America's best pizza--support your local pie shop!

[Vox_Reason]

It's time for another DU best pizza thread!

In my ongoing quest to build a database of America's best independent and small chain pizza shops as nominated by workaday Joe and Janes who are fellow fans of what might be the world's most perfect food, I have compiled a list of recommended pizza shops (independents and chains of a smaller scale than Domino's/Pizza Hut) across the country, as culled from numerous message board threads here and elsewhere. The list contains over 750 shops representing all 50 states.

Here are the most recommended shops in my list. The number following each shop name is the number of times each shop was recommended by others after its initial nomination:

Lou Malnati's, Chicago--22
Giordano's, Chicago--20
Frank Pepe's, New Haven, CT--19
Gino's East, Chicago--17
Mellow Mushroom, Chain, USA--16
Pizzeria Uno, Chain, USA--16
Sally's Apizza, New Haven, CT--13
John's (Bleecker St.), Manhattan--11
Monical's, Chain, IL/IN/WI--9
Fellini's, Atlanta--8
Antonio's Pizza, Amherst, MA--8
Joe Bologna's, Lexington, KY--7
Grimaldi's, Brooklyn--7
Aurelio's, Chicago--7
Vincent's, Pittsburgh--7
Lombardi's, NYC--6
Mack and Manco, Ocean City, NJ--6
Modern Apizza, New Haven, CT--6
Pizzeria Regina, Boston--6
Due's, Chicago--6
Outback Pizza, Taos, NM--5
PizzaPapalis, Chain, MI--5
Crozet Pizza, Crozet, VA--5
Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria, Chain, USA--5

I invite you to nominate your favorite local pie shop, even if it is one of those shops listed above. Please post the full shop name, city, and state. Tell us why you think the shop (or shops) you are nominating makes the best pizza! Links to pie shop web sites also appreciated.

I will start things off with my nominations from the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC "Triangle" area:

Lilly's, Raleigh, NC (great crust with just a touch of sweetness)
Pepper's, Chapel Hill, NC (great slices for a great price, strangest kitchen staff in 5 states)
Amante Gourmet, local chain, Triangle, NC (my favorite pie at the moment is their Steak al Forno, sub jalapenos instead of mushrooms. Heaven on dough!)
Capital Creations, local chain, Triangle, NC (fantastically inventive menu items like the Muffaletta pie, excellent crust, sauce, and ingredients)
Pulcinella's, Raleigh, NC (the closest thing to a real NY pie you can find around here; phenomenal crust)

Now it's your turn! Who makes the best pizza in your area?

[Left Is Write]

1. The Front Door, Boise, ID. Hands down, best pizza ever.

[terrya]

2. I would place Gino's East in Chicago ahead of Giordano's.

In my humble opinion.

[YankeyMCC]

7. I ate there when I visited and it was fantastic!

My wife, who was pregnant at the time (not sure why but that seemed relevant to mention :) ) also loved it - I think she ate more than me too...of course just one slice of that kind of pie is like a whole meal.

[greatauntoftriplets]

16. I'd also place it ahead of Lou Malanati's.

Gino's East has the best pizza I've ever eaten.

[terrya]

21. 13 years living here, I've never had Lou Malanati's pizza.

I just know that Gino's East pizza is utterly sublime. :-)

[greatauntoftriplets]

23. You haven't missed much....

Lou Malanati's pizza I found overly greasy. Off topic, but I went to grade school with a guy who runs Lou Malanati's catering business. Tim previously ran a restaurant on Skokie Highway just north of Old Orchard that he called Great Godfrey Daniels. It was quite good, but he closed it for some reason (I think before your time in Chicago) and it's now something else.

I love Gino's East, wish there was one near here.

[hfojvt]

3. I just like to go to the local bar and get

a tombstone :o

[NightWatcher]

4. Vinnie's in Savannah's City Market

good and cheap, my two favorite types of pizza. They also have cold beer on draft. It's becoming crowded with touristas, but I still like it.

My second place award would go to the Mellow Mushroom in Athens, Ga and Savannah, Ga. In Athens, I was a memeber of the beer club, but I never started it in Savannah. When you live more than walking distance from the restaurant it loses some of the fun. I don't live within stumbling distance of anyplace nowadays.

[salin]

5. Avers in Bloomington, IN

homemade crust ... great sauce, great variety from traditional to gourmet Pizza.

[Wapsie B]

6. PaPa Del's in Urbana, Illinois

and Edwardo's in Chicago. Both great pizzas.

[AngryAmish]

15. I used to work at PaPa Del's

[Wapsie B]

19. Cool.

I've had the privilege of eating there twice. The only thing I'd change is to put a parking ramp somewhere around there. I love the crust and sauce!

