Best Pizzas In Philadelphia

Supervisor Jay Schacht at Pizzeria Vetri In Rittenhouse Square

Supervisor Jay Schacht at Pizzeria Vetri In Rittenhouse Square

‘Exploring Pizzas In The City Of Brotherly Love’

With pizza being one of America’s most popular foods, we set out for that ultimate quest, the Holy Grail of Pizzas in Philadelphia! We have also included the Suburbs of Philadelphia as well and will be adding. 

It’s not an easy task at hand, considering that there are many differing styles of pizza that include the dough, the style of pizza, the toppings, the sauce and so much more.

Now, there are thousands of pizzerias roaming Philly and the surrounding areas. There are many reasons why someone might say they had the best pizza. But for us, it’s more than about the size of the slice and or the cost, but about the ingredients and taste – quality! This is one comment that we hear often when it comes to grading their pizza.

Best pizza in Philly! Slices are cheap and gigantic…..

My opinion is that you need to indulge yourself, allowing your taste buds and stomach to focus on the tastiness of the pie or slice and not the size or cost. In some cases, it’s mind over matter.

These eateries are serious about their craft, building custom wood-fired ovens or pizza havens, so that they can create pizzas that are more authentic and more delicious than ever before.

Keep in mind that National Pizza Day is February 9!

99% of the pizzas that we did try personally were topped with pepperoni. We explored pizzerias from South Philly and Point Breeze, to Bella Vista/Queen Village/ Society Hill/Old City, to Graduate Hospital, to Center City, to Fishtown/Northern Liberties/Kensington/Port Richmond, and west to University City area. Don’t fret, because in the next several months we will be adding to the list to cover areas like Chestnut Hill, Roxborough, Manayunk, Bala Cynwyd, Ardmore, Northeast Philadelphia, Levittown, Delco and more.

Disclaimer: We placed three asterisks (***) next to the pizza places that we visited ourselves. The (+++) symbol represents those pizza establishments that were mentioned in several different surveys and polls that we have taken over the last year or so, with some research as well.

Drum Roll!!! (Note: The list below is not in a ranked order – but at the very end, we list our top five with honorable mentions.)

Last Updated: July 6, 2021

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Art Museum District/Fairmount

 

Angelino’s Restaurant ~ +++ ~ Neighborhood BYOB Italian eatery serving different kinds of food in a laid-back setting. Enjoy appetizers such as Calamari, mac & cheese balls, coconut shrimp and Bruschetta. Try specialty dishes such as Lasagna, shrimp & crab meat, Gnocchi, Lobster Ravioli, Shrimp Scampi, Eggplant Parmigiana & Spaghetti, Spaghetti & meatballs or sausage, Fettuccine Alfredo, Baked Ziti and Chicken Pesto & Penne Pasta. 14 kinds of pizza and 12 kinds of Stromboli’s.  Also enjoy sandwiches, cheesesteaks, burgers, wraps, wings, fries and salads. Location: 849 N 25th St – 19130 ~ (215) 787-9945 (very edge of Fairmount & Brewerytown)

Fairmount Pizza and Grill  ~ +++ ~ Casual spot with a large, diverse menu of pizza, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pasta, salads, breakfast sandwiches & more.  Location: 2000 Fairmount Ave ~ (215) 763-4000

Lugi’s Pizza Fresca ~ *** ~ Casual, quick-serve Italian spot featuring thin-crust & stuffed pizzas, calzones, panini & more. Location: 2401 Fairmount Ave ~ (215) 769-8888 ~

Pizzeria Vetri ~ *** ~ An amazing pizza that makes you want more. This pizzeria creates wood fired pizzas. I had the mozzarella and pepperoni pie. With 2 locations in Philly and 1 in King of Prussia. ~ Location: 1939 Callowhill St (2 other locations: Rittenhouse Area at 1615 Chancellor St & in King of Prussia at 640 W. DeKalb Pike) ~ (215) 600-2629

Pizzeria Vetri's Pepperoni With Mozzarella

Pizzeria Vetri’s Pepperoni With Mozzarella

Bella Vista

 

Nomad Pizza ~ ***  ~ Neapolitan-style pizzas ~ Featuring both ‘Neapolitan’ and ‘Roman-Style’ pizzas. Wood-fired pizzas. ~ Location: 611 S 7th St ~ (located at 1305 Locust St as well) ~ (215) 238-0900

Santucci’s Pizza ~ *** ~ Santucci’s serves up squares with cheese-under-sauce pizzas, cooked in special pans that gives the dough a one-of-a-kind consistency. ~ Location: 901 S 10th St, Philadelphia (also locations at North Wallace & Broad and in Roxborough) ~ (215) 825-5304 ~

