101 Best Pizzas in America: ALL the Pizzerias
Ranking the best pizzerias in America is contentious business. And you could argue, ridiculous. Like ranking birthdays. Or Christmases. How can you really rank something so nuanced, diverse, and… beloved?
Having curated a list of America’s best pizzas annually since 2012, researched additions, and visited as many places as possible, I get the difficulty of the effort. Having read the comments, I also get the compulsion to hate-read such an effort.
Over time, The Daily Meal’s list of 101 best pizzas in America has taken on a life of its own. Two of my favorite pizza obsessives, Barb and Eric (Barb has a Ph.D. in molecular and developmental biology, Eric is a mechanical engineer) of 101 Pizza Places, have made it their mission to visit every pizzeria featured on every list. (If you love pizza and you’re not following them on Instagram, check them out.) And last year, Pizza Today called the 101 “one of the most sought-after listings” in the pizza-sphere. It’s a serious undertaking (read the comments — you’d be crazy not to take it seriously).
Though not a perfect list, by virtue of the fact that it relies on experts across America, I do think its the best.
Every year’s intro examines movement from list to list — the number of states featuring pizzerias, east coast versus west coast, how the big pizza cities compare with each other. The order of the list changes somewhat from year to year, and up to about 20 new places climb on annually. (On any given year, I’ve typically hit about 50 to 60 places out of the 101.) Only two pizzerias have ever been ranked #1: Frank Pepe has topped the list five times and Di Fara has ranked first twice.
But I’ve never looked at all the pizzerias together. By my count, since the first list (35 pizzerias in 2012) a total of 214 pizzerias have been featured over the course of seven years. Eight closed (though Una Pizza Napoletana and Pizzeria Beddia reopened). To my knowledge, this is the first time all the pizzerias have been featured together on a map for ease of reference.
One of the most interesting things I’m reminded, looking at all the pizzerias this way, is that none have ever made the list from the following 15 states: Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Indiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Utah. That’s not for lack of effort in terms of looking for great places or experts from these states. They’ve just never gotten critical mass. I can’t believe there’s really not great pizza there though…
Think you know of a great place that should be featured? Know someone (or consider yourself a pizza expert) who you think should be a panelist to vote on the next 101? DM me @nycbestpizza. Meanwhile, check out the full lists below. — Arthur Bovino (April, 2019)
Experts finalized a list that spanned 20 states, narrowing the geographic scope from 2017 by three. The top five states for pizza included New York (36); California (10); Connecticut (9); New Jersey (7); and Illinois (6). From 2017, New York picked up only one spot, California held strong at 10, Illinois lost six spots, and New Jersey picked up one. Perhaps most interestingly, seven out of the top 10 spots were in New York City, the most ever (four in Manhattan and three from Brooklyn). And Brooklyn beat out Manhattan overall, with 15 entries to Manhattan’s 10.
