Best Pizza Places in the US: Highlighting the Top Pizza Places From Around the Country
Pizza – no matter how you slice it up, tops many a person’s favorite food list. In this list of the best pizza places, we detail twenty outstanding pizza places in the US – all of which are going to have your mouth watering.
In this list of the best pizza places in the US, a variety of pizza styles are showcased, including Neapolitan, deep-dish, Detroit square, and New Haven-style. So regardless of your favorite style of pizza, there is sure to be something for you. And, while you may already have a favorite type of pizza, you really can’t go wrong with any of these pizzas.
As the unofficial pizza capital, NYC and the surrounding New England area represent well in this list, but some great West Coast locations are also featured here. So if nothing makes you happier than a hot slice of pizza, take a look through this list and begin planning your next pizza adventure.
And, for even more food know-how, visit our lists of the best restaurants in NYC and the best restaurants in the US.
Top 20 Pizza Places in the US:
1. Pepe’s Pizza
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Restaurant Highlights: Long history of quality pizzas, Each pizza is cooked in a brick oven and over a coal fire.
About Pizza Place: Started in 1925 by Frank Pepe, Pepe’s is now run by Frank’s grandchildren. The style of pizza served here, is known as New Haven-style’ apizza’, and is renowned among pizza lovers. Pepe’s has expanded into several locations, but the New Haven location still reigns supreme. Try a classic like the original tomato pie, or something more unique like the white clam pizza.
2. Al Forno Pizza
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Restaurant Highlights: Orgininal and fresh ingredients, Pizza comes in a thin crust style and is grilled to perfection.
About Pizza Place: Topped with original and fresh ingredients, Al Forno’s thin-crust, grilled pizzas have garnered a cult following. While all the pizzas are delicious, the delicious simplicity of the margarita pizza, complete with house-made Pomodoro, two kinds of cheese, olive oil, and fresh herbs, is truly special.
3. Regina Pizzeria
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Restaurant Highlights: Has been around since 1926, Offers a large selection of pizza options.
About Pizza Place: Travelled to by those that are near and far, Regina Pizzeria has been providing world-class pizza since 1926. Their brick oven pizzas are a staple of Boston. And, with many locations throughout the Boston area, you will have even more dining opportunities. With a large selection of pizza topping options, you will be able to find your perfect pie.
4. Una Pizza Napoletana
Location: San Francisco, California
Restaurant Highlights: An attention to detail in every pizza that is made, Tried and true pizzas to choose from.
About Pizza Place: After a successful run in NYC, Una Pizza Napoletana is now located in scenic San Francisco. Fresh ingredients and a perfectly executed crust make the Neapolitan pizzas here truly special and ensure that guests come back time and time again. And, where some pizza places look to offer an extensive menu, Una Pizza Napoletana offers five tried and true favorites (a sixth is available on Saturdays only), which they have perfected over the years.
5. Pizzeria Bianco
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Restaurant Highlights: Woodfired pizza crust, In-house prepared ingredients.
About Pizza Place: Founded by Chris Bianco, winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, Pizzeria Bianco is known for its artisanal pizza. Woodfired pizza crust, coupled with house-smoked mozzarella, make for a truly delicious pizza and ensure that Phoenix is known for more than just southwest cooking.
6. Di Fara Pizza
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Restaurant Highlights: Offers New York and Sicilian style pizza, Provides a fun and lively restaurant environment.
About Pizza Place: Another Brooklyn favorite, Di Fara, has been in business since 1965. New York and Sicilian style pizzas are offered here, and the organized counter chaos ensures that you have a fun and memorable ordering experience. Each pie is handcrafted and then cooked in a piping hot retro oven. Within just minutes, the pizza is ready to be enjoyed.
7. Pizzeria Mozza
Location: Los Angeles, California
Restaurant Highlights: Locally sourced foods, Environmentally friendly, Large menu selection to choose from.
