfy a customer. I am a retired disabled chef, so just like I did they put the customer first. Outstanding job and truly appreciate the service! read more

Very good... better than some other places in the area. We got a plain pie and a garden salad. I would go back. Next time I'll eat in so I can taste it fresh. read more

I just had Bella Pizza's taco pizza --it's great! Love the tasty crust and fresh ingredients.