Narrowing down Brooklyn’s best pizza is a fool’s errand bound to cause an argument. The borough has the lion’s share of detour-worthy pies so if you’d like to tackle the endeavor yourself, allow me to share my personal list of the best pizza in Brooklyn. Let’s dive in!
Authors Note: If you feel like I’m missing one of the best Brooklyn pizzas please drop me a comment below and I’ll check it out ASAP!
Best Pizza in Brooklyn
(Click here for the table of contents)
Brooklyn Pizza Guide (Table of Contents)
- Best Pizza in Brooklyn
- L’Industrie
- Roberta’s
- Lucali
- Speedy Romeo
- Fini Pizza
- Paulie Gee’s
- Juliana’s
- Krispy Pizza
- Luigi’s Pizza
- Di Fara
- Best Pizza in Brooklyn (Post Summary)
- Map of the Best Pizza in Brooklyn
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L’Industrie
Website: L’Industrie
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 254 S 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
L’Industrie Pizzeria has a relatively short but impressive history. Since opening in 2015 by Italian native Massimo Laveglia, it’s been recognized by many pizza enthusiasts as some of the best pizza in NYC. Fighting words, I know.
Intrigued by the onslaught of praise, we paid them a visit. The pizza style doesn’t fit into any traditional category, perhaps most closely related to a proper NYC slice, but the crust is slightly thinner, almost crunchy.
The dough is long-fermented until it results in a zippy canvas for the fresh ingredient imported from Italy. If there’s a better slice of pizza in Brooklyn I’ve yet to find it. L’Industrie has locals commuting 30+ minutes just to get their grubby little hands on the famed Margherita with burrata slice, myself included.
Roberta’s
Website: Roberta’s
Neighborhood: Bushwick & Williamsburg
Address: 261 Moore St & 6 Grand St
Located deep in the heart of Bushwick lies a legendary wood-fire oven that churns out exceptional New York City pizza. The place is called Roberta’s, and when you first approach the heavily-graffitied Brooklyn flagship you might be wondering to yourself “am I really in the right place?”
That’s how you know you found it. There’s a handful of locations in town, but I suggest going to the Bushwick flagship because the large outdoor patio is ideal for sunny days, especially if you’re gathering a group of friends.
Order a pitcher of beer, bring a deck of cards and enjoy some of the best pizza in Brooklyn. My recommendation is to order the Bee Sting (tomato, mozzarella, sopressata, chili, basil, honey), which scratches the itch for anyone craving an irresistible sweet and salty combo.
Lucali
Website: Lucali
Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens
Address: 575 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Rumored to be Beyoncé and Jay Z’s favorite pizza joint in NYC, getting into Lucali’s requires the patience of a saint. The restaurant doesn’t accept reservations, which means waiting in line (upwards of two hours) is the only way to get in.
The restaurant opens at 5pm but you can get your name on a waitlist starting at 4pm, which means lines start forming around 3pm. The wait-list typically fills up by 5pm.
Opened in 2006, the menu offers two simple options: pizza and calzone, both should grace your table. Lucali’s blistered crust is the stuff of legends. Baked in a wood-fired oven, it’s light, chewy and thin, but stable enough to hold the weight of the toppings without flopping over.
Speaking of toppings, customize the pie to your liking with the seven toppings offered: garlic, mushrooms, shallots, onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, and pepperoni.
Keep things simple, because Lucali’s tomato sauce is coupled with a rich blend of three cheeses (buffalo mozzarella, low-moisture mozzarella, and shaved Grana Padano) that doesn’t need supporting actors.
Good to Know: Lucali has a generous “bring your own booze” policy, so pick up a bottle of wine or some beer before your reservation kicks in.
Speedy Romeo
Website: Speedy Romeo
Neighborhood: Bed-Stuy
Address: 376 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Opened by Michelin-starred Chef Justin Bazdarich, a veteran of Jean-Georges’ empire. Speedy Romeo is located inside of an auto shop-turned-restaurant, but the industrial vibes only add to the charm.
The pizzeria has earned a prestigious Bib-Gourmand rating from the Michelin Guide, awarded to good-value restaurants with exceptional cuisine.
Relying on a wood fire oven to make thin-crusted pies, Speedy Romeo is untethered by tradition, made evident by the creative combinations on offer. A personal favorite is the White Album pie, made with bèchamel, roasted garlic (so much garlic), mozzarella, ricotta Provel, pecorino and parmesean cheese, it spoils the senses.
If meaty pies are more your speed, the King Salami (San Marzano tomato sauce, hot & sweet soppressata, finocchiona, roasted red peppers and mozzarella) is hard to beat.