About Pizza Place: With high praise from publications like the LA Times and others, Pizzaria Mozza is widely considered one of the best pizza places in the country. It is one of those pizzas where the crust is as much looked forward to as the toppings.
And, as a company that values taking care of the planet, you can know that you are supporting an environmentally friendly business when you eat at Pizzeria Mozza. With a large selection of delicious pies and many other excellent menu offerings, Pizzaria Mozza is a must-visit restaurant.
8. Flour + Water
Location: San Francisco, California
Restaurant Highlights: Menu changes daily, Offers a cookbook of 50+ unique recipes.
About Pizza Place: Flour + Water began in 2009 in the center of the mission district in San Francisco. Today, they are known all over the city, state, and country as one of the best pizza places out there. The menu is a combination of inspiration from both regional areas of Italy and also Northern California. Also, Flour + Water offers a daily changing menu, so make sure to plan multiple trips to this fantastic, one-of-a-kind pizzeria if you are ever in San Francisco.
9. 800 Degree Woodfired Kitche
Location: Hollywood, California
Restaurant Highlights: Every pizza is baked with a woodfire, Uses only the highest quality ingredients.
About Pizza Place: With an entire menu that is inspired by the art of cooking with woodfire, 800 Degree Woodfired Kitchen has most assuredly earned its name. And, while they offer a number of excellent dishes, one that stands out is their amazing woodfired craft pizzas. With a “Clean Eating Promise” as well, you can trust that only the best ingredients are going to be used in the making of your pizza.
Behind all of this is mastermind Chef Anthony Carron. With many personal awards and a genuine love for pizza, he uses his skills to make some of the best pizza on the planet.
10. Santarpio’s Pizza
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Restaurant Highlights: Large selection of pizza options to choose from.
About Pizza Place: With an emphasis strictly on the pizza and providing the best pizza possible, Santarpio’s has been a Boston pizza favorite for years. With a location in both East Boston and Peabody, you have twice the availability. And, with a large selection of specialty pizzas, diners will have plenty of pizzas to try every time that they visit Santarpio’s Pizza.
11. Tacconelli’s Pizzeria
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Restaurant Highlights: Brick oven cooked pizzas, The family recipe has been passed down through the generations.
About Pizza Place: With a history that could sell pizza all on its own, Tacconelli’s Pizzeria is also known all over the city of Philadelphia for its great tasting pizza. In 1946, Giovanni Tacconelli started selling his tomato pies cooked to perfection in a brick oven. Today, in their 5th generation, the Tacconelli family is still producing some of the best pizzas in the country.
12. Totonno’s
Location: Coney Island, New York
Restaurant Highlights: Family owned since 1921, Has been awarded a number of awards.
About Pizza Place: When it comes to dining on Coney Island, typically, the first thing that comes to mind is hot dogs. Well, after you grab a slice at Totonno’s, you may start thinking of it for its pizza offerings. Family-owned since 1921, Totonno’s offers a truly New York City pizza.
Over the years, they have also been steadily getting recognition from some of the top food publications out there. With awards from the Food Network, Zagat, New York Times, and more, Totonno’s is a pizzeria that is enjoyed by the everyday diner and the critics.
13. Keste Pizzeria
Location: New York City, New York
Restaurant Highlights: Their recipes can be traced back to the birthplace of pizza, Every pizza is made by an expertly trained chef.
About Pizza Place: Keste Pizzeria is a family affair and one that can be traced back to the birthplace of pizza in Napoli. Head Chef Roberto Caporuscio and his daughter Giorgia (who is also an expertly trained pizza chef), are the masterminds behind Keste and their pizza offerings.
Both of them spent time learning and mastering the art of pizza in Napoli, Italy, and they bring that expertise with them to Keste. Also, with two locations as well, diners will be able to enjoy all of these fantastic Keste pizza offerings all the more.
14. Pizzeria Delfina
Location: San Francisco, California
Restaurant Highlights: Excellent specialty pizzas to choose from.
