15 Best Pizza Chains In NYC
Yeah, yeah, we've all heard it a million times ... The best pizza in NYC. Pffft! Whatever. Eye roll. Several hundred greasy pepperonis later, we're still waiting for the freakin' moon to hit our eye like a big pizza pie. But wait. Even though the perfect slice may be a Big Apple institution, its legendary status has hit the stratosphere.
Listen up, pizza people! You don't even need to live in the city to sink your teeth into an icon. Whether you take the L-train, the Long Island Rail Road, or you're cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, the city that never sleeps is cranking out some beautiful pies that just don't quit. And they're blowing up at outposts coast to coast.
From Gotham's hot take on Detroit-style Naughty Pie, to a deep-fried pizza smothered in warm Nutella and sugar, to a toasty blistered crust in Harlem, and lines out the door for slices since the '60s ... Mamma mia! You're gonna wanna kiss these chefs on both cheeks for serving up the tastiest pies in New York City. So pull up a chair, get your napkin tucked under your chin, and let's freakin' eat.
Motorino Pizza
Grubhub named it the 5th most popular pizza joint to order from in the country in 2022. And who are we to argue with the leading technology in pizza research? Cranking out flawless classics like the soppressata piccante with crispy salami and chili flakes — and even a heart-shaped pizza for Valentine's Day — Motorino Pizza is slinging dough every day in the East Village, the Upper West Side, and Williamsburg.
Having named his restaurant after the Italian word for "scooter," Chef Mathieu Palombino remains dedicated to staying true to the pie's Neapolitan roots. As he once told Gothamist, "No matter what anyone says, pizza is Napoli. It's where it originated, it's where it's from. There is a culture behind it. Some people try to reinvent, but there is nothing to invent. This pizza is beautiful."
And speaking of beautiful, check out these brick oven-baked charmers: keep it classic with a mozzarella and basil-topped margherita, ditch the red sauce with the cremini mushroom white pie, or taste the rainbow with a slice topped with clams, air-dried beef, or Brussels sprouts and pancetta. But save a little room for dessert. Along with a few other Italian favorites, Motorino aims to send you home with a generous helping of tiramisu.
Emmy Squared
At Emmy Squared, it's hip to be square! But, like, a super inventive and delicious square. What started with an O.G. location in Williamsburg, back in 2016, has since expanded to feature outposts in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, D.C., and California. The people want-a the pizza!
And what kind of pizza do the people want, exactly? Co-founder Emily Hyland and executive chef Matthew Hyland are dishing up what they basically describe as if a Detroit-style pizza and a New York grandma pie had a baby. Except with a bouncy focaccia style of dough that has its own crispy, cheesy edge going on. If combining all those things is wrong, we don't want to be right.
On top of that, they're putting a decidedly unique spin on their toppings. Of course, there's a little something for the traditionalists: a classic pepperoni, a sausage, pepper and mushroom pie, and a standard vodka sauce slice with pecorino. However, if you want to take it to the next level when it comes to pizzadventuring, might we point you a little further down the menu. There you'll find the Hot Chicken, which features the Nashville icon, plus 'Bama white sauce, and pickles. Then there's the Good Paulie with its sausage, smoked gouda, and caramelized onions. Still hungry? Hey, there's Tina over there, with her savory sausage, Brussels, smoked cheese and Calabrian chili. And yes, you can get the banana pudding to go.
Patsy's Pizzeria
Where can you get a solid slice from 1933? Well, nowhere. But you can get a fresh one — baked like it's always been — at Patsy's Pizzeria! This is the pizza that we dream of folding into our hands and shoving into our hungry little mouths; a classic taste with a heritage that goes way back. Chef Pasquale "Patsy" Lanceri might have even been quickest on the draw when it comes to selling pizza by the slice, according to The Clio.
You can find this "NYC Original and Preeminent Pizza Dynasty" (according to Patsy's — totally unbiased!) all over New York City. These Sicilian coal oven-baked pies come in two versions: old-school red sauce, and white. And before you get your meatballs in a bunch, you can also add all your favorite toppings; prosciutto, pepperoni, sausage, anchovies, and veg like olives and mushrooms. You do it how you like it! Capiche?!
