The 32 Essential Los Angeles Pizzerias
LA’s pizza scene is probably best described in three time periods. First, the post-Italian immigrant phase where only a few remaining old-school pizzerias remain. These establishments have been serving generations of Angelenos with various styles that have stood the test of time. The next phase was the modern “gourmet” pizza period, which began with Spago and California Pizza Kitchen, and eventually saw its zenith with Pitfire, which first started slinging pies in 1996.
The newest era of pizzas takes a page from the best of the Neopolitan style, then fuses it with a New American sensibility. It’s what Nancy Silverton did when she opened Pizzeria Mozza in 2006, which launched a slew of new school joints that wield wood fire, quality ingredients, and consistent execution, all in a way that truly represents the culinary sensibilities of this city. Here now, the essential pizzerias in Los Angeles, listed alphabetically.
1 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria
This build-your-own pizza shop is probably the best of the bunch, with true wood fire ovens and an artisan touch to each pie. With prices ridiculous low (mostly under $10), and fully custom, Chipotle-style set up, 800 Degrees is a crowd pleasing entry into the world of Neapolitan pizzas. There are currently locations in Santa Monica, Downtown, LAX’s Tom Bradley Terminal, and Westwood, with Hollywood en route.
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2 Abbot’s Pizza Company
The bagel crusts here have been serving hungry and lonely patrons for years, since 1995 in fact. The toppings are fresh and sometimes quite innovative. And there are even pizzas that feel like salads, which work perfectly for the weight-conscious Westsiders. [Photo:Yelp]
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3 Bestia
This sprawling Downtown restaurant is still one of the busiest places in town, but the pizzas have only gotten better. Adhering to a Neapolitan style and touting a huge wood-fired oven, the pies here are some of the best in the city, with a slant toward more innovative toppings. Consider the burrata pie, whereupon the cheese melts in the oven and gets laced with castelvetrano olives and fermented chiles for a strange, but delicious kick.
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4 Caioti Pizza Cafe
Though not as well known because its star has since faded, Ed LaDou created this humble pizza cafe in the Valley after working in the kitchens of Spago with Wolfgang Puck. LaDou was the one who also hashed out most of the original California Pizza Kitchen concept and even invented the Barbecue Chicken Pizza, which fills commissaries and cafes around the country. The California Style Pizza would not have happened if it wasn’t for the efforts of Ed LaDou. [Photo: Yelp]
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5 Casa Bianca Pizza Pie
An Eastside classic, the Martorana family has been serving Eagle Rock denizens since 1955. The card-board like crust has its days, but at its best, the fried eggplant and sausage pizza is the one to beat. The red-checkered table ambiance filled with college students, families, and lovers, definitely helps add to the experience. Hey, even Jonathan Gold considers this one of his favorite pizzas. [Photo: Facebook]
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6 DeSano Pizza Bakery
This expansive shop in Hollywood has some of the best, if not the best, Neapolitan-style pizzas in Los Angeles. The set up is amazingly simple, with a strict adherence to Italian ingredients and principles. But those four ovens side by side is a thing to behold. Bring a gang because the place has a massive parking lot, craft beers, and TVs for watching sports.
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7 Folliero’s Italian Food and Pizza
An old school pizzeria founded in 1968, this Highland Park icon still makes fantastic pies of the East Coast tradition. With extremely low prices and a convivial atmosphere, it’s the ideal family gathering spot or college student hang. [Photo: Yelp]
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8 Garage Pizza
This late-night pizza joint makes very good New York style, thin-crust slices. The hipsters of Silver Lake and now Downtown are definitely fans of the punk rock-style, and it’s hard to think of a better place to hit after having a few drinks at 4100 or Tiki Ti. [Photo: Yelp]
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9 GTA (Gjelina Take Away)
The to-go extension of Gjelina, this too-cool-for-school pizzeria and sandwich spot makes some very good pizzas. Best enjoyed on the milk crates in the faux alley next door. [Photo: Yelp]
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10 Joe’s Pizza
Though the real roots of Joe’s belongs in New York, the transplant’s opening in Santa Monica certainly did wonders to shape the by-the-slice atmosphere on Third Street, which is generally mired by chains. Joe’s Pizza is the classic crispy New York style slice that New Yorkers crave every other day. [Photo:Yelp]
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11 Jon & Vinny’s
Straddling two styles, Italian and American, the blistered pies at Jon & Vinny’s are amazingly consistent. The texture is a bit like spongier American delivery-style pizza, but the toppings are balanced and innovative, such as the Sonny’s favorite, topped with grilled Niman Ranch slab bacon, tomato, onion, and grana padano.
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12 Little Toni’s
This old-school joint in North Hollywood isn’t trying to be super authentic. That’s fine, because the massive cheese covered pies will be sure to satisfy your hunger. Despite not knowing the provenance of the ingredients or the particular style, you won’t care after biting into a pizza that’s somehow greater than the sum of its parts.
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13 Love & Salt
This Manhattan Beach restaurant sports terrific pizzas with creative toppings. Try the duck egg version, topped with pancetta, potato, and panna, or the roasted mushroom, covered with rich taleggio, fontina cheese, and aromatic thyme.