[seemunkee]

8. Vince & Dominics Pizzeria Bethesda MD

Good crunchy crust, Huge slices. Its not near me but when I'm in the area I always get a slice.

I'll also nominate Sal's Pizza in Mamaroneck NY. This is near my brothers house and its another place I need to get a slice from when I'm near.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/JDZuakBeVlOX4YI05wGxJA

I think I need to make some pizza for dinner

[YankeyMCC]

9. Pizzeria Regina - is very good

Although the 'outlying' stores (the ones in malls outside Boston) seem to lack a little something. The original in the North End and the one in Quincy Market are consistently great.

For my home town it's a shop named Capri Pizza

[Vox_Reason]

10. Excellent stuff, folks!

So far:

A new entry for the Front Door in Boise
An 18th and 19th nomination for Gino's East
A 5th recommendation for Vinnie VanGoGo's
A 2nd nomination for Aver's in Bloomington
A 5th recommendation for Papa Del's in Champaign

Please keep 'em coming! Thanks in advance!

[SecularMotion]

11. Betty's Pizza Shack

in Lenox, MA. The crust is just right, not too crisp, not too chewy. They advertise that the dough is made with natural spring water. They add an extra touch by sprinkling grated cheese on every pie.

http://www.bettyspizza.com/menu.html

[Left Brain]

12. Village Pizza, Roslyn Washington

(That's the same Roslyn where the TV series, "Northern Exposure" was filmed.)

My husband and I are Oregonians, and Roslyn is a 6-hour drive from where we live. When we want REALLY outstanding pizza with heavenly crust, we'll make the drive.

[Initech]

13. BJ's Restaurant And brewery, Brea, CA

[bicentennial_baby]

14. Hot Tomatoes Neapolitan- Williamstown, MA

FIrst time I ever had clam pizza! :bounce:

They used to make it special for me, with red sauce :9

[AngryAmish]

17. Monical's is absolutely vile

Malnati's, Giordano's, Gino's East, Pizzaria Uno, Due are all chains. Malnati's is pretty good, tho. I also retain a soft spot for Giordanos.

My current fav is Apart Pizza on Montrose just west of Leavitt. Thin crust. There is a rebirth of thin, Neopalitan style pizzerias in Chicago and it is very welcome. The thick crust pies are for the tourists.

[Vox_Reason]

28. I remember your comment about Monical's being vile

I remember your comment about Monical's being "vile" from a previous thread, and it makes me giggle now as it did then.

What about Monical's makes it vile, in your opinion? Spare no detail, please.
:rofl:

[AngryAmish]

40. The greasiness, the paste-like dough

The cheese-like product that they put on it. The sausage is made primarily of gristle.

The whole pie sux.

[lutefisk]

18. Pisa Pizza in Chattanooga, TN

I don't live in Chattanooga, but had the best pizza in years there recently. Great little pizza place.
http://pisapizza.com/

[Nicole]

20. Hideaway Pizza in Stillwater,OK . The best for 50 years now.

They have locations in OKC & Tulsa also. Stillwater is where the original opened in the 1957.

[Gormy Cuss]

22. Santarpio's East Boston MA

Old fashioned simple pies in a neighborhood bar setting.

Also Bertucci's (national)


Mario's, Clifton NJ

[thefool_wa]

24. Westside Pizza

On Bremerton's east side (not kidding - it is on the east side of our bridge - the name refers to the west side of puget sound)

They have the best pizza I have eaten in a restaurant in 10 years!

[Arugula Latte]

25. Did anyone see "The Office" where Michael goes to NY

He's thinking he's hot stuff, trying to show the camera his New York savviness. He points to his "favorite New York pizza joint" -- it's Sbarro. :rofl:

Anyway, in Portland I like Hot Lips Pizza -- they use organic ingredients, fresh stuff, good to their employees, etc.

[northzax]

37. ooh, forgot about Hot Lips

while thinking about Pizzacatto...

[Reverend_Smitty]

26. DeLorenzo's Pizza, Trenton, NJ...

Eating a pie there is as close as a having religious experience that I'll ever get

[Zodiak]

32. word

Although I was there recently and it wasn't as good as it was in my childhood. Still, a great tomato pie!

[Reverend_Smitty]

38. It really does depend on what day and time you go there...

it ranges from great to gift from the Gods...not all pizza makers are created equal

[WindRavenX]

27. Alba's--Astoria, NYC

38th and Ditmars. Amazing :9

[TheMightyFavog]

29. Biundo's, Peshtigo, WI

Best damn Pizza ever!