With its first shop opening in Harlem back in the '30s, Patsy's has been going strong for almost a century. And of course, that success has inspired some similarly named imitators. Kind of like the Original Ray's and Famous Original Ray's pizza debate from "Seinfeld," this Patsy's maintains that it is the legitimate original. Don't settle for second best when it comes to your pizza! Or any of their other traditional favorites on the menu: your ravioli, tagliatelle bolognese, your chicken parm, or your creamy New York cheesecake.
Fumo
Looking for a slice with a chic little vibe? Enter Fumo. The Infatuation listed it as a "Super Cute Reasonably Priced Restaurant To Catch Up With A Few Friends" in 2022. And with locations in Harlem and the Upper West Side, we're sure at least some of your people won't flake on you at the last minute.
Owners and restaurateurs Steve Gallo and Francesco Capolongo have their fingers on the pulse of the contemporary pizza circuit. Not only do they offer pizza for brunch, lunch, and dinner, they also get butts in the seats with their take on Italian pastas and apps, featuring everything from calamari and artichokes to branzino and Maine lobster.
Pizzas come with white or red sauce, on regular, gluten-free, or cauliflower crust. In the mood for a bagel and lox, minus the bagel? Fumo's got you covered with The Lox — a wood-fired, brick oven, thin-crust pizza topped with smoked salmon, red onion, fried capers, and yes, cream cheese. Feeling your Southern roots? Go for the Buffalo, with blue cheese and mozzarella topped with spicy Louisiana chicken. And we're not mad about the Vegan, which knocks it out of the park with Daiya cheese, tomatoes, and cashew pesto. For a second there, we thought we weren't gonna have room for the bourbon vanilla bean panna cotta, but after a quick sip of the Fomo Carolina cocktail, we're ready to get our sweets on.
Denino's Pizzeria & Tavern
Where does Lady Liberty go when she's craving a slice after holding that torch all day? Denino's on Staten Island, of course! (Hey, she's been there for almost 150 years. She knows what's good.) Established in 1937 and made into a fan favorite thanks to Carlo Denino's pizza-making talents in 1951, this family operation has since opened shops in Manhattan and New Jersey, with plans for more.
A little pizza history: Carlo's dad Giovanni arrived in America from Sicily a year after the Statue of Liberty was dedicated. No wonder she hasn't moved since. With reports of table service falling under the "old school" category — or maybe just typical for the neighborhood — Gayot also made sure to break down exactly what made Denino's a must-eat slice. The outlet noted, "The crust is slightly thick but very nicely balanced between soft, crispy and chewy. The margherita pizza is a good start; however, toppings lovers might want to try the 'Garbage' pie, which is covered with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, meatballs and onion."
But you also don't want to miss some other standouts, like the Fried Shrimp pie, or the Buffalo Wing pie. Need to get your veggies in but wanna be low-key about it? Try the Broccoli Rabe pie with fresh garlic and olive oil. And don't forget your toppings! Denino's offers the full range of classics, from anchovies and black olives to mushrooms and sausage.
Di Fara
With the New York Daily News calling it "one of the top foodie destinations in the city," and Anthony Bourdain once declaring it "the best of the best," this classic shop has been delighting New Yorkers since 1965. And that's thanks to the beloved late chef Dom DeMarco, who was the only one making the pizza for many years.
You can snag yourself an iconic slice at either of their Midwood or Williamsburg locations in Brooklyn. Or on Goldbelly, if ya fancy! And with an array of add-ons, you won't go home disappointed. Top your creation with everything from porcini mushrooms to wild onions, meatballs, and soppressata. There are a few base options to choose from: regular pie, square pie, white pie and classic pie. But then there's the intriguingly named "Chaos Pie." Which sounds like you should get a free t-shirt if you finish it yourself. This one features sun-dried tomatoes, wild onions, fresh garlic, meatballs, and sausage.
Not to play favorites, but Di Fara is regularly called the B-word: Best pizza in New York. And while it may appear deceptively simple in its humble presentation, the art is truly in the love for the pie. As DeMarco told The New Yorker before his death in 2022, "I'm proud, you know, soon as I open the door, people come in all day long. I like when they seem to enjoy — they eat the crust, everything."
L&B Spumoni Gardens
Another Brooklyn institution, L&B Spumoni Gardens has been a go-to spot since 1935. While the name "Spumoni" alludes to their famous frozen dessert, they are also adored for their pies. As The Infatuation described it, "Their square slice is unlike any other in the city. It consists of a layer of molten cheese welded to a focaccia-like crust, with tangy-sweet sauce baked on top." Weld cheese onto anything and we'll eat it.