#1 Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
2 Razza Pizza Artigianale
3 Lou Malnati's
4 John’s of Bleecker Street
5 Di Fara
6 Totonno’s
7 Joe’s
8 Prince St. Pizza
9 Grimaldi’s
10 Lombardi’s
11 Patsy’s
12 Sally’s Apizza
13 Modern Apizza
14 Joe & Pat's
15 Buddy’s Pizza
16 Lucali
17 Una Pizza Napoletana
18 Pizzeria Bianco
19 Roberta’s
20 Motorino
21 Paulie Gee’s
22 L&B Spumoni Gardens
23 Pizzeria Mozza
24 Pequod's
25 Apizza Scholls
26 Colony Grill
27 Emmy Squared
28 Tony's Pizza Napoletana
29 Speedy Romeo
30 Umberto's
31 Emily
32 Santillo's
33 Rubirosa
34 Scarr's
35 Louie and Ernie's
36 Al Forno
37 De Lorenzo's
38 Sofia Pizza Shoppe
39 New Park Pizza
40 Santarpio’s
41 Pizza Brain
42 Juliana's Pizza
43 Kesté
44 Pizza Brain
45 Via 313
46 Pizzeria Delfina
47 The Cheese Board
48 Serious Pie
49 Papa’s Tomato Pies
50 Pizano’s
51 Salvatore's
52 Loui's Pizza
53 Ken’s Artisan Pizza
54 Flour + Water
55 Cane Rosso
56 Galleria Umberto
57 Ernie’s Pizzeria
58 Zuppardi’s
59 Pizzeria Vetri
60 The Original Tacconelli's
61 Jon & Vinny's
62 Vito's Pizza
63 Bonci
64 Roseland Apizza
65 King Umberto’s
66 Bru Room at Bar
67 Santucci's
68 EVO
69 Monza
70 Vito & Nick’s
71 Pizzeria Lola
72 Zaffiro’s Pizza
73 Arizmendi Bakery
74 Del Popolo
75 Pizza Hacker
76 Delancey
77 Metro Pizza
78 La Piazza
79 L'industrie Pizzeria
80 Coalhouse Pizza
81 A Mano Pizza
82 Bruno's
83 Lorenzo’s and Sons
84 Bocce Club Pizza
85 Slab
85 Margot's
87 Pizzeria Bebu
88 Il Forno
89 Dino's Tomato Pie
90 Cloverleaf Pizza
91 Margherita Pizza
92 Timber Pizza Co.
93 Jay's Artisan Pizza
94 Luke's Craft Pizza
95 Joe Squared
96 Zoli's NY Pizza
97 Pizza Rock
98 Pizza Wagon
99 Inferno Pizzeria
100 La Nova
101 Micucci Grocery
Experts finalized a list that spanned 23 states. The top eight states for pizza included New York (35); Illinois (12); California (10); Connecticut (8); New Jersey (6); Pennsylvania (4); Texas (4); and Massachusetts (3). From last year, New York picked up six spots (thanks to the addition of several outside of New York City), California held strong with 10 spots, Illinois gained three spots, Jersey picked up a favorite, and Texas picked up two.
