Here are 15 Spots for the Best Pizza in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is unofficially the supreme city in the country for pizza because we are willing to take chances when it comes to pie. Here are some of my favorite spots to experience the best pizza in Los Angeles, no matter what kind of slice you’re after.
The Primo Pizza – Prime Pizza (Various)
Prime Pizza is taking up some prime real estate in Los Angeles with locations in Fairfax, Burbank, Little Tokyo, and more. Both square and round pies of this New York-style pizza are available, including four gluten-free square options. Prime Pizza is your primo choice if you’re looking for delivery of a pizza that the kids will love with a slightly elevated taste that satisfies the adults too. Whole pie prices range from $22 to $28, and by the slice is also available on select pizzas.
The New Haven Style Pizza – Ozzy’s Apizza (Glendale)
New Haven-style pizza, also known as Apizza, is an oven-fired, slightly crispy version of a Neapolitan pie popular in New Haven, Connecticut. The most traditional pie is all sauce and just a dusting of pecorino, and at Ozzy’s Apizza in Glendale, it’s known as The Liotta.
This pizza is done to perfection -especially if you like it old school. I tend to enjoy a bit more cheese, though, and was pleasantly surprised to find alternatives like Your Very Own Cheese Pizza, which does have the familiar mozzarella. Don’t sleep on the specialty pies, though! I visited during a National Pastrami Day event and was blown away by their White Pastrami Pie with sauerkraut, pastrami, and Thousand Island dressing.
While you can always order to go, the experience of eating in at the Glen Arden Club is wonderful. It’s got an outdoor patio space with a full bar and plenty of room for the kiddos to run around. Plus, New Haven-style pizza is meant to be enjoyed piping hot out of the oven.
The Slow Dough – Pizzana (Brentwood, Silverlake, WeHo)
Pizzana by Chef Daniele Uditi brings Napoli to Los Angeles with his signature “slow dough” style, but you might also be interested to know that Pizzana has a few more cooks in this kitchen. Actor Chris O’Donnell and his wife, Caroline, helped this dough to really take shape in Los Angeles along with Candace and Charles Nelson of Sprinkles – who also has a hand in the desserts offered.
Popular flavors include the Margherita with certified San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, and basil, a similar Pepperoni, and a Carnivoro with pepperoni, Berkshire fennel sausage, prosciutto cotto, and basil. There are also multiple Vegan and Gluten-free options. Pie prices begin at $24 and can be shared between two guests.
Dining in is always a treat because you can fully experience the restaurant and additional menu items like Antipasti and Insalate, but Pizzana is made to be a Slow Dough that you can do Yourself!
Order on their website and choose Heat and Un-slice, and you’ll receive instructions on how to fire that baby up in the oven so it’s as fresh as can be. You can even order elements like Dough, San Marzano Sauce, and Fior di Latte and make it from scratch – but I prefer to trust the experts.
The Anytime Pie – Tomato Pie (Silverlake, South Pas., Silverlake
Tomato Pie is my go-to anytime pie when I want a classic New York York-style pizza with a streamlined ordering process. If it’s your first time, go with the Grandma: which is the original Margherita with whole peeled tomato, garlic, basil, mozzarella cheese, and their pecorino romano crust ($23). You can always get just a slice of something crazier on the side, like the Notorious SMG with sausage, mushroom, and garlic. Lastly, as the name implies, they make a good Tomato Pie, which is a square-pan, homestyle pizza with marinara sauce, romano cheese, parsley, and olive oil ($25).
The L.A.-Style Pizza – PI L.A. (DTLA)
So what is L.A.-Style Pizza? Chef Fred Eric (Fred 62) believes he has it at PI L.A., where he’s crafted a lighter version of Detroit-style pizza with special dashi-infused dough and topped it with bright ingredients that represent all the beautiful people that make up Los Angeles.
Personal favorites include the Impala LowRider with mole chicken, pumpkin, and Oaxaca melting cheese, and the Love Bug with potato gratin and truffle gruyere. Be on the lookout for rotating collaboration pizzas with other chefs as well that rotate almost monthly. Prices average about $5.50 a slice to $20 for a whole “Pi”.
The Phoenix Rising – Pizzeria Bianco (DTLA Arts District)
Pizzeria Bianco originally got its start in the back of a Phoenix grocery store in the 1980s, but Chef Chris Bianco has since helped the artisanal pizza movement to really find its wings and now it’s finally taken flight in Los Angeles. Bird puns aside, though, the secret to the pizzas here is in the homemade mozzarella cheese and the James Beard Award-winning Chef behind them.
There are six Signature Pies on the menu among Antipasti and Salad varieties. The Sonny Boy is among the favorites, made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, soppressata, and gaeta olives – but I always love to start with the beginning – and so I recommend having a Margherita too. Pizzas begin at $22.
You won’t find Pizzeria Bianco on any of your favorite delivery apps, so make a reservation on their website and experience the freshness of a pizza made in three minutes at 800 degrees.
The Not Pizza but Pinsa – GG Kitchen (West LA)
If you’re craving a Roman-style pizza but looking for something healthier, then look no further than Pinsa from GG Kitchen at Colony in West Los Angeles. The Chefs come directly from Rome and you can taste the heart and soul of what they do in every bite.
The 2000-year-old Roman-style pizza recipe is made with a blend of flours instead of wheat. That means it has 48% less sugar, 85% less fat, and 33% fewer calories!