You can get your L&B fix in Bensonhurst and Dumbo, for you Brooklyn locals. But no matter where you are, the trek appears to be worth it. Along with a literal bounty of classic Italian dishes — chicken or veal done in limitless sauces, all kinds of seafood pasta, baked clams, and mussels — the pizza takes center stage.
Available as regular round, or sky-high square, most people come for what L&B calls their "World Famous L&B Sicilian Pie." You could get it by the slice, but you'll want to throw down on a whole pie to add your own flair. Toppings include: mushrooms, anchovies, extra cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. Then, you take your hard-earned masterpiece to one of their outside tables and chow the heck down. People to share this magic with: optional.
Song' E Napule
We've finally connected with a mantra to truly live by, thanks to Song' E Napule: "When you eat pizza, anything is possible." And if you're ready to start manifesting your dreams into your reality, you can start with a slice in the West Village, the Upper West Side, or Rutherford, New Jersey — with more shops on the way.
A newer kid on the block, having launched in 2015, this Neapolitan pie-forward outpost came to play in a very crowded pizza scene. As Thrillist noted, "Song' e Napule hits the New York pizzeria trinity: it's fast, casual, and Italian-owned." Also, it's freakin' delicious. Perfect char on the crust, bubbly, cheesy, saucy ...You get it.
The seemingly endless options for pizza here reflect a contemporary take on the old favorites. And they're doing it well enough to earn 2019's Pizzeria of the Year from famed Gambero Rosso International. Available as white, red, or specialty pies, we're having serious trouble picking a favorite. There's the Nutella Pizza, which seems like an obvious choice for dessert. But other standouts include The Sorrentina, The Porcini, and The Montanara.
Joe's Pizza
This one's for all the plain cheese fans in the house! Don't want to wait two hours for a table? Sick of having to pronounce all those fancy imported meat names? Prosciutto cotto can kick rocks! This is Joe's. And at Joe's, there are no fancy ingredients, no annoying foodies, and no useless frills. Just rock-solid pizza pie.
There are practically limitless locations popping up everywhere; originally opened in Greenwich Village, Joe's is now in Union Square, Times Square, Fulton Street, and Williamsburg. And then just a little further out, there's Ann Arbor, Michigan and Miami, Florida. And even though they're popular, The Infatuation reports, "The kitchen operation is a well-oiled machine and keeps hot pies blazing out of the oven one after the other. [...] You can be backed up 15 deep on the sidewalk and still be in and out with your slices in 10 minutes, easy."
And since we're on the topic of slices, here's what brings in the big bucks: Cheese pizza, with your choice of toppings if you have to mess with genius. There's also a Fresh Mozzarella pie, a White pie, a Caprese, and a Supreme. You need more than that?! Fuhgeddaboudit! Your pizza-loving heart will flutter with delight as you fold up one of these beauties and gently float off to pizza heaven.
Zero Otto Nove
On the other end of the spectrum, it's pinkies out for Zero Otto Nove! Translated as "089," it's an area code homage to Salerno, Italy, where chef and owner Roberto Paciullo was raised. But you don't have to travel that far to find it. Having first launched in the Bronx, there are now outposts in Manhattan, as well as Tuckahoe and Armonk, New York.
As Forbes reported, the Bronx shop does the most pizza business, and it's there that you'll find the largest menu for pies. You might even get to expand your palette a bit with their La Cirilo — a crispy crust topped with butternut squash purée, mushrooms, cream of truffle, and fresh mozzarella. Or maybe it'll be the Patate Salsiccia e Provola, featuring sausage, potatoes, and smoked mozzarella!
The New York Daily News raved about the Margherita pie, praising the restaurant's show-stopping Italian pizza oven for putting the final touches on a masterful dish. As the review noted, "The crust is thin, slightly charred and just blistered enough — and the pie comes topped with impeccable Parmesan and mozzarella, fresh basil and sauce that's clean and piquant." Sounds like we're taking a trip to the Bronx!
Prince Street Pizza
You don't have to take Goldbelly CEO Joe Ariel's word for it, but just in case you want to, he says, "I will literally walk past 20 pizzerias and ignore them all to get down to Prince Street and have a Spicy Spring, or two, or three, or five. Then you can't stop because you've lost all control. That's what this f***in' pizza does to you."
