28 best pizza spots in Charlotte

Benny Ferrovia's and Benny Pennello’s

You’ll need two plates and two hands for a slice of Benny’s 28-inch pies. You’ll find these giant slices in NoDa and South End.

Order this: Try the sliced Italian sausage pizza.

Stop by: Benny Ferrovia's 340 W Tremont Ave. in South End.

• Benny Pennello's 2909 N Davidson St. in NoDa.

Bird Pizzeria

Bird specializes in gourmet East Coast-style pizza and has some of the best pizza in the country, per the New York Times (and us). Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy gave it a 7.8 in his "One Bite" pizza ratings.

Order this: The white pizza made with fresh mozzarella, ricotta, garlic, olive oil and basil.

Stop by: 510 E 15th St.

Go deeper: Bird Pizzeria in Optimist Park opens its indoor dining room with a bigger menu

Bisonte Pizza Co.

Bisonte pizzas are made using a passed-down family recipe. It has locations in Uptown, Ballantyne and Matthews.

Order this: Customize your own.

Stop by: 1381 Chestnut Lane, Matthews, N.C.

• 710 West Trade St. in Uptown
• 8133 Ardrey Kell Road in Ballantyne

Capishe

This fast-casual Italian restaurant in SouthPark has nine Neapolitan-style pizzas with red and white sauce options on its menu.

Order this: Go with the San Lorenzo. It’s a red pizza with bufala mozzarella, sweet piquante, cipollini onion, Italian sausage, fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

Stop by: 500 East Morehead St.

Due Amici Pizza

If you’re looking for authentic New York-style pizza, Due Amici is the place to go. There are plenty of fresh toppings for you to customize your pizza exactly how you like it.

Order this: Build your own pizza.

Stop by: 5346 Docia Crossing Road

Emmy Squared

Detroit-style pizza joint known for its square-shaped, crispy-bottomed pizza and signature burgers.

Order this: The Colony pizza combines the heat from jalapeños and sweetness from drizzled honey to create an unsuspecting pairing that you didn’t know you needed.

Stop by: 1508 Central Ave. in Plaza Midwood.

• 1932 Hawkins St. in South End.

Geno D's Pizza

This family-owned New Jersey spot earned a 7.4 from Dave Portnoy.

Order this: The grandma pizza with fresh mozzarella, strips of sauce and special pesto.

Stop by: 224 E. Seventh St. inside The Market at 7th St.

Gravity Pizza

This sourdough pizza spot originated as a food truck during the pandemic and now it has a permanent spot in Camp North End.

Order this: The Tommy boy, with red sauce, mozzarella, cup pepperoni, caramelized red onion, ricotta, basil, hot honey and fresh parmesan.

Stop by: 1824 Statesville Ave., next to Canteen in Camp North End.

Editor's note: Gravity Pizza is temporarily closed because a piece of its oven was accidentally damaged in April. Its owners will update fans on Instagram once they reopen.

Go deeper: Sourdough pizza diner "Gravity Pizza" opening in Camp North End

Hawthorne’s NY Pizza

Go big or go home with Hawthorne’s 18×18-inch thick crust, square pie. It’s gigantic, so bring a few partners-in-pizza.

Order this: They have traditional New York-style pizza too, but you need to give the Hawthorne's Sicilian or the Hawthorne's pepperoni and sausage Sicilian a go.

Stop by: Hawthorne's has 11 locations stretching from Mooresville to Matthews, and another is opening in Harrisburg in 2025.

House of Pizza

This family-owned pizza spot has been in the Charlotte community for more than 45 years. In addition to serving authentic Italian fare, House of Pizza also serves cheesesteaks and wings.

Order this: Try the house special pizza, it has mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, mushroom, onions and peppers.

Stop by: 3640 Central Ave.

Inizio

Owner Grant Arons is so obsessed with replicating authentic Neapolitan pizza that he makes his crust using water imported from Italy for its exact pH balance and mineral content. He also imports Polselli type “OO” flour, San Marzano tomatoes and real buffalo mozzarella. It doesn’t get much closer to the real deal than that.

Order this: Go with the pistachio pizza.

Stop by: 10620 Providence Road

• 2230 Park Road
• 16627 Birkdale Commons Pkwy, Huntersville, N.C.
• 816 Brayden Pkwy Fort Mill, S.C.

Intermezzo

Serving both Italian and Serbian cuisine, Intermezzo has everything from pizza to schnitzel.

Order this: The Garden Fresh pizza. It’s topped with broccoli, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, spinach and smoked gouda.

Stop by: 1427 East 10th St.

King of Fire

A popular local food truck with a fleet of seven trucks recently opened its first restaurant in Uptown at The Green. Dave Portnoy gave it a low 4.9 score, but we disagree.

Order this: The "honey pie," with red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, crushed red pepper flakes, drizzled with honey.

Stop by: 435 S Tryon St.

Go deeper: Local World Pizza Champion opens first restaurant in Uptown with big plans for growth

Zepeddie's Pizzeria

This NY-style pizza restaurant resided on Woodlawn Road from 1994 to 2001. In 2024, it reopened in LoSo with some new menu items, but under the same original ownership.