#1 Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
2 John’s of Bleecker Street
3 Modern Apizza
4 Kesté
5 Pizzeria Bianco
6 Di Fara
7 Lou Malnati's
8 Sally’s Apizza
9 Joe & Pat's
10 Lucali
11 Motorino
12 Patsy’s
13 Totonno’s
14 Gino’s East
15 Tony's Pizza Napoletana
16 Pequod's
17 Roberta’s
18 Apizza Scholls
19 Joe’s
20 Prince St. Pizza
21 Buddy’s Pizza
22 Rubirosa
23 Lombardi’s
24 Piece
25 Grimaldi’s
26 Spacca Napoli
27 CoalFire Pizza
28 Umberto's
29 Varasano’s
30 Flour + Water
31 Santarpio’s
32 Ernie’s Pizzeria
33 Zuppardi’s
34 Star Tavern Pizzeria
35 Co.
36 New Park Pizza
37 Al Forno
38 Denino’s
39 Pizza Domenica
40 Home Slice Pizza
41 Cane Rosso
42 Pizza Rock
43 Una Pizza Napoletana
44 Bru Room at Bar
45 De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
46 Razza
47 Emmy Squared
48 Juliana's Pizza
49 J&V Pizzeria
50 Paulie Gee’s
51 Louie and Ernie’s
52 Lee’s Tavern
53 Pizzeria Vetri
54 Giordano’s Pizza
55 Pizano’s
56 Pizzeria Uno
57 The Backspace
58 Ken’s Artisan Pizza
59 Pizzeria Mozza
60 Pizzeria Delfina
61 Area Four
62 Galleria Umberto
63 Mike’s Apizza
64 Santillo’s
65 Emily
66 L&B Spumoni Gardens
67 Williamsburg Pizza
68 King Umberto’s
69 Little Vincent’s
70 Amore Pizza
71 Lorenzo and Sons
72 Pizza Brain
73 Providence Coal Fired
74 Bocce Club
75 Nellcôte
76 Vito & Nick’s
77 Pizzeria Lola
78 800 Degrees
79 Gjelina
80 Sotto
81 Del Popolo
82 Serious Pie
83 Pizzeria Locale
84 Pizzeria Beddia
85 Colony Grill
85 Papa’s Tomato Pies
87 Gruppo
88 Sofia Pizza Shoppe
89 Deniro's
90 La Nova
91 Micucci Grocery
92 Reservoir Tavern
93 Burt’s Place
94 Moose’s Tooth Pub
95 The Cheese Board
96 Metro Pizza
97 O4W Pizza
98 Proof
99 Crust
100 Il Forno
101 Inferno
This year’s list spanned 23 states. The top 11 states for pizza included New York (29); California (10); Connecticut (9); Illinois (9); New Jersey (5), Pennsylvania (5); Massachusetts (4); Oregon (4); Georgia (3); Rhode Island (3); and South Carolina (3). For the fourth year, the birthplace of American pizza, New York, featured the most pizzas. It was a resurgent year all-around for the Empire State, adding two pizzerias to its 27 spots in 2015. In 2016, Brooklyn reigned once again, but it and Manhattan both dropped two spots, falling to 11 and 9 respectively. Queens (3) and Staten Island (1) both dropped spots since last year, and the Bronx held strong with the one and only Louie and Ernie’s. One fewer state was represented this year (so long, Missouri), which enabled Illinois to gain ground on Connecticut as one of the top four states for pizza.
#1 Di Fara
2 John’s of Bleecker Street
3 Frank Pepe
4 Roberta’s
5 Totonno’s
6 Motorino
7 Sally’s Apizza
8 Pizzeria Bianco
9 Lucali
10 Rubirosa
11 Louie and Ernie's
12 Pizzeria Beddia
13 Pizzeria Mozza
14 Joe’s
15 Modern Apizza
16 Pizzeria Vetri
17 Grimaldi’s
18 Kesté
19 Buddy’s Pizza
20 Apizza Scholls
21 Paulie Gee’s
22 Patsy’s
23 Prince St. Pizza
24 Pequod's
25 Santarpio’s
26 New Park Pizza
27 Varasano’s Pizzeria
28 Coalfire Pizza
29 Speedy Romeo
30 Denino’s
31 Al Forno
32 Lombardi’s
33 Gino’s East
34 Piece
35 Sotto
36 Flour + Water
37 Una Pizza Napoletana
38 Regina Pizzeria
39 Colony Pizza
40 Emily
41 Nick's Pizza
42 Antico Pizza Napoletana
43 Giordano's
44 Pizzeria Delfina
45 Tony's Pizza Napoletana
46 Metro Pizza
47 Ernie’s Pizzeria
48 Mike’s Apizza
49 Roseland Apizza
50 Santillo's
51 Star Tavern
52 Amore
53 2Amys
54 Pizano’s
55 Vito & Nick’s
56 Zaffiro’s
57 Ken’s Artisan Pizza
58 Gjelina
59 Pizza Rock
60 Bru Room at Bar
61 Zuppardi’s
62 De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
63 Williamsburg Pizza
64 Umberto's
65 Santucci's Square Pizza
66 Osteria
67 Lou Malnati's
68 Pizza Domenica
69 Caserta Pizzeria
70 Pizzeria Paradiso
71 Scuola Vecchia
72 Pizza Delicious
73 The Backspace
74 Via 313
75 Nostrana
76 Capo’s
77 Pizzaiolo
78 The Cheese Board
