Grab a Slice of Heaven With the Best Pizza in NYC

There may be an ongoing battle between New York and other places around America as to who has the best pizza overall, but stand firm in our belief that New York deserves one of the top two spots. Even if you can’t choose between the cities, we can narrow down some of the best pizza in NYC for you that showcases what it is about our pizzas that bring forth international acclaim. 

New York was the first place to sell pizza by the slice, and back then, it was a working man’s food. There’s even a little thing known as the “Pizza Principle” that states the price of an average slice of pizza won’t exceed the subway fair. That’s not a bad thing to keep in mind when you’re on the hunt for the best pizza in NYC, but what about the best places to try out?

We’ve got you covered there! Keep reading to see our top choices when we’re fixing to grab a little slice of heaven.

Photo Courtesy Google My Business 

 Best Pizza in NYC #2: Juliana’s

See What the Fuss is All About

• Must Try: White Pizza, No. 2 (sliced cherry tomato, Bufala mozzarella, garlic and sea salt)
• Neighborhood: Dumbo

Pizza legend Pasquale “Patsy” Grimaldi offers us some of the best pizza in NYC at Brooklyn’s own Juliana’s Pizza. The restaurant is named after Patsy’s mother, Juliana, who hailed as the youngest of four who grew up in Melfi, Italy. Back in 2015, Juliana’s also received the TripAdvisor award for best pizza in the country. The brick and mortar of the restaurant stands in the same location as the original Grimaldi’s pizza that made the Brooklyn Bridge famous and sits in a bigger building across the street now that it’s become a chain.

Whenever we pay Juliana’s a visit to stretch out our pant lines, we usually gravitate toward the No. 3 on the pizza specials. The perfectly crafted array of mozzarella, sausage, broccoli rabe and garlic reminds us, with each bite, why this is the best pizza in NYC, and exactly why it took the title for the whole country a few years ago. The fact that this restaurant also houses the first coal-fired oven commissioned in New York in over 50 years (at the time of its opening in 2012) makes it all the more impressive, and the coal-fire certainly adds a lot to the taste factor. It might not still be affiliated with its former brother across the street, but it still knows how to pack a line just as long — if not longer — than its predecessor. 

Photo Courtesy San Francisco Prince Street Pizza

Best Pizza in NYC #4:  Lucali’s 

Channel Your Inner Beyoncé!

• Must Try: Shallot and Sweet Pepper Pizza
• Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens

The owner, Mark Iacono, hadn’t even been to Italy in person to explore his Italian roots when he opened Lucali’s Pizza back in 2006. Despite that, it didn’t take very long for word of his greatness to spread, and Brooklyn native Jay-Z became a regular within the first few years of opening. Iacono’s attention to detail even landed him a NY-Times piece dedicated to every move he makes while laying out the pizza. So, yeah, you may have to show up right at 5, put your name on a list, and wait for them to call you when your table is ready that night, but it’ll be worth it after the first bite of some of the best pizza in NYC. And hey, you might even see Beyoncé.

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Best Pizza in NYC #6: Grimaldi’s

Get That Coal-Fired Taste

• Must Try: The Don (Traditional Pizza Topped with Italian Sausage, Meatballs and Pepperoni)
• Neighborhood: Dumbo

The taste and feel of Grimaldi’s might be a little different ever since being bought out by Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in Scottsdale, Arizona, but the flagship coal-fired pizzas still stand as a guest-favorite option. The location may have seen its ups and downs and closures since being taken over by a different business, but fans of the pizza are always happy to enjoy some of the best pizza in NYC anytime their doors are open — which usually has a line waiting to get in.

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Best Pizza in NYC #8: Joe’s Pizza

Hunker Down on a Good, Old-Fashioned Slice.

• Must Try: Sicilian Square
• Neighborhood(s): West Village (Original), East Village, Williamsburg, Garment District, Lower Manhattan 

The competition out there is tough, but ever since 1975, Joe’s Pizza has always remained in the top running for the best pizza in NYC. In fact, not only did New York Magazine name Joe’s Pizza “Best of New York,” GQ Magazine also listed it as one of the “Best 25 Pizzas on Earth.” If we haven’t convinced you yet, you may as well just go get yourself a slice and see for yourself. We’ll wait.

Photo Courtesy of Google My Business

Best Pizza in NYC #10: Joe and Pat’s

Get Your Vodka on 

• Must Try: Vodka Pizza
• Neighborhood: Castleton Corners

Okay, but seriously, the pizzas at Joe and Pat’s are crazy. Like little slices of heaven dripped down through accidental seams in the cracks between the earth and sky. They’ve been a staple out in Staten Island since 1960, and have won numerous “best pizza” awards. Just for the sake of it, you can even get your pizza in the shape of a heart here. What’s not to love about that while you chow down on the best pizza in NYC?

We could go on for days about places to find the best pizza in NYC, but even a full guidebook wouldn’t be enough to get through them all. Outside of our top ten choices, we also recommend Paulie Gee’s, Roberta’s, Totonno’s, Angelo’s Coal Oven Pizza, and 99 Cent Fresh Pizza as honorable mentions if you’ve already tried everything on our list and are still on the lookout.

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