 

Brewerytown

 

Angelino’s Restaurant ~ +++ ~ Neighborhood BYOB Italian eatery serving different kinds of food in a laid-back setting. Enjoy appetizers such as Calamari, mac & cheese balls, coconut shrimp and Bruschetta. Try specialty dishes such as Lasagna, shrimp & crab meat, Gnocchi, Lobster Ravioli, Shrimp Scampi, Eggplant Parmigiana & Spaghetti, Spaghetti & meatballs or sausage, Fettuccine Alfredo, Baked Ziti and Chicken Pesto & Penne Pasta. 14 kinds of pizza and 12 kinds of Stromboli’s.  Also enjoy sandwiches, cheesesteaks, burgers, wraps, wings, fries and salads. Location: 849 N 25th St – 19130 ~ (215) 787-9945 (very edge of Fairmount & Brewerytown)

Pizza Dad’s ~ +++ ~ Those who brought you Pizza Brain, now bring you Pizza Dad’s in Brewerytown. Enjoy favorite traditional pizza pies and new artisan flavor profiles inspired by International + Philly street foods. One standout is the Alana, a red sauce-and-mozzarella pie layered with prosciutto cotto, sliced pineapple and Grana Padano cheese. Location: 2843 W Girard Ave ~ (215) 763-3237 ~ Pizza Brain is located in Fishtown at 2313 Frankford Ave ~ (215) 291-2965 ~ 

 

East Passyunk

 

Marra’s Cucina Italiana ~ +++ ~ Old-school Italian spot dishing up red-sauce-covered plates & brick-oven thin-crust pizzas since 1927 which have been built on the same recipe the owner’s grandparents used. Location: 1734 E Passyunk Ave ~ (215) 463-9249 ~

Stogie Joe’s Tavern ~ *** ~  Laid-back tavern setting serving square pies in which the dough is handmade daily, and known for their upside down pizza, because the sauce is laid on top of your toppings. ~ Location: 1801 E Passyunk Ave ~(215) 463-3030

 

Center City

 

NYPD Pizza ~ +++ ~ New York City style pizza that are reasonably large, fold-able slices with a thin crust. Location: 140 S 11th St ~ (215) 733-0651 ~

Pete’s Famous Pizza ~ *** ~ You can create your own pizza, enjoy signature pizzas, Strombolis, cheesesteaks, burgers, chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches, hoagies, wraps, salads, entrees and more. Location: 116 N. 21st St ~ (215) 567 – 4116 ~

 

Fishtown/Northern Liberties/Port Richmond

 

Blackbird Pizzeria ~ +++ ~  As a full-on vegan pizzeria, they serve Artisanal pizzas, sandwiches & more made with ingredients like seitan sausage, garlic butter & tofu. ~ Location: 614 N. 2nd in Northern Liberties ~ (267) 324-5224 ~

Circles and Squares ~  *** ~ What was once Pizza Gutt, owner Daniel Gutter not only renamed his place, but moved to another location in 2019. Gutter is an alum of Pizza Brain’s kitchen who also received training from Joe Beddia at one point, reates his Detroit styled pizzas. Open four days a week, Wednesday thru Saturday, Gutter only serves so many per day. To order, go to their website, pick a date and a time slot, then add your name next to which pie you want: Circle or Square OR BOTH. Circles are hand tossed thin crust and Squares are thick crust pan pies. There’s options for toppings: Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Pickled Peppers. Spinach, Pineapple, Onion. Reservations usually open Monday, and you’ll want to get to the website as early as possible for the best availability. Follow Pizza Gutt on Instagram for menu updates, Click Here. ~ Location: 2513 Tulip St ~ (215) 309-3342

Pizzeria Beddia ~ *** ~ Joe Beddia has created a memorable experience by using high-quality ingredients. There are simple rules to follow at this heavenly pie in the sky establishment – because of Covid & the popularity, reservations are required 30 days in advance. Also, no slices and no cash. FYI – Demand is high. You can check their Instagram at @PizzaCamp for updates. Lastly, always check their web-site before heading over to make sure they are open. ~ Location: Fishtown at 1313 N. Lee St ~ (267) 928-2256 ~

Pizza Gutt Pepperoni

Pizza Gutt – Pepperoni

Pizza Brain ~ *** ~ Pizza Brain offers pizza by the pie or large slices that are thing crust while offering a wide selection of pizzas and a build-your-own-pizza. They also have the world’s first pizza museum and shop, which showcases hundreds of pop culture pizza artifacts. ~ Location: Fishtown at 2313 Frankford Ave ~ (215) 291-2965 ~ (also located in Brewerytown and called Pizza Dads) ~ 