79 Galleria Umberto
80 Papa’s Tomato Pies
81 J&V Pizzeria
82 Gino’s of Long Beach
83 King Umberto
84 Pizza Brain
85 Emmy Squared
85 Micucci Grocery Store
87 Pizzetteria Brunetti
88 Hog & Hominy
89 Fat Lorenzo's
90 Providence Coal Fired
91 Monza Pizza
92 Pizzeria Locale
93 Harry’s Pizzeria
94 Lovely's Fifty Fifty
95 Loui's Pizza
96 O4W Pizza
97 EVO
98 L&B Spumoni Gardens
99 Reservoir Tavern
100 Area Four
101 Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
For the third year, New York, featured the most pizzas. But for the first time, its share of the pie diminished, with only 27 spots (it scored 30 in 2013 and 35 last year). Within the state, the percentage of places from New York’s five boroughs was also less (85 percent in ‘15 versus 90 in ‘14). In 2014, Brooklyn’s 13 spots reigned, leading Manhattan (11), Queens (four), Staten Island (three), and the Bronx (one). Those 31 spots fell to 23, with Brooklyn and Manhattan tied at nine, Staten Island and Queens ranking two, and the Bronx's Louie and Ernie's representing once more. After New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia tied for second, featuring six spots each, with Boston and New Haven, Connecticut, not far behind with five apiece. Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., also tied with four spots each, and then seven cities tied with two pizzas per: Atlanta, Austin, Vegas, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Providence, and yes, Robbinsville, New Jersey.
#1 Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
2 Di Fara
3 Roberta’s
4 Pizzeria Mozza
5 Sally’s Apizza
6 Flour + Water
7 Louie and Ernie's
8 Buddy’s Pizza
9 CoalFire Pizza
10 Joe’s
11 Pizzeria Bianco
12 Papa’s Tomato Pies
13 Modern Apizza
14 Totonno’s
15 Pequod's
16 Patsy’s
17 Gino’s East
18 Co.
19 Motorino
20 Tony's Pizza Napoletana
21 Paulie Gee’s
22 John’s of Bleecker Street
23 Grimaldi’s
24 Kesté
25 Lou Malnati's
26 Antico Pizza Napoletana
27 Apizza Scholls
28 Lucali
29 Una Pizza Napoletana
30 Lombardi’s
31 Lorenzo’s and Sons
32 Al Forno
33 2Amy’s
34 Pizzeria Delfina
35 Denino’s
36 Santarpio’s
37 Umberto's
38 Pete's New Haven Apizza
39 De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
40 Gjelina
41 Rubirosa
42 Emily
43 Sotto
44 Pizza Domenica
45 Varasano’s
46 Serious Pie
47 Providence Coal Fired
48 Galleria Umberto
49 Harry’s Pizzeria
50 Pizzeria Paradiso
51 Colony Pizza
52 Regina Pizzeria
53 Gino’s of Long Beach
54 The Cheese Board
55 Coppa
56 Lee’s Tavern
57 Zuppardi’s
58 Matchbox
59 Hog & Hominy
60 Pizzeria Lola
61 Bru Room at Bar
62 Pizzaiolo
63 The Original Tacconelli's
64 Ken’s Artisan Pizza
65 Home Slice Pizza
66 Osteria
67 Domenick and Pia’s
68 Pizzeria Uno
69 Double Mountain
70 Barone's
71 Metro Pizza
72 Brooklyn's Pizza
73 Pizza Rock
74 Ernesto's
75 Ernie’s Pizzeria
76 Area 4
77 Pizza Moto
78 Amore Pizza
79 Punch Neapolitan Pizza
80 Otto Pizza
81 Pi
82 Star Tavern
83 Pizzeria Beddia
84 Roseland Apizza
85 Sal’s Pizza
85 Margot's
87 New Park Pizza
88 Pizzeria Vetri
89 Tarry Lodge
90 Pizza Man
91 Zaffiro’s
92 Cane Rosso
93 The Backspace
94 Pizza Delicious
95 Pizzeria Locale
96 Micucci's Grocery
97 Tony's Place
98 Artichoke
99 Piece
100 800 Degrees
101 Ghigiarelli's
Some 29 states registered — three more than in 2013 — including, for the first time, Ohio, Iowa, and Wisconsin. For the second year, New York scored the most pizzas (35), up five. And there was a clear winner in the battle of the boroughs: Brooklyn. Its 13 pizzas beat out Manhattan (11), Queens (4), Staten Island (3), and the Bronx (1). California followed with nine pizzas, seven in San Francisco and Berkeley. There were noticeable additions from Texas (5), Georgia (4), and D.C. (3), who all registered more spots. And in a move that will continue to enrage deep-dish lovers, even fewer spots from Illinois made the list than ever.
