Contender's Pizzeria & Arcade

Was greeted by Sara , the owner. Very nice and easy to talk to. Was served by Hannah. Absolutely a very good waitress. The food is phenomenal. Ordered a small pizza and some mozzarella sticks and fries. This place is a hidden gem. If you are traveling 77 north or south through Virginia take exit 14 and head to Hillsville. You don't want to miss this place. Delicious and a great atmosphere. 2 separate dining areas, one with a bar, and there is an arcade for the kids. Stop by you won't regret it. Even ordered a Philly cheesesteak for later. Of course I had to try it and it is just as awesome as the rest.

The spaghetti and meatballs were delicious! The place was very clean. They probably have 20+TVs to watch your favorite game! Our server changed the tv channel for us so that we could watch the Carolina Hurricanes in their first playoff game against the Islanders (Canes won, btw). Definitely will go there again...

Best pizza in the area. Contenders supported my wife’s birthday on last minute, which was a big order during the week. We live in Jersey and frequently travel to New York (originally from Hillsville VA) and their pizza is definitely on the same level as the great spots up here. Friendly service, good prices and family environment. Being from Hillsville, I wish people supported local establishments more so go give it a try 🤙🏼

This was my 2nd visit. I had the Chicken Ranch Sub. It was a whole chicken breast, breaded and fried. I was expecting chicken tenders on a bun. I had onion rings, too. The meal was too much for me to eat in one sitting. I wanted to eat all of it but had to bring it home. I would recommend. They have a happy hour from 3-5 M-F. Maybe next time. Stop in and give them a try.

Great food! Fun place to take the family. Definitely will revisit. Reasonable prices.

We freaking LOVE this place!! Carly & Hannah are awesome!! Sarah your a great leader & boss!! Keep up the good work!! See ya next week!!

The service was exceptional!!!! The food was excellent and the overall atmosphere was amazing! Will absolutely be back!!!

We went here the other day and the food was excellent. I found their prices were great and their daily pizza deal was really good. I highly recommend trying this place out.

Fantastic pizza! The large pizzas are massive. My kids have also tried other dishes as well; cheeseburger sliders and chicken tenders with fries, and it was all good, especially the fries. When dining in, we’ve had great service. There hasn’t really been others dining in when we have been there which makes me sad. I want to see a local business succeed. For those wondering, I did notice on the menu they have gluten-free options and are willing to accommodate allergy requests.

Excellent food & service! Dog friendly which is an added bonus- our pups had a blast!

I highly recommend the fried ravioli very good! And a special request for a vegetarian sub because your subs look awesome see the attached photo for simple recipe

Great Meal! Love the new menu! Excellent service 👏

Big shout out to Sarah and her whole team! We are from out of town and decided on contenders because it was the closest thing. By far the BEST. DECISION. We’ve made all weekend as far as food goes This place is top notch!! The staff is super friendly and helpful so service is better than you’ll find anywhere else, the owners are amazing and present, and to top it the food is FANTASTIC! We came in with a party of 7, and Every. Single. Thing. We ordered was awesome! They offer a full bar, an arcade for the kids to run around in, and the best food around (pizza, pasta, salads, wings, calzones etc.) this is definitely a hidden gem in this town! I would give 10
Stars if i could! Just do it. You won’t regret it!

BEST dining experience in Hillsville. The most friendly service. Amazing food. Our large party ordered pizza, wings, assorted pasta dishes (lasagna is made in house, by the way) and salads, and everything we tasted was quite honestly delicious. Seriously. Best food in the city of Hillsville.

Great pizza, great service! We were passing through & called ahead to order. Pizzas had just came out of the oven and we're on the table in 1 minute! Hostess was very helpful & got us the check, boxes, and to-go sodas quickly so we could get back on the road. I'd definitely come back!

We ate there twice in six days. The first time we ate there was on our way to Lake Lure. Sarah was great and the food was outstanding. The arcade games were fun. We enjoyed our first meal so much, we stopped again on our ride home. I wish we didn’t live Five hours away!

I tried 4 dishes on my first visit. Out of control? Nope. Wishing I had more room. Awesome place.
Me again. Wow. Look around folks. Do you find many places that actually seem to care about you? This one does. The food, the service, the fun! Perfect? Of course not but they are giving it their best shot. You’ll be pleased you went. And now to dig in!!

I loved the food and atmosphere! The service was first class and the owners were very friendly. I would definitely recommend checking this place out, I will be back for the next flea market!

Just to begin with, never have had this pizza before but let me tell you it is the best pizza in the business, no cap. Just seeing pictures of this pizza makes my mouth water. The arcade has a variety of fun and eventful games. 10/10 would go there if I have the opportunity. 😃

Great spot to stop by heading home from vacation. Their crust was great and the staff was really nice. Long day so didn’t get a chance to play any of the games but seems like they would all be fun. Got a few beers on tap and some bottles.