listnorthcarolinabusinesses

Neapolitan, Chicago deep-dish, New York-style, Sicilian, Detroit-style. Everyone has their favorite take on this universally loved food. Order it with thin crust, extra cheese, vegetarian toppings, or gluten-free. Here’s where you can find each of these options across Charlotte.

Osteria Luca’s Prosciutto di Parma pie. Photo by Peter Taylor.

FEATURED RESTAURANT 
Osteria LuCa
4127 Park Road
704-910-0142

The team behind TRUE Crafted Pizza opened this Italian restaurant in Park Road Shopping Center, and the wood-fired pizzas are the main attraction. The dining room has sleek wood-plank tables, booths with banquette seating along the walls, and, in the back, an eight-seat pizza bar where guests can see into the oven. The Classic Cheese gets everything right, with crispy edges, bubbling cheese, and smoky flavor. For something a little more complex, try the Prosciutto di Parma with arugula, shaved Parmesan, fig spread, and balsamic glaze. 

Sal’s Pizza Factory
Multiple locations
Sal’s has made believers of those New Yorkers who can’t stop complaining about the city’s lack of “good pizza.”

Benny Pennello’s
2909 N. Davidson St., Ste. 100
980-949-8398
Benny’s, known for its 28-inch Virginia-style pizzas with slices so big they’re served on two paper plates, has a sister location called Benny Ferrovia’s in South End.

Room & Board
3228 N. Davidson St.
980-430-3136
It may not have the cachet of New York or Chicago styles, but Detroit has its own distinctive approach to pizza: rectangular slices, a thick and crisp crust, and sauce on top of the cheese.

Luisa’s Brick Oven Pizzeria
1730 Abbey Place
704-522-8782
Order the pizza named for founder Luisa Land, stacked with sliced tomatoes, garlic, ricotta, and pesto.

The Pizza Peel & Tap Room
Multiple locations
Find inspired pies like The Godfather, a white pizza with a garlic oil base topped with three meats—salami, prosciutto, and pepperoni—plus spinach and roasted red peppers.

Photo by Peter Taylor.

Stagioni
715 Providence Road
704-372-8110
Cut into this wood-fired pie with pizza shears and savor that first warm, cheesy bite.

Portofino’s Italian Restaurant
Multiple locations
The house-made dough and sauce is the way you’d have it on the coast of northern Italy.

Hawthorne’s New York Pizza and Bar
Multiple locations
Hawthorne’s made national headlines when nearly 70 visitors reported that the restaurant’s buffalo chicken pizza—nicknamed “The Inducer”—sent pregnant Charlotteans straight into labor.

Aliño Pizzeria
Multiple locations
The wood-fired pies at this spacious Mooresville spot are thin as can be, making it acceptable for a single person to indulge in a full 16-inch pizza (the smallest size).

Zio
116 Middleton Drive
704-344-0100
The pizza crust is crisp, the tomato sauce is homemade, and herbs come from the patio garden.

Emmy Squared Pizza
Multiple locations
The Detroit-style pizza menu is split between Reds (topped with sauce and mozzarella) and Whites (topped with just mozzarella). The Hot Chicken pie is a White, and a major hit.

The Jimmy
2839 Selwyn Ave., Ste. X
704-979-4242
You can get a traditional Margherita, but for something a bit more adventurous, try the Funghi, aka “Jimmy’s Pie,” topped with roasted mushrooms, taleggio cheese, and balsamic reduction.

Inizio Pizza Napoletana
Multiple locations
This family-friendly spot serves Neapolitan pizzas that include traditional Margherita pie and the just-quirky-enough Pistachio Pesto pie.

Salud Cerveceria
3306 N. Davidson St., Ste. C
980-495-6612
Salud’s 12-inch, wood-fired pies match the quality of its stellar beer.

TRUE Crafted Pizza
7828 Rea Road, Ste. F
704-543-8783
Standouts at this south Charlotte pizzeria include the grilled Prosciutto di Parma and the Garlic & Clams pizza.

A rectangular Grandma Pie from Geno D’s Pizza. Photo by Peter Taylor.

Geno D’s Pizza
224 E. Seventh St.
704-900-5202 
The “Jersey Shore-style” pizza joint comes from father-and-daughter team Geno and Gena DiPaolo, and options include a rectangle, sauce-on-top, Grandma-style ’za.

Capishe: Real Italian Kitchen
Multiple locations
This fast-casual joint slings fresh, handmade Neapolitan pizzas that typically cook within two minutes.

Bird Pizzeria
510 E. 15th St.
Described by its owners as “East Coast-style” pizza, this Optimist Park spot prepares three kinds of pie—plain, vegan, and white—with your choice of nine toppings on charred crust.