I crossed time zones with grease-stained napkins as souvenirs, chasing slices people swear are life changing. You know those top spot lists that everyone reposts without blinking? By slice ten, I was side eyeing every ranking I had ever trusted. Come hungry, because this might change how you order your next pie.
Lombardi’s – New York, New York
Lombardi’s feels like a museum where the art is edible. The coal-oven char perfumes the room, and one bite of that tomato-forward Margherita makes your brain go quiet. You taste crushed San Marzano brightness, creamy mozzarella, and a basil pop that keeps you leaning in for the next bite.
The crust crunches, then folds into tenderness, a perfect New York handshake. Sauce rides the line between sweet and savory, never heavy. You leave with a grin, a little flour on your jeans, and the sense that classic does not mean boring at all.
Joe’s Pizza Broadway – New York, New York
Joe’s Broadway is the move when you want a slice that understands the city. Greasy in the right way, foldable without flopping, it hits with milky mozzarella and a no-nonsense sauce. You stand at the counter, elbow to elbow, and that first bite makes the chaos outside blur.
The crust has a whisper of crisp and a chewy spine that holds. Salt, tang, and warmth stack into perfect late-night logic. It is not fancy, but it is honest, and you will chase that balance long after the paper plate is gone.
Giordano’s – Chicago, Illinois
Giordano’s arrives like a casserole wearing a cape, and you are the villain about to surrender. The cheese pull borders on theatrical, with a buttery crust cupping sweet tomato sauce and herbs. It is indulgent, unapologetic, and slow eating by design.
Each forkful brings creamy tang, gentle garlic, and a sturdy base that never sogs. You plan your day around it, then plan your nap. If thin crusts whisper, this one sings in full voice and holds the last note until you admit defeat three bites late.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria – Chicago, Illinois
Lou Malnati’s tastes like someone buttered your memories and baked them in a pan. The cornmeal-kissed crust crunches, then melts, while the sausage blanket brings fennel and warmth. Tomato chunks are bright and clean, giving lift to all that richness.
It is balanced in a way that surprises, more orchestral than heavy. You chew slower to find the nutty notes, the caramel edges, the snap of crust. Bring patience and stretchy pants, because this slice does not rush for anyone, least of all you.
Pizzeria Uno – Chicago, Illinois
Pizzeria Uno is the pilgrimage where the pan itself feels like a relic. The crust rises buttery and proud, hugging layers of cheese and chunky tomato sauce. It is hearty, peppery, and a little nostalgic, like grandparents telling the good stories again.
Each slice has a browned rim that crackles. The sauce is bright, with oregano that lingers without shouting. You will not sprint afterward, but you will smile slow, because this is deep dish that knows its roots and plays them like a favorite record.
Patsy’s Pizzeria – New York, New York
Patsy’s slices glide in with delicate char and a clean tomato finish. The coal-oven heat paints little freckles across the crust, giving snap without dryness. Cheese melts into sauce like it grew there, and basil ties a green bow on top.
You take a fold, hear a soft crack, and then the chew settles in. Simple ingredients shine because they are treated with respect. If you like balance and burn marks, this place will make you rethink what thin can do.
Regina Pizzeria – Boston, Massachusetts
Regina Pizzeria brings Boston grit with a grin. The crust is tight and bouncy, with singed bubbles that taste like summer grills. Sauce leans zesty, herbs tapping your tongue while pepperoni cups collect delicious little pools.
You stand, you fold, you nod, and suddenly the line feels shorter. It is neighborhood energy baked into dough, dependable and punchy. Nothing fussy here, just smart choices and a finish that keeps you chasing the last crisp edge around the plate.
Prince Street Pizza – New York, New York
Prince Street hits like a drum solo. Thick, airy Sicilian base, crunchy bottom, and those spicy pepperoni cups that snap and drip. The sauce is concentrated and sweet-savory, with a chili hum that convinces you to take another bite immediately.
It is indulgent but controlled, stacked without going sloppy. The square format holds everything steady while flavor fireworks go off. You will plan detours for this slice, no apology offered to your schedule or your self-control.
Pink’s Hot Dogs – Los Angeles, California
Pink’s is a curveball, but road trips demand detours. They are hot dog royalty, yet that novelty pizza-topped dog scratches a goofy itch. It is messy, salty, and unexpectedly charming, like carnival food that graduated.
Do not come for tradition here, come for fun. You laugh, you drip sauce on your wrist, and you forget your rules for a minute. Not a classic slice, but a memorable chapter that makes the strict ranking game feel less serious.
Tony’s Pizza Napoletana – San Francisco, California
Tony’s is a master class where ovens are instruments and dough is sound. The crust blisters beautifully, soft at the center with a proud cornicione. San Marzano sweetness meets restrained mozzarella cream, and basil floats like a whisper.
