The Absolute Best Pizza in Atlanta (2024)

By

Lia Picard

If you want really excellent New York-style pizza, you’ll need to go to Dunwoody to get it. Wilton Vinas opened Piccola in January and it didn’t take long for word to start getting around about how good this thin-crusted yet just-chewy-enough dough. The standouts here include the eggplant parmesan and white pizzas, though you really can’t go wrong with a classic pepperoni, either.

Come for the kitschy ‘70s basem*nt bar vibe, stay for the pizza and co*cktails. If you survive Atlanta traffic and arrive before 7 pm on a weekday, classic co*cktails such as martinis and manhattans are only $5. The pizza is pretty classic—think toppings like sausage, pepperoni, and veggies—and makes an excellent companion to those co*cktails. Get yourself some spinach and artichoke dip, too.

La Calavera bakery reinvented itself as a pizza joint during the pandemic. They make three types of sourdough crusts (white, wheat, and gluten-free) and top them with locally sourced veggies and proteins. On the menu you might find the “buffalo cauliflower” pizza with oven-baked cauliflower tossed in a buffalo sauce and finished with a vegan ranch, as well as a hearty grandma pie (tomato sauce, olive oil, and basil, and no cheese).

Located on the second level of Ponce City Market, Pizza Jean’s shares a space with its sister company Root Baking Co. It’s open Thursday through Saturday. Three pizzas -- a red pie, a white pie, and a chef’s choice -- are available by the pie or slice.

Don’t let the name fool you, O4W Pizza is now actually located in downtown Duluth. This a no-frills joint. Owner and pizza maker Anthony Spina turns his attention to crafting his New Jersey-style pizza. His most beloved pie is the grandma pie, a 16-inch square pizza topped with homemade marinara sauce, mozzarella, pecorino, and olive oil. But, he also makes a killer Detroit pizza. Best to go with a couple friends and order one of each.

Glide Pizza is very pandemic-friendly with a takeout window conveniently located on the BeltLine (there’s also a takeout window in the recently opened Inner Voice Brewing in Decatur). Mask up, place your order, and take your pizza to go. Founder Rob Birdsong lived in Brooklyn and opened Glide after moving back and realizing he couldn’t quite get the slice he wanted. Choose from cheese, pepperoni, or “the garlic” (olive oil, garlic, two kinds of mozzarella) but whatever you do, get a side of house-made pizza ranch.

Anne Quatrano’s iconic hidden gem may not spring to mind when you think “pizza night,” but hear us out. The menu features five pizzas baked in a wood oven. True to form for the restaurant that made farm-to-table cool back in 1998, the pizzas are loaded with seasonal ingredients in creative combinations. The potato pizza -- with smashed new potatoes, caramelized onions, and raclette -- is especially comforting in these cooler temps.

A father and his two sons, each with “J” names, started their pizza joint as a food truck but opened their brick-and-mortar location in February. They sell Detroit and New York-style pies, as well as slices and wings. Emphasis on the wings -- you don’t want to skip those!

Vegan pizza… that’s actually delicious? Yes! Plant Based Pizzeria has a lot of hype, and rightly so. Popular topping combinations include the Hawaiian with a barbecue drizzle, vegan mozzarella cheese, pineapples, and Beyond sausage. The menu also includes “burgers,” calzones, and flatbreads. Pizzas can be made gluten-free by ordering a cauliflower crust (there’s an upcharge).

Speaking of, we know that good gluten-free pizza is hard to find, so we couldn’t leave Blue Moon off. The pizzeria offers regular crust, but has especially good pizza for the gluten-free crowd. The gluten-free pies are only available in a 12-inch personal pan pizza size. Blue Moon also has a limited menu of other gluten-free treats like bruschetta and Buffalo chicken salad.

At Varuni’s Morningside location, you can order large pizzas with popular topping combinations like the Bastardo with mozzarella, pepperoni, Ndjua (spicy pork spread in ragu sauce), and pecorino Romano. There’s also a selection of salads, appetizers, and beer and wine. At Krog Street Market, where Varuni has begun to offer limited dine-in service, expect personal-sized pizzas in similar combinations.

Avellino’s offers Neapolitan-style pizzas and you can’t go wrong with the Polpetta with mozzarella, ricotta, meatball, cremini mushrooms, and fresh basil. If you’re feeling a sauce-less pizza, the molta carne with mozzarella, Italian sausage, pepperoni, pancetta, Calabrese salami, and basil is a great choice. Go full on carbs and get the garlic cheese bread, too.

MTH stands for Mussman, Turner, and Hall, the same three friends and business partners behind nearby Muss & Turners and Local Three. They consider their pizza to be “Smyrna Style,” aka chef-driven with seasonal toppings and baked in a brick oven. Standouts among the creative combinations include theWe Say Potato, They Say Patata with a white base, ricotta cheese, fingerling potatoes, charred scallions, caramelized onions, and crisped rosemary.

Opened in 2009, Antico is widely regarded as some of the best Neapolitan pizza in town. Before the pandemic, locals and tourists alike would flock to Gio Antico’s “Little Italy” complex in West Midtown and wait in long lines for some pizza and gelato. Now there’s a location at the Battery and Alpharetta’s Avalon -- and the wait times aren’t quite as crazy.

Owned by Billy Streck of Hampton + Hudson, Nina & Rafi is located off of the BeltLine. You can’t order the grandma pie, but you can order a hefty square pie or Detroit red pizza. Among the appetizers, the pizzeria salad is not to be skipped (hey, you need your veggies) and roasted wings make the meal complete. There’s a full bar with expertly prepared amaro co*cktails if you want something other than a beer or glass off wine.

The pizza at Ammazza is what the owners call Neapolitan influenced -- it’s made with 00 flour, but isn’t restricted to ingredients imported from Italy. In fact, the pizzas feature plenty of locally grown produce as well as regionally sourced meats, like pepperoni from nearby Spotted Trotter. If pizza and beer is your favorite iconic duo, you’re in luck, they have more than 30 beers to choose from. Both locations of Ammazza have plenty of outdoor seating.

The fast-casual pizza concept began in Nashville and has since expanded to include two locations in Atlanta. Owned by three childhood friends, the restaurant serves up pizzas with names inspired by 1990s hip-hop. The Cee No Green, for example, is a combination of red sauce, cheeses, ground beef, pepperoni, hickory smoked bacon, Canadian bacon, and Italian sausage. Order your pizza in size “slim” (10-inch) or “husky” (16-inch). And yes, in case you were wondering, they do have cinnamon rolls with a variety of cream cheese flavors.

Established in the early 1980s, Fellini’s is true Atlanta-style pizza (but really, it’s close to New York-style). In addition to pies, you can order a slice as big as your head, adorned with the toppings of your choice. Whatever you order, pair it with a cold beer to complete the proper Fellini’s experience. Late-night pizza cravings can be answered at the Roswell and Buckhead locations, which are open until midnight.

Some might say that 2020 has been pretty savage, so eating Savage pizza only makes sense. Another longtime relic of Atlanta’s pizza scene, Savage calls Little Five Points and Avondale Estates home. You can order delivery if you live within range, or you can order takeout to be enjoyed at home or on a patio. Stick with one of the specialty pizzas, like the Cajun with spicy red pepper sauce, roasted chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage, onions, peppers, and gruyere and mozzarella cheeses.