Perhaps more than anything else in this fractured world, pizza is a point of consensus. It’s perfect for a kid’s birthday bash or an on-the-go lunch between calls, as well-suited to grace a silver platter at a fancy cocktail party as it is plopped on a paper towel for a whirl in the microwave. Everyone, it seems, can agree on pizza.
Perhaps more than anything else in this fractured world, pizza is a point of consensus. It’s perfect for a kid’s birthday bash or an on-the-go lunch between calls, as well-suited to grace a silver platter at a fancy cocktail party as it is plopped on a paper towel for a whirl in the microwave. Everyone, it seems, can agree on pizza.
Unless you live in D.C.
Around here, pizza is very, very divisive.
Washington’s Best Pizza
Methodology: We asked, you answered. More than 700 people wrote in to tell us about their favorite pizzerias and what makes them special. We collected responses from a Washington Post poll, social media responses and a (heated) post in D.C.’s local subreddit. This data was compiled to form the following list of the DMV’s best pizzerias, with the restaurant that received the most mentions landing at the top. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Our city — littered with New York and Midwestern transplants who have strong opinions on what makes a respectable pie — has never gained a reputation as a great pizza town. While other cities get entire styles named in their honor, we get the crumbs.
Despite all that, there is truly great pizza in the DMV — if you know where to look. We set out on a journey to find it, with our readers at the wheel.
What follows is a list of the best pizza joints in the Washington area, based on the opinions that matter most: those of our readers. Next time you’re hungry for pizza, seek out one of these shops. Their pies are as delicious as they come; we’re sure you’ll agree.
Find the best regional pizza in your state
We analyzed 7.5 million Yelp reviews and developed a formula to identify the best regional pizza styles in each state. Use this map to find the best near you.
Omar Bautista makes a pizza at We, the Pizza. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)
20: We, the Pizza
The original Capitol Hill shop, frequented by school and tour groups, has grown to include We, the Pizza locations as near as Arlington and as far as Clearwater Beach, Fla. In addition to dozens of dining options (including a divisive honey ham and pineapple pie), the sodas are crafted with homemade syrups, and the Ballston location offers gelato shakes.
“We The Pizza is my favorite,” wrote one Reddit user. “Their Ultimate Cheese [tomato sauce, fontina, taleggio and mozzarella] with the pesto oil drizzle makes my heart all a-flutter.”
wethepizza.com. Four area locations, in D.C. and Arlington.
19: Jumbo Slice Pizza Mart
There’s a misconception among the young and, well, drunk that “jumbo slice” refers to any of the several pizza joints dotting the streets of Adams Morgan after midnight on a weekend. It’s no wonder — the term even has its own Wikipedia page. But only one restaurant, if you’re kind enough to call it so, actually holds the name “Jumbo Slice.” Whether our polled readers referred to that stop or its greasily delicious posers remains a mystery. Even those who jumped into a discussion on the best Washington pizza expressed some ambiguity: “I think Jumbo Slice, right?” wrote a Reddit user who asked to be identified as Mike D. “Or is it just because it’s usually 2 a.m. when I’m eating it? I don’t really know.”
jumboslicepizzamart.com. 2341 18th St NW.
Chef Joey Barber places a layer of mozzarella cheese at the bottom of a Chicago meatball pizza at Della Barba. (Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post)
18: Della Barba
Most pizzerias stick to making just one or two styles of pie. But Della Barba, a former Union Kitchen start-up, proves that more options does not mean less attention to detail. Founder (and former defense attorney) Joey Barber offers four types of pies in the styles native to Detroit, New York, Chicago and your own oven, otherwise known as “nonna” or “grandma-style.”
“Don’t sleep on the nonna crust,” wrote Post reader Karen Wilson Roman. “But all the crusts are delicious.”
dellabarbapizza.com. 1382 East Capitol St. NE.
17: Pi Pizzeria
The St. Louis-based chain, which gets its name from its city’s area code (314 — get it?), is reportedly a favorite of a former president. Chicago’s own Barack Obama is a fan, inviting the restaurant to cook at the White House and saying in a 2014 speech that “Pi makes a really good pizza.” Maybe that’s because the chain, despite getting started in Missouri, makes a deep-dish pizza instead of a St. Louis-style crispy crust with square slices. True to its name, the location in Penn Quarter also offers slices of the other kind of pie.
pi-pizza.com. Locations in Penn Quarter, Chinatown and downtown.
