When you're away from home and crave some pizza for dinner, it can be tempting to find the nearest national chain, order your go-to pie online, and have it show up to the lobby of your hotel a short while later. While there's nothing wrong with this idea, it's always worthwhile to try a local pizza joint that can offer you something unique. Even if you aren't staying in an area that is widely known for its unique take on pizza, such as New York City or Chicago, it's still exciting to find a locally owned "mom and pop" pizza restaurant as an alternative to the chain fare you're used to. Here are some tips for finding the right restaurant for you.

Check Various Review Sites

One of the best things about the internet is being able to research different restaurants in advance of going, so take a few minutes on your laptop computer or smartphone to load any number of restaurant review sites and find what the locals are saying about their pizza restaurants. This is, hands-down, the best way to find a local pizzeria when you're visiting a new city, as it will give you insider information that can help you to find a winner and save you from visiting the wrong place. Look for overall high scores, positive comments, and tantalizing photos to help you make your decision.

Talk To The Locals

Think about where you live — you likely have a favorite non-chain pizza restaurant that you'd happily recommend to visitors. The same holds true for the people that you may encounter on your trip, so don't hesitate to do some research in this manner. In the taxi or shuttle from the airport, get your driver's two cents' worth. At the hotel, talk to the concierge or a front desk clerk to get a recommendation about which establishment offers the best slice or pie.

See Who Dominates Advertising

As you travel around the city, you'll commonly see billboards, bus advertisements, and other types of advertising for pizza restaurants. Many of these will be for national chains, but take note of those that are for local establishments. Seeing an ad doesn't necessarily mean that you should visit a given pizza restaurant, but if you're repeatedly seeing ads for the same restaurant, it's generally a positive sign. A proliferation of ads suggests that the restaurant is spending a lot on marketing, which is likely because it is making a lot of money by being busy. In this sense, this pizza restaurant might be the right choice for you.

For more information or advice, contact a local pizza takeout service.