Best Family Pizza Joints in Every State

Some families take pizza very seriously, so if you’re on the hunt for a great slice, check out this list of the best family pizza places in every state.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a person who doesn’t like pizza. And most parents pass that passion for melted cheese and delicious dough down to their kids with family outings to their favorite local pizza joint.

Some families take pizza very seriously, so if you’re on the hunt for a great slice, check out this list of the best family pizza joints in every state. Each has its own distinct approach in creating their signature pizzas. But they all have one common denominator — they’re absolutely delicious!

Alabama: Giuseppe’s Cafe

Jessie R. / Yelp

Giuseppe’s has been a favorite on the South Side of Birmingham since 2002. The cafe’s specialty is generously portioned Italian American plates, including award-winning pizza, incredible pasta, salads, baked feta and homemade tiramisu.

The dining room is small, but that only adds to the cozy family feel. If you’re looking for an upscale restaurant, keep looking. If you’re looking for huge portions of food that’s even better than your grandma used to make, go here immediately.

Alaska: Moose’s Tooth

Moose’s Tooth / Facebook

One of the most well-loved pizzas in the U.S. isn’t in the lower 48. Located in Anchorage, Moose’s Tooth has been on several “best of” lists as the maker of Alaska’s definitive pie, and it’s the top indie pizza restaurant in the entire country.

So, what makes it so great? A plethora of toppings from the usual (pepperoni, capers, mushrooms and peppers) to the exotic (cream cheese, barbecue pork and smoked salmon). Vegan and veggie options are plentiful as are beverages — from handcrafted beer to homemade sodas — to wash it all down.

Arizona: Pizzeria Bianco

Pizzeria Bianco / Facebook

New York transplant and chef Chris Bianco brought Pizzeria Bianco to Phoenix in 1987, and it’s been lauded ever since by everyone from Bon Appétit and Gourmet magazines to celebrity chefs Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray.

Bianco’s traditional Neapolitan pizza is made in a wood-fired brick oven from scratch with the freshest local ingredients available.

Arkansas: DeLuca’s Pizzeria

DeLuca’s Pizzeria / Facebook

Can a pizza have healing properties? There’s one way to find out — by visiting DeLuca’s Pizzeria in Hot Springs. Owner Anthony Valinoti makes his Napoletana brick oven pies by hand daily with water from the local hot springs, which Native Americans believed to be restorative.

While the pizza is unbelievable, the salads for two add another perfect shareable option to the meal.

California: Tony’s Pizza Napoletana

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana / Facebook

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, located in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood and run by 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, serves a dozen different styles of pie with fresh ingredients, but that’s not what makes them great (although it helps).

Pizzas here are cooked at seven different temperatures from any one of five dedicated heat sources. Needless to say, Gemignani takes the pizza game seriously — and it’s really paid off for him (and for us)!

Colorado: Beau Jo’s

Beau Jo’s / Facebook

Believe it or not, there’s such a thing as Colorado-style pizza, and Beau Jo’s, which has locations all over the Centennial State, has mastered it. “Colorado mountain pie” has a very thick crust (made with locally sourced honey instead of sugar) and an insane amount of toppings.

The pies here are so big they are sold by the pound. If you’re feeling famished, try Beau Jo’s 14-pound pizza. It costs about $75, but it’s free to you if you can finish it.

Connecticut: Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana / Facebook

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana has mastered the art of New Haven-style pizza, and with more than 90 years in business and multiple locations throughout New England, it’s easily one of the best family pizza joints in Connecticut.

The restaurant produces a half-ton of dough daily, made from the family’s secret recipe. If you’re planning a visit, expect long lines, but do try the white clam pizza, which is a fan favorite.

Delaware: The Wood Fired Pizza Shop

The Wood Fired Pizza Shop / Facebook

From food truck to best pizza in Delaware, The Wood Fired Pizza Shop in Newark found a permanent home in 2014 and has done a lot in its short life to put it on top in the pizza world. The owners take pride in using local, fresh ingredients, and their use of a wood-fired oven to cook the restaurant’s pizzas makes them all the more flavorful.

For a unique bite, try the Fighting Blue Hen pizza with chicken, buffalo wing sauce and Gorgonzola cheese.

Florida: Duetto Pizza

Duetto Pizza / Facebook

In 2018, Key West’s Duetto Pizza made TripAdvisor’s top 10 for the best pies in the U.S., and what’s not to love? Thin crust, tasty pizzas in 20 varieties are the order of the day here, and the price is right, too.

A favorite of patrons is the Meat Lovers pie made with sausage, pepperoni, ham, meatballs, mozzarella and provolone. But don’t let that worry vegetarians: There are plenty of veggie options to choose from as well.