#1 Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
2 Di Fara
3 Pizzeria Bianco
4 Roberta’s
5 Sally’s Apizza
6 Pizzeria Mozza
7 Flour + Water
8 Totonno’s
9 Paulie Gee’s
10 Tony's Pizza Napoletana
11 Una Pizza Napoletana
12 Modern Apizza
13 Joe’s
14 Motorino
15 Santarpio’s
16 Rubirosa
17 New Park Pizza
18 Lucali
19 Apizza Scholls
20 Co.
21 Gjelina
22 Kesté
23 Nick's Pizza
24 Bru Room at Bar
25 Varasano’s
26 Louie and Ernie's
27 John’s of Bleecker St.
28 Grimaldi’s
29 Regina Pizzeria
30 Al Forno
31 De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
32 Joe & Pat's
33 Patsy’s
34 Lombardi’s
35 Pizzeria Delfina
36 Colony Pizza
37 Star Tavern
38 Best Pizza
39 Pequod's
40 Little Vincent’s
41 Juliana's Pizza
42 Nellcôte
43 Spacca Napoli
44 Prince Street Pizza
45 Antico Pizza Napoletana
46 Don Antonio by Starita
47 2Amys
48 The Cheese Board
49 Franny’s
50 Zuppardi’s
51 Santillo’s
52 Denino’s
53 Scuola Vecchia
54 CoalFire Pizza
55 Home Slice Pizza
56 Serious Pie
57 Punch Neapolitan Pizza
58 Galleria Umberto
59 Emily
60 Pizza Moto
61 Lou Malnati's
62 Artichoke Basille
63 Milkflower
64 Rizzo's Fine Pizza
65 Pizzeria Locale
66 Sal’s Pizza
67 Matchbox
68 Osteria
69 Buddy’s Pizza
70 Cane Rosso
71 Via 313
72 Domenica
73 Zero Zero
74 Delancey
75 Papa’s Tomato Pies
76 Roseland Apizza
77 Williamsburg Pizza
78 Gino’s of Long Beach
79 Eddie’s Pizza
80 Pizza Brain
81 Ammazza
82 The Original Tacconelli's
83 Lee's Tavern
84 Pizzeria Paradiso
85 Pelham Pizza
86 Via Tribunali
87 Imo’s
88 Ken’s Artisan Pizza
89 Moose's Tooth Pub
90 Del Popolo
91 Pizza Rock
92 The Backspace
93 Slice
94 Monza
95 Hog & Hominy
96 Zaffiro’s
97 Pupatella
98 Vero Pizza Napoletana
99 Gusto Pizza
100 Café Bottega
101 Ghigiarelli's
Of the 101 best pizzas, 30 were from New York State (that includes Long Island). That said, only three New York City pizzas made the top 10 and two were in Brooklyn. By contrast, two pizzas from Connecticut made the top 10, and three from California ranked among them. The takeaway? There are great pies being made in Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Seattle… and even some Southern states, but without a doubt, most of America’s best pies are still in New Haven, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix. San Diego’s a nice place, but among the top 10 spots in the country for pizza? No way, TripAdvisor.
