People say these 20 American cities have the best pizza

Die-hard New Yorkers will defend their city’s pizza until the death. Authentic New York-style pizza is floppy and foldable, but the city itself has a pizzeria on every block, so those who’d prefer a different style can be satisfied, too. 

Chicago-style deep-dish pizza may not appeal to everyone, but those who are fans of the city’s signature dish won’t let anybody talk bad about it. Whether or not you like Chicago-style pizza, the city is likely top of mind when brainstorming the top places for pizza in the U.S.

Detroit-style pizza is about the layering and the crust. Known for its square pizzas, Motor City is a great place to get a variety of good pizza options. Detroit natives will argue over which local spot serves the best pie, but they’ll band together to say their city is the best as a whole. 

Philadelphia is known for multiple regional specialty pizza styles, making every joint special. The city draws in tourists with its expansive historical offerings and keeps them there with its many tasty pizza places. 

Washington, D.C., isn’t necessarily known for a certain type of pizza, but it offers loads of pizzerias serving specialty pies from across the globe. Whether you dig a New York-style slice or a wood-fired pizza, Washington, D.C., has it and doesn’t often get the credit. 

Given Denver’s affinity for organic forms of fun, it should come as no surprise that it’s also known for its food, particularly its pizza. Like Washington, D.C., Denver hosts a multitude of pizza styles, making it a great melting pot for pizza lovers from all over the place. 

There’s tons of good pizza in Providence, Rhode Island. Within the pizza world, some know the state for its Rhode Island pizza strip. That and much more are available in the capital city. 

Any oceanside town with a boardwalk needs to have good pizza. It’s just good sense. Ocean City, New Jersey, is one of the best cities in America for a piece of pizza, and many of the joints are open for late-night slices. 

Phoenix isn’t widely known for its culinary offerings, but people love its pizza. Although pizza seems like one of those foods that’s hard to mess up, there’s an art to it, and the chefs of Phoenix have mastered it. One Phoenix-based pizza chef has even won multiple James Beard Awards. 

Boston’s food scene is not one to turn your nose at. Its pizza scene is particularly poppin’, offering a smattering of styles from across the world and the U.S. Many of the local joints are family-owned, making the lore that much more interesting and supporting the restaurant that much more satisfying. 

Who would’ve thought that New Haven, Connecticut, would have its own style of pizza? The coastal city is known for its thin-crust Neapolitan pizza cooked over a coal fire. It’s crispy and charred and has loads of flavor that you might not expect from the town. 

San Francisco is a food town, so obviously, it’s got a major pizza scene. It’s so major that it claims to be one of the most pizza-obsessed cities in the U.S., rivaling New York City and Chicago. 

Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles has become known in the pizza world for having a mix of styles to satisfy the many palates of the city’s residents. If you want a pizza made to your specific tastes, Los Angeles is the place. 

San Diego isn’t just known for having a lot of pizza places. It’s known for having a lot of excellent pizza places. Seriously: A study was conducted, and it was decided that if you’re in San Diego, your chances of having amazing pizza are much higher than having just average pizza. 

Pizza doesn’t feel like a particularly Miami-esque food, but it’s a party city, and there is no better food for before, during, or after a party than pizza. It’s particularly known for its Cuban pizza, which features a thick crust and a whole lot of cheese. 

Las Vegas is similar to Miami when it comes to pizza. It’s not necessarily known for the food, but after some thought, it makes sense that it’s crawling with places to eat it. Las Vegas offers about every type of pizza imaginable, and although you probably won’t visit the city specifically for the pizza, you certainly won’t regret eating it there. 

Portland, Oregon, might just be the best place in the U.S. for pizza lovers with dietary restrictions. The city has mastered the art of offering really good pizza with atypical ingredients. 

Wisconsin is the frozen pizza capital of the U.S., so of course, one of its major cities will have good offerings. If frozen pizza isn’t your thing, though, don’t worry. The pizza restaurants do make pies fresh. 

St. Louis has its own style of pizza with an ultra-thin crust cut into rectangles instead of the classic slice shape. If you are bigger on toppings than crust, St. Louis is the city to get your pizza. 

Buffalo-style pizza couldn’t be more different from classic New York-style pizza. Buffalo-style pizza also has nothing to do with buffalo-flavored pizza. This city prides itself on its thick-crust pizza that’s crispy yet chewy, has a flavorful sauce, and is loaded with cheese.