Fini Pizza
Opened in 2022 by the masterminds behind Lilia and Misi, two of the most popular Italian restaurants in the Big Apple, Fini churns out some of the best pizza in Brooklyn. If you’re a fan of spicy pies, the Long Pepper Shallot slice is a must-order. The white slice is also worth mentioning (blend of fontina, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses), but honestly, everything on the menu is bound to impress.
Website: Fini Pizza
Address: 305 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Featured in: 18 Wonderful Things to Do Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Paulie Gee’s
Website: Paulie Gee’s
Neighborhood: Greenpoint
Address: 60 Greenpoint Ave (Restaurant) & 110 Franklin St (Slice Shop)
Okay, so I’ve been told that Paulie Gee’s top seller is the cheese slice, but — having tried the pepperoni and cheese — the pepperoni is where its at. Better yet, get the square pepperoni with sesame seed crust (so good!). This is definitely one of the best pizza joints in Brooklyn for a proper slice.
A slice will set you back about $5. There’s two locations to choose from, but don’t let it confuse you.
- Paulie Gee’s (at 60 Greenpoint Ave.) sells whole pies only.
- Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop (110 Franklin St) sells whole pies & pizza by the slice.
The vibes at this Greenpoint pizza joint are o
Juliana’s
Website: Juliana’s
Neighborhood: DUMBO
Address: 19 Old Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Riddled with drama, the history of Juliana’s Pizza is quite interesting. The pizzeria was opened by Patsy Grimaldi, the founder of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria next door (which he sold in 1998 upon retirement). Grimaldi seemed to move on with his life until a random reappearance at the age of 80, when he decided he wanted to open a new pizzeria.
The problem? He sold his naming rights upon retirement and Grimaldi Pizzeria’s new owner wasn’t willing to compromise. An arduous legal battle ensued which resulted in the opening of Juliana’s Pizza (named after Grimaldi’s mother).
This naturally started a (friendly) rivalry between the two shops, with locals often debating which one makes the best pizza in Brooklyn. Having tried both, I think Juliana makes a superior pie.
The top seller is the Classic Margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil), but for me, nothing tops the White Pie (olive oil, fresh mozzarella and lots of garlic).
L&B Spumoni Gardens
Website: L&B Spumoni Gardens
Neighborhood: Gravesend
Address: 2725 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223
L&B Spumoni Gardens was founded in 1939 by Italian immigrant Ludovico Barbati, who sold spumoni from a horse and wagon while saving up to purchase a storefront. By the 1950s, Barbati’s shop grew beyond spumoni and began including pizza, billed as some of the best Sicilian pizza in Brooklyn.
A lot has changed since that time, but one fact remains: splitting a pie at L&B Spumoni Gardens flagship in Gravesend is a quintessential New York experience.
Krispy Pizza
Website: Krispy Pizza
Neighborhood: Dyker Heights
Address: 7112 13th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11228
With a slogan like, “if it’s not Krispy, it’s not pizza” you better believe this joint serves some killer thin crust pizza in Brooklyn. The family-owned pizzeria has expanded to few locations in Jersey, but the original Brooklyn shop is undoubtedly the best.
A Dyker Heights mainstay for nearly five decades, the business was passed down to the owner’s three sons who take great pride in upholding the family legacy. Everything is made in-house and the topping combinations are limitless.
If you’re overwhelmed by the variety on offer, the signature vodka square (homemade vodkasauce,mozzarella, grated cheese) never disappoints.
Luigi’s Pizza
Website: Luigi’s Pizza
Neighborhood: Sunset Park
Address: 686 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Luigi’s is an endearing hole-in-the wall Brooklyn pizzeria opened by Luigi Lanzo in 1973. Giovanni, Luigi’s son, now runs the joint but keeps standards just as high. Rather than focusing on fancy pies and fads, the menu focuses on traditional pizzas made exceptionally well.
On par with New York City’s famous pizza principle, a cheese slice runs the same price as a subway fare ($2.90).
Something to note: There’s an unrelated pizzeria by the same name a few blocks down. Be sure to use the address listed above to avoid going to the wrong pizzeria.
Di Fara
Website: Di Fara
Neighborhood: Midwood
Address: 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY 11230
Opened in 1965 to Italian immigrant Dom De Marco, Di Fara has been a labor of love for more than 50 years. Nearly every ingredient is imported from Italy, including the olive oil that douses every pie after it emerges from the oven before being crowned with freshly-cut basil. When De Marco passed away in March 2022 his kids took the reigns, keen to keep their father’s legacy alive for the next generation of New Yorkers.
Best Pizza in Brooklyn (Post Summary)
- Lucali
- Roberta’s
- Juliana’s
- L&B Spumoni Gardens
- Di Fara
- Paulie Gee’s
- L’Industrie
- Luigi’s Pizza
- Krispy Pizza
- Speedy Romeo
Map of the Best Pizza in Brooklyn
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Cheers!
