Sometimes you're just in the mood for old-school thin crust pizza, and when this mood strikes you're not going to do much better than Buck's. I'm told they're a Madison institution and I can believe it. Their thin crust pizza reminds me of the impossibly delicious pizzas of grade-school birthday parties and post-ballgame pizza parties. Sweet tomato sauce, crispy thin crust and tons of cheese - this is the stuff memories are made of!
Don't get me wrong, I usually go for Falbo's or Roman Candle for take-out in Middleton and I tend to prefer the fancy specialty pizzas like the Professional or the Italian Stallion. But if I'm feeling nostalgic for a simple pepperoni and cheese (and there will be a lot of cheese, mind you) Buck's is the first place that comes to mind. The place is take-out only and the hours definitely aren't for the late night crowd - I believe they close at 8:45 although the menu says 9. The prices are very reasonable, especially if you don't add many toppings. And finally, I haven't gotten this in years and I don't know if they still offer it, but you used to be able to get a "ball of dough" for a buck, which you then could take home to make your own large pizza. It was like DIY take and bake.