They did it first, and they’re still doing it the best. Founded in 1925, this Wooster Street spot consistently creates pies that are the golden standard of a New Haven apizza: a crust that’s thin, chewy, and doesn’t flop when you hold up a slice; an extremely charred (but never burnt) bottom that adds a subtle smokiness; and just a teensy sprinkling of pecorino romano. Simplicity is what makes their apizza so good, and everyone else in New Haven is just trying to match their quality.

In LA, we’re skeptical of Detroit-style pizza. These pan pies have pummeled the city, and it’s tough to tell which shops are doing the style justice and which ones are just cashing in. Quarter Sheets falls into the first camp. This shop is full-on '90s birthday party nostalgia, but with even better pizza. Their inch-high, focaccia-like crusts crackle and snap like that one cereal that has elven brothers as mascots. Inside, a pillowy middle soaks up sweet red sauce that’s striped across the top.

When people in South Jersey dream of moving to “the city,” they usually mean Philly and not Trenton. And the sheer number of transplants has led to some pizza crosspollination. Trenton-style pizza means cheese is laid directly on top of the dough before being covered in sauce—and CJ & D’s pizzeria in Philly is the place to get it. The crust here is a thin and crunchy, no-flop situation, and holds up even under the creamy mozzarella, tangy crushed tomato sauce, and juicy pepperoni cups.

Pizza can become a heated topic in Chicago. Our favorite pizza in the Windy City comes from a relative newcomer that raises the bar of all the tavern style pizza that came before it. The crust at Pizz’Amici is impressively thin and crackery, with a structural integrity that should get shout-outs in PBS specials about local architecture, while the bottom of each pie is a spotted, charred beauty.

Razza is to Jersey City what The Eiffel Tower is to Paris or Britney Spears is to Kentwood, Louisiana. They’re iconic, and for good reason. The puffy, blistered crust is light enough that one person can easily finish a whole pie, and it’s salty and sweet enough that you’ll order another long after you’re full. And then there are the toppings, like mozzarella made from Jersey water buffaloes, specially-bred hazelnuts, and produce that proves “The Garden State” slogan isn’t sarcasm.

For the longest time, people (mostly from a state with the word “New” in it) could rightfully talk down on Miami’s pizza scene. Then Miami Slice came into our lives, with a New York-style pizza so good, we’d slap any naysayers across the face to initiate a pizza duel. The slices at this tiny shop are crispy from corner to corner, perfectly ratioed with incredible toppings, and one of the very few foods we’ll cheerfully wait three hours in the sun to consume.

The pies at Union Loafers are the lovechild of Neapolitan-leaning and New York styles, with a crust that’s toothsome but pillowy inside. Most of the pies at this St. Louis spot come with a sweet, Calabrian chile-tinged sauce that brings so much freshness to their rich mozzarella and dynamic topping combos. The mushroom pie is bountiful with shrooms, pickled shallots, and fragrant fox glove, while the pepperoni pizza gains complexity from herbs and chiles.

Al Forno has been a stalwart of Providence’s restaurant scene since the '80s, but its signature pizza is what takes this place from reliable to mindblowing. These are the only pies in the country that are grilled over maple charcoal, and the result of this unique method is a crisp wafer-thin crust crisp with zebra stripes instead of leopard spots. Of particular note is the mortadella pie, which has clouds of ricotta, crepe-y piles of mortadella, pieces of pistachios, and a crack of black pepper.

Barbecue gets all the attention in Austin, but you'll also see lines spilling into the parking lot at this modest pizzeria and natural wine spot that makes the city’s best pies. Bufalina’s Neapolitan-style pizza comes with classic and unconventional toppings alike, our favorite being the spicy red pie with double garlic, double parmesan, and chili flakes. Whichever one(s) you choose, the crust will be bubbly and the flavors will be “give me another slice right away.”

New York is the pizza capital of the world, and this is the city’s signature pizza style in its apex predator form. L’Industrie’s naturally leavened and long-fermented crust somehow stays puffy on the outside with a crunchy undercarriage. The sauce is bright and a little sweet. Meats and olive oil taste classy and not from America—and everything gets covered with giant basil leaves and freshly shaved parm.

They’ve nailed the charred-but-chewy perfection of the Neapolitan pie like no other. And like “flu game Jordan,” they never disappoint—a consistency that probably has to do with the fact that they keep a short menu and a strict no-substitutions rule. The pomodorini pizza is topped with creamy mozzarella and Vesuvian cherry tomatoes, which get a light char from the wood-fired oven. The best part is when you take a bite and these hot juicy tomatoes erupt like a volcano in your mouth.

The pies at Pizzeria Bianco launched Phoenix’s food scene into the orbit of national conversation. Seriously, these pizzas are so famous they moved to Downtown Los Angeles, where a new Bianco’s debuted in 2022. But there’s a reason the original location is still a place that people line up for: The dough is seriously flavorful on its own, having been fermented for 18-20 hours, giving it a delicious yeasty tang. Don’t leave without trying the Biancoverde.

