Ask five Floridians where to find the best pizza and you will likely get five different answers, plus a heated debate about crust, sauce, and whether folding a slice is required. This list travels from Key West to Pensacola to spotlight eight pizza spots that spark exactly that kind of loyalty, from thin Italian pies in Brickell to Chicago-style stuffed pizza in Jacksonville and slices bigger than your head in Tallahassee.
Each stop earns its place with something specific, like dough made with New York water, a wood-fired oven, or a pizzeria connected to a gas station that surprises first-timers. Save it for your next road trip, then pick a side and start your own family pizza argument.
1. Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza – Brickell, Miami, FL
Stracciatella and truffle oil on a paper-thin crust is the kind of combination that divides a table fast. At this Brickell pizzeria on South Miami Avenue, that pairing shows up on the Star Luca, a pie with a crisp base that holds up from the first bite to the last.
The menu leans traditional Italian, with thin-crust pizzas, salads, and antipasti built from ingredients that are either locally sourced or brought over from Italy. Named pies like the Claudia and the Elisa sit alongside a Burrata pizza and a Burrata E Crudo plate for anyone who wants more cheese in their life.
Save room for the Nutella and banana calzone. It turns dessert into its own pizza conversation.
Practical perks help too. The restaurant takes reservations, has outdoor seating, welcomes dogs inside and out, and offers a full vegan and vegetarian menu.
Late eaters will appreciate the hours, which run until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Weekday evenings get busy, so a lunch visit is the calmer play.
Paid lot and street parking are both nearby, and the brand has three locations around metro Miami if Brickell is out of the way.
2. Eddie And Sam’s N.Y Pizza, Tampa, FL
New York water in downtown Tampa. That is the headline detail at Eddie and Sam’s, a counter-serve shop on East Twiggs Street that uses it in the dough for its thin-crust pies.
Whether the water is the secret or not, the results are easy to spot. The crust bakes up crisp, the sauce lands somewhere between sweet and savory, and the cheese-to-sauce balance stays in check on every slice.
You can order by the slice or go big with the 20-inch pepperoni pizza. Other menu picks include the Meat Lover, a cheese calzone, mozzarella cheese stix, a side of three meatballs with marinara, and tallow fries.
Dessert gets a little unexpected here. Cannoli share the case with baklava, which makes for a fun split order.
A small but thoughtful touch: seasonings come along with your pizza so you can finish it your way. Transplants from up north often measure every Florida pie against home, and this is one of the places they tend to point to first.
Plan ahead on timing. The shop is closed Monday and Tuesday and open 11 AM to 10 PM the rest of the week.
Parking downtown can be tricky, and Friday and Saturday afternoons draw the biggest crowds.
3. Carmines Pie House, Jacksonville, FL
Deep dish or thin crust is the oldest pizza fight in America, and Carmines Pie House settles it by refusing to choose. This Forbes Street pizza pub serves both Chicago-style pies and New York-style pizza under one roof.
On the Chicago side, the Chicago Stuffed Pizza Pie is the heavyweight, packed tall and baked for a knife-and-fork meal. The Boca Raton White Pie Chicago swaps red sauce for a white base, and there is even a Chicago Baked Calzone.
Thin-crust fans are covered with the New York Thin Cheese. The crust stays crisp, and the cheese blend holds together without turning the slice soggy.
Beyond pizza, the menu runs through pastas, subs, Jumbo Rooster Wings, zucchini fries, and a Greek Islands Salad. Tiramisu makes a strong closing argument.
Families get a kids’ menu and high chairs, and the dining room offers free Wi-Fi. There is outdoor seating, dogs are welcome outside, and both free lot and street parking are available.
Reservations are not accepted, so weekday lunches are the easy window. Friday and Saturday evenings fill up quickly with people picking their side of the crust debate.
4. Tartini Pizzeria & Spaghetteria, Pine Castle, FL
Date night and pizza night rarely overlap, but this South Orange Avenue spot in Pine Castle makes a good case for combining them. The dining room is modern and polished with leather seats, yet the mood stays casual enough for a relaxed dinner.
Wood-fired pizzas are the draw. The thin crusts come out crisp, and the prosciutto and arugula pie is the one to order if you want a clear picture of what the kitchen does best.
Pasta gets equal billing, as the Spaghetteria half of the name suggests. Chicken Alfredo is on the menu, and portions lean generous.
Starters are worth building a table around. Fried burrata, the Chef’s Bruschettas, and an antipasto platter make easy shared plates before the pizzas arrive.
For dessert, choose between cannoli and an Italian limoncello cake. Both round out the meal without much fuss.