Georgia: Antico Pizza Napoletana

Antico Pizza Napoletana / Facebook

A spot originally opened only for takeout, Antico Pizza Napoletana in Atlanta has become a full-fledged restaurant in both size and reputation. Owner and chef Giovanni Di Palma, whose grandparents hail from Naples, Italy, bakes the pizza dough in three Italian Acunto wood-burning ovens at 900 degrees Fahrenheit to get the right chewy and crispy consistency, and its toppings are as high quality as you can get.

Another plus — even though it’s always packed, the lines aren’t terrible for such a popular spot.

Hawaii: JJ Dolan’s

J. Dolan’s / Facebook

Hawaii has never been a “business as usual” state, and nowhere is this more evident than JJ Dolan’s, an Irish pub in the Chinatown neighborhood of Honolulu, where locals and visitors experience some pretty amazing pizza.

The pies here are as close to New York style as you can get in the Aloha State, and the dough is hand-stretched made with a touch of Guinness. Build your own, and enjoy favorite Hawaiian toppings like SPAM and pineapple.

Idaho: Embers by the Lake

Embers by the Lake / Facebook

According to Money magazine, the best pizza place in Idaho is in an out-of-the-way spot with just 700 full-time residents on the Idaho-Washington border. Embers by the Lake is located in the town of Hauser, and while it may be hard to get to, it’s definitely worth the drive.

The restaurant’s delicious wood-fired pizzas pack the place on weekends, the prices are reasonable, and there’s a gorgeous view of the lake from the patio. What more can you ask for in a dining experience?

Illinois: Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria

Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria

Illinois is known for its deep-dish pizza, and there are plenty of places in the state that do it right. Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria in Chicago stands out from the crowd with its thin-crust pie, which is as much a favorite of locals as its deep-dish relative (even though this has been debated for years).

Vito & Nick’s is also known for its housemade sausage topping, laden with fennel and a crust that hits all the right marks texturally with the addition of milk.

Indiana: Bazbeaux Pizza

Bazbeaux Pizza / Facebook

Indianapolis has pizza to be reckoned with in Bazbeaux. Fans flock to the restaurant for its all-meat Colossus or the Neptune (crab, shrimp, pea pods and black olives), among several other signature pizzas.

With more than 30 years on the pizza scene, it’s become the quintessential pizza experience in Indiana with three locations that create the perfect ambiance for a Saturday night out with the fam.

Iowa: Zipp’s Pizza

Zipp’s Pizza / Facebook

Oftentimes, it’s the small-town spots that make an unbeatable pizza pie. Zipp’s, located in the tiny town of Adair, has been recognized by travel sites like Big 7 Travel as the best Iowa has to offer.

That’s likely because there are a lot of unusual pizza combos here — pickle, chili dog and crab pizzas are a big part of what makes Zipp’s a tasty favorite.

Kansas: Lomato’s Pizza

Lomato’s Pizza / Facebook

The best pizza in Kansas comes not from Kansas City, but the town of Hays. Lomato’s Pizza has been serving up pies to delighted customers since 1993, using locally sourced, fresh ingredients and secret, unique recipes for their dough and sauce.

You can build your own with everything from shrimp to sauerkraut or order one of the restaurant’s delicious specialties like the Philly cheesesteak or Reuben.

Kentucky: Miguel’s Pizza

Allen Bolling via Miguel’s Pizza / Facebook

The Bluegrass State’s best pizza is located in rural Appalachia in Slade on Eastern Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. Since 1986, Miguel’s has become a dining destination for not only locals, but also for those visiting the Daniel Boone National Forest to camp, climb or hike from other states or countries.

Fresh toppings run the gamut from sweet potatoes to mango salsa, staffers hand-make the sausage weekly, and the pizza dough comes from an old family recipe adapted from a bakery in Portugal. For an international flavor in both patrons and food, this is the place to be.

Louisiana: Wildwood Pizza

Wildwood Pizza / Facebook

The reviews are in! According to TripAdvisor, Wildwood Pizza in Alexandria takes the prize for the best pizza in the state. Pies here are cooked to perfection in a brick, wood-fired oven that owner Gary Perkins had shipped from Italy. There are monthly specialty pizzas (sometimes suggested by patrons), or you can build your own for the ultimate personalized pizza experience.

Pizzas are paired with fresh salads that include dressings made in-house. And if you can’t get to Alexandria, there’s another location in Baton Rouge with more on the way.

