The Best Pizza Places Across America
Apizza Scholl’s
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Address: 4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
This pizza joint creates some of the best-tasting neo-Neapolitan style pizzas in the area. They are extremely loved by the locals and by people just passing through. These pizzas have a thin crust, but also have light and fluffy edges around.
Apizza Scholl’s has a strict topping limit of 3 choices—this is to ensure an even bake throughout the pizza. They also use an electric oven that gives the pizzas a consistent texture, unlike a typical wood oven would do. One of their most popular pizzas is the Diablo Blanco and is $27. This pizza does not come with any sauce, which might seem odd if you are used to having the tomato sauce on your pizza, but it also comes with ricotta cheese and roasted tomato pesto, which is made with tomatoes, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper. The pizza is also topped with fresh jalapeno to give it that extra kick of flavor.
Pizza Brain
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Address: 2313 Frankford Ave.
Pizza Brain in Philadelphia is keen on using only fresh ingredients while making their pizza. They choose to use only farm-fresh vegetables that are ordered and delivered daily. They even make their dough in-house to ensure the freshest quality for their guests. Pizza Brain was founded in 2012 by four people who have over 70 years of experience together. They are truly the perfect team of entrepreneurs.
The design of the restaurant was created so that the guests could have a fun and approachable environment. Pizza Brain also has one of the largest collections of pizza memorabilia in the world. Inside Pizza Brain, you will find one of their most popular pizzas: the Forbes Waggensense. This pizza has mozzarella, fontina, Grana Padano, basil, smoked pepperoni, and tomato sauce. There is also an option to make this pie vegan if you so choose.
Pizzeria Bianco
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
- Addresses:
- 623 E Adams St.
- 4743 N 20th St.
In 1988, Chris Bianco started Pizzeria Bianco in the back of a grocery store. He wanted to create something that reflected his respect and intentions that he brought to every recipe he created. Bianco even released a cookbook in 2017 that included recipes on his signature pizzas. He also developed a line of organic tomato products in California that are now used all over the country.
While Pizzeria Bianco has many popular pies to choose from, one of their most famous is the Wiseguy. This pizza has wood-roasted onions, house-smoked mozzarella, and fennel sausage. From everyone who has tried this pizza, they have all said it is one of the best-tasting pies, even compared to ones you would find in New York City. In 2003, Chris Bianco won the James Beard Award for the Best Chef Southwest. This started an artisanal pizza revolution. He inspired dozens of people to create their own versions of pizzas by giving his advice and food philosophies.
Slim & Husky’s
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Address: 911 Buchanan St.
Slim & Husky’s has become a popular spot for those seeking good food and an entertaining atmosphere. At its inception, three Nashville locals had devised a plan to create something special for their community. Derrick Moore, E.J. Reed, and Clint Gray all had one goal in mind: they wanted to open a restaurant to invigorate less touched areas of their community. This meant creating new job opportunities and a dining experience of a lifetime.
They have three popular pizzas that are difficult to choose from: “Got 5 On It,” “PREAM,” and the “Rony, Roni, Rone!” Got 5 On It is a classic cheese pizza with a red sauce that is made in-house daily. The PREAM is a white pizza with cheese, spinach, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, and red onions. The Rony, Roni, Rone! is a pepperoni pizza with pork, beef, and spicy pepperoni.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
- Location: New Haven, Connecticut
- Address: 157 Wooster Square Historic District
In 1925, Frank Pepe founded Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Connecticut. Frank was born in 1893 and had immigrated to the United States in 1909 at the age of 16. He created two pizzas, one with cheese, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. The other pizza had anchovies as a topping to go along with the original. Frank and his wife also lived above the pizzeria with their two daughters, who ran the company until they passed it down to their children.
To this day, one of the pizzeria’s most popular pies is the coal-fired white clam pizza. It comes in three different sizes: Small (12″), Medium (16″), and Large (18″). The white clam pizza has fresh clams, pecorino romano, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. Pizza connoisseurs will travel far and wide just to get a taste of this pie.