Rustica Pizza ~ *** ~ Established in 2001, Rustica is one of the first pizza shops to really explore innovative and unique topping combinations in the city. They have won Best of Philly for their pepperoni pizza in 2015. We also enjoyed their brisket and mashed potatoes pizza, which was surprisingly very tasty. ~ Location: Northern Liberties at 903 N 2nd St ~ (215) 627-1393 ~

Slice *** ~ Serves fresh toppings that are plentiful, pizza is thin and crisp with robust sauce. FYI – You will see Yelp reviews averaging around 3.5, but I felt that this pizza was very good, roughly in my top 10, mainly because of the pepperoni that curls up when cooked and the thin slices. So I would give it a solid 4.3 rating. ~ Location: 431 East Girard Avenue (215) 425-1555 ~ (2 other locations: Italian Market/Passyunk Sq Area at 1180 S. & Washington Twp, NJ) ~

Tacconelli’s ~ *** ~ One of our top places in Philly for pizza, pizza-goers must call in advance (usually 2-3 days prior) for reservations for sit down or take out. Being a lover of pepperoni, this pizza sure hit the spot on so many levels. Don’t expect to be over-whelmed by the decor, because it’s all about the pizza at this establishment. ~ Location: 2604 E Somerset St in Port Richmond ~ (215) 425-4983 ~

Pepperoni Pizza From Tacconelli's

Pepperoni Pizza From Tacconelli’s

 

Gayborhood

 

Nomad Pizza ~ +++ ~ Temporarily Closed ~ Neapolitan-style pizzas ~ Wood-fired pizzas. Cozy pizzeria focusing on local & organic ingredients to make brick-oven thin-crust pies. ~ Location: 1305 Locust St ~ (215) 644-9287 ~ (located at  611 S 7th St as well)

Pizzeria Cappelli (also known as Big Gay Pizza) ~ *** ~ Late-night pit serving both Neapolitan and Sicilian style pizzas that includes unique options such as their mac ’n’ cheese pie. ~ Location: 209 S 13th St ~ (215) 309-5490 ~

Stranglove’s Pizza ~ +++ ~ Serving different kinds of Flatbreads such as Margheritas, Vegetarian, chicken, shrimp & broccoli and braised pulled pork. ~ Location: 209 S 13th St ~ (215) 873-0404 ~

 

Graduate Hospital Area

 

Lazaro’s Pizzeria & Grill ~ *** ~ This friendly spot offers thin-crust pies & a lengthy list of subs including 18-in. cheesesteaks. You can’t go wrong with their plain cheese or with some toppings. My favorite is their pepperoni and sausage pizza!   Location: 1743 South St ~ (215) 545-2775

Pat’s Pizza & Pasta ~ *** ~ Everything from pizza, to burgers, cheesesteaks, hot and cold sandwiches, hoagies and more. ~ Order pizza and other foods ~ Location: 1410 South St ~ (215) 790-7287 ~ 

Randazzo’s Pizzeria ~ +++ ~ Offering thin-crust pizzas & regular crust, wings & Italian-style sandwiches. ~ Location: 1826 South St ~ (215) 546-1566 ~

The Side Car Bar & Grille ~ *** ~ They serve a Detroit style pizza to include red, white, their Supreme pizza, pepperoni pizza, Buffalo chicken pizza and their veggie delight. They also have a pizza of the day which can be found on their website. They also serve other foods such as cheese curds, mac n cheese, nachos, wings and plates of chicken Fricassee, roasted pork shoulder and spicy vegetable curry. They even serve beers, mixed drinks and more. ~ Location: 2201 Christian St ~ (215) 732-3429 ~ 

 

Italian Market Area/Passyunk Square

 

Angelo’s Pizzeria ~ *** ~ Serving all kinds of styles of pizza. We had their pepperoni pizza that was semi thin, and we rated it a solid 9.0. They also serve many kinds of sandwiches, especially one of the top cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. Update: They are taking phone orders only. (215) 922-0000. ~ Location: 736 S 9th St ~ (215) 922-0000 ~

Slice *** ~ Serves fresh toppings that are plentiful, pizza is thin and crisp with robust sauce. FYI – You will see Yelp reviews averaging around 3.5, but I felt that this pizza was very good, roughly in my top 10, mainly because of the pepperoni that curls up when cooked and the thin slices. So I would give it a solid 4.3 rating. ~ Location: 1180 S. 10th St. ~ (215) 463-0868 ~ (2 other locations: Fishtown at 431 East Girard Avenue & Washington Twp, NJ) ~