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14 Milo and Olive
Retaining some of the best aspects of Mozza’s crust-centric vision, Milo & Olive prepares some of the best pizzas on the Westside, thanks to fantastic toppings and a steady wood-fired crust that keeps it all together. [Photo: Yelp]
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15 Mother Dough Pizza
This strict Neapolitan shop in Los Feliz is one of the purest places for classic Italian pizza you can find in Los Angeles. The LA Times dubbed their margherita pie the best in the city, and we’re hard pressed to argue. [Photo: Facebook]
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16 Mulberry Street Pizzeria
An old-school pizzeria in the heart of Beverly Hills, Mulberry Street’s pizzas are about as a thick piece of paper. If there’s one pizza that image-conscious denizens of the 90210 can handle, it’s one that has a near invisible crust. Despite relatively high prices, the flavors and preparation are spot on. [Photo: Yelp]
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17 Olio Wood Fired Pizzeria
This casual spot on West Third also has a branch in Downtown’s Grand Central Market. While the Neapolitan pizzas won’t necessarily stand head and shoulders above the rest, the pies are really consistent, and topped with top quality ingredients. A reliable pizza find for anyone in this part of town (or Grand Central Market).
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18 Pitfire Pizza
Founded in 1996 by Paul Hibler and David Sanfield, the chain has melded the best elements of classics California-style with Neapolitan aspects, as well as chef-like take on topping combinations. The result is an enduring concept that sprouts in the most eager neighborhoods. And the unique design in each location definitely helps to keep the local flavor. [Photo: Yelp]
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19 Pizzanista
A newer entrant to open on the edges of the Arts District, Pizzanista captures the zeitgeist of the budding hipster enclave better than any other late night eatery. Boasting rock & roll, and very solid pies, it’s hard to go wrong with the ‘Nista. Also, who can fault the super cheap Tuesday night slices? [Photo: Yelp]
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20 Pizzeria Mozza
A true California original, many people didn’t call this a pizza when Nancy Silverton first pulled out pies from her wood-fired oven. But the authentic ingredients, day-to-day consistency, and innovative crust, just crisp on the edges and puffy enough to fill the dreams of any carb lover, all contributed to make Pizzeria Mozza the crux upon which all pizzadom currently stands in Los Angeles. Don’t skip dessert, because the butterscotch budino is to die for. [Photo:Yelp]
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21 Prime Pizza
Seemingly plucked right out of Brooklyn, this thin-crust pizza is a perfect find for homesick New Yorkers. Possibly the best true New York-style pizza in the city right now, with toppings ranging from simple white pie to actual barbecue (as in, smoked) chicken. Everything’s available by the slice too. [Photo: Yelp]
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22 Prova
This West Hollywood spot has some of the best Italian pizzas in town, with Vito Iacopelli helming the oven. Iacopelli helped Michael’s in Long Beach take home “best pizza” in America, though his methods are even more honed down at this expansive shop along Santa Monica Blvd. Try the “La Vito”, topped with mortadella, pistachio, and a massive amount of creamy, stringy straciatella, or the simple margherita, which is only $10.
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23 Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana
Marina del Rey’s branch of Settebello has some of the strictest, and best executed Neapolitan pies in town. The toppings can range from a DOC margherita to carbonara with pancetta, egg, and mozzarella.
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24 Sotto
This South Beverly shop has terrific Southern Italian pastas and dishes, but the pizzas a major highlight on the menu. The offerings include everything from simple margherita and marinara to more involved (but still great) guanciale with scallions and fennel pollen or mushrooms with pea tendrils, maitake, provolone, and dandelion greens. Pair it up with a glass or two of wine, and you’re in for one of the best pizza experiences in town.
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25 Terroni
One of the first pizzerias to insist so much on authenticity that they didn’t cut the slices, Terroni’s super-thin crust pies remain one of the most consistent in Mid-City. Fusing true, Italian toppings with a gentle sauce, Terroni made sure LA’s pizzas weren’t going to be exclusively “Californian.” [Photo: Yelp]
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26 The Coop Pizza
A humble pizzeria in Palms stays true to its East Coast roots with simple, house-made ingredients like sauce and dough, all prepared in a half-broken oven that still manages to push out sweet, doughy crusts that cradle in solid toppings. All for a very low price. [Photo:Yelp]
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27 The Luggage Room Pizzeria
With affordably priced pies tucked away in a former rail depot in Pasadena, the Luggage Room offers more creatives pizzas like the Mother Earth, topped with artichokes, roasted peppers, and broccolini, or the Padre, covered with prosciutto, dates, maytag blue cheese, and arugula. [Photo: Instagram]
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28 Tomato Pie Pizza Joint
An enduring local favorite, the Grandma pie garner rave reviews by GQ’s Alan Richman back in the late 2000s. Landing at one of the top ten pizzas in the country, this perfectly balanced creation still manages to surprise doubters. The other pizzas are also very well prepared, and the retro-design of the place certain adds charm. [Photo: Yelp]
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29 Two Boots Echo Park
This New York transplant nestled into the main drag of Echo Park a few years ago, only to become its most iconic, enduring pizzeria. With creative topping combinations and a cornmeal-heavy crust, Two Boots is a reliable late-night options for those coming out of The Echo. [Photo: Yelp]
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30 Village Pizzeria
A Larchmont classic, this San Francisco transplant has been serving this charming part of town since 1997, no small feat in a constantly changing retail environment. But the Hancock Park locals know a good pie and stick to it, especially with the fresh ingredients and righteously pulled thin crusts. [Photo: Yelp]
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31 Vito’s Pizza
After moving to West Hollywood, Vito really started earning the credibility as one of the best renditions of New York-style pizza in Los Angeles. Using quality ingredients and a no-fuss style, Vito’s still remains one of the best slices in the city. [Photo: Yelp]
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32 Stella Barra Pizzeria
Jeff Mahin has created a new style of pizza, blending elements of charred Italian pies with more American creations that sport a heftier crust. While simple margherita pies would make create pre-theatre dinners, consider a shaved mushroom pizza topped with gruyere, melted onions, and truffle, or a smoked bacon and goat cheese pie covered with charred tomatoes.
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