Pequod’s
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Address: 2207 N Clybourn Ave.
Pequod’s Pizza was founded in 1970. They quickly became popular due to their pan-style pizza that had caramelized edges. To create the perfect crust, the pizza has mozzarella cheese that is cooked along the edge.
While Pequod’s doesn’t have a specific pizza that is popular, many people come in for their deep-dish pizza. This pizza joint is craved by many Chicago locals and tourists. They recommend that you get to the restaurant early to be sure that you can score a piece of your favorite pizza pie. For those of you who tend to eat on the lighter side, they do offer a 7″ personal pan pizza that you can customize with the toppings of your choice. Plus, you still get the infamous burnt-cheese edges that make this restaurant so popular.
John’s of Bleecker Street
- Location: New York City, New York
- Address: 278 Bleecker St.
In 1929, Giovanni John Sasso founded this establishment. He was born in Naples, which is known as the birthplace of pizza. So, it’s only fitting that he would open his own pizza joint after he moved to the United States. John’s is known for its coal-fired brick ovens that produce some of the crispiest pizzas in the area.
One of the most popular attractions of this restaurant is the wooden booths inside. People love visiting just for the chance to write or carve their name into the booth. John’s also does not give their guests an option to order a single slice of pizza, they only serve whole pizza pies. Which is fine if you are ordering food for the whole family! An interesting fact about the restaurant is how they only accepted cash until 2016. This just further proves that John’s stayed true to their roots.
Razza
- Location: Jersey City, New Jersey
- Address: 275 Grove St.
Razza is dedicated to preserving their Italian way of cooking. They only use vegetables that are in season so they are able to create the freshest pizza in the area. Razza was founded in 2007 by Dan Richer. He was inspired by Italian food when he took a trip to Italy. Since then, he has worked day in and day out to create the perfect cuisine that he had while in Italy.
They serve many tasty pizzas, including the Jersey Margherita, Di Natale, and the Funghi. The Jersey Margherita pizza has fresh mozzarella, crushed tomatoes, basil, and olive oil. The Di Natale pizza has tomato sauce, mozzarella, olives, pine nuts, raisins, garlic, basil, and chili oil to give it some spice. The Funghi pizza has mozzarella, mushrooms, onions, chives, and Parmigiano. These pizzas are some of the most popular choices that Razza has to offer.
Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano
- Location: Brooklyn, New York
- Address: 1524 Neptune Ave.
Totonno’s opened in 1924 on Coney Island. Totonno became ill in the 1950s and he taught his son Jerry how to make the pizzas. Totonno’s had faced many challenges throughout the years. In 1997 and 2009, they had suffered two major fires that caused them to close down to make repairs. Then, in 2012, they had closed again from damages due to hurricane Sandy.
Totonno’s is known for its coal-oven pizzas that include fresh ingredients. The hours of the restaurant are not set in stone, as they are open until they run out of dough, which they normally do at the end of each day. Their most popular pizza has mozzarella, pepperoni, mushrooms, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Every pizza is baked in a coal-fired oven to give them its unique taste and texture.
Eataly
- Location: 7 locations in the U.S.
- Addresses:
- 200 5th avenue | New York, New York
- 101 Liberty St., 3rd floor | New York, New York
- 43 East Ohio Street | Chicago, Illinois
- 800 Boylston Street | Boston, Massachusetts
- 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. | Los Angeles, California
- 3770 S Las Vegas Blvd. | Las Vegas, Nevada
- 8687 N. Central Expy, Suite 2172 | Dallas, Texas
Eataly is a chain of Italian restaurants, bakeries, retails, and a cooking school that is located in metro’s across the United States. Eataly was founded by Oscar Farinetti in Alba, Italy. In 2010, Eataly opened its first location in the United States on 5th Avenue in New York City. They included 7 restaurants, a produce market, a gelateria, a wine store, and a restaurant with wood-fired pizza.
