We’re on the search for the best slice of pizza in Pittsburgh. From corner neighborhood joints to longtime institutions, Pittsburgh’s pizza scene is as passionate and opinionated as the Yinzers who love it. To celebrate National Pizza Day on February 9, we asked some of the city’s most familiar faces—local chefs, TV personalities, and community standouts—to share their go-to pizza spots and exact orders. The result is a crowd-sourced guide to the Pittsburgh pizza places locals swear by.
Yinzers Name Their Favorite Pittsburgh Pizza Spot and Order
Alberta’s – Jess Iacullo (Hungry Jess)
Not only is Hungry Jess our resident restaurant hot-list specialist but she brought her food content background to a round up of her favorite pizza spots in our 2025 How to Pittsburgh issue. Lately, Alberta’s on the North Side has been a favorite of hers. “I’m currently talking about Alberta’s on the North Side a lot; really cozy energy, moody lighting, an awesome staff, great cocktails and wine,” she says. “I could clearly go on and on. But for the pizza: I was pleasantly surprised and impressed: crispy crust, depth of flavor, and a wide array of classic yet elevated topping options. Grab a friend and split everything.”
F&F Pizzeria – Dan Gigler, Journalist and Food Lover
Dan Gigler is a familiar name for readers of TABLE Magazine. Not only has he written our pizza round-up for How to Pittsburgh in the past but he’s also currently working on a new round-up for this year. New to town favorite F&F Pizzeria takes it for him thus far. “At the risk of sounding provincial, the Yinzer lurking in my dyed-in-the-wool, black-and-gold soul takes umbrage when locals lose their minds over some new shiny thing that enters our market from out of town,” he says. “To wit: I’m wholly unmoved by Shacks that Shake or the expense account crowd’s latest steakhouse darling in some Downtown office tower lobby.
So I gave healthy skepticism to the much hyped grand opening of F&F Pizzeria in Mount Lebanon, the Pittsburgh outpost of the famed New York City collaboration between chefs Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo. My hairy eyeball was unnecessary – this pizza is fantastic. They do it New York-meets-Neapolitan style, and manage to honor both pizza lineages using ingredients as good as any on this earth to create an almost microthin crust, which positively crackles when you bite into it. That its served in a gorgeous renovation of the former longtime Bado’s home on Beverly Road (as place I ate at as a kid), well these are the kind of new neighbors we’re happy to welcome to town.”
Badamo’s – Bill Crawford, The DVE Morning Show and Comedian
You’ve probably heard his voice over the DVE Morning Show or perhaps you’ve stopped into one of his acts at comedy clubs across the city. Bill Crawford is a pizza-lover at heart. Right now he’s spending his evenings picking up a pizza from Badamo’s in the North Side and Dormont. “Right now, it’s Badamo’s Sicilian ‘square’ pepperoni pizza,” he says. “Why? Because it’s absolutely delicious, it comes in a fancy rectangular pizza box and it feels like I’m opening the briefcase from Pulp Fiction when I get home.”
Fiori’s Pizzaria – Ryan Recker, Morning News Anchor for WTAE-TV
On your television screen, Ryan Recker is there to tell you the news of the morning, keeping you up to date on all that is happening. Now he’s informing you on where to get your pizza too. For his choice, he’s heading over to Fiori’s Pizzeria in both Brookline and McMurray. His order is a small Mushroom Pizza which he tells us is, “Potentially devoured in less than 10 minutes.”
Pizza Lupo and Badamo’s – Herky Pollock, Legacy Realty Partners
If anyone knows Pittsburgh restaurant it’s Legacy Realty Partners founder Herky Pollock. He owns 12 successful restaurants in the city including Ritual House and Palm Palm. For Herky, it’s hard to choose just one favorite, so he has two favorite pizza places and a different go-to order at each. The first is Pizza Lupo’s Drunk Meatball which comes with vodka sauce, Lupo’s meatballs, a house cheese Blend, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and basil. Otherwise he’s going with a Sicilian Pepperoni pie over at Badamo’s.
Piccolo Forno – Roger Li, Chef and Owner Umami, Nanban, The Parlor Dim Sum, and Allegheny Wine Mixer
If you haven’t been to one of Roger Li’s spots then you’re missing out on authentic Asian cuisine that also takes inspiration from other global flavors. But even as a chef who specializes in sushi, he still has a soft spot for pizza. When he’s roaming the city, he goes for Piccolo Forno in Lawrenceville for a slice of something unique. “I like to order their Mortadella Pistachio Pizza.. that’s my favorite,” he says.
Mamma Lucia’s – Fiore Moletz, Chef and Owner Della Terra and Burghers
If Fiore Moletz seems excited about pizza it’s because he also has a hand in pizza-making at his Italian restaurant Della Terra. His favorite is Mamma Lucia’s right in Downtown. “The simple answer: My go to pizza is Mamma Lucia’s round or square. It’s my childhood and I love it.”
He points out, however, that there are plenty of other places that put out excellent pizza. “I almost never get Slice of NY because it’s far from me, but wow, it’s great pizza. I go to Driftwood Oven if I have a little extra cash. If I’m in Zelienople, it’s Goodfello’s, which is the best in Butler County. But if I want a DOC Neapolitan pizza, it’s my own place in Zelienople, Della Terra, hands down. Not because I created it, but because it is basically built to make my tastebuds happy.”
Looking for more on Pittsburgh pizza places? Check out our story on a family pizza party with Driftwood Oven.
Story by Kylie Thomas
Photo Courtesy of Badamo’s
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