Let’s skip the generic advice. If you are in these cities, here is exactly where you need to go, what the internet rates them, and the one slice you absolutely cannot miss.
1. New York City, NY (The Classic Slice)
NYC is the pizza capital. But forget the tourist traps. Here are the three spots that actually deliver on the hype.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood / Address | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe’s Pizza | Greenwich Village (7 Carmine St) & multiple locations | 4.6/5 (6,000+ reviews) | The quintessential NY slice. Huge, foldable, crispy-chewy crust with a sweet tomato sauce. Order a plain cheese—it’s perfection. |
| L’Industrie Pizzeria | Williamsburg, Brooklyn (254 S 2nd St) | 4.8/5 (2,500+ reviews) | The current king of NYC. They use burrata cheese dolloped on top mid-bake. Their Fig & Bacon slice is legendary—sweet, salty, and creamy. |
| Lucali | Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (575 Henry St) | 4.7/5 (1,800+ reviews) | Cash-only, no slices (whole pies only), and a 2-hour wait. But the Calzone (stuffed with ricotta and fresh basil) actually outshines the pizza here. Thin, charred, and delicate. |
2. Chicago, IL (Deep Dish & Tavern Style)
Chicagoans will fight you if you only eat deep dish. The locals eat thin, crispy “tavern-style” cut into squares. Here are both.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood / Address | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peaquod’s Pizza | Lincoln Park (2207 N Clybourn Ave) | 4.7/5 (4,000+ reviews) | It’s not a traditional deep dish; it’s a “caramelized crust” pan pizza. The cheese melts down the sides and burns against the cast-iron pan, creating a crunchy, buttery cheese crust. Order the pepperoni. |
| Lou Malnati’s | Multiple locations (Original in Lincolnwood) | 4.5/5 (10,000+ reviews) | The buttercrust is the star. They use a flaky, pie-like crust. The “Malnati Chicago Classic” has lean sausage patties covering the entire base under the sauce. |
| Vito & Nick’s | South Side (8433 S Pulaski Rd) | 4.6/5 (1,200+ reviews) | This is the real Chicago pizza. Paper-thin, cracker-crust tavern-style cut into squares. Crunchy, greasy, and topped with fennel-heavy sausage. A true dive-bar vibe. |
3. New Haven, CT (The Apizza Capital)
New Haven has its own style—”Apizza” (pronounced ah-beets). It’s coal-fired, blistered, and chewy. These two are nationally famous.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood / Address | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Pepe Pizzeria | Wooster Square (157 Wooster St) | 4.6/5 (6,500+ reviews) | The White Clam Pizza is the #1 seller. Fresh littleneck clams, garlic, oregano, grated cheese, and olive oil—no tomato sauce. The coal-oven char gives it a smoky, briny punch. |
| Sally’s Apizza | Wooster Square (237 Wooster St) | 4.5/5 (2,000+ reviews) | More tangy and garlicky than Pepe’s. Their Tomato Pie (sauce, grated parm, garlic, oregano—no mozzarella) is a religious experience for purists. |
4. Detroit, MI (The Square Pan)
Detroit-style is having a massive moment. It’s thick, airy, and has crispy, fried-cheese edges.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood / Address | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buddy’s Pizza | Original Location (17125 Conant St) | 4.4/5 (3,000+ reviews) | The original Detroit-style since 1946. They lay the pepperoni under the cheese and sauce, so the cups crisp up against the pan. The sauce is ladled on top in racing stripes after the bake. |
| Loui’s Pizza | Hazel Park (23141 Dequindre Rd) | 4.7/5 (1,500+ reviews) | Many locals say this beats Buddy’s. The crust is lighter, airier, and has a massive burnt-cheese “frico” ring around the edge. Their house-made sausage is the must-order topping. |
5. Los Angeles, CA (The Artisanal & The Vegan)
LA doesn’t have a single style; it has innovation.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood / Address | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pizzeria Mozza | Hollywood (641 N Highland Ave) | 4.5/5 (3,500+ reviews) | Nancy Silverton’s famous spot. The Squash Blossom Pizza (with ricotta, tomato, and fried squash blossoms) is an LA icon. The crust is bubbly, charred, and airy like focaccia. |
| Prime Pizza | Fairfax District (446 N Fairfax Ave) | 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews) | The best NY-style slice in LA. Perfectly thin, foldable, and greasy in all the right ways. Their Grandma Pie (square, thick, garlicky sauce) is the sleeper hit. |
| Purgatory Pizza | Echo Park (1326 Echo Park Ave) | 4.6/5 (1,000+ reviews) | Known for their insane vegan options that actually taste like dairy. Their spicy pepperoni (meat version) uses tiny, cupped ‘roni that pools grease beautifully. |
6. San Francisco, CA (Sourdough Crust)
SF pizzas often incorporate the city’s famous sourdough starter for a tangy kick.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood / Address | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony’s Pizza Napoletana | North Beach (1570 Stockton St) | 4.7/5 (4,500+ reviews) | Owner Tony Gemignani is an 11-time world pizza champion. He has 9 different ovens for different styles. You must order the “New Yorker” (coal-fired, East Coast style) or the Margherita (Neapolitan, baked for 90 seconds). |
| Golden Boy Pizza | North Beach (542 Green St) | 4.6/5 (1,800+ reviews) | Sicilian-style square slices. Their famous Clam & Garlic square slice is a cult favorite—oily, briny, and crispy-bottomed. Open late for the bar crowd. |
7. Portland, OR (The Wild Card)
Portland is for the adventurous eater.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood / Address | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken’s Artisan Pizza | Nob Hill (304 SE 28th Ave) | 4.7/5 (2,500+ reviews) | Uses a wood-fired oven and a 24-hour fermented dough. The crust has perfect leopard-spotted char. Their Salsiccia (fennel sausage, red onion, pecorino) is the best seller. |
| Apizza Scholls | Hawthorne (4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd) | 4.7/5 (1,200+ reviews) | It’s closer to New Haven style than NY. They use a sourdough starter and high-gluten flour for a chewy, tangy crust. They only use San Marzano tomatoes for their sauce. |
8. The National Heavyweight (Upscale Chain)
If you aren’t in a major city but want a guaranteed top-tier experience, fly to one of these.
| Pizzeria | Location | Typical Rating | The “Special Thing” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pizzeria Bianco | Phoenix, AZ (Heritage Square) | 4.6/5 (5,000+ reviews) | Legendary. James Beard award-winning. The “Rosa” pizza—red onion, parmesan, rosemary, and Arizona pistachios (no tomato sauce)—is considered one of the best pizzas on planet Earth. |
Final Verdict: How to use this guide
- Double-check the rating on Google Maps/Yelp right before you go—restaurants have off-weeks.
- Call ahead for wait times (Lucali and Bianco famously have 2+ hour waits).
- Order the “Special Thing” I listed above. These aren’t gimmicks; these are the specific pies that made these places famous.