Maine: Micucci Grocery

Micucci Grocery / Facebook

While there are several chains in Maine that are rated highly, Micucci Grocery in Portland hits all the marks for those moments when you’re longing for a big, greasy, flavorful slab.

The Silician-style pizza here is made in what many local families consider to be “the right” way. With its thick, chewy dough and sweet sauce, many Italian Americans who grew up on the East Coast will remember this as how pizza should be.

Maryland: Joe Squared

Joe Squared / Facebook

Baltimore’s Joe Squared is on several “best-of” lists for its delicious pies, particularly its coal-fired, sourdough-crusted pizza.

Its square pizzas are unique, as are the ingredients that make them pop. From herbs grown on the restaurant’s rooftop to spaghetti and meatballs to a 200-year-old yeast used in the dough, these pies are winners!

Massachusetts: Area Four

Area Four / Facebook

Named among the best pizza places in Massachusetts by Food Network, Area Four continues to draw massives crowds, who come from miles around to sample its delicious pizzas, made with hand-pulled mozzarella and a 15-year-old sourdough starter.

Even President Obama is a fan. When he visited the joint, he ate a mushroom and fontina pizza in house and took the restaurant’s famous Carnivore pizza — made with bacon, soppressata and sausage — to go.

Michigan: Buddy’s Pizza

Buddy’s Pizza / Facebook

Sometimes, a basic pizza with melted mozzarella and pepperoni is all you need, and no place does it better than Buddy’s. TripAdvisor calls it the “best pizza EVER,” when it comes to Detroit-style, deep-dish pizza, which is baked in heavy cast iron pans.

Buddy’s has several restaurant locations throughout Michigan, but for the ultimate retro experience, including Saturday morning bocce ball games with the family, visit its original location on Conant Street.

Minnesota: Cossetta

Cossetta’s Italian Market & Pizzeria / Facebook

You have to be a popular local joint if you’ve been serving customers since 1911. Cossetta in St. Paul is known for its old-world Italian sausage recipe that is ground in the same way on the same grinder as it was when it opened.

Cosetta also features an Italian deli, pastries, gelato and a rooftop bar for those families looking for something different to try out.

Mississippi: Soulshine Pizza Factory

Soulshine Pizza Factory / Facebook

A restaurant with a considerably laid-back vibe, locals and visitors love the rock ‘n’ roll feel of Soulshine, and the yummy pizza doesn’t hurt either. You can build your own or have one of Soulshine’s delicious specialties like the Bob Marley (with jerk chicken), the CCR (a chicken pizza with a ranch base) or the Boss Hogg (with pulled barbecue pork).

There’s even live music at all four of its locations throughout both Mississippi and Tennessee.

Missouri: Pagliai’s Pizza and Pasta

Pagliai’s Pizza and Pasta

TripAdvisor reviewers recommend Pagliai’s Pizza and Pasta in Cape Girardeau as having the best pie in the state. With several types of pizza and pasta dishes to choose from and additional locations throughout the Midwest, there’s no denying the popularity of this place.

It even has a Certificate of Excellence for consistently earning great reviews from travelers.

Montana: Eugene’s Pizza

Eugene’s Pizza / Facebook

Eugene’s Pizza in Glasgow hits all the marks for locals and visitors alike who travel far and wide for one of the restaurant’s amazing pies. Open since 1962, the restaurant serves up several innovative specialties, including the Friday Special — a combo of tuna, shrimp, mushroom and onion.

Customers can obviously eat on site or purchase half-baked pizzas to take home — perhaps for a family movie night?

Nebraska: Twisted Turtle Pub

Twisted Turtle Pub / Facebook

Twisted Turtle Pub in Rushville is a pizza lover’s home away from home. A recent addition to Nebraska’s restaurant scene, it opened in 2017 and has been a favorite since day one.

You can pick your own toppings from locally sourced ingredients, or you can order one of the establishment’s popular signature wood-fired pies, including the Wiley Popper with pepperoni, cream cheese and jalapenos.

Nevada: Old Nevada Pizza

Old Nevada Pizza / Facebook

From classic pizza combinations to cheeseburger and tostada pizzas, Old Nevada Pizza has a no-frills atmosphere, but don’t let that deter you. It’s been named the best pizza in the state by several sources, including Money magazine.

Located in the tiny town of Hawthorne in Mineral County, customers will find reasonably priced pies alongside delicious sandwiches — like the tri-tip sandwich that regularly sells out.

New Hampshire: White Buffalo Trading Post

White Buffalo Trading Post / Facebook

White Buffalo Trading Post in Center Barnstead is an unassuming general store that also happens to have the state’s best pizza, using pizza dough that’s made daily.