Order this: The "Big Gabagool" with pepperoni, capicola, meatballs, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.

Stop by: 4516 Nations Crossing Road

Livy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria

Dive into Neapolitan pizza from classics to originals inside Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts.

Order this: Il fungo, which has a slight kick from the chili oil. This vegan pizza also includes smoked-cured portobellos, San Marzano pomodoro, vegan cheese, caramelized onions and garlic and baby spinach.

Stop by: 1030 Woodward Ave.

Go deeper: 10 vegan pizza options in Charlotte

Luisa’s Brick Oven Pizzeria

Luisa’s uses a brick oven imported straight from Italy to cook its pies.

Order this: You can’t go wrong with building your own pizza.

Stop by: 1730 Abbey Place

Mama Ricotta’s

The Charlotte classic has been serving up authentic Italian food for nearly three decades. Their pizza is New Haven-style with a thin, bubbly crust cooked in a wood-fired oven.

Order this: Go with the tomato and mozzarella pizza.

Stop by: 601 S. Kings Dr.

Go deeper: Mama Ricotta's celebrates 30 years. This is what owner Frank Scibelli would order there

Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market

This pizza shop is technically located in Pineville, but it’s worth the short drive. The pizzas are St. Louis-style, so they’re thin and crispy.

Order this: The St. Louis-style cheese pizza.

Stop by: 316 Main St. Pineville, North Carolina.

PIE.ZAA

PIE.ZAA, a popular Asheville pizzeria, opened in South End next to Vinyl and Wooden Robot.

Order this: Sweet Caroline with fresh mozz, marinara, tomatoes, ricotta, basil, pesto and a drizzle of honey.

Stop by: 1440 S. Tryon St.

Go deeper: Popular Asheville pizza joint to offer huge slices late at night in South End

Pizza Baby

Chef Trey Wilson, who also owns Flour Shop in Park Road Shopping Center, is serving up New York-style pizzas at his third restaurant, Pizza Baby in Wesley Heights, and pizza on focaccia bread at Pizza Baby East in Elizabeth.

Order this: Rosemary pizza with pistachio pesto, shaved red onion, hot honey and pecorino at Pizza Baby in Wesley Heights.

• Order a slice of sausage, mushroom and red onion pizza at Pizza Baby East for lunch.

Stop by: 2135 Thrift Road

• 1601 Elizabeth Ave.

Go deeper: Queen City Nerve trashed Pizza Baby and the Charlotte internet lost its mind

Pizzeria Omaggio

Omaggio’s thin-crust pizzas make it so you can eat the entire pie in one go. Their seasonal pizzas are the standout on the menu, though.

Order this: Try the Country pizza. It’s a seasonal pizza made with tomato sauce, whole milk mozzarella, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, smoked pancetta and Italian parsley.

Stop by: 1055 Metropolitan Ave.

Salud Cerveceria

In addition to its extensive beer selection, Salud also serves up a host of fun, fusion pizzas.

Order this: It's a toss-up between the Latin Lingo pizza and the "Liberation" potato pizza.

Stop by: 3306 N Davidson St.

Go deeper: Hispanic heritage is celebrated every day at Salud, a Dominican-owned brewery in NoDa

Stagioni

Stagioni's pizza scissors get all the buzz — as they should; they're fun — but this Myers Park restaurant, which consistently lands on our "best restaurants" list, also should be celebrated for fresh pasta dishes and excellent slow-roasted meats, including the meatballs.

Order this: The pepperoni and sausage pizza.

Stop by: 715 Providence Road

Zämbies Pizza

Zämbies brings its large slices to the heart of NoDa. With its walk-up window, it's a great late-night snack option.

Order this: Keep it simple with a slice of pepperoni and garlic knots.

Stop by: 3204 N Davidson St.

Go deeper: Get late-night slices out of a window at Zämbies Pizza in NoDa

Zio Casual Italian

Zio's offers classic New York-style pizza as well as grilled pies that are cooked over an open flame and cut into squares. Dave Portnoy gave it a 6.8 on his visit to Charlotte.

Order this: The sweet Italian sausage pizza. It's made with rich tomato sauce, cheese blend, sweet Italian sausage, roasted red peppers and fresh herbs.

Stop by: 116 Middleton Dr. in Myers Park

800º Carolinas

This upscale pizza spot cooks its pies using a rotating, 800º oven that is specifically manufactured for each 800º location.

Order this: The double pepperoni pizza.

Stop by: 6815 Phillips Place Court in SouthPark.

• 320 S Tryon St. at The Alley at Latta Arcade in Uptown.

Go deeper: Upscale pizza restaurant with a rotating oven opens in SouthPark

Looking for more Charlotte food and drink recommendations? Check out these guides: best burgers, best bars, best new restaurants, best cocktail bars, and best brunch, best restaurants.

Editor's note: This guide was first published in 2017 and was updated in May 2025.