You taste smoke, salt, and patience in every chew. It is technical, soulful, and a little showy in the best way. You leave certain that craft can be delicious without becoming precious or distant.
Pequod’s Pizza – Chicago, Illinois
Pequod’s is the rock show of pan pizza. Those caramelized cheese edges crackle like brittle, giving smoky, salty crunch with every bite. The crumb stays airy, sauce sits on top, and flavor stacks like layers of guitar.
It is messy in a lovable way, a little wild, totally craveable. You chase the blackened rim around the pan like treasure. If you want Chicago attitude with swagger, this crust will make you a believer fast.
Di Fara Pizza – Brooklyn, New York
Di Fara tastes like devotion one slice at a time. The olive oil drizzle, the snipped basil, the gentle char, it all lands with authority. Cheese blends beautifully, and the sauce feels like tomatoes that actually lived a life.
The wait teaches patience that pays you back. First bite is herbal, then sweet, then a whisper of bitterness from the char. You walk out quieter, clutching the memory like a warm secret you plan to share carefully.
L&B Spumoni Gardens – Brooklyn, New York
L&B is summer in a square. Cheese hides under the sauce, so each bite starts with tomato sunshine and finishes creamy. The dough is pillow soft with a gentle bottom crisp, a true boardwalk daydream.
It is sweeter than most, unapologetically so, and it works. Grab spumoni after and learn what balance tastes like across courses. This is happiness food, and you feel like a kid who found five bucks at the arcade.
Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria – Chicago, Illinois
Vito and Nick’s brings tavern-style truth. Ultra thin, super crisp, and cut into squares that vanish shockingly fast. Fennel sausage sings, and a little giardiniera adds heat that keeps you reaching.
The crust has that audible snap, yet never tastes dry. Sauce sits light, more supporting actor than diva. Order more than you think, because this is communal pizza that rewards laughter and quick hands at the table.
Pizzeria Bianco – Phoenix, Arizona
Pizzeria Bianco feels like a conversation between fire and farms. The dough is alive, blistered, and fragrant, carrying toppings that shift with the season. The Rosa with red onion, pistachio, and rosemary rewires expectations gently and completely.
You taste clarity in the sauce and generosity in the crust. Nothing shouts, yet everything resonates. It is the kind of slice that makes silence at the table feel like applause.
Pizzeria Delfina – San Francisco, California
Pizzeria Delfina sits at the crossroads of comfort and style. The crust is thin with a tender heart, edges blistered just enough. Toppings lean seasonal and bright, often with a wink of heat or tang.
It is West Coast ease on a plate, unfussy and quietly confident. You feel taken care of, like someone cooked with you in mind. By the last bite, you are already planning what to try next time.
Gino’s East – Chicago, Illinois
Gino’s East delivers comfort with attitude. The crust has grit and butter, built to hold a skyscraper of cheese and chunky tomatoes. Sausage bursts with fennel, and oregano leans in confidently.
This is a fork-and-knife situation you will not resent. The sauce is bright enough to keep everything lifting. You roll out satisfied, promising to write your name on the wall next time like every proud pilgrim before you.
Buddy’s Pizza – Detroit, Michigan
Buddy’s is the blueprint for Detroit style. Rectangular, high-walled, with caramelized cheese edges that crunch like candy. Sauce races in stripes over a cloudlike crumb, bringing tang and balance.
The bottom has that fried-in-pan crisp you dream about later. Pepperoni cups are encouraged, not optional. This slice proves geometry matters when it tastes this good, and you will do the math for seconds quickly.
Jet’s Pizza – Sterling Heights, Michigan
Jet’s is the suburban hero of crunchy corners. The crust fries up beautifully, sturdy yet fluffy, with edges that snap. Extra sauce cups are clutch, adding brightness to each decadent bite.
It is delivery-friendly without tasting like compromise. Reheat in a hot pan and the underside sings again. When convenience meets craveability like this, you find yourself inventing reasons to order on a Tuesday.
California Pizza Kitchen at Beverly Hills – Beverly Hills, California
CPK Beverly Hills is where mainstream meets Malibu cool. The BBQ chicken pie still slaps, smoky, sweet, and herby with cilantro. Crust is light, toppings playful, and the service hums along.
You will not find coal char here, but you will find comfort that lands. It is a reminder that pizza can be fun and a little polished without losing soul. Bring friends, share plates, and let the California sunshine do the rest.
Sbarro 33rd and 7th – New York, New York
Sbarro at 33rd and 7th is survival mode with cheese. You sprint in, point, and the warming tray turns into dinner. The slice is wide, salty, and surprisingly comforting when the clock is cruel.
No one is writing sonnets here, but there is honesty in the rush. Fold, chew, breathe, and make your train. On a long pizza tour, even chain warmth becomes a little welcome hug.