Dine in or take out one of the delicious, hand-tossed white or classic pies from this old school, family-owned and -operated trading post.

New Jersey: Pizza Razza

Pizza Razza

You can pretty much find great pizza everywhere in New Jersey — after all, it’s in the “Pizza Belt” — but one pizzeria stands out from the rest. Pizza Razza in Jersey City has consistently made “best pizza” lists everywhere, including in The New York Times, which dared to ask the question, “Is New York’s Best Pizza in New Jersey?” in 2017.

Razza takes its locally sourced ingredients seriously. Its hazelnuts come from Rutgers, its butter is grass-fed, and local wheat berries and yeasts are combined to make a crispy crust that tastes like, well, possibly better than anything you’ve ever had in New York.

New Mexico: Straight Up Pizza

Straight Up Pizza / Facebook

If you find yourself in Albuquerque, Straight Up Pizza serves up some of the best pies in the state. Think New York-style pizza with a decidedly southwestern spin.

Some of the pies here are HOT (as in spicy) — the Chupacabra alone features spicy sauce, pepperoni, fire-roasted red peppers and local Hatch green chiles.

New York: Di Fara’s

Di Fara’s / Facebook

In a city known for its pizza, Di Fara’s is considered the best pizza in all of New York. It’s not cheap at $5 a slice, and there is always a wait, but it’s worth it. Owner Domenico DeMarco personally makes sure every pie that goes out is top quality.

With a Di Fara’s sweet, tangy sauce, imported cheese and fresh basil, this is no-frills, old school New York pizza the way it’s supposed to be.

North Carolina: Slice Pizzeria

Slice Pizzeria / Facebook

Slice Pizzeria in Kill Devil Hills is the place to get pizza in North Carolina. This locally owned and operated restaurant makes the grade among foodies with its delicious dough and sauce made from scratch and hand-tossed pies cooked in stone ovens.

The deep dish here is especially popular among locals.

North Dakota: Rhombus Guys Pizza

Rhombus Guys Pizza / Facebook

Rhombus Guys Pizza has a whopping selection of 34 gourmet pizzas, including the Swine & Dine (with alfredo, pork loin, crumbled tater tots, pepperoncini, mozzarella and cheddar) or the recently added Sloppy Joe (sloppy joe mix, tater tots, pickles, mozzarella and cheddar).

Or let the kids create their own at any one of its three locations throughout the state.

Ohio: Marion’s Piazza

Marion’s Piazza / Facebook

Marion’s Piazza has been a local and national favorite for more than 50 years. One look at its pies, and you’ll know why it consistently earns honors for the best pizza in the Buckeye State.

The originator of the thin-crust pie, known as the Dayton-style pizza, the restaurant has nine locations in Ohio. It’s so popular that it ships pizzas to those who have moved away but still miss their favorite hometown joint.

Oklahoma: Andolini’s Pizza

Andolini’s Pizza / Facebook

In 2018, Andolini’s Pizza in Tulsa made TripAdvisor’s “10 Best Pizzas in America” list. Why do you ask? It originated the Tulsa-style pizza, a New York-style pie with a Neopolitan twist, which features tomatoes imported from Italy, house-made mozzarella and crust baked on a stone.

If you’re in the area, try Andolini’s signature pizza, SPQR, made with ricotta, garlic, house-made Italian sausage and prosciutto.

Oregon: Apizza Scholls

Apizza Scholls / Facebook

Long lines for Apizza Scholls snake down the street from its location in southeast Portland — and with good reason — the pizza is just that delicious.

Fired in a standard pizza oven, which owner Brian Spangler monitors with a non-contact infrared thermometer gun to make sure it hits the 700-degree Fahrenheit sweet spot, the dough has just the right consistency of crunchy and chewy, topped with the desired sauce-to-cheese ratio. Plus, kids will love the restaurant’s arcade room, filled with fun games to play.

Pennsylvania: Caliente Pizza & Draft House

Caliente Pizza & Draft House / Facebook

When a U.S. pizza parlor wins a championship in Italy, you know it’s one of the best around. Pittsburgh’s Caliente Pizza & Draft House did just that in 2019 at the Pizza World Championships in Parma.

The pizza that earned the Caliente team recognition is the “Mee-maw,” which features rapini (an Italian green from Tuscany), peppered bacon, shallots, garlic, onion, crushed plum tomatoes and shaved porchetta. Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds.

Rhode Island: DePetrillo’s Pizza

DePetrillo’s Pizza / Facebook

Bakery pizza is big in Rhode Island, but virtually nowhere else in the country. It is indeed found in bakeries, is meant to be eaten at room temperature and doesn’t come with cheese — which one might argue is no longer pizza.