Angelo's Pizzeria

Angelo’s Pizzeria

 

Old City

 

Big Ass Slices ~ +++ ~ Serving all kinds of pizzas, specialty pies and by the slices. Also enjoy Stromboli’s, sandwiches, platters, salads and soups. ~ Location: 218 Market St ~ (215) 625-3955 ~ 

Gianfranco Pizza Rustica ~ +++ ~ Serving all kinds of pizza, Stromboli’s, Calzones, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, salads and more. ~ Location: 8 N 3rd St ~ (215) 592-0048 ~ 

Margherita Pizzeria ~ *** ~ Serving everything from pizza slices, 18″ pizzas, Stromboli, hoagies, burgers, hot sandwiches and salads. ~ Location: 60 S 2nd St ~ (215) 922-7503 ~ 

Old City Pizza ~ +++ ~ Serving your basic slices of pizza and pies, all a few doors down from the Betsy Ross House. They also serve breakfast items and other items like Stromboli, Philly steaks, burgers, wraps, hoagies and more. ~ Location: 100 N 3rd St (corner of 3rd & arch Sts) ~ (215) 574-9494 ~

The Angelo Pizza ~ +++ ~ The owner’s last name is Pizza! Serving one-size pizza that is a tad larger than a personal sized pizza. 12″ pizza served. How to order? Tuesday thru Thursday, walk-in or call ahead. Friday thru Sunday, walk-in orders ONLY! ~ Location: 229 Market St ~ (215) 964-9218 ~

Viva Pizzas ~ +++ ~ Serving all kinds of pizzas, specialty pizzas, burgers, cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks, Mozzarella sticks, fries, Empanadas, chicken tenders, sandwiches, salads and more. ~ Location: 215 Chestnut St ~ (267) 968-2626 ~

 

Queen Village

 

Square Pie ~ *** ~ Comfy BYO eatery serving Brooklyn-style Sicilian crust pizzas amped up with toppings. Also serving pastas, polenta & meat dishes in homey digs. ~ Location: 801 E Passyunk Ave ~ (215) 238-0615 ~

 

Rittenhouse Square/Rittenhouse Area

 

Alice Pizza ~ *** ~ Roman-style pizza a taglio established 1990 in Rome, Italy. Alice’s bakers have refined the recipe further to create the perfect pizza al taglio! Location: 235 S 15th St ~ (215) 545-2020 ~

Joe’s Pizza ~ *** ~ Enjoy huge slices from this family owned restaurant which can be heavy on the ingredients. Location: 122 S 16th St ~ (215) 569-0898 ~

Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria ~ +++ ~ Coal-fired pizzas, Italian eats & wine at this outpost of a local chain with a family-friendly vibe.   Location: 1714 Walnut St (Also located at 121 South St) ~ (215) 735-8090 ~

Pizzata Pizzeria ~ +++ ~ Serving red pies, white pies, salads, open faced toasts and desserts. ~ Location: 240 S 22nd St ~ (215) 546-7200 ~

Pizzeria Vetri ~ *** ~ An amazing pizza that makes you want more. This pizzeria creates wood fired pizzas. I had the mozzarella and pepperoni pie. With 2 locations in Philly and 1 in King of Prussia. ~ Location: 1615 Chancellor St ~ (215) 763-3760 ~ (2 other locations: Art Museum District/Fairmount at 1939 Callowhill St & in King of Prussia at 640 W. DeKalb Pike)

Rione’s Pizza ~ ***Casual pizza shop that specializes in Roman-style “al taglio” slices that are light and crispy. Location: 100.5 S 21st St ~ (215) 575-9075 ~

 

South Philly/Point Breeze

 

Cacia’s Bakery ~ +++ ~ Cacia’s has been a South Philadelphia tradition for over 60 years. Old-school bakery with a brick oven churning out Italian bread, stromboli, pizza, cannoli & hoagies. The tomato pie is a local favorite along with their cheesesteak pizza and more! Location: 1526 W Ritner St ~ (215) 344-1340 ~

Celebres Pizzeria ~ +++ ~ Serving many kinds of pizzas, specialty pizzas, burgers, cheesesteaks, Stromboli’s, hoagies, fries, salads and more. ~ Location: 1536 Packer Ave ~ (215) 467-3255 ~