The Italian Beefza Detroit-style pizza at Ivy and Coney. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post)
16: Ivy and Coney
The Shaw sports bar that bills itself as a “hangout for Chicago and Detroit expats” is something of a surprise on this list. For one, it’s not a spot — unlike some other pizza shops that appear on this list — with Italian-born chefs who have traveled the globe in search of the perfect dough consistency or right tomato blend for a sauce. And second, if there’s a food item worthy of note from Ivy and Coney, it’s the hometown-style hot dogs, served with sport peppers or Lafayette-style chili. But for those who hail from the Midwest, its square pies with crunchy, cheesy borders are a homecoming.
ivyandconey.com. 1537 Seventh St. NW.
15: Italian Store
The first Italian Store (at Arlington’s Lyon Village) opened in 1980 in response to the Tramonte family’s perceived lack of “the good stuff” — otherwise known as great Italian food — the area offered. But the second Italian Store (at Westover) opened in 2015 precisely because “the good stuff” was so, well, good. Mike Tramonte told The Post that, before the latter location opened its doors, he had to hire someone to wipe down the front windows daily to erase marks left by people trying to get a glimpse inside. It’s a deli so dedicated to providing Italian wine, meats and cheese, it’s willing to accommodate requests for any Italy-bred products. But on this list, it’s celebrated as a stop not just for sandwiches, but for its Sicilian-style pies.
italianstore.com. 5837 Washington Blvd. and 3123 Lee Hwy., Arlington, Va.
Big Ang pie at Emmy Squared. (Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post)
14: Emmy Squared Pizza
Emmy Squared’s website declares that it serves its Detroit-style pizza “across the U.S.” While that’s a bit of stretch (the restaurant will ship pizza nationwide, but only one of its more than two dozen outposts is west of Nashville), its three D.C.-area locations have become fan favorites among displaced Michiganders. The chain started about seven years ago in Brooklyn and has since garnered attention for not just its doughy pizza, smothered in sauce stripes, but its burgers, which include a $19 Le Big Matt, named — in part — after a co-founder. It also has options for diners with dietary restrictions, and every pizza can be made gluten-free.
“It’s gluten-free and vegan pizza that makes me question: Is it really gluten-free and vegan?” wrote Kelsey, a respondent to our online poll.
emmysquaredpizza.com. Locations in Shaw, Navy Yard and Alexandria, Va.
13: Bacio Pizzeria
Bloomingdale residents will recognize the names of some Bacio pies: the LeDroit Park, with anchovies and capers; the Randolph Place, with pepperoni, spinach and caramelized onion; and the Crispus Attucks, with artichokes and mushrooms. They’ll also, hopefully, be familiar with the generous happy hour offerings, which include five cocktails for under $10 and beers at $5.
“Their sauce is pleasantly acidic and the crust is pillowy,” reader Zach Korte told us. “Their gluten free pizza is one of the better ones we’ve had in the city too.”
baciopizzeria.com. 81 Seaton Pl. NW.
Sicilian marinara pizza at All-Purpose. (Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post)
12: All-Purpose Pizzeria
This two-outpost restaurant takes inspiration in equal parts from Rome and New Jersey, which itself borrows from the southern Italian style. But that crunchy, chewy pizza is just a base for All-Purpose’s creative inventions, which include toppings like black truffle sauce and Calabrian chili honey. Note that the menus differ between the scruffy Shaw location and the Capitol Riverfront stop, which includes a garden patio.
allpurposedc.com. 1250 Ninth St. NW and 79 Potomac Ave. SE.
11: Stracci
Just when thousands of restaurants were shuttering during the pandemic, Stracci was finding its legs — on wheels. Chef and owner Tom Cardarelli, who had recently left his post at upscale Vermilion in Old Town, first opened for business out of a trailer parked in an empty Del Ray lot. The pizzeria, now with a bricks-and-mortar storefront, is open for counter service takeout to enjoy on the patio or in its dining room.
“The crust is amazing (right amount of crusty, chewy, flavorful), and their housemade stracciatella is