Besides the obvious fact that both of these popular pizza places co-opt the best aspects of hip-hop and their crusty stylings for their own Caucasian goals, these joints have a healthy, if not rabid fanbase, as I have learned recently: Oklahoma City folks hate Norman pizza, and Norman folks hate Oklahoma City pizza, often to comical extremes.

I admit that, for many years, I have fallen on the Oklahoma City side, walking to Empire almost every Friday afternoon for a slice of pepperoni, a tradition that continues to this day.

But, lately, since housesitting in Norman this month, I’ve heard the sauce-covered cries of a thousand townies, letting me know how great P.I.E. is and how physically, mentally and spiritually wrong I am for my Empire fandom. So, after a year in retreat, I decided to take these two titans of tang to task in the pizza wars, finally deciding which premium pizza pie place is truly the best.

Empire Slice House

These Are the Actual 10 Best Pizzas in Oklahoma City

Rachel Cope sued by Empire Slice House Investors…

Pizza Wars IV: Empire Slice House vs. Notorious P.I.E.