The top pizzas in Miami, according to us.
LessIf you weren't fortunate enough to try Fratesi's during its pop-up days at Over Under, good news: it's back. But this time the bar pies are coming out of Tam Tam's kitchen every Sunday afternoon (for takeout only). The pizza here is a very close relative of Chicago’s tavern-style pizza: ultra thin, super crispy, and with cheese that nearly covers the entire surface. The spicy demon pig boy is thankfully still on the menu.
We have never had a more perfect slice of pizza than the ones served at Miami Slice, a counter-seating spot on the northern edge of Downtown. And this is probably why there's often an hours-long wait to eat at the tiny little slice shop. The five or six New York-style slices you’ll find here have a crust that’s crispy edge-to-edge, yet still warm and fluffy when you bite into it. Our favorite is a pepperoni slice with red sauce, hot honey, and a glob of additional stracciatella.
It’s perfectly acceptable to stick to drinks at this Downtown Italian aperitivo bar—but if you did that you’d be missing out on the spectacular Neapolitan pizza. Our favorite is the white pizza covered in pink mortadella, creamy ricotta, pistachio chunks, and squiggles of pesto. The clam pizza is also deliciously salty. Those are white pies, but there are also options with tomato sauce, like the “bad first date” pizza with taleggio and pepperoncini.
The huge slabs of square pizza come out of the oven around noon at this Italian Buena Vista bakery (but they’ll warm it up for you if you’re a little late). This is the kind of simple, minimal pizza that really lets the dough shine. And what a dough it is: light and airy inside, but with enough structure and crunch to remain stiff when you lift it with one hand. Toppings are usually pretty simple—some crushed tomatoes, pockets of fior di latte mozzarella, and maybe a few sprigs of basil.
Eleventh Street Pizza is a great New York-style pizza spot in Downtown. The pizzas are foldable yet firm, and made with sourdough crust. Our favorite is the pepperoni and hot honey pizza, which comes topped with Calabrian chili paste, caramelized onions, and little pepperoni cups. The nerano (roasted zucchini, garlic, pistachio, and stracciatella) is also wonderful, and so is the Sicilian square slice, which is actually more like four slices worth of pizza.
Despite its wood fired oven and two rotating pizza options, Walrus Rodeo is not a pizzeria (it actually says so on their website, business cards, and matchbooks). But that doesn't change the fact that the pizzas made at this wonderfully weird Buena Vista restaurant are delicious. The rodeo za is usually on the menu and you should absolutely order it. The white pickled anchovies on top are more vinegary than salty. The pizza is sliced into six pieces and brushed with maple butter.
West Kendall is known for the Kendall Ice Arena, excellent Latin American food, and now (thanks to Vice City) some of the county’s best pizza. During peak hours, there’s usually a line out the door because these Detroit-style pies are magnificent. All of Vice City's pizzas have salty cheese that coats the crust and bubbles over, creating a little lip around the square pies that holds a variety of creative toppings.
Lucali is a place with a very big reputation thanks to its original location in Brooklyn, where people spend an entire day waiting for a table. The wait for the South Beach location is considerably less miserable, but the pizza is still incredible. They serve only one size pie here—which should be plenty for two—and it tastes like a thin-crust pizza and a classic New York slice had a baby, and then that baby got its master’s degree in tasting good.
Banchero is a casual Argentinian restaurant in North Beach serving thick, crispy, cheesy Argentinian pizza. They’ve got dozens of options, but the fugazzas—a Buenos Aires specialty—are our favorite. These pizzas have a similar height and depth to Chicago deep dish, but that’s where the similarities end. Banchero’s cheese fugazza has mozzarella baked both on top and inside the dough. Toppings are a blanket of charred white onions with a whole olive sitting in the middle of every slice.
Speaking of outstanding pizza you can only get once a week: Sur. On Fridays, the casual Argentinian lunch spot in Little Haiti has a counter full of thick, square slices with crispy crust and delicious Argentinian-style toppings (there’s usually a vegan slice as well). We have loved every pizza we’ve eaten, which range from ones topped with hard-boiled eggs and olives to their version of a fugazzetta, which is covered in onions and mozzarella.
This Allapattah pizza spot serves Miami's best Roman-style pizza. It’s a very small place that’s easy to miss while driving by. There are just a handful of pizzas to choose from. You can't go wrong with anything on the counter, but we really like the amatriciana and the funghetto. The ingredients are top quality—real pancetta, buttery olive oil, imported Italian tomatoes, and super creamy mozzarella. The dough is light and fluffy, yet still crisp.
Inside an office building just off Lincoln Road is Mister 01, a tiny spot serving pizzas that sound (and sometimes look) a bit strange. The crust is thin—but not too thin. But it’s the odd yet delicious toppings that make us love Mister 01 so much. The coffee paolo has mozzarella, gorgonzola, honey, coffee, and spicy salami—and it sent us into a temporary state of confusion before winning us over. We still like the South Beach location best.
’O Munaciello is a restaurant with a massive pizza angel hanging in the dining room, a fairly large diorama of an Italian village in the corner, and a domed ceiling that makes you feel like you’re in some sort of place of worship. But they also serve one of Miami’s best Neapolitan pizzas, and you will indeed be worshipping the cornicione di ricotta when you discover its crust is stuffed with ricotta. This is a fork-and-knife pizza—a true Neapolitan pie.
This little pizza stand in the backyard of Gramps in Wynwood makes the best New York-style pizza you can find in Miami. Sure, we always seem to crave it after four Moscow Mules, but this is a pizza you can easily enjoy even if you didn’t just do tequila shots. They have five varieties ranging from classic pepperoni to La Hawaiian with pepperoni and caramelized pineapple. You can order them by the slice or as a pie.
Collins Pizza is a simple slice shop in North Beach that makes the closest thing to a classic New York slice in...maybe the whole city? They use a slowly fermented dough (72 hours, in case you were curious), which gives the crust a great flavor. We really enjoyed both the pepperoni and vodka pie. Both were foldable and delicious, with perfect ratios of sauce to cheese, but the vodka is one we’ll absolutely be ordering again. This is a great weeknight pizza takeout choice.
La Leggenda is in a part of South Beach where your food options are severely limited, but this place is not like the touristy spots you’ll find across the street on Española Way. It’s actually good—especially their Neapolitan pizzas. They don’t overcomplicate things here: the dough is tender, the cheese-to-sauce ratio is on point, and we never expected to have such a pleasant meal so close to Ocean Drive.
Ben’s is a takeout pizza counter that makes a really solid New York-style slice. It’s greasy (in a good way), has a crisp crust, and they keep it simple with the toppings. It is, unfortunately, located deep within the bowels of Bayside Marketplace, and has some outdoor waterfront tables you can eat at. They claim their slices are big, but in reality they just serve you two slices and call it one slice, which is why a “slice” will cost you around $8.
Joe's is an NYC pizza institution, and what our friends over in New York have called "thin-crust royalty." And, like so many New Yorkers, they now have a second home in Miami. Joe's slice shop is located in Wynwood, and its reputation is deserved. They make a deliciously uncomplicated New York slice. It's big, foldable, and hangs off a paper plate. Joe’s is also efficient. You can stop in and, even if they're busy, be holding a slice in a matter of minutes.