Eataly makes their Napoletana pizza dough with wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water. The dough is left to rise for 24 hours before they shape it by hand into its shape. Once the dough is ready and the toppings are placed on the pizza, they place it into a wood-burning oven, around 900 degrees Fahrenheit, for 90 seconds. They also have other styles of pizzas known as “Pizza Alla Pala,” “Pizza Tonda Romana”, and “Pizza al Taglio,” amongst many others.
Santarpio’s
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Address: 111 Chelsea St.
Francisco Santarpio founded a bread bakery in 1903. He convinced his son, Joseph, to abandon his baseball career to work for the family company. The business had transitioned into a bar once prohibition ended and served pasta at lunchtime. They later began to bake pizzas that brought in more customers throughout the city.
This pizzeria is consistently found in articles listing the best pizzerias in the United States. That is because they do have some amazing pizza. Although you would think that the restaurant has a plethora of options to choose from, they like to keep it consistent by only making the same pizzas each day. But they do still have plenty of options for their guests to choose from. From the Italian favorites of Italian cheese and anchovies to the classic cheese pizza, there is something for everyone here!
Antico
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Addresses:
- 1093 Hemphill Ave.
- 2605 Circle 75 Pkwy. SE
- 7165 Avalon Blvd.
Antico Pizza Napoletana opened its doors in 2009. Ever since then, people have made regular trips to the restaurant to be able to get their pizza fix. This restaurant was built on the west side of Atlanta and, at the beginning, it wasn’t the best-looking building in the area. But, when inside, guests had the opportunity to taste some of the best pizza of their life.
One of Antico’s most popular choices is their Margherita pizza. This pizza has San Marzano tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil, and garlic. Atlanta locals and visitors love to hit up this pizza joint to pregame for all the sports attractions around the city. They have locations conveniently located near the Georgia Tech campus as well as the Atlanta Braves stadium. This is the perfect spot for sports lovers from all around.
Good Pie
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Address: 1212 S Main St.
Pizzaiolo Vincent Rotolo founded Good Pie, which is a Brooklyn Style pizza shop. They specialize in any and all pizza styles to cater to their guest’s needs. Good Pie is dedicated to creating an open environment for their chefs and staff to have a place to flaunt their individual skills. They take the advice of people within their industry and also help those who need it.
Some of their most popular pizzas are their Grandma Style Square Pies. These pizzas are square/rectangular shaped and come with a variety of toppings. These pies include cheese, vegetarian, a white pie, meat, and mushroom. They also have Brooklyn style, Detroit style, Sicilian style, and a variety of vegan and dairy-free options.
575 Pizzeria
- Location: Amarillo, Texas
- Address: 2803 Civic Circle
575 Pizzeria is home to many unique flavors. In 2007, 575 Pizzeria was founded by Brian Kelleher. His goal was to create a place where people felt welcomed and were able to enjoy a delicious pizza. This pizzeria gets its name from the temperature at which the pizzas are baked. Hint: it’s 575 degrees.
This pizzeria creates homemade pies with thin crust and hand-tossed dough. They only use fresh veggies and are consistently creating new pies to satisfy their customers. Their most popular pizza is the “Omni.” This pizza was voted the Best Pizza in America by Urban Spoon in 2014, and they definitely aren’t wrong about that! The Omni is a red pie with mozzarella, black olives, green peppers, mushrooms, Italian sausage, and pepperoni. It’s definitely a must-try if you are ever in the area.
Loui’s
- Location: Hazel Park, Michigan
- Address: 23141 Dequindre Rd.
Loui’s pizza was founded by Louis Tourtois Sr. Louis was a former employee of Buddy’s pizza and left to start his own business. Loui’s pizza has a unique ambiance that captures what it was like to visit a restaurant back in time. They have checkered tablecloths and empty bottles hanging from the ceiling. From the decor to the food, it really is an experience that you need to witness for yourself.
