Top Five Local Pizzerias
A trip to this Carroll Gardens institution is a pizza-lovers’ rite of passage. This cash-only spot serves up thin New York-style pies that are light, fluffy in the middle and crunchy on the edges.
You can get either a cheese or pepperoni slice. Each bite is a delicious journey back in time.
Jersey Giant Pizza
This family-oriented East Side pie shop serves good thin crust slices. They also offer sandwiches, calzones, and salads. They serve a nice selection of drinks, including great lemonade.
This locally owned pizza spot has been serving Bee Cave for a decade now. Their pies range from 18-inch to 28-inch. They also have cheap lunch specials and delicious wings.
The wait at this popular spot is usually long, but the back patio offers a relaxed environment for chatting it out. They also have a fun ping-pong table.
40 North
Named for the latitude of Naples, Italy, 40 North originally served charred and puffy Neapolitan pizzas. Now, the restaurant has expanded to serve a variety of dishes, including sandwiches and salads. They also offer a selection of drinks.
This airy and easygoing neighborhood pizza joint specializes in Neapolitan pies and other casual eats. It is one of the highest-rated restaurants in Austin, according to Google reviews. Its staff is said to be competent.
Show Me Pizza
Almost every corner of NYC has some sort of quick, classic pizzeria. You know, the kind where you grab a slice to go, or sit down and enjoy some more of the tangy, cheese-rich pizza that supposedly only comes from these five boroughs (there’s probably something in our water).
There are several spots on this Eater map that have reached icon status, like Di Fara, which has been making legendary pies in their tiny South Brooklyn shop since 1965. But there are also newer, up-and-coming favorites that deserve your attention.
DeSano Pizzeria Napoletana
Preserving the centuries-old craft, DeSano’s master pizza makers follow Naples-founded True Neapolitan Pizza Association guidelines to serve the most authentic Italian pies. They also offer calzones, fresh salads and dessert pizzas.
This place is one of the highest rated pizza restaurants in Austin according to Google Reviews. Its Pepperoni Pizza and spinach chopped salad are great.
You order at the counter and sit at long tables in the back. The whole experience is reminiscent of barbecue joints, except you’re eating pizza instead of fretted-over briskets.
Dovetail
Dovetail is South Austin’s hottest new pizza spot. Their fusion of NY-style and Neapolitan pizza is crazy good. It’s also a collaboration between some of the city’s most popular restaurants, including Swedish Hill and Salt & Time.
The restaurant celebrates the re-emerging spirit of Macon through a sophisticated, yet rustic, dining experience. The menu reflects the strong agrarian roots of the region and highlights local ingredients, with pizzas that are like a tasty trip back in time.
Aviator Pizza & Drafthouse
Aviator Pizza & Drafthouse serves pizza, calzones, sandwiches and salads as well as an impressive selection of craft beer. The restaurant is a favorite among locals. Its prices are very reasonable and the staff is friendly. It is also a great place to meet friends.
The restaurant is located in a strip mall and has a simple interior design. The menu offers 24 regional taps and a huge selection of wine and beer.
Ping Pong Pizza
James Alefantis, co-owner of Comet Ping Pong and another restaurant on the same block in upper Northwest Washington, says his customers and employees have become a new kind of target for internet purveyors of false articles. They have been subjected to a bizarre conspiracy theory that argues pizza is code for pedophilia.
A lot of things make Comet Ping Pong unique, from its rough concrete walls to the ping-pong tables in the back to the punk rock shows and other events. But the weirdness may also have helped fuel a conspiracy theory called “Pizzagate.”
New York Pizza Company
Inspired by neighborhood pizzerias, New York Pizza Company offers classic slices that are low-moisture mozzarella and allow customers to add their own toppings. The decor is a time warp, featuring Formica countertops and checkerboard linoleum floors. There are contour booths and faux Tiffany lamps that add to the atmosphere.
New York pizza makers rely on consistent delivery for core ingredients, so natural disasters like 2012’s Superstorm Sandy can disrupt service. But many pizzerias have adapted to such events by using backup food sources.
Di Fara
Despite the hour-plus wait to get a slice, pizza lovers from all over the city make the pilgrimage to Di Fara at least once. The legendary Midwood pizzeria has been a one-man show since 1965, when founder Dom DeMarco, a stoop-shouldered asbestos-fingered Italian, opened the restaurant in a classic Brooklyn brick Seaport storefront.
His pizzas are a perfect combination of ingredients and skill. His round and square pizzas feature whole milk low-moisture mozzarella, fresh mozzarella (from either mozzarella di bufala or fior di latte), and grated Parmigiano reggiano.