But not at DePetrillo’s Pizza & Bakery, which has mastered this novelty that could be described as focaccia or tomato bread. All four of the bakery’s locations offer different variations of the bakery pizza as well as your typical “hot” pizzas.

South Carolina: Vic’s Pizza

Vic’s Pizza / Facebook

Vic’s Pizza in Greenville features Brooklyn-style pies, which rank among the best in the state.

With fresh toppings and crust you can fold, this no-frills pizza joint offers a bit of New York in every giant, greasy, flavorful slice.

South Dakota: Charlie’s Pizza House

Charlie’s Pizza House / Facebook

Another delicious pizza spot is Charlie’s Pizza House in Yankton. Open since 1959, Charlie’s winning pie is the unusual-but-tasty spicy meatball and sauerkraut pizza.

Families will particularly love the laid-back vibe here.

Tennessee: Bella Napoli

Bella Napoli

Nashville’s Bella Napoli is a long-standing local favorite. This “blink and you miss it” pizza place serves some of the best pies in Music City with a flavorful dough made using flour imported from the more than 100-year-old Caputo Mill in Italy.

With the combination of fresh San Marzano tomatoes, imported Mozzarella di Bufala and locally sourced Fior di Latte, you won’t find better pizza in the state.

Texas: Big Lou’s Pizza in San Antonio

Big Lou’s Pizza / Facebook

Everything in Texas is big, including its pizzas. Big Lou’s in San Antonio has gained national recognition for its giant pies — up to 42 inches! — and the big burst of flavor you can taste in every bite.

Big Lou’s has been recognized by The Food Network’s “Man vs. Food” as one of the best in the state, so if you go, expect a wait, but we promise it will be worth it.

Utah: The Pie Pizzeria

The Pie Pizzeria / Facebook

In its 35-year history, The Pie Pizzeria has opened six locations — all of which make pizzas that are fresh to order.

When visiting, why not try the seasonal specialty such as the Bacon-Perry Pie, brushed with strawberry-balsamic sauce and topped with chicken, mozzarella, crispy bacon, onions and feta cheese? How can that not be tasty?

Vermont: American Flatbread

Dreamlove Photography via American Flatbread / Instagram

In Vermont, American Flatbread is where locals eat the best pizza in the state. As its name implies, the flatbread is the thing that makes this pizza joint stand out.

Topped with locally sourced, fresh ingredients and baked before your eyes in an open, wood-fired oven, the pizza here offers an unexpectedly memorable burst of flavor. While the restaurant has multiple locations throughout the state, their flatbreads can be bought in stores or even online.

Virginia: Brothers Pizza and Grill

Brothers Pizza and Grill / Facebook

When in Lynchburg, take the family to Brothers Pizza and Grill. This family-run restaurant is known as one of the state’s best for its use of fresh ingredients and homemade sauces and dough.

For large families, the price is right, too — a large pie with pepperoni will only set you back about $12.95.

Washington: HopTown Wood Fired Pizza and Waterin’ Hole 44

HopTown Wood Fired Pizza / Facebook

A rural slice takes the prize as our choice of the best pizza in Washington state. Hoptown began as a mobile eatery run by two farmer’s daughters, one of which grew up on a hops farm.

The restaurant’s three-day, non-egg crust, sprinkled with hops and fresh local toppings are the base for a heck of a tasty pizza experience. As you might expect, the restaurant’s Waterin’ Hole 44 bar serves up a local selection of beer as well as wine and cider.

West Virginia: Graziano’s Pizza

Graziano’s Pizza / Facebook

Independent and family-owned Graziano’s Pizza serves old school pizza the way it’s supposed to be — using thin, crispy dough, topped with tasty, slightly greasy toppings that trap all that flavor.

There are several Graziano’s around the state, but locals swear by the South Charleston location over the others, saying this is the one where they do New York-style pizza the best.

Wisconsin: Wells Brothers

Wells Brothers

Open since 1921, Wells Brothers is a Racine mainstay and serves some of the best pizza in the state. Patrons say that the perfect balance of ingredients and cornmeal on its paper-thin, crispy crust make the experience a must-have when traveling to Wisconsin.

Plus, as a fourth-generation, family-run restaurant, you could say it’s popular with families.

Wyoming: Alibi Wood Fire Pizzeria & Bakery

Alibi Wood Fire Pizzeria & Bakery / Facebook

Alibi’s farm-to-table approach when it comes to pizza makes it one of the best in the state.

Located in Laramie, Alibi’s dough is fermented with organically grown, seasonal milled grains and topped with farm-fresh ingredients—a winning combination for pizza lovers.