Loui’s Pizza is home to the infamous Detroit-Style pizza. Some of their most beloved pies include meat lovers, green pepper, ham and anchovies, and pepperoni and mushroom pizza. All of these pizzas come with the Detroit-style crust. This crust is rectangular and is thick and chewy. It truly is one of the best styles of pizza.
Settebello
- Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
- Address: 260 S 200 W
Settebello was founded in 2005 in hopes of creating a pizza that is similar to what had been made in Napoli. When Settebello was created, the founders wanted to bring their vision of Pizza Napoletana to life. They are committed to creating an open environment not only for their guests but for their staff as well.
While Settebello does have your traditional cheese and pepperoni pizzas, they also have a large variety of options to choose from—things that you might not find at your local Pizza Hut. They have a pizza called the “Bianca” which has Prosciutto Crudo, arugula, Parmigiano, and mozzarella. Another one of their unique choices is the “Pizza Carbonara.” This pizza has tomatoes, pancetta, egg, cracked pepper, Parmigiano, mozzarella, and Olio.
Adriano’s Brick Oven
- Location: Glenwood, Iowa
- Address: 18 N Walnut St.
Adriano’s creates a unique pizza in Glenwood. They offer toppings such as pineapple, jalapenos, and anything else you could want on a typical pizza. They also are known for their fresh ingredients and dough that is made in-house.
Some of the qualities of Adriano’s that people love so much are not only their delicious food but also their customer service. Seriously, most of their reviews consist of customers raving about the service they had while eating at Adriano’s. Customers also stated that they loved the unique taste of the sauce and the generous amount of toppings. Adriano’s uses a brick oven to bake their pizza. A brick oven uses burning wood to give pizza a unique texture and allows the pizza to cook differently than it would in a regular oven.
DeLuca’s Pizzeria
- Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
- Address: 831 Central Ave
Anthony Delica founded this pizzeria when he visited Hot Springs, Arkansas. He knew that this was the place where he had to create his legacy. At DeLuca’s, they only use fresh ingredients. From the handmade dough to the fresh veggies that are locally sourced, DeLuca’s is truly a one-of-a-kind pizza joint.
One of the most popular pizzas at DeLuca’s is their Margherita pizza. This pizza has a thin crust baked in the brick oven, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, olive oil, and homemade tomato sauce. The locals of Hot Springs rave about this pizza! Since Hot Springs is home to some of the best water, this helps create a unique and refreshing taste to their pizzas.
Zoli’s
- Location: Addison (Dallas), Texas
- Address: 14910 Midway Rd.
Zoli’s was founded by Jay Jerrier. With a Neapolitan style in mind, they tend to create their own version of the classic wood-fired pizza. When they moved from the Bishop Arts District in Dallas to Addison, they decided it was the perfect time to revamp their restaurant. They created a full-service sit-down restaurant that was obviously Italian-inspired.
Zoli’s has many tasty pizzas that are loved by the locals. One of these pizzas being the “Lady Marmalade.” This pizza has mozzarella, ricotta, soppressata marmalade, garlic, and olive oil. Another one of their popular pizzas is the “Lil’ Troy.” This pizza has vodka sauce, mini meatballs, stracciatella, hot cherry peppers, and garlic breadcrumbs. They definitely have their own unique style of pizzas that are loved by many.
Emilia’s Pizzeria
- Location: Berkeley, California
- Address: 2995 Shattuck Ave.
This cute little pizzeria is definitely unique. There is one person operating the whole store! They only serve pizza four nights a week and are mostly a takeout establishment. Emilia’s has a procedure for its guests—customers wanting to order will place it through their callback system page. After this, the restaurant will call back the person who made the order. There are very few time slots left open on most days, making it extremely difficult to order pizza unless you do it in advance.
This pizzeria only serves pies whole. The pizzas are sliced into 8 slices for every order. They have 6 specialty pizzas to order from and refuse any substitutions or changes to those pies. If you would like something different, or to add a topping, there is still the option to choose from a custom pizza. One of their most popular pizzas is the “Ooh Mama”, which has onions, mushrooms, and Aleppo peppers.