Community Bar PHL ~ +++ ~ Serving up some tasty flat breads, such as a shrimp Chorizo flatbread and a veggie flatbread! Also serving, Empanadas, sandwiches such as their short rib French dip, burgers, Buffalo chicken meatball hoagie, house-made smoked Ricotta raviolis, Gumbo, fries, salads and more. ~ Location: 1200 S 21st St (in Point Breeze) ~ (267) 319-1027 ~

La Rosa Pizzeria ~ +++ ~ Serving square, deep-dish extravagant pizzas for over 30 years to include potato pies. Location: 2106 S Broad St ~ (215) 271-5246 ~

Steak Em Up ~ *** ~ Starting off with many breakfast sandwiches and platters. They also serve pizza, Calzones, Stromboli’s, Inside-Outs, cheesesteaks, burgers, wraps, hoagies, grilled cheese, specialty sandwiches and more. ~ Location: 2600 S 11th St ~ (215) 467-2100 ~

Uncle Oogie’s ~ +++ ~ Enjoy all kinds of pizzas, Stromboli’s, wings, fries, salads, sandwiches, burgers, cheesesteaks, vegan food and more. ~ Location: 36 Snyder Ave ~ (215) 755-9999 ~

 

South Street Headhouse District/Society Hill

 

Lorenzo & Son’s Pizza ~ *** ~  This long time staple of the Headhouse District on South Street serves jumbo cheese slices! They also have a special creation, with the help of Jim’s Steaks, called thePhilly Taco. It’s a cheese pizza wrapped around a cheesesteak by Jim’s Steaks. Lorenzo’s also offers toppings, but only on their pies and on their slices on Tuesday’s only. FYI – You will hear many say this is some of the best pizza in Philly, but some reasons that are factored into this decision is the cost and the size of their large slices. ~ Location: 305 South St ~ (215) 800-1942 ~

Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria ~ ***Coal-fired pizzas, Italian eats & wine at this outpost of a local chain with a family-friendly vibe. ~ Location: 121 South St ~ (215) 733-0675 ~ (Also located at 1714 Walnut St)

Pizzeria Stella ~ *** ~ A Stephen Starr restaurant that creates Wood-fired pizzas with gourmet toppings like black truffle, plus housemade gelato and a quaint bar. ~ Location: Society Hill at 420 S. 2nd St ~ (215) 320-8000 ~

 

Spring Garden/Callowhill

 

Santucci’s Pizza ~ *** ~ Santucci’s serves up squares with cheese-under-sauce pizzas, cooked in special pans that gives the dough a one-of-a-kind consistency. ~ Location: 655 N Broad St, Philadelphia (also locations at 901 S 10th St in Bella Vista and in Roxborough) ~ (267) 639-6014 ~

 

University City/West Philly

 

Enjay’s Pizza inside Smokey Joe’s ~ +++ ~ Enjay’s Pizza is brought to you by the folks at Pitruco Pizza, a Philly-based food truck serving wood-fired pies out of their mobile brick oven. Location: 210 S 40th St ~ (215) 222-0770 ~

 

Delaware County

 

 

Montgomery County

 

Colmar, PA ~ Goombas Pizzaria ~ *** ~ Enjoy many different styles of pizza, burgers, wings, cheesesteaks, Stromboli, hoagies, Gnocchi, hot sandwiches and more. Location: 793 Bethlehem Pike ~ (215) 966-1030 ~

Horsham, PA ~ Tonelli’s Pizza Pub ~ *** ~ Enjoy many different styles of pizza, wings, cheesesteaks, hoagies and more! Location: 278 Easton ~ (215) 675 – 3220 ~

 

Northeast Philadelphia

 

Vince’s Pizzeria ~ *** ~ They serve several different kinds of pizzas, such as a Spinach pizza. They will also do toppings such as: pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, garlic, steak, broccoli and more. Lastly, they make several kinds of Stromboli as well. Location: 2550 Grant Ave ~ (215) 464-8998 ~

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Jeff Belonger’s Top 5 with Honorable Mentions (no particular order)

FYI – This is not a fair list considering that we have many more places to try.

Top 6 (no particular order)

Pizzeria Vetri 

Rustica Pizza

Tacconelli’s

Angelo’s Pizzeria

Slice

Pizza Gutt

Honorable Mentions

Pizzeria Beddia

Pizzeria Cappelli aka Big Gay Pizza

Lazaro’s Pizzeria & Grill

Santucci’s Pizza 

 

Disclaimer: We placed three asterisks (***) next to the pizza places that we visited ourselves. The (+++) symbol represents those pizza establishments that were mentioned in several different surveys and polls that we have taken over the last year or so, with some research as well.