Where to Find The Best Pizzia Shops in New Jersey

Here is a guide to 15 must-try Pizza hotspots across North, Central, and South Jersey:

North Jersey: Neapolitan, Huge Slices, and Innovation

The northern region of New Jersey features classic, no-frills joints and sophisticated, award-winning artisan shops.

• Razza Pizza Artigianale (Jersey City): A true legend, Razza has won numerous awards and was once famously proclaimed by a food critic to serve "the best Pizza in New York"—even though it's in New Jersey. They landed the number 13 spot on a 2024 list of Best Pizzerias in the United States by the Italian website 50TopPizza.
• Benny Tudino's (Hoboken): This no-frills joint proudly boasts the "biggest slices around." A Hoboken favorite for over five decades, you definitely won't leave hungry.
• Brick & Dough (Montclair): Offers classic “Neapolitan-ish” wood-fired pizzas with tasty twists like Fig & Goat cheese, and a highly regarded gluten-free Detroit-style pie.
• Coniglio's Old Fashioned (Morristown): Offers a wide range of styles, from O.G. round pies to squares. Try the upside-down Sicilian or Nonna's spinach pie.
• Calabria Restaurant & Pizzeria (Livingston): Home of the "crunchy thin" crust, their pies have been featured in prominent food festivals and publications.

Central Jersey: The Tomato Pie Tradition

Central Jersey is the heart of the distinctive "Tomato Pie" style, where the cheese is often placed before the sauce, and the pies are baked thin and crispy.

• De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies (Robbinsville): Established in 1947 by a family who emigrated from Southern Italy, this long-standing business is a beloved spot for authentic Italian thin-crust tomato pie.
• Papa's Tomato Pies (Robbinsville): Established in 1912, this is one of the oldest pizzerias in the country. It is famous for its Trenton tomato pies and for offering the local specialty: the Mustard Pie (a thin layer of spicy brown mustard between the crust and cheese).
• DeLucia's Brick Oven Pizza (Raritan): Regarded by many as one of the best pizzas in New Jersey, these pies are baked in the original 1917 brick oven and sell out daily.
• Conte's Pizza and Bar (Princeton): Serving Pizza since 1950, this classic spot is famous for its thin-crust pies with cup-and-char pepperoni and plenty of homemade sauce.
• Nomad Pizza (Hopewell): Raved about for its inventive artisan creations, including pies like the Shiitake Mushroom, Gorgonzola & Pear, and Hot Soppressata with honey.

South Jersey & The Shore: Boardwalk Legends and Unique Toppings

From the Atlantic coast boardwalks to inland towns, South Jersey offers classic shore flavor and adventurous toppings.

• Manco & Manco Pizza (Ocean City): This Pizza legend on the Ocean City Boardwalk puts on a show, with expert pie makers twirling and stretching the dough. Their signature thin-and-crispy Pizza has been a classic Jersey Shore flavor since 1956.
• Maruca's Tomato Pies (Seaside Heights): A true Seaside Heights boardwalk legend, renowned for their trademark cheese and sauce swirls on big-on-taste, classic old-world pies.
• Holy Tomato (Blackwood): Fans describe the flavorful Pizza selection as "chef's kiss” good. Specialties include uncommon flavors like the Holy Pickle (dill pickles, fried onion petals, light dill cream sauce, and a hot honey drizzle).
• Brooklyn Original Pizza (Haddon Heights): Try their famous Honeymoon pie, made with fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, basil, and drizzled with hot honey.
• Brooklyn Square Pizza (Toms River and other locations): Known for its mom-and-pop feel and its famous Upside Down Square Pizza.

Traveler's Note: The immense popularity of New Jersey Pizza means many locations, especially the artisan and historic spots, may have long wait times or sell out quickly. Always check with the restaurant directly before visiting.