#1 Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
2 Di Fara
3 Pizzeria Bianco
4 Una Pizza Napoletana
5 Pizzeria Mozza
6 Roberta’s
7 Sally’s Apizza
8 Flour + Water
9 Motorino
10 Al Forno
11 Modern Apizza
12 Totonno’s
13 Paulie Gee’s
14 Apizza Scholls
15 South Brooklyn Pizza
16 Kesté
17 Co.
18 Papa’s Tomato Pies
19 The Cheese Board
20 2Amy’s
21 Zero Otto Nove
22 Regina Pizzeria
23 Spacca Napoli
24 Domenica
25 John’s of Bleecker St.
26 Grimaldi’s
27 Colony Pizza
28 DeNino's
29 Santarpio’s
30 Ken’s Artisan Pizza
31 A16
32 Gjelina
33 Pizzeria Delfina
34 Patsy’s
35 Joe’s
36 Pupatella
37 Lou Malnati's
38 Star Tavern
39 Nick's Pizza
40 Gino’s East
41 Scampo
42 A Mano Pizza
43 Lombardi’s
44 Artichoke
45 Delancey
46 Little Vincent’s
47 Franny’s
48 The Backspace
49 800 Degrees
50 Pizzaiolo
51 Pizzeria Uno
52 Don Antonio by Starita
53 Osteria
54 Coppa
55 Santillo's
56 Enoteca Vespaio
57 Joe & Pat's
58 Louie and Ernie's
59 EVO
60 Garage Bar
61 Falco's Pizza & Pasta
62 Antico Pizza Napoletana
63 Rizzo's Fine Pizza
64 Fat Lorenzo's
65 Tomasso’s
66 Flying Squirrel Pizza
67 Pizzeria Locale
68 Al Forno
69 Nunzio’s
70 Fellini’s
71 Anthony’s Coal Fired
72 Michael's
73 Sullivan Street Bakery
74 De Lorenzo's
75 Del Popolo
76 Picco
77 L&B Spumoni Gardens
78 Giordano's Pizza
79 Vito & Nick’s
80 Mani Osteria & Bar
81 Niki’s
82 Moose's Tooth Pub
83 King Umberto
84 Metro Pizza
85 Galleria Umberto
85 Antonio's
87 Spirito's
88 Best Pizza
89 Gino’s of Long Beach
90 The Original Tacconelli's
91 Lorenzo and Sons
92 Imo’s
93 Via Tribunali
94 Lovely's Fifty Fifty
95 Lucali
96 Pizza Delicious
97 Reginelli’s
98 Zio’s
99 Cloverleaf Pizza
100 La Piazza
101 Ghigiarelli's
35 Best Pizzas in America for 2012
2 Motorino
3 John's Pizzeria
4 Pizano's
5 Vito & Nick's
6 Joe's
7 Frank Pepe
8 Gino’s East
9 Co.
10 Fireside Pies
11 Monza
12 Jumbo Slice
13 A16
14 Reginelli's
15 Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza
16 Roppolo’s
17 Antonio Ristorante
18 Flour + Water
19 Gjelina
20 Regina Pizzeria
21 Sally's Apizza
22 Scuola Vecchia
23 Osteria
24 De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
25 Pizzeria Mozza
26 Pizzeria Bianco
27 Una Pizza Napoletana
28 Al Forno
29 Great Lake
30 Spacca Napoli
31 Santarpio's
32 EVO
33 2Amy's
34 Pizaro’s
35 Papa's Tomato Pies
The Daily Meal's editors racked their collective pizza memory. We consulted venerable texts and online sources, sought out old-school Formica-table joints and brazen newcomers. We carefully considered the stalwarts of the country's two pizza capitals, New York City and (cough) Chicago, but not so closely that we couldn't look beyond them. We ended up with a list of more than 140 places, most any of which, you'd be happy with stopping in for a pie. Knowing it might still be possible to miss local gems, we asked our panel to write in with five suggestions. Altogether, we turned 140 places over to our panel and asked them narrow things down to five spots for each of seven regions: West Coast; Southwest and Texas; Midwest; South; Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; New England; and yes, New York City. There were hundreds of votes cast by about 20 American chefs, restaurant critics, and pizza authorities
#1 Di Fara
