Connecticut drivers spend a lot of time on I-95, I-84, Route 8, and Route 9, usually eating whatever the nearest rest stop has. That is a shame, because some of the best pizza in the state sits just a few minutes off those exits.
This list covers eight pizza joints that are easy to reach from the highway and very easy to love once you get there. Some are old-school New Haven-style apizza spots, and others fire their pies in wood ovens with toppings you will not find at a chain.
Save it for your next road trip.
1. Willington Pizza House, Willington, CT
Potatoes on pizza might sound odd until you try the red potato pie that made this Willington spot famous. It comes topped with bacon and onions, and it is the reason plenty of I-84 drivers make the quick hop off at the Route 32 area.
The menu gets even bolder. A specialty pie built like a cheeseburger, with hamburger, red onion, bacon bits, ketchup, mustard, and pickles, sits alongside a seafood pizza, and both have picked up awards over the years.
If pizza is not on everyone’s mind, there are grinders, pastas, homemade soups, salads, calzones, and gluten-free options. Kids get their own menu, and high chairs are available.
The walls are covered in sports and local memorabilia, which gives you plenty to look at while you wait. The free parking lot is usually roomy.
It opens at 10:30 AM every day and stays open until 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, so an early lunch or a late drive home both work.
2. Camille’s Wood Fired Pizza, Tolland, CT
Exit 68 on I-84 does not look like a pizza destination at first glance. Then you find Camille’s in Fieldstone Commons, a modern bistro turning out thin, wood-fired pies with a crisp bottom.
The margherita is a smart first order if you want to judge the crust on its own terms. From there, the creative pies take over, including gluten-free options like a prosciutto pizza and a white pizza.
Small plates round things out. Fried mozz nuggets, buffalo cauliflower, and arugula and Toscano salads make it easy to share a few things before the main event.
I like this stop for families, too. Spaghetti and meatballs are on hand for picky eaters, and a big chocolate brownie with ice cream tends to end the meal.
Camille’s is closed Mondays and takes reservations, which helps on busy Friday nights.
3. Roseland Apizza, Derby, CT
Back in 1935, Roseland started serving New Haven-style pizza in Derby. Generations later, it is still a staple just minutes from the Route 8 corridor.
The crust is thin and crunchy, with cheese and sauce in good balance. Pepperoni and plain cheese pies are classic picks, while the seafood pizza shows off the kitchen’s bigger side.
Pizza is only half the story here. The lobster ravioli comes in a generous portion, and the menu also covers clams, lasagna, chicken cutlet parmigiana, and hot antipasto.
A little planning goes a long way. Roseland does not take reservations, there is usually a wait, and weekday hours start at 3 PM, with the doors closed on Mondays.
Saturday and Sunday open at 1 PM, so a weekend lunch is possible if you time the drive right.
4. Zuppardi’s Apizza, West Haven, CT
Clam pizza is a New Haven tradition, and Zuppardi’s in West Haven makes a strong case for its baby clam pie. The fresh clams and the crust are the stars, and the pizzeria sits about a mile off I-95.
This is a small, family-run place, with family photos decorating the cozy dining room. The old-school look matches the cooking.
Beyond clams, the menu stretches into combos like meatball, sausage, and mozzarella, a white pie with broccoli, and a red sauce chicken pesto pizza. Half-and-half orders, such as sausage with half onion and half mushroom, are easy to arrange.
Escarole and beans with hot peppers makes a good side, and cannoli handles dessert.
No reservations are taken, but curbside pickup is available if you want to grab a pie and keep driving. Weekday afternoons tend to be quieter.
5. Mango’s Wood-Fired Pizza Co., Mystic, CT
Road trippers heading to Mystic often pass right by Olde Mistick Village without realizing there is a wood-fired pizzeria inside. Mango’s sits next to I-95 at Exit 90, making it one of the easiest stops on this list.
The pies are Neapolitan-style, baked in a wood-fired oven with a thin crust and balanced toppings. Margherita, white pizza, and pepperoni meatball are dependable choices.
Wood-fired wings and garlic cheese bread are worth adding to the order. Sandwiches are on the menu too, along with locally made sodas.
There is a deck as well as indoor seating, and dogs are welcome outside. Kids have their own menu.
Saturday afternoons get busy with Mystic visitors, so a weekday lunch is the calmer play. Reservations are accepted.
6. Colony Grill – Milford, Milford, CT
Hot oil is the signature move at Colony Grill. Drizzled over thin-crust brick oven pizza, often with stingers, it gives these pies their kick.
The Milford location on Broad Street is minutes from I-95 and Route 15, so it fits both shoreline drives and Merritt Parkway routes.
The menu stays focused. You will find the signature salad pizza, a Myrtle Ave margherita, and classic topping combos like mushrooms and pepperoni.
TVs make it a solid place to catch a game, and the late hours are a real perk. It stays open until 11 PM most nights and until 12:30 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.
Reservations are accepted, and takeout and delivery are available for anyone in a hurry.
7. Otto, Chester, CT
Chester is one of those small Connecticut River towns that makes you want to slow down. Otto, on Main Street just off Route 9, gives you a delicious reason to do it.
The pizza is thin and flatbread-style, cooked in a wood-fired brick oven. The crust is soft with some crunch, and the sauce is a big part of why people return.
Pepperoni with fresh mozzarella, cheese, and margherita pies cover the classics. Oven roasted marinated olives make a nice starter, and the salads, including Greek and Caesar, get as much attention as the pizza.
The covered outdoor seating area is a highlight, and dogs are allowed inside and out.
Plan around the hours. Weekdays open at 4:30 PM, weekends at noon, and parking can be tight in the village.
8. Krust Pizza & Bourbon Bar, Middletown, CT
Watching the pizza come out of the oven is part of the fun at Krust. The wood-fired oven is in full view, and it turns out charred, New Haven-style pies.
The restaurant sits on Main Street in Middletown, right off the Route 9 corridor. It is an evening-only stop, open Tuesday through Saturday starting at 5 PM.
The pizza options lean creative, and small plates and an arugula salad fill out the table. Vegetarian and vegan diners have full menus to choose from.
A fireplace adds to the relaxed dining room, and the staff know the menu well. Reservations are accepted, and curbside pickup works if you are short on time.
Fridays and Saturdays run until 11:30 PM, which makes Krust a handy late dinner on the way home.
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