About Pizza Place: With pizza options like Clam Pie and Burrata Pice, Pizzeria Delfina offers all of the traditional pizzas, but also some spectacular specialty pizzas as well. And, with several different locations throughout San Francisco, guests will have more dining options. Pizza lovers also have the option of having Pizzaria Delfina cater an event or deliver their favorite pizzas.
15. Ribalta Pizzeria
Location: New York City, New York
Restaurant Highlights: Napoli inspired pizzas, Traditional and customized pizza options to choose from.
About Pizza Place: Using only flours that are certified by the Italian flour mill “Le 5 Stagioni,” Ribalta Pizzaria places quality at a premium in everything that they do. They take their inspiration from the birthplace of pizza and do their best to offer a pizza that reflects what Naples, Italy, is all about.
Offering both traditional favorites and also customized pizzas, Ribalta Pizzeria is sure to satisfy all pizza lovers. And, while their primary location is in New York City, they also offer a location in Atlanta, Georgia, as well.
16. A16 Pizza
Location: San Francisco and Oakland, California
Restaurant Highlights: Inspired by Italian pizza recipes, Has received many awards.
About Pizza Place: With an inspiration that comes straight from Italy, A16 Pizza is actually named after the highway that runs between Napoli and Bari in Italy. Chef Nicolette Maneschalchi focuses on an authentic Pizza Nabolitana, which would make the homeland proud. Having been featured in a large number of publications, A16 is loved by both the critics and the everyday pizza lovers equally.
17. Buddy’s Pizza
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Restaurant Highlights: Detroit square-style pizza, Has been open since 1946.
About Pizza Place: Since 1946, Buddy’s has been serving up Detroit’s signature square pie. This iconic location serves up a number of different square pies, all delicious. For a fun, community-supported pizza place, Buddy’s is not to be missed. With right around a dozen locations to choose from, Buddy’s Pizza has become a staple of the culinary scene in Detroit.
18. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Restaurant Highlights: Offers deep dish pizza, Was founded in 1971.
About Pizza Place: No visit to the Windy City is complete without sampling some Chicago deep-dish pizza, and Lou Malnati’s serves up some of the best deep dish around. Malnati’s was founded in 1971, and their signature from the beginning has been their thick, buttery crust. And, while you may not be able to finish your pie, but you can sure enjoy trying! Besides, who doesn’t enjoy taking home a little pizza for later?
19. Osteria Pizza
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Restaurant Highlights: Award-winning pizza, Neapolitan, and Roman-style pizza.
About Pizza Place: Philly is more than just great cheesesteaks – one visit to Osteria will prove that. Chef Michaud, a James Beard award winner, serves up classic Neapolitan and Roman-style pizzas. Try the Lombarda pizza, complete with a baked egg, mozzarella cheese, and cotechino sausage, for an exceptional pizza experience.
20. Apizza Scholls
Location: Portland, Oregon
Restaurant Highlights: Large variety of pizza options.
About Pizza Place: A pacific northwest favorite, Apizza Scholls dishes out a variety of 18-inch pies. The classic Apizza Amore features cured pork shoulder and is a favorite of many, all while providing a nice spicy kick. And, while this is just one tasty option, their extensive menu is sure to have something that jumps out at you.
Best Pizza Places in The US Conclusion
You would be surprised at how hard it is to write a list like this around lunchtime, but we knew that you would like it, so we powered through!
And, while it is great to look at all of these excellent pizza places, it doesn’t compare to visiting one of them. So whether you already live in one of these cities or need to plan a trip, we highly recommend visiting as many of these pizza places as you can. And, outside of the pizza, there will be plenty of other great sightseeing as well.
If you are looking for even more food-related lists, check out our list of the best snack ideas, best salad recipes, and best coffee brands.
And, always, if you have any personal feedback on one of these pizza places, we would love to hear about it in the comments below.
