There’s no denying the popularity of pizza. One in 8 Americans eats pizza on any given day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A poll from CiCi’s Pizza found that the average American eats at least 6,000 slices of pizza over a lifetime. And then there’s this amazing statistic: More than 3 billion pizzas are sold per year in this country.
Pizza is delicious and convenient, it’s available around every corner, and for a large group of people watching the big game or a cluster of kids at a birthday party, there’s no better investment, because it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Would you put this on your pizza? Toppings from around the world
Taiwan's Domino's menu features several options with lobster, and in Sweden, you can order pancakes with your Pizza Hut.
It’s easy to find pizza that’s decent almost everywhere you go, from the grocery store frozen food section to your local fast food restaurants. But what about great pizza? As you might imagine, a lot of the best pizza places aren’t located in the U.S. They’re in places like Naples, Italy, the birthplace of pizza. In fact, prestigious pizza assessment company 50 Top Pizza has compiled its 2023 list of the best in the world, and many are from that country.
To create its rankings, 50 Top Pizza sends anonymous inspectors to pizzerias around the world. They look at factors such as the quality of the products used as well as customer care to make their decisions. It may be called Top 50, but the guide actually ranks the top 100 — and most of these pizza places are in Europe, although there’s a smattering of others from around the world, including Asia, the Middle East and the U.S.
Italian pizzerias do take the top honors on the 2023 list (No. 1 is a tie between pizzerias in Naples and Caserta). But they’re followed by a pizza place in New York. So, which pizza eateries are the best in the U.S.? Here’s a list of the 15 American entries on the top 100 list.
1. Una Pizza Napoletana in New York City
At No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 on the list of the world’s best 100 pizzerias, New York’s Una Pizza Napoletana comes in just below 10 Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria in Naples, Italy, and I Masianelli de Francesco Martucci in Caserta, Italy, who tied for first. Located on the Lower East Side, it’s from Anthony Mangieri and offers naturally leavened, wood-fired pizzas that are worked by hand. 50 Top Pizza loves the high quality, the crust, the simplicity and the fresh ingredients.
Here’s one of those simple pizzas posted to Facebook by Una Pizza Napoletana:
2. Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, New Jersey
At the No. 11 spot on the world list, this New Jersey pizzeria is constantly getting kudos on social media and is no stranger to “best of” lists. Owned by Dan Richer, its mission is to influence the industry by improving the overall quality of pizza in the U.S. To do this, it focuses on better, more local ingredients — including growing its own yeast culture — and techniques.
In this Facebook post from 2021, Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis showed some of the delicious pies served here:
3. Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Portland, Oregon
On the other coast, Ken’s Artisan Pizza is No. 18 on the world list and serves what it calls pizza that’s “Italian-inspired with an American accent.” They’re wood-fired with fermented dough, hand-stretched mozzarella and that blistered crust you expect from Naples-style pizza. 50 Top Pizza raves about the pizzeria’s inventiveness and originality.
One popular item there is the Brooklyn, shown on the eatery’s Facebook page. It features tomato sauce, mozzarella, capicola, pickled jalapeño and Mike’s Hot Honey.
4. Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco
At No. 19 on the world list, this Bay Area joint is from award-winning Tony Gemignani, who was inspired by authentic Neapolitan pizza to learn the art of making it. Tony’s Pizza Napoletana offers several styles of pizza, including classic American-style, Sicilian, New York, Detroit and St. Louis. Here, you can view seven types of pizza ovens and have herbs and honey from a rooftop garden.
On the restaurant’s official Facebook page, you can check out just a few of the options that are available:
5. Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix
Pizzeria Bianco, from James Beard Award winner Chris Bianco, is ranked 21st on the world list. He started the restaurant in the back corner of a grocery store in 1988, but his drive to create artisanal pizza soon turned him into a critical and financial success. Bianco even helped develop an organic line of tomato products and now has several locations in Arizona and California. 50 Top Pizza says the pizza is “digestible, and with a great identity.”
These pizzas from the official Facebook page look delicious!
6. Ribalta in New York City
The old-world vibe at New York City’s Ribalta has pushed it to No. 22 on the top international pizzerias list. This eatery works to be as classic and traditional as possible, using all Italian ingredients, from the flour and yeast to the buffalo-milk mozzarella from Campania, Italy. Expect a light crust and delicate toppings, along with a selection of unusual combinations.
Here are some of the options from Ribalta’s social media:
7. O'Munaciello in Miami
Named for a trickster figure called “The Little Monk” in Italian folklore, the O’Munaciello franchise was created by a group of Florentine Italians who love Naples, especially the Spanish parts. This restaurant features handmade pizzas made from dough that has risen for 48 hours. Every ingredient is Italian, and all pies are baked in a wood-fired oven.
Here’s an image of a pizza right out of the wood-fired oven from the Miami location in MiMo District. Yum.
