The 16 Best Pizza Shops In Florida

Florida is known for a lot of things: Beaches. Theme parks. People with face tattoos blowing up their trailers and getting saved by their pet alligators. But pizza? The state is probably better known as a place where people from across the rest of the country go to complain about how much better pizza is elsewhere than for having anything good of its own. But spend some time delving into Florida's culinary scene, and you'll learn it's a lot more than Cuban sandwiches and key lime pies. That includes some fantastic pizza, and not just in big cities like Tampa and Miami.

So what are the best pizza places in Florida? And where can you find the best New York-style, Chicago-style, Neapolitan, and Detroit pies? From college town classics to roadside shacks and everything in between, the Sunshine State does pizza pretty darned well. Here are the best places to find it.

Satchel's – Gainesville

Two things you can always count on when meeting someone who went to the University of Florida in Gainsville: First, they'll  find a way to convince you the Gators belong in the college football playoff. Second, Satchel's is the best pizza you'll ever have. In at least one of those instances, they've got a solid case.

This classic UF pizza joint is quintessentially funky, where your table might be inside an old VW van, on a lush outdoor patio, inside a greenhouse, or under an airplane. But quizzical décor isn't enough to make it a must-hit. The pizza is more than great drunk food (that's Pizza by the Slice) or cheap frat house delivery (Five Star); it's a spicy, savory, steamy blend of flavors that even kids from Miami and New York make appointment dining.

Satchel's offers two main styles of pizza: The original, thin crust is a classic, which you can top with anything from steak to sundried tomatoes. The deep dish is akin to a Detroit-style pie, with burnt cheese around the edges and a thick, satisfying crust. Either one will be among the best pizza slices you'll ever try, and is far more than wishful college nostalgia.

Eleventh Street Pizza - Miami

Eleventh Street might be the newest kid on Miami's pizza block, but it's already landed itself on lists of the city's best pizza, gaining accolades from TimeOut, Thrillist, and even a rave one-bite review from Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy. Of course, anything in Miami that gets that much hype, that fast, is worthy of some serious skepticism. Fortunately, this place delivers.

The big, Brooklyn-style pies are a crispy-crust lover's dream, drenched in a spicy sauce with generous gobs of fresh mozzarella on top. That would be enough to land Eleventh Street on any "best of" list, but their Sicilian pies are what really set this place apart. True to the Sicilian tradition, the pizzas are more like an oily focaccia, covered in caramelized onions and roasted veggies with no cheese but loads of flavor. The restaurant even offers a solid happy hour too: Beers and slices are both half off during weekday afternoons.

Oceano Kitchen – Lantana

Once upon a time, there was this little, in-the-know pizza shack in Palm Beach County that only made a set number of pizzas every day. And citizens from all over South Florida would drive hours to Lantana in hopes of getting some before they ran out. That place was Pizzeria Oceano, which has morphed into Oceano Kitchen, a full-service restaurant serving all sorts of stuff besides pizza.

And, yes, we're sure the chef would love us to highlight the daily rotating menu using fresh local ingredients, where only cash is accepted and modifications are not. But the pizza is what made Oceano famous, and going there and not trying it would be a little like going to Delmonico's Steakhouse and not ordering Delmonico Steak. The original owners also opened Swell Pizza just south in Delray Beach. And as the name might imply, it's swell. But it's also closed. So for the real-deal stuff people travel hours to try, Oceano Kitchen is your only option.

No Name Pub – Big Pine Key

The long, two-lane Overseas Highway running from the end of the Everglades to the Florida Keys is one of America' most scenic drives. So pulling off the endless stretch of lush mangroves and turquoise water isn't always easy. But turn right down a long, flat road in Big Pine Key, then make a few turns and stop into a gravel parking lot. There you'll find Florida's best, literally hidden gem. The No Name Pub is your classic Florida dive, with dollar bills stapled to the wall, and an old wooden bar where you can order cold beer and not much else ... aside from some of the best pizza in the state.

This stuff is pure bar pizza genius, with a fluffy, hot crust, flavor-filled sauce, and just enough melted cheese that it doesn't overpower the pie. That's why you'll see tatted-up bikers lined up at No Name right next to families whose children insisted on stopping. Though it's out of the way, this bar is the hands-down best place for a mid-road trip meal. It offers a true slice of Florida, both on your plate and surrounding your table.

Andiamo – Miami

An old tire shop set on a once-dilapidated stretch of Biscayne Boulevard seems like an odd place to find what many say is the best all-around pizza in Miami. But this restaurant set on a triangular intersection in the city's funky MiMo District has become the city's best place for a sit-down pizza meal. Part of that is thanks to Andiamo's spacious, streetside patio, where diners can order cheap house wine by the glass and enjoy the perfect tropical breeze. But more of it has to do with the pizza.