[Vox_Reason]

30. Another update

2nd recommendation for Vince and Dominic's in Bethesda
New entry for Betty's Pizza Shack
New entry for Village Pizza in Roslyn
3rd recommendation for BJ's of CA
2nd recommendation for Hot Tomatoes
New entry for Apart Pizza of Chicago
23rd recommendation for Malnati's of Chicago
21st recommendation for Giordano's of Chicago
2nd recommendation for Pisa Pizza in Chattanooga
2nd recommendation for Hideaway in Stillwater
5th recommendation for Santarpio's of East Boston
7th recommendation for Bertucci's (chain)
New entry for Mario's of Clifton
New entry for Westside of Bremerton
2nd recommendation for Hot Lips of Portland
3rd recommendation for DeLorenzo's of Trenton
New entry for Alba's of Astoria
New entry for Biundo's of Peshtigo

Please keep your recommendations coming!

I really appreciate everyone's input.

I must mention one more shop that is out of the Triangle region, but nonetheless fully worthy of recognition.

Joey O's Pizzeria of Ocean Isle Beach, NC is absolutely the best real New York pizza in southeast NC/northeast SC, including North Myrtle Beach. Real New York pizza made by real New Yorkers. Totally worth the drive if you're anywhere in the area. If there's a better pie available within 50 miles, I'll eat my hat.

Thanks again to all contributors!

Sadly, they're tired and trying to sell the restaurant, which is a crying shame.

[doc03]

31. DeFalice Brothers Pizza claims to be

the best Pizza in North America according to a contest they won in Italy. Check out their web site.http://www.defelicebrospizza.com/index2a01d.html?topic=awards.php
Myself I prefer another local one DeCarlos.

[Decruiter]

33. Pizza Villa in Richardson, TX

No Coke, RC.
No credit or debit cards. Checks or cash. Please tip.
No coupons.
No specials.
No DELIVERY.

If you like their pizza, you'll wear ladies' underwear to get it.

[Truthiness Inspector]

34. Good thread

It seems like it's almost impossible to find truly great pizza. Lots of so-so and if you're lucky "pretty good."

I'm still trying to find the elusive perfect pizza. The only place that had orgasmically good pizza (actually pizza sandwiches) that I know of closed years ago, so I have no suggestions. :(

[Strawman]

35. I just had Loui's Pizza tonight - Detroit area

Hazel Park, MI. I'm actually wearing one of their t-shirts right now. Buddy's, Loui's, Sheild's, and Cloverleaf are the classic Detroit area pizzerias. Pizzapapalis is great, but it's not as unique to Detroit. Pizzapapalis is Chicago style pizza.

In Chicago this week I had Giordano's twice.

In Detroit, Loui's is probably the place to go for pizza. You can get pizza like Pizzapapalis in Chicago (even though I think Pizzapapalis is as good or better than Gino's or Giordano's, but I've never had pizza like Buddy's or Loui's anywhere else.

[cloudbase]

36. In Houston,

the best around is Star Pizza, followed closely by Fuzzy's. I've been here 26 years, seen 'em come and seen 'em go, and I haven't found better than these two.

Another vote for Vincent's (the one on Ardmore Blvd.) in Pittsburgh.

Another really good one is Rusticana in St. Michaels, MD.

[grannylib]

39. Mabe's Pizza, Decorah, Iowa. "Around the Garden, double cheese" is the

Best. Pizza. Ever.

[BarenakedLady]

41. Slice of Napa

Victor, NY

http://www.sliceofnapa.com/

[bullwinkle428]

42. Bocce Club Pizza in Buffalo, N.Y.

http://www.bocceclubpizza.com/pageDisplay.jsp?pageid=11849

Plenty of good pizza in Chicago and other places, but nothing I've ever had has rivaled the pizza from Bocce Club. Perfect crust thickness, with a touch of sweetness, and the sauce is slightly tart, complimenting the crust perfectly. Nice variety of toppings, but I've always had a "less is more" philosophy when it comes to pizza toppings - allows me to enjoy the essence of the whole pizza experience.

[MadHound]

43. Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia Missour. Hands down best pizza anywhere!

Brick ovens, great ingredients, great cooks, tips on how to swim the breast stroke, and WD 40 in the cooler(along with a fine selection of beer).

I've never found any better pizza anywhere in this country. <http://www.shakespeares.com/>

[bigwillq]

44. Modern Pizza, New Haven, CT!

:bounce:

[KamaAina]

47. That would be Modern "Apizza", with an A

In Conn., one way to tell you're getting the real deal is to look for a place that calls it "apizza", which is Napoletano dialect, sometimes pronounced "abeetz". The cheese topping may be called "scamozza"; to a purist, "mozzarella" has to be made from the milk of the water buffalo.