Timing matters here since Tartini runs mostly as a dinner spot. It is closed Monday, opens at 5 PM Tuesday through Friday, and opens at 3 PM on weekends.
Reservations are accepted, which is a smart move for Friday through Sunday evenings. A free parking lot and a kids’ menu make it simple for families heading in from around the Orlando area.
5. Carmelo’s Pizzeria, St. Augustine, FL
Don’t let the gas station fool you. Carmelo’s Pizzeria sits in a laid-back spot connected to one on West King Street, and it quietly turns out some of the most talked-about pizza in St. Augustine.
The pies bake in a big Italian-style oven, producing New York-style pizza with a rich sauce and flavorful pepperoni. Skeptical Northeast visitors who assume Florida cannot do pizza tend to walk out converted.
The Ortolana is the pie to know. It comes loaded with fresh mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, sliced Italian sausage, and big spoonfuls of ricotta.
Carmelo’s Supreme Pizza covers the classic combo crowd, and the Stuffed Carmelo’s Slice is a fun option for solo diners. Garlic knots, stromboli, mozzarella sticks, and a Greek salad fill out the menu.
Location is a real bonus for sightseers. It is just minutes on foot from downtown St. Augustine, which makes it an easy refuel after a day of historic streets and crowds.
The kitchen stays open until 10 PM most nights and 11 PM on Friday and Saturday. There is a free parking lot, outdoor seating, and a kids’ menu, though reservations are not taken.
6. Clemente’s Wood-Fired Trolley Pizzeria, Key West, FL
Key West is famous for key lime pie, but on Fleming Street a different kind of pie has built a loyal following. Clemente’s fires its pizzas in a wood oven using a special Sicilian-style dough.
That dough is what sets it apart from the other stops on this list. The outside bakes up crisp while the inside stays thick and chewy, with a careful amount of sauce and cheese on top.
Thin-crust fans are not left out either. The crispy thin pies come with a rich tomato sauce and generous cheese, drawing comparisons to New York and even Jersey boardwalk pizza.
Creative pies add to the debate. The Eggplant Parm Pizza and the Roasted Garlic Bread Pizza are two of the more memorable options.
Salads get fun names like Nan’s Caprese Salad and Baby’s House Salad. For dessert, there are cannolis, tiramisu, and a Blueberry Ricotta Cake.
Hours are simple: 4 PM to 10 PM every day of the week. Reservations are not accepted, and parking is on the street and paid, so walking or biking over from elsewhere in Old Town makes life easier.
Repeat visitors to the island often make this a standing tradition on every trip down.
7. Sky’s Pizza Pie, Pensacola, FL
Twenty-four inches of pepperoni pizza is a strong opening statement. That giant pie is one of the signature orders at Sky’s Pizza Pie on North Davis Highway, and it is built for a crowd.
The style here is New York through and through, with a thin, well-cooked crust and a smart ratio of crust to toppings. New York and New Jersey transplants in Pensacola often name it as their go-to.
The menu has personality. The City Pie and the Lasagna Pie stand out among the pizzas, while the Queen B Stromboli and the Pizza Dog offer something different from the usual slice.
Hot Knots, classic wings, and boneless wings round out the appetizer lineup. Calzones are on the menu too.
Inside, the setup is easygoing with counter seating and table service, and there is outdoor seating as well. A kids’ menu and high chairs make it an easy family pick.
Sky’s is also known around town for its generosity toward the local community, which adds to the loyalty it gets.
Note the schedule before you go. The shop is closed on Sunday and open until 9 PM Monday through Thursday and 10 PM Friday and Saturday.
Parking can get tight during the Friday and Saturday evening rush.
8. Momo’s Pizza – Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, FL
Slices as Big as Your Head is not just a slogan at Momo’s. It is an actual menu item, and it is the reason so many first-timers pull out their phones before taking a bite.
The Tennessee Street location serves pizza by the whole pie or by that oversized slice. The dough is hand-thrown, the crust bakes up crisp, and the toppings go on generously.
Folding is basically mandatory. The New York-style slices are wide enough that it is the only practical way to eat them, which is part of the fun.
Specialty slices rotate through the case, and the specialty pie list is long. The Kung Fu Pie is one of the names that tends to spark curiosity, and there is a full vegan and vegetarian menu for plant-based eaters.
Given its spot on West Tennessee Street, the crowd skews young, but families fit right in with high chairs and a kids’ menu. Free Wi-Fi, outdoor seating, and sports on the screens make it an easy hangout.
Parking is usually plentiful, with a free lot and free street spaces. The kitchen stays open until 10 PM most nights and 11 PM on Friday and Saturday.
From Miami to Tallahassee, every stop on this list gives you a fresh reason to argue about pizza, and that is exactly the point.
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