Andiamo's menu is full of classic combinations no other restaurant's been able to match. The wood-oven offerings include stuff like the Pollo, which is topped with chicken, roasted garlic, roasted peppers, tomato sauce & mozzarella. Another favorite is the hearty Sunday Pie with meatballs, tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta cheese, peperoncini, parmesan, and basil. The specialty pizzas don't stop there, with a staggering 27 to choose from. Perhaps the inability to pick one is why so many Miamians keep coming back.

Downtown House of Pizza – Ft. Myers

End of the night pizza slices are a unique category in the food world. Because while nearly all of them will taste like heaven when you're using them to soak up a night's worth of well liquor and domestic beer, few, if any people, bother trying them during daylight. So while online reviews posted between the hours of 2-4 am — with lots of typos — may all be fantastic, these slices must be tested for lunch to see if they truly hold up.

More than any other "drunk slice" in the state, Ft. Myers' Downtown House of Pizza holds up after you've washed the ID stamps off your hands. Though going through the after-hours line twice — because it's that good  isn't at all unheard-of, stopping in the next day for a little greasy reminder will surprise you. The slices boast a brilliantly spiced marinara sauce hiding under a high-quality layer of cheese. The big, hangover-killing slices could hold their own with anything in New York, much less Florida.

Angelina's – Key West

Anyone who's ever spent a rough night on Duval Street in Key West has undoubtedly been to Rick's, the two story bar across from Sloppy Joe's where common sense goes to die. And though memories of that night are probably spotty, what you probably do remember is the unmistakable scent of the best pizza you've ever smelled wafting up the wooden staircase. That aroma belongs to Angeline's, Duval Street's iconic end-of-the-night pizza spot that tastes as great as it smells.

The line is never short at Angelina's, even if you go during normal hours when sober  by Key West standards  people are lining up for lunch. But unlike most late-night slices, Angeline's are actually better when enjoyed with a minimal BAC. The sauce flavors are surprisingly complex, mixing the sweetness of tomatoes with the spice of pepper and a mysterious mix of other vegetables. The pepperoni and sausage also have spice blends unlike what you'll find in standard pizza toppings, making their custom-topped slices the best in the Keys. Gourmet, Angelina's is not. But a brilliant culinary creation masquerading as drunk food it is.

Stanzione 87 – Miami

Neapolitan-style pizza now graces menus from chain restaurants to sushi bars, but making it in the true, Italian fashion is still a rarity. In Florida, nobody's doing it better than this narrow little pizza shop near a train station in Miami. Stanzione 87 was the city's first place to use a real, imported Neapolitan pizza oven, and while others have followed, suit nobody's mastered it quite like them. The pizzas cook in just under a minute too, and almost everything on the pie  from the crust to the cheese  is imported from Italy.

Stanzione 87's authenticity isn't the only thing that makes it a Sunshine State standout. It offers an unusual menu of imported Italian wines and beers, all of which pair perfectly with the pizzas. The lineup of sandwiches is solid too, highlighted by the meatball, which is stuffed in cooked pizza dough with cheese and sauce. The place is so popular, it spawned a food hall offshoot further north in Miami called Ash! Pizza, which fires the same stuff in Little Haiti's Citadel food hall.

Hot Pie – West Palm Beach

New Yorkers who move to South Florida have a number of pastimes. Talking about how much cheaper the rent is. Taking pictures of sunny days in December. But mostly, telling anyone who'll listen how they can't find a decent anything in Flah-rida. That is, until they hit Hot Pie.

This coal-fired spot in downtown West Palm shuts up New Yorkers faster than asking them how many years it's been since the Knicks' last championship. It's crust is a perfect level of almost-charred, crispy enough to hold up the toppings but not so done it borders on Apizza. The cheese and sauce measure beautifully, neither overpowering the other nor done in excess. Hot Pie may single handedly debunk the "it's in the water" myth about New York pizza, offering something just as good, if not better than what's being served up a thousand miles south. Even if it doesn't, the stuff is still great, and half the price of a lot of higher-end places in Palm Beach.

Momo's – Tallahassee

Ahhhh, college  when the sheer quantity of food was really all you cared about, and if said quantity came at an inhuman hour, all the better. No worries about waking up with a stomach full of regret. No concerns about what downing a whole pie might mean for the next day's workout. All that mattered was mass consumption. This is why Momo's  a Florida State legend right up there with Bobby Bowden  markets itself by promising "slices as big as your head." Because in college, the bigger the better.

Momo's isn't all about quantity over quality, though. The slice specialist also has a massive menu of gourmet pies. And while FSU students ignore them save for the occasional alumni meeting or informal chapter, they're actually pretty creative. The Kung Fu pizza includes pineapples, broccoli, red onions, red peppers, and Momo's secret sweet and spicy sauce. And the menu of sides includes pesto-goat cheese breadsticks, an unusual combination not typically found in college town pizza joints.

Crust– Miami

In a city known for flash, pizzaz, and overpriced everything, this humble little Italian restaurant near the Miami River has become a runaway success. Part of the reason is Crust's ambiance, where the female half of the husband-and-wife team who owns the place commands the dining room with a warm, welcoming presence. Meanwhile, her husband runs the kitchen in the back,  putting out pizzas that land on nearly every list of the city's best.