As to Modern, it's just as good as the better-known places on Wooster St., no lines, plus the State Street area has lots of interesting arty shops, bookstores, etc. Go for it!

[riderinthestorm]

45. Giordano's in Chicago gets my vote

Papa Del's was the choice when I went to school at U of I though.

[1gobluedem]

46. Cottage Inn, Ann Arbor, MI

It's morphed into a very small local chain but it's still local.

Also Pizza House and Anthony's Pizza in Ann Arbor and Aubree's in Ypsilanti. Yum. Now I want pizza, not the spinach salad I brought for lunch.

[LSK]

48. Gino's East in Chicago

[youthere]

49. I'll let you know when I find it...

The pizza in my area pretty much sucks. Pizza Hut and Happy Joes abound, nearly every gas station has a pizza kitchen but it always tastes like pizza that came from a gas station kitchen.

[myrna minx]

50. Galactic Pizza. Minneapolis, MN.

Pizza with a conscience.

http://www.galacticpizza.com/default.html
http://citypages.com/databank/25/1233/article12318.asp

Vision of the Future
At Galactic Pizza we have a positive vision of the future on our planet. We see a world that lacks the greed and self centeredness that has led use into the chaotic state that we see today. We see a world full of cooperation, sustainability, and harmony with our surroundings.

In order to help achieve this positive vision, we strive to be the perfect example of what is called a values led company. This means that we realize that we have a responsibility to the people and community that make our existence possible. In order to fulfill this responsibility, we seek to maximize our impact by integrating as many socially beneficial actions into our day to day operations as possible. By incorporating a concern for the community--local, national, and global--our restaurant can make positive impact on the world in which it operates.

Here are a few of the values led activities we are currently engaging in:


Weather permitting, our food is delivered to your door by 100% electric vehicles.
All of the power purchased to run our restaurant is renewable wind energy.
All of our mozzarella cheese comes from cows not treated with rBGH growth hormones.
We have incorporated a number of organic items into the menu.
We have the Second Harvest Heartland pizza, where $1 is donated to this hunger relief organization every time the pizza is ordered.
We strive to use packaging that is either made from recycled materials, or is 100% biodegradable.
We incorporate hemp products into each menu category, and print our menu on hemp paper. Hemp is not only good for you, it is also very good for the Earth.
In season, we try to purchase all of our produce from farms here in Minnesota or in nearby Wisconsin.
We have an in depth waste reduction program utilizing pig farms for food waste and recycling whenever possible.
5% of our after tax profits are donated to charity.
Just take a moment and imagine what the world could be like if every restaurant, store, corporation, etc., were run this way. It would be beautiful, and we will have taken one giant step toward fulfilling Galactic Pizza's Vision of a sustainable and harmonious Earth. Thank you so much for being a valued customer and supporting our dream.

[tiptoe]

51. SFO Pizzeria -- previous a franchise of Pizzeria Uno (which vacated N. Calif)

SFO PIZZERIA

10" Thin Crust, (making my mouth water, tangy cheese)
Regular price $8.49 -- $9+ BUT $4.99 specials from 12noon - 4p $4.99

HAPPY HOUR 12noon til 7pm 7 days a week -- $2 off appetizers

I pigged-out on two of these 10" pizzas on one occasion :)

A little larger than Pizzeria Uno, better prices
See menu at link above for variety of entrees


Serves breakfast til 11am m-f, til 1pm on weekends

[Vox_Reason]

52. And another update

Thanks again to everyone for your replies! I really do appreciate it.

New recommendation for Felice Bros. in Ohio
New recommendation for Pizza Villa in Richardson
2nd recommendation for Loui’s in Detroit
6th recommendation for Buddy’s in Detroit
2nd recommendation for Shield’s in Detroit
7th recommendation for PizzaPapalis
24th and 25th recommendations for Giordano’s
6th recommendation for Star Pizza in Houston
2nd recommendation for Fuzzy’s
9th recommendation for Vincent’s in Pittsburgh
1st recommendation for Rusticana in St. Michaels
1st recommendation for Slice of Napa in Victor
2nd recommendation for Bocce’s in Buffalo
6th recommendation for Shakespeare’s in Columbia
8th recommendation for Modern Apizza in New Haven
7th recommendation for Papa Del’s
3rd recommendation for College Inn in MI, OH, WI
1st recommendation for Pizza House in Ann Arbor
1st recommendation for Anthony’s in Ann Arbor
2nd recommendation for Aubree’s in MI
24th recommendation for Gino’s East in Chicago
1st recommendation for Galactic Pizza in Minneapolis
1st recommendation for Pizzeria SFO Bar & Grill, SF and Oakland

769 pie shops now listed representing all 50 states.