From its prominence as a staple of New York City cuisine to the food’s deep dish evolution in the Midwest, pizza is a tasty symbol of Americana, despite its origins in southern Italy and the Mediterranean.

Bringing the classic, thin-crusted, foldable style of one of New York City’s tastiest exports from east to west, brothers Mike and Eric Goergen opened Ollie’s Brooklyn Slices Pizza in Medford late last year.

Located at 149 S. Central Ave., the downtown restaurant offers around six to eight different varieties of pizza — available by the slice to 16-inch or 20-inch pies — sides of breadsticks or garlic knots and a wide range of beers, seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages.

As a self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur trying cheesy, circular creations from eateries as far as Florida, Nebraska and Washington state, I knew I had to get my hands on Ollie’s ‘za for a proper taste test.

Opening the front door around lunchtime Wednesday, I was greeted by the appetizing aroma of tangy cheese complemented by savory tomato sauce and fresh dough. It smelled like home.

My first impression of the shop’s dining area was a quaint but quality space with dark painted walls and an ornately paneled ceiling contrasted by a steady stream of natural light.

The restaurant offered a skateboarding- and NYC-themed experience, with wooden skateboard decks hung up on a wall and references to The Big Apple and the Yankees as well as skateboard trucks (the part that connects the wheels to the board) creatively used as table numbers.

Hiding in the back of the restaurant was a kids area featuring pinball machines and arcade games like “Street Fighter II” and “Donkey Kong” — all free to use without any pesky quarters.

But enough about the setting. Even the dingiest shop can be saved by quality food, or the most magnificent space ruined by subpar cuisine.

Fortunately, Ollie’s delivered on both fronts.

I ordered a classic cheese slice, garlic knots and a slice of the shop’s recent special — hot honey, pepperoni and jalapeño — made in collaboration with Joey’s Hot Sauce of Ashland.

The pizza slices are sold at a manageable range of $5.50 to $6.50 per slice, with 16-inch pies ranging from $32 to $38 and 20-inch pizzas costing between $41 and $45.

The garlic knots are $12.50, and the breadsticks come out at $10.75.

The employees were kind and mild-mannered, and while my pizza arrived relatively quick (around 5 minutes), my coworker and fellow friend’s dishes didn’t arrived until close to 25 minutes after ordering.

Starting with the cheese, the triangular treat checked all the boxes on what a New York slice should be, offering a crispy and thin crust and a well-portioned mix of cheese and tomato sauce. The pizza slice was around 10 to 11 inches long and bursting with flavor.

Considering my lack of a palate for spicy foods, the hot honey, pepperoni and jalapeño slice was quite the undertaking but incredibly tasty.

Even for my weak taste buds, the pizza offered a delicious combination of sweet and spicy, with sticky-yet-manageable honey drizzled on top and jalapeño slices giving pops of spice atop the crispy crust foundation.

While the garlic knots possessed an appetizing aesthetic and a solid combination texture-wise of crunchy and soft, the flavor was underwhelming. It wasn’t bad by any means, but lacked the buttery, strong taste that garlic is known for.

The marinara dipping sauce provided with the garlic knots was lacking in flavor as well — more tomato sauce than what comes to mind when thinking of the flavor profile of marinara — holding a thin, salsa-like consistency.

While I wasn’t able to try the Caesar salad for myself, I was told by one of my dining companions that the salad was very solid with a healthy mix of crunchy croutons, high-quality dressing and a well-measured helping of parmesan flakes to give the dish a tasty kick.

Following our delicious meal, we were somewhat confused on whether to leave our plates at the dining table or bring them to the front counter. The eatery could benefit from bus bins near the counter (to accompany the garbage can) if they want people to bus their own tables.

Overall, Ollie’s Pizza was a delightful bite. Apart from minor holdups, the restaurant offered a taste of classic New York pizza without the hassle of flying to the city itself.

The owners clearly put a lot of time into the setting, style, and most importantly, the flavor of their food, offering Rogue Valley residents a portal into the quintessential Brooklyn pizza spot at an affordable price.

The eatery is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day and is available to order through the DoorDash app.

For any questions or to learn more about Ollie’s Pizza, call 718-208-9446 or check the business out on Instagram and Facebook.