The Reasons Why New Jersey is
the Ultimate Pizza Destination
The Ultimate Guide to New Jersey Pizza:
What Makes It the Best and Where to Find It
New Jersey is home to some of the best pizza in the country, boasting an incredible number of top-tier pizzerias.
Situated in the heart of the famed "Pizza Belt," New Jersey benefits from a rich Italian heritage and its close proximity to two pizza powerhouses—New York to the northeast and Philadelphia to the southwest. This combination has helped shape a pizza culture that stands out as one of the finest in the nation.
What Defines the Best Pizza?
The question of what makes the "best pizza" is impossible to answer objectively. Debating pizza is like debating religion or politics—people have deep-rooted opinions shaped by personal experiences, and convincing someone to abandon their favorite style is nearly impossible.
The idea of the "best pizza" is less about individual taste—though that remains a major factor, especially for restaurant diners—and more about quality and authenticity.
If you believe your favorite pizza joint makes the best pizza, then to you, it is the best. Pizza is deeply personal, and a restaurant’s popularity often depends more on customer preferences than on the freshness of ingredients or the authenticity of its preparation.
That said, if we are to define the best pizza more objectively, authenticity should be the key criterion—rather than acquired tastes shaped by childhood nostalgia. Authenticity traces back to Naples, Italy, where pizza was perfected. It involves the preparation method, the type of oven and temperature used, and, most importantly, the quality of ingredients. True excellence in pizza lies in honoring these traditions.
The Essential Elements of Great New Jersey Pizza
The Crust
The
crust is the foundation of any great pizza, and in New Jersey, it’s
crafted with care. A perfect crust should be soft, chewy, and doughy on
the inside while crisp and slightly charred on the outside, offering a
satisfying bread-like flavor. The type of crust is one of the key
elements that distinguish different pizza styles. High-quality cheese,
either freshly made or locally sourced, is essential, paired with
crushed tomatoes or a well-balanced tomato sauce. Minimal oil is used,
allowing the natural richness of the cheese to create the signature
golden drippings.
The Cooking Process
Great pizza is
cooked quickly—typically between 90 seconds to 3 minutes—in a wood-fired
or coal-fired oven heated to an intense 1000–1200°F. This
high-temperature cooking ensures a crispy, slightly charred crust while
preserving the freshness and moisture of the ingredients, especially the
plum tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. The result is a perfectly
balanced pizza with vibrant flavors and textures.
The Toppings
Toppings
should enhance, not overpower, the pizza. Fresh, high-quality
ingredients are key. A mark of authenticity and dedication to quality is
a restaurant’s restraint when it comes to excessive toppings and grated
cheese. A well-made pizza, prepared with top-tier ingredients, needs
little to no extra toppings—allowing the flavors of the crust, cheese,
and sauce to shine.
Popular Pizza Styles in New Jersey
Authentic Neapolitan
Neapolitan pizza is traditionally cooked in a wood-fired brick oven at nearly 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit for about one minute, creating a light, crisp, and chewy crust with a signature puffy, slightly charred edge. A classic Margherita pizza—made with high-quality flour from Naples, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil, Sicilian sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil—serves as the foundation for many variations.
Authentic Tuscan
Tuscan pizza, though still a thin-crust variety, has a thicker, more bread-like texture compared to Neapolitan. It features a generous amount of sauce, a blend of cheeses, and toppings such as meat and fresh herbs like oregano, basil, and parsley.
New York Neapolitan
A distinctly American take on Neapolitan pizza, New York Neapolitan is slightly larger, thinner, and crispier. It’s baked at a lower temperature—around 600 degrees Fahrenheit—for 2–3 minutes, producing a more charred crust with a heavier cheese and sauce presence to match American preferences.
Sicilian Style
This rectangular pizza boasts a thick, airy crust with toppings baked directly into the dough. A defining characteristic of Sicilian pizza is its bold garlic flavor.
Trenton Tomato Pie
Unlike traditional pizza, Trenton tomato pie reverses the layering process: mozzarella and toppings are placed on the dough first, followed by tomato sauce on top. This creates a thinner, crispier crust with a robust tomato flavor.
Roman Style
One of the newest pizza trends in New Jersey, Roman-style pizza is known for its sturdy yet airy crust that supports a variety of toppings without becoming overly dense. Inspired by Roman traditions, this pizza is served in two ways:
- Pizza al taglio – Rectangular slices cut with scissors, sold by weight.
- Whole round pizza – Served uncut and eaten with a knife and fork.
The Best Northern New Jersey Pizza Restaurants
Ah Pizz - Montclair & Harrison, NJ
Ah Pizz is one of the few restaurants in New Jersey that specializes in authentic Neapolitan pizza.
The pizza is cooked in a genuine Neapolitan wood-burning oven, crafted from stone and volcanic soil from Mount Vesuvius. This oven reaches temperatures over 900 degrees, allowing pizzas to cook in just 90 seconds. The result? A perfectly crisp, slightly charred crust with toppings that remain fresh and flavorful.
Bread and Salt, Jersey City, NJ
Bread and Salt is an Italian bakery and restaurant known for its expertly crafted Roman-style pizza. But it’s more than just a great pizza spot—its menu also features an array of high-quality breads, sandwiches, meatballs, and stews. Their pizzas are distinguished by their lightly charred, crunchy crust, honeycombed with air pockets. The sturdy Roman-style dough supports generous toppings without bending or collapsing. Ingredients are carefully sourced, with many imported directly from Italy. The sauce is made from DOP San Marzano tomatoes from the Puglia region, offering a slightly acidic bite with a rich, velvety finish. A unique touch is the addition of fresh domestic cheese curd, sprinkled onto the pizza immediately after it leaves the oven for an extra layer of flavor.