8. Jay's Artisan Pizzeria in Kenmore, New York
Here’s a laid-back pizza place that’s a bit off the beaten path: Jay’s Artisan Pizzeria is in the Buffalo, New York, area. It’s at No. 28 in the world. Jay’s was started by Jay Langfelder, who wanted to create something different from the popular style of pizza that dominated Buffalo, so he went back to Neapolitan tradition. He also experimented with Detroit-style pizza. Pizza here is cooked in a hand-built Pavesi oven and features high-quality ingredients from both local and international sources.
Jay’s Facebook page is full of happy customers who have tagged the restaurant in their images of the food, like this one from Bubba Landes.
9. Song'E Napule in New York City
The first Song’E Napule opened in New York City’s West Village on Houston Street in 2015 under the ownership of Ciro Iovine, who has been a pizza chef since he was 13. This restaurant, No. 33 on the world list, appears to be a labor of love, featuring authentic ingredients and a cozy atmosphere. 50 Top Pizza uses words like “traditional” and “classic” when praising this pizza.
The pizza below, shown on Song’E Napule’s Facebook page, features Italian-imported red tuna and cherry tomatoes.
10. Kesté in New York City
The next American entry on the world top 100 list doesn’t show up until No. 72. Kesté is in New York City’s financial district and is headed by Chef Robert Caporuscio. This pizza master learned the art of pizza in Naples and is passionate about spreading the word; he is the U.S. president of the Pizza Academy Foundation, which teaches and certifies authentic pizza-making procedures.
Tiktokers @carmyandanthony went earlier this year, and this place looks perfect for their date night:
@carmyandanthony Spontaneous date night at Kesté 😋 #mtl #couplestiktoks #fyp #foodies #kestemtl #summer2023countdown #summer2023loading #pizza #pizzaria #mtlrestaurant #cacioepepe #bruschetta #potatocroquettes #aperolspritz #pizzanapoletana ♬ Ronaldo better then Messi - Benji
11. La Leggenda Pizzeria in Miami
Miami is represented once again in the top 100 by La Leggenda Pizzeria Napoletana at No. 73. It’s headed by Giovanni Gagliardi, the heir to a family of pizza chefs who has been perfecting his craft since he was a boy. The name of the pizzeria, which he started in 2017, is from his nickname — “The Legend” — which he got for the way he kneads pizza. It must be working for him! The fact that this restaurant is in Miami Beach doesn’t hurt, either.
Here’s a mouth-watering example of one of Gagliardi’s pizzas from La Leggenda’s Facebook page, with palm trees visible in the background. We’re in!
12. Pasquale’s Pizzeria Napoletana in South Kingstown, Rhode Island
No. 76 is another great pizzeria in an unexpected place: the village of Wakefield, Rhode Island, in the town of South Kingstown. Known for its authentic Neapolitan cuisine, Pasquale’s is certified with Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, an organization focused on the art of pizza. Chef-ambassador Pasquale Iliano is known for his light, well-leavened pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven that was built professionally by a Neapolitan master craftsman.
Pasquale’s Pizzeria serves Neapolitan-style pizza, of course, but Top 50 Pizza specifically recommends the New York style, shown on the Facebook page.
13. Ops in Brooklyn, New York
This small, metropolitan-style venue features a pizza with a well-leavened, well-hydrated dough, with toppings from local producers, 50 Top Pizza says. You can also get natural wines and consistently great service at this spot, which is No. 92 on the world list.
The pizza pictured below on Ops Pizza’s social media is called the Juno. It includes broccoli rabe, potatoes and provola and ricotta salata cheeses.
14. Spacca Napoli Pizzeria in Chicago
Chicago may be better known for its deep dish pies, but locals know Jonathan Goldsmith’s Spacca Napoli is the place to get authentic Neapolitan-style pizza — and so does 50 Top Pizza, which ranked it 93rd in the world. This pizzeria makes dough daily and bakes its pizzas in an oven built by third- and fourth-generation artisans from Naples. Ingredients come from Italy and aren’t available elsewhere in this Midwestern city.
In this TikTok post, content creator @maunaeatschicago posts some really nice-looking pizzas and a burrata, and calls Spacca Napoli her “new favorite pizza spot.”
@maunaeatschicago My new favorite pizza spot! #chicagotiktok #candycrush10 #chicagofoodie #chi #viral #fyp #chicagopizza #spaccanapoli #chicago #sushi #hangrychicago #pizza ♬ Che La Luna - Louis Prima with Sam Butera & The Witnesses
15. Fabrica Pizza in Tampa, Florida
Just barely making it into the top 100 list at No. 97, Fabrica Pizza is a great combination of tradition and contemporary convenience, using high-quality ingredients and hand-stretched dough since 2015 for a tasty, creative and casual experience. This eatery has plenty of toppings and base sauces to choose from.
In this recent Facebook post, Fabrica Pizza posts its pizza of the month, which features baby spinach, artichoke hearts and two kinds of cheeses with a pesto base.
This story was originally published by Helen Lee at Simplemost.com.