Must haves include the Margherita, made with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil; the Raggio di Sole, made with ham, mozzarella, and corn; and for something truly local, the Colony with mozzarella, brie, honey, walnuts, cinnamon, and extra virgin olive oil. Prices begin at $19.99, and while these are meant for one person, it’s a huge pizza.
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the 14 choices, and everything is cut to order and made fresh to order. Order online to enjoy in the courtyard space or bring home.
The Brooklyn Transplant -Roberta’s Pizza (Culver City, Studio City)
Anytime I’m on the west side of Los Angeles, I find a way to make a pick-up order at Roberta’s Pizza at the Platform in Culver City. Originally from Brooklyn, this pizzeria began as just a pop-up, but it’s so good that we couldn’t let it go. Now it’s so popular that they’ve expanded east to Studio City.
The crust is light and thin but not crispy, so you’ll want to eat it in the car as soon as you pick it up if you’re not dining in. My favorite, the Bee Sting, made with tomato, soppressata, mozzarella, chili, and honey has somehow flown off the current menu, but you can’t go wrong with their Famous Original with mozzarella, caciocavallo, and oregano and add on the honey ($21)
The Manhattan Transplant – Prince Street Pizza (DTLA, Studio City, WeHo, West LA)
Prince Street Pizza is known for The Original Soho Square Pizza, and the one to order is The Spicy Spring with Fra Diavolo sauce, mozzarella, spicy pepperoni, and romano cheese ($39). The crust is thick and sweet, and the sauce is similar to what you find on pasta. They also offer Sicilian Round-style pizzas, but a lot of other places do it better.
The Holy Mole – Brooklyn Ave Pizza Co. (Boyle Heights)
Don’t let the Brooklyn Ave. name fool you, this neighborhood pizza spot is all Los Angeles. The name comes from its location on Cesar Chavez Boulevard, formerly known as Brooklyn Avenue. Go to Brooklyn Avenue Pizza Company for the Mole Pizza made with queso Oaxaca, curtido, crema, and mozzarella ($17). They also do a mean pepperoni known as the OG ($15).
The Pizza with Weight -Triple Beam Pizza (Highland,Echo Park – with Santa Monica and Glendora coming soon)
Enjoy your pizza by the ounce when you order from Chef Nancy Silverton’s Triple Beam Pizza. The Highland Park location is a great spot to step right up and point to the exact square piece of the pie you want.
At those weigh-ins, a whole Pepperoni with mozzarella and oregano or an Acorn Squash with cacio di Roma cheese and honey crushed red pepper will set you back $28, but you can also go with a half or quarter pie, so a “slice” is about $8. There are also nice Vegan pie options as well.
The Classic Neapolitan – L’ Antica Pizzeria Da Michele (Hollywood)
It doesn’t get much better than the oldest pizza in Naples. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele goes way beyond the Margherita, but no matter how much they have on the menu, I can’t not order at least one when I visit ($22). They’ve been doing it right for over 150 years.
Visit during weekend brunch and have pizza for breakfast with options like the Ham & Eggs, and the Carbonara with smoked bacon and sunny-side-up eggs ($29).
The Least Authentic Detroit-Style Pizza – Quarter Sheets Pizza Club (Echo Park)
I can’t say enough good things about this pizza pop-up that has claimed a permanent place in the stomachs of hungry Angelenos. Even the New York Times ranks Quarter Sheets Pizza Club among the top 50 places in the whole United States.
The menu features a classic Red Top Pizza square pie ($25) and a rotating specialty pie like the Jewel City with ricotta, mozzarella, basil, Bill’s Bees Honey, and Sambal Goreng from Bungkus Bagus ($38). Don’t skip on dessert here either; the Dark Chocolate Cream Pie ($10) and Quarter Sheet Cake ($12) regularly sell out on the baker’s website (Hannah Ziskin).
After two years of serving pizza from their home in Glendale, the Quarter Sheets Team opened its brick and-mortar location in Echo Park. A combination of their Instagram and Tock will let you know what pizza is on rotation and how fast you can get it. Hint: Get on it in advance.
The Side Hustle – Side Pie (Altadena)
The creators of Side Pie opened their brick-and-mortar take-out-only location following a pandemic side hustle that just blew up! They are now open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m. and have a website for easy ordering.
The pies to try are The Altadena Special made with Bianco DiNapoli Organic Tomatoes, basil, Ezzo Pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and garlic ($24) and originals like the Kevin Lyman’s Pie which is named for an Altadena local and is a white pie with lots of cheese ($20).
The Most Classic Pizza in L.A. – Pizzeria Mozza (Hollywood)
Pizzeria Mozza from Chef Nancy Silverton and restauranteur Joe Bastianich has been L.A.’s quintessential pizza since 2006, and the reservations keep on coming. It’s the perfect blend of Italian meets Los Angeles featuring local ingredients and a superb crust from the Chef who got this skinny city eating bread again during her La Brea Bakery days.
If you are entertaining out-of-town guests, this is a must-visit for a simple Margherita Pizza ($24), a specialty Burrata with Squash Blossoms ($29), and what is probably one of this city’s most well-known desserts – the Butterscotch Budino ($16).
Did you enjoy this roundup of the best pizza in Los Angeles right now? Repin the image below and remember every slice!
Those pizzas look amazing! If I am ever in LA….pizza here I come!
Nice sharing for people who are working on food niches!
Interesting blog.