Porto by Antonio, North Bergen, NJ
Porto by Antonio is a cozy, casual Italian restaurant serving some of the best authentic Neapolitan-style thin-crust pizza in Northern NJ.
At Porto, the dough is made from delicate flour imported from Naples and undergoes a slow fermentation process to develop deep, rich flavors. Each pizza is fired in a 900-degree, turquoise-domed wood-burning oven, also imported from Naples, ensuring an authentic taste and texture.
Best Central New Jersey Pizza Restaurants
Conte's Bar, Princeton, NJ
Conte’s is a beloved Princeton institution, known for its lively atmosphere, old-school tavern decor, and diverse crowd. Since opening in 1950, Conte’s has preserved its retro charm, with a spacious interior, an enormous bar, and classic white tabletops. The vibe is timeless, offering a nostalgic yet welcoming feel.
The real draw? The pizza. Their thin-crust pies have remained unchanged for decades—crispy, slightly charred, chewy, and full of flavor. Made with fresh, high-quality ingredients, it’s the kind of pizza that keeps people coming back. They also offer gluten-free pizza and pasta for those with dietary preferences.
De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies, Robbinsville, NJ
De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies has been a beloved Central Jersey tradition since 1947, when the De Lorenzo family first opened their restaurant in Trenton's historic Chambersburg section. Today, the legacy continues in Robbinsville, a modern suburban community popular with millennials.
In Western Central New Jersey, “tomato pies” have long been the local name for this unique style of pizza, and De Lorenzo's remains one of the best places in the region to experience it. Unlike traditional pizza, a tomato pie is assembled with cheese and toppings placed on the dough first, followed by a finishing layer of chunky plum tomatoes or sauce. This method enhances the natural sweetness, moisture, and depth of the tomatoes, creating a signature taste.
Papa's Tomato Pies, Robbinsville, NJ
Papa’s Tomato Pies holds a special place in American culinary history. Not only is it one of the oldest tomato pie restaurants in the United States, but it also serves one of the best-tasting, expertly crafted alternatives to modern pizza.
Unlike traditional pizza—where the crust is layered with sauce, followed by cheese and toppings—Papa’s prepares its signature tomato pies differently. The process starts with the crust, then the cheese, and finally a drizzle of rich tomato sauce over the toppings. This unique method enhances the bold tomato flavor in every bite. The result? A crispy, blistered crust and a perfectly balanced pie.
Undici, Rumson, NJ
For an authentic Tuscan fine dining experience without leaving New Jersey, Undici comes remarkably close to the real thing. The restaurant’s decor evokes a Tuscan farmhouse, featuring aged brick, stone columns, and a cozy sitting area centered around a blazing fireplace.
Their wood-fired pizza is a standout, cooked at 800 degrees in a traditional Italian oven. With its Neapolitan-style thin crust—perfectly chewy, crunchy, and bursting with flavor—Undici’s pizza ranks among the best in New Jersey.
Best Southern New Jersey Pizza Restaurants
Bricco Coal Fired Pizza, Westmont & Cherry Hill, NJ
Bricco Coal Fired Pizza is a favorite among diners who appreciate high-end, coal-fired pizza. Known for its perfectly balanced crust—crispy on the outside, yet tender and flavorful—it is topped with a selection of fresh, homemade, and imported ingredients for an exceptional dining experience.
At Bricco, pizza-making is a meticulous craft. The restaurant uses one of the most expensive pizza ovens in the world, requiring a two-hour pre-lighting process and hourly monitoring to ensure a perfect bake. The oven is fueled by domestically produced anthracite coal, which burns cleaner than wood, electricity, or oil, generating virtually no smoke or particulate emissions.
The dough is aged, brought to the perfect temperature, and hand-tossed to achieve a thin, slightly crunchy, yet tender crust. It is then baked in a 1,000-degree coal-fired oven, creating the ideal foundation for the fresh, high-quality toppings. Ingredients include locally sourced produce and premium imports, such as authentic San Marzano tomatoes.
Panico's Bistro, Cape May, NJ
Just minutes from downtown Cape May, Panico’s Bistro is a high-end, BYOB pizza restaurant beloved by locals. Housed in a beautifully restored old church, it offers expertly crafted brick oven pizza alongside an extensive menu of Italian dishes, many with a Mediterranean twist.
Every meal starts with a complimentary serving of homemade garlic bread and dipping oil, setting the tone for a delicious experience. The signature brick-oven, thin-crust pizza is perfectly charred and crunchy (without being cracker-like), sturdy enough to hold its generous toppings without flopping. A wide selection of toppings allows for endless customization.
Tacconelli's Pizzeria, Haddon Twp & Maple Shade, NJ
Tacconelli's Pizzeria is one of South Jersey’s top destinations for thin-crust pizza.
A spin-off of the legendary Tacconelli’s in Philadelphia, this family-owned gem remains true to the original, with their recipe passed down through generations from great-great-grandpa Tacconelli. Baked in a wood-fired oven, Tacconelli’s pies boast an ultra-thin crust that is simultaneously chewy, crunchy, and irresistibly flavorful.