Outta Sight in SF nails every element necessary to a perfect slice. There’s a chewy yet crisp crust that’s foldable without getting soggy. Toppings are packed with flavor, whether you opt for the smoky pepperoni cups or slightly sweet vodka sauce paired with globs of gooey mozzarella. And a satisfying, bright orange grease drips out of the creases. Plus, you get to devour it all in the company of E-40 bobbleheads and Giants foam fingers on the wall.

If you’ve ever had Detroit-style pizza, you have Buddy’s to thank. But it’s important to respect the OG—a place that’s been around since 1946 and still upholds the tradition of making its pies in blue steel pans. As you might expect, these are heavy-duty, rectangular, crispy pies that are meant to help people withstand brutal midwestern winters. But they’re also incredible no matter what the temperature is, which is why you can now find Detroit-style in almost every climate.

Nashville-style pizza is not a thing, but the most interesting stuff in town is St. Vito's sourdough Sicilian-style sfincione, covered in toppings like cheesy potato fonduta and an army of crispy pepperoni. When we first tried this pizza, we spent a good amount of time Googling different cloud terminology to accurately describe it. We’ve settled on a combo between “stratus” and “cumulus,” because this dough is about as airy and puffy as it can get.

Gold Tooth Tony’s in Houston is turning out some excellent Detroit-style pizza without forgetting to have a little fun. The compact, counter-service joint is dishing out heavy-hitter pies. Each slice, made of fluffy dough smothered in glistening cheese with edges crisper than a fresh line-up, could easily be a meal on their own. There are classic options like cheese and margherita, but we like the more over-the-top varieties, like The Griz, which is more like a buffalo-chicken-bacon explosion.

When you’re looking for the best pizza within Seattle’s city limits, head to Dino’s Tomato Pie and order a Mr. Pink. This square pizza is topped with sweet vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, parm, and basil. The crust is thick and crunchy, and the whole bottom is so charred to such a crisp that many Yelp users incorrectly assume it’s burnt. Let it be known that the thinner, round version of the same pie also hits just right, especially after 11pm alongside a negroni and garlic knots.

Bardo’s specializes in New England South Shore-style bar pizza, which is the closest Boston can claim to its own style of pizza. Baked in a small pan, the cheese extends over the edge of the crust, giving each bite a satisfying crunch. It’s greasy in the best way, with a crunchy cracker-like crust, and you’ll find interesting and must-order toppings like Portuguese linguica and pickles. Ask for it extra crispy and pregame your pie with some excellent garlic and hot honey wings.

Denver may not exactly be known for its pizza (although there is something called “mountain-style” pie), but recently, there’s been something of a pizza boom happening throughout the city. Regardless of what time zone you live in, Cart-Driver makes exceptional wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pies with the perfect chewy, crunchy, cheesy, and tangy bite. And the toppings go beyond the classics—we’re talking wood-roasted chanterelles, littleneck clams, and lamb shoulder.

Portland doesn’t have a history of strong pizza traditions, but if anything could represent Portland-style pizza, though, it’d be Lovely’s Fifty Fifty. Expect a tangy sourdough crust, no sauce, and seasonal toppings like cherry tomato confit, summer squash, and orange-infused olive oil. Don’t be surprised if you see a rainbow of edible flowers sprinkled on top, which is prettier than sliced basil anyways.

There’s a bonafide pizza movement happening in San Juan, and a lot of that has to do with Fidela. We stand behind this sit-down pizzeria as being one of the best in the country, with leopard-spotted Neapolitan pies that use the best of the island’s produce. All of the pizzas are excellent, but the honey pepperoni that you’ll spot on nearly every table is the one you need to order. Yes, honey-covered pies are all over the mainland these days, but this is the one that reaches Neapolitan greatness.

The pies at June’s are the best you can get in Oakland, and maybe the entire East Bay. The sourdough pizzas here are approximately the size of a car wheel, showered in a freshly grated parmesan snowfall, and have a crust that’s reached optimal levels of chew and char. There are only two pizzas on the menu at any given time—order one of each and spend the next hour or so admiring the dough-stretching going on behind the bar and licking cheese off your fingers.

In Dallas, Partenope sets the standard for Neapolitan pies. That’s not just our opinion: This place made Italy’s own top pizza ranking. The move is to always get the medal-winning Montanara, which is a riff on the classic margherita features a chewy, airy crust that’s flash-fried and then baked, giving it an almost popcorn-like quality. Everything here is good, but the synergy on display in that pie alone is the only dictionary definition that matters.

If pizza crust had terroir, Red Wagon Pizza Company’s chewy, slightly nutty crust would exemplify Minneapolis’s sense of place. Fig balsamic is carefully drizzled on Red Wagon’s namesake pizza, tempering the salty richness of the soppressata and sausage. And on the banh mi pizza, a technicolor arrangement of pickled carrots, radishes, and jalapeño lovingly channels the sandwich it’s inspired by.

2Amys focuses on the basics, and is one of the first places in the District to be certified by the organization in Naples that decides whether pizza is legit or not. These steaming pies crowned with simple ingredients like mozzarella di bufala, San Marzano tomatoes, plenty of parsley, unapologetic heaps of anchovies, and swirls of top-notch olive oil make it clear this place isn’t playing, period.