The chef-created pizzas read like something you'd find on a Wolfgang Puck menu: sausage with roasted eggplant and kalamata olives; brussels sprouts, smoked bacon, and goat cheese; honey truffle with blue cheese and walnuts. But not a thing about Crust is exclusive or pretentious, just well-made and delicious. It's the kind of restaurant where nobody ever has a bad thing to say, and though it might not be the most glamorous pizza place in Miami, it makes a solid case as the best.

Eddie and Sam's – Tampa

Speaking of the New York water myth, Eddie and Sam's  the overwhelming choice for best pizza in Tampa according to Creative Loafing, Tampa Magazine, and even the local CBS affiliate  claims to import its water from NYC. Allegedly, it adds minerals to the crust to duplicate that big city flavor. And though one could easily claim this is more marketing than hard science, you can't debate the deliciousness of these Eddie and Sam's pies. The crust has the same floury-wateriness of classic New York slices, and they're served up big and foldable just like the stuff up north.

According to Eddie and Sam's website, the place actually started in "the City" in 1982, and has migrated south like many of its Northeastern counterparts. Beyond the slices, the casual counter offers meatballs, mozzarella sticks, cheese fries, and other pizzeria staples. It's a little slice of NYC in Tampa Bay, and though the reasons for its flavor are debatable, the pizza's quality is not.

Blue Highway – Micanopy

Rolling down US-441 through North Central Florida, you pass through a long, flat expanse of wilderness known as Paynes Prairie. This nature preserve is often shrouded in a humid mist, where the cypress trees, palmettos, and the occasional alligator give you a deeply Floridian sense of place. As you emerge from the park, a small pizza shop appears like a savory oasis on the hot horizon. And while one's expectations of a middle-of-nowhere pizza place might be that it's tolerable at best, Blue Highway is the state's best roadside surprise.

Stop in and you'll find a menu of authentically-cooked Neapolitan pies. There's a Scampi pizza with shrimp, garlic butter, shallots, parsley, and three cheeses. You'll also find the Verdure Arrosto with eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper. Blue Highway plays the hits too, so if you want a basic margherita or BBQ chicken, they can do that. No matter what you get, you'll find it hard to believe it exists so far from anything.

Pizza Bruno – Orlando

In the chain restaurant capital of the world, where getting pizza often means choosing between Uno, Giordanno's, or Yard House, Pizza Bruno has given Orlando some serious culinary cred. The dough here proofs for 48 hours, creating arguably the most flavorful crust in the Sunshine State. Those crusts are hand tossed, then cooked in a 900 degree oven, creating a crispiness that teeters between Brooklyn and New Haven styles, but always satisfies.

The sauce at Bruno is almost addictive, a sweet, hot combination that settles in perfectly next to the carefully-sprinkled cheese. But the pie that keeps people coming back is the Crimson Ghost, topped with sopressata, basil, and Mike's Hot Honey. If that's a little too out-of-the-ordinary for you, the Big Boy Cheese, an 18-inch NY style pizza with oregano, basil, and pecorino is always a winner. And you cannot leave without trying Bruno's garlic knots, which are so binge-worthy they'll spoil your appetite for pizza if you aren't careful.

Heritage – Ft. Lauderdale

If one needs proof that Ft. Lauderdale has graduated from its "Where the Boys Are," Fort Liquordale reputation, look no further than Heritage. This elegant little restaurant in the city's FATVillage arts district is plating up gourmet pizzas that are a far cry from the stuff used to soak up cheap tequila of spring breaks past. Heritage's wood-fired oven gives the small space an overwhelming feeling of home, and an abundant aroma of garlic, tomatoes, and all the other toppings  put this place ahead.

The basic pizzas are fantastic, putting a soft layer of cheese atop a spicy sauce and thin, charred crust. But the combinations at Heritage are what make it such an intriguing place to eat, stuff like squash blossom pizza with ricotta cheese, and the alla vodka-based pie topped with shallots and smoked pancetta. It's the odd pizza restaurant you can suggest for a date, and not get immediately ghosted, mostly because tables are hard to come by, and checks aren't cheap.

Cappy's – St. Petersburg

When you're in a state full of transplants from both the Northeast and Midwest, pleasing them both is hard. But Cappy's manages to make both contingencies happy, serving up New York and Chicago style pizzas under one figurative roof. The local chain boasts five locations around Tampa Bay, but the original is in a modified house in the heart of St. Petersburg. It's the most fun location if you're looking to dine-in, but anywhere you go will be a hit.

The menu isn't anything complicated, a build-your-own system where diners can choose between thin crust and deep dish stuffed pizzas. Toppings are varied, ranging from the standard pepperoni and olives, to exotic stuff like banana peppers, caramelized onions, and feta cheese.  It's a nice, Bay-area alternative to the outposts of big names from further north, and makes for a perfect place for pizza any time you're in St. Pete.