9.3Top Tier
9.3/10 Slicehaus (West Village) – The “Haus” in this Carmine street pizzas reads Germanic and brought to mind the late Germantown Pizza Haus in stately Latonia, KY. No intended offense to Ge…
Independent pizza criticism
The Slice Index
by Joey Pepperoni
Ranked by craft, character, and whether I’d go back.
333 pizzerias · 30 cities · Last updated June 2026
Recent criticism
Latest reviews
New full reviews and revisits, kept separate from rating-only entries.
9.1Top Tier
9.1/10 Fermento (West Village) Yesterday, I found myself in Lower Manhattan for the Knicks Championship Parade (it was a lot of fun). The streets were filled with would-be Lees & Turturros f…
8.1Great
General “Mad” Anthony Wayne earned his nickname from his battlefield aggression and a refusal to compromise. According to DC Comics, one of his direct decendents is the elusive Gotham-based…
7.0Worth the Calories
Walking the Mason concrete boardwalk, I was drawn to @tonyspizzeriaandcatering by its “A Taste of Jersey” mural. I had recently been to a Mason pizzeria most notable for its stylized bathroo…
8.7Great
A strong addition to the local pizza scene, @guardiacincy recently opened in Mt Lookout Square by the team behind @delwoodcincy. The vibe channels Brooklyn slice shops - casual counter servi…
9.4Top Tier
@stfrancisapizza is the pizzeria I’ve posted about the most, not just because they produce top-tier pizza but also because they are regularly improving - the sign of a great restaurant. For…
8.6Great
An “Avant-Garlic” slice. After a visit to the New York Transit Museum (reasonably priced fun for the whole family! You can explore a 1905 subway car), you may find yourself in need of a slic…
9.3Top Tier
@brooklyndop delivers outstanding NY-style pizza with pronounced Neapolitan influence. I assumed it meant “Department of Pizza,” but DOP actually stands for “Denominazione di Origine Protett…
Where to start
City guides
The index is strongest in Cincinnati, New York, and Chicago, with emerging coverage elsewhere.
130 entries
Cincinnati
The home base: tavern, New York-style, bakery pies, and the local archive.
71 entries
New York
Slices, squares, coal-fired history, and newer technical shops.
26 entries
Chicago
Tavern, deep dish, and the city’s newer high-craft wave.
8 entries
Columbus
An emerging section with several strong modern shops.
Archive
Editorial archive
Useful lists, historical records, and the scoring framework behind the index.
Rankings
Current top tier
The strongest open entries in the searchable archive.
#1
9.7Top Tier
The best pizza in America? It might be… It could be… This 2024 James Beard semifinalist serves sourdough-based Neapolitan pizza from a relaxed space off Mozart Street. Rather than a…
#2
9.6Top Tier
Pizz’Amici (“Pizza Friends”) started as a DIY project among friends - first in a Ukrainian Village apartment, then as @EatFreePizza, followed by “Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream” (great…
#3
9.5Top Tier
This was a “holy grail” pizza for me; one that had long been at the top of my to try list. Andrew Bellucci was a *legendary* figure in the pizza world. Bellucci’s career paralleled the…
#4
9.5Top Tier
This slice was pretty close to perfect. @cellosnyc produces exactly what you want from a classic NY slice shop, done with great craft and precision. The super thin leopard-spotted…
#5
9.5Top Tier
Fini is one of the city’s “new-classic” slice shops - places that keep the classic NY formats intact but try to perfect the execution - think @scarrspizza, @lindustriebk,…
#6
9.5Top Tier
I sometimes say: the US has the most innovative chefs but not necessarily the best tomatoes*. Italy has the best tomatoes. So, an Italian pizzeria on top of their game is tough to…
#7
9.5Top Tier
This is one I’ve been looking forward to writing. I first reviewed Wayfarer in January 2024 from a pop-up at Mike Dew’s kitchen. I was highly impressed (you can go back and read that…
#8
9.4Top Tier
A vintage aesthetic pizzeria in Williamburg, Brooklyn that turns out some outstanding Detroit-Style Pizza. We all recall the Neapolitan boom of 2008 & Hot Honey mania in 2017, but in…
#9
9.4Top Tier
Pretty much the ideal New York slice, found deep in Brooklyn (Midwood). Crisp yet chewy & foldable - So good that I made it my profile pic. These pics are from my ‘pilgrimage’ back in…
#10
9.4Top Tier
Mano's Pizza in New York, rated 9.4/10 (New York). Rating-only archival entry; full written review not yet imported.
#11
9.4Top Tier
@stfrancisapizza is the pizzeria I’ve posted about the most, not just because they produce top-tier pizza but also because they are regularly improving - the sign of a great…
#12
9.3Top Tier
@brooklyndop delivers outstanding NY-style pizza with pronounced Neapolitan influence. I assumed it meant “Department of Pizza,” but DOP actually stands for “Denominazione di Origine…
#13
9.3Top Tier
Located in Hell’s Kitchen, this West Gotham Market Sicilian style pizzeria is one I had made a point to try after I saw that Ed Levine (@seriouseatered) had written “Corner Slice may…
#14
9.3Top Tier
“D.C.’s first Detroit-style pizzeria” on 14th St in our nation’s capital’s former red light district. Red Light is the best pizza I’ve had in DC and really a top tier place nationally…
#15
9.3Top Tier
Recently finding myself in the città dell’amore fraterno, I had a moment to stop by the slice window of this longtime “wishlist” pizzeria. Ordering at the window and eating outside, we…
#16
9.3Top Tier
9.3/10 Slicehaus (West Village) – The “Haus” in this Carmine street pizzas reads Germanic and brought to mind the late Germantown Pizza Haus in stately Latonia, KY. No intended offense to Ge…
#17
9.3Top Tier
Roman style pizza al taglio (“pizza by the cut”) in Union Square for #PresidentsDay. Baked in a rectangular pan using a high hydration percentage (i.e. a lot of water in the dough…
#18
9.2Top Tier
Andrea's Pizza in New York, rated 9.2/10 (New York). Rating-only archival entry; full written review not yet imported.
#19
9.2Top Tier
Burt's Place in Chicago, rated 9.2/10 (Deep Dish). Rating-only archival entry; full written review not yet imported.
#20
9.2Top Tier
After a series of slices on the Vegas strip, I found myself requiring a true top tier pizza experience. So we visited Good Pie in the Arts District. Long on my “to try” list this…