That Spicy Spring he's talking about? It's the brand's signature; a bouncy square crust, topped with spicy tomato sauce, a slew of homemade pepperonis, and plenty of fresh mozzarella and pecorino romano. And if you get it to go, it comes in a box printed with the phrase, "Delivering Happiness One Slice At A Time."
From the Mercer Margherita to the pepperoni and sausage-bombed Meat Lovers, to the Naughty Pie covered in pepperoni, vodka sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, and honey, there's a winner on this menu for everybody. And the best part is, you don't have to live in NYC to grab a slice! Prince Street is popping all over the East and West Coasts, with outposts in Manhattan, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego.
Roberta's
This shop may be responsible for launching the latest trend in pizza. According to Fiero Group, "Roberta's started in Brooklyn 'as a simple idea, of a watering hole to bring people together,' but exploded into a cultural phenomenon, re-framing what the pizza experience could be and inadvertently creating a national and now global trend of 'craft pizza.'"
Translation: Eat me. (That was the pizza talking.) Along with a bang-up wood-fired cheese and margherita pie, Roberta's steps it up with provocative twists on new favorites. There's the Porchettaboutit, featuring Taleggio and porchetta dressed up with garlic, fennel seed, basil, olive oil, red onion and lemon. And the Cheesus Christ, which tops Taleggio and mozzarella with generous servings of parmesan, black pepper, and cream. In the mood for a sweet kick? GOOP recommended the "Bee Sting" with its classic tomato, soppressata, and mozzarella base — plus basil, honey, and chili, which guarantees a home run.
Roberta's has gone global since its Brooklyn beginnings. Along with the O.G. outpost, you can find pop-ups and full-fledged operations in Manhattan, Houston, Nashville, Los Angeles, and Singapore.
Grimaldi's
Another Brooklyn original, Grimaldi's has been a fan favorite for over 100 years. With its first location still tucked under the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo, the brand has since expanded its coal-fired brick oven operation all over the country to Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted of the joint, "When there's essentially one thing on the menu, it had better be good."
Well, Zagat likes it, even naming it the #1 pizzeria in New York several times. And you don't get the top spot for nothin', baby! With a toasty crust that's blistered to perfection in a 1200-degree oven, every pizza is worth tasting. But that signature flavor's got roots. Patsy Grimaldi's uncle, Patsy Lancieri — who opened the first-ever pizzeria in the States in 1905 — Patsy's — showed Grimaldi the ropes. Grimaldi then founded Patsy's in Brooklyn in 1990, got sued by some other Patsy's pizza joint, changed the name to Grimaldi's, and later sold it to Frank Ciolli, whose son franchised the heck out of the brand. Easy as (pizza) pie!
If you're feeling more adventurous than the Traditional basic cheese, or White with Garlic, you can build your own, or hit up the chef's picks, where you'll find the aptly named NY Hot Dog Pizza. And you can bet it's topped with sliced dogs, sauerkraut, and mustard! Another standout would be the on-theme Brooklyn Bridge, which features Italian sausage, ricotta, and roasted red peppers on top of their traditional pie.
Paulie Gee's
Paulie Gee's hit the scene in Brooklyn in 2010, but by 2014, chef and owner Paulie Gee canceled the shop's popular takeaway service for one simple reason: the pie. As he told Medium, "I want people to enjoy it fresh out of the oven. [...] And people weren't enjoying the experience nearly as much because of the take out." The risk paid off and he opened more outposts in Greenpoint, Columbus, Baltimore, and Chicago, and slice shops in Chicago, Greenpoint, and Philadelphia. Fans across the region have been chowing down on Paulie's ever since.
The chain's Neapolitan pie selection is banging, with names that you won't soon forget. The Hellboy hits just right with mozzarella, tomatoes, Berkshire soppressata picante, Parmigiano reggiano, and a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey. And the Grapeful Dead features gouda, parm, olive oil, and baby spinach, with sliced house-pickled red grapes. Toppings get even wilder with inventive pies showcasing brisket, pastrami, Canadian bacon, and Hollandaise sauce.
Philadelphia Magazine nailed the texture situation: "Slices with thin crusts [...] get their crispness from a double bake (whole pies, sitting under glass in the case, broken down into triangles that get a second turn through the big deck ovens)." We'll take one of each!