Our Critic’s 10 Favorite Pizza Slices Around NYC (2024)

For years as I have traveled around the city in search of the best and most interesting restaurants, I have made an extra stop whenever I saw a promising pizzeria. Since at least the 1950s — when the widespread installation of stacked ovens made these institutions possible — the city has been covered with them.

I kept careful notes and have revisited the best ones. Then, six years go, I published a list of my favorite 85, and ever since, I have continued my pizza quest. Here is a list of my 10 current favorites, ranked.

10. Plain cheese slice at Family Pizza

What could be more perfect than a plain cheese slice, fabulously rendered? That’s the main output of Family Pizza on Flatbush Avenue. The crust is thin, but manages to be soft on the top and crisp on the bottom, a miraculous stratification in such a thin-crusted slice. The sauce is memorable by having no trace of sweetness; the cheese plain as plain can be. It’s reduced to its simplest and most perfect formulation. 720 Flatbush Avenue, at Parkside Avenue, Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

See Also

The New York Pizzerias We Still MissRistorante Giordano, Italiaans 3-gangendiner bij Ristorante Giordano bespaar 46% in Amsterdam via Uit eten in de buurtEspetto Carioca: a franquia milionária de churrasco que começou com um entregador de jornal e pizza

9. Soppressata and mozzarella slice at Luigi’s Pizza

Just how many pizzerias named Luigi’s are there in the five boroughs? Plenty, we’re sure. Located in Greenwood Heights, this one (founded in 1973) functions as a sort of community center in a changing neighborhood. The pizzas are especially good, with some relatively unusual toppings, including a wonderful pie with soppressata and jalapeños, fusing old and new aspects of the neighborhood. 686 Fifth Avenue, near 21st Street, Greenwood Heights

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

8. Eggplant Sicilian slice at Pizzatown

Pizzatown, a lively pizzeria with some nifty murals, has been a mainstay of Fifth Avenue in the Slope since the 1980s. The regular slice boasts a thicker and crisper crust than usual, but many patrons go for the extensive collection of novelties — such as the Buffalo chicken slice, the vodka slice, and the square Sicilian with slices of fried eggplant on top, mired in lots of gooey mozzarella and surmounted by basil leaves. 85 Fifth Avenue, near Prospect Place, Park Slope

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7. Grandma slice at Delizia 73

A mural of Venice graces one wall of Delizia 73 on the Upper East Side— with Superman flying overhead, maybe looking for pizza. If you want to feel like you’re sitting in a real restaurant while scarfing your two slices and a soft drink, this is your place. And the quality of the pies makes it a destination spot, too. A favorite is the grandma slice: In the square format, it displays cheese-on-the-bottom architecture, keeping the crust crisp, with splotches of herby sauce on top. 1374 First Avenue, near 74th Street, Upper East Side

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6. Margarita slice at Rocco Pizza III

The pizzas here are damn good, with a slightly thicker crust than usual, and some fairly creative toppings. The margarita slice is memorable, pooled with fresh mozzarella and dotted with herbs, while the lasagna slice mimics that casserole with an insane amount of delicately seasoned ground beef and fresh ricotta. 330 Halsey Street, near Throop Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

5. Plain cheese slice at Golden Pizza

Golden is about as bare-bones as a pizzeria can be, yet it has obviously been feeding the populace of its Bronx neighborhood for around 65 years. The dining room is standing-only, and the counter routinely displays only one kind of slice, yet what a slice it is! Trim, nicely clotted with good cheese, not quite thin-crusted but crisp and tasty nonetheless. You can have some pepperoni thrown on top, but it’s not necessary. And, miracle of miracles, prices remain low. 504 E. 138th Street, at Brook Avenue, Mott Haven

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4. Sicilian slice at Pizza Wagon

Placing it among the most ancient and venerable of early neighborhood pizzerias, which saw their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Pizza Wagon was founded in 1966. It possesses one of the most convivial dining rooms in Bay Ridge, and doesn’t bother with a vast range of pie choices. Most slices are served still warm from the oven, and a favorite is the Sicilian, with a crisp and light crust, plenty of sweet tomato sauce, and a thick mantle of gooey cheese. 8610 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, Bay Ridge

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

3. Cheese slice at Scarr’s Pizza

This revolutionary neighborhood pizzeria deep in the Lower East Side is a game changer where slices are concerned. For a traditional pizzeria, more care is taken than usual — the flour is freshly milled, for Pete’s sake. Slices are richer (read: oiler) and thinner-crust than most. Some of the toppings are novel. Be prepared for lines. 35 Orchard Street, near Hester Street, Lower East Side

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2. Pepperoni slice at Joe & Pat’s

Since 1960, this modest pizzeria is among the best slice shops on Staten Island. The pizza is imperially thin, with a crust that almost crackles, and the quality of the tomato sauce and cheese keep pace. This is the kind of pizza where two slices are barely enough. At Joe & Pat’s you’ll never get bored — there’s a vodka sauce pie and a fried squid pizza, too. Other so-called gourmet toppings run to to scungilli, pancetta, and artichokes. Still, the slice with pepperoni cups is the clear neighborhood favorite. 1758 Victory Boulevard, near Manor Road, Castleton Corners

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1. Cheese slice at New Park Pizza

The landmark New Park Pizza is a well-known stop for anyone heading to the Rockaways, shining like a beacon by the side of the road. Most people choose the plain slice right out of the oven, making it the freshest slice in town, bubbling with more cheese than is necessary, with a memorably great crust charred here and there. Down with reheated slices! 156-71 Crossbay Boulevard, at 157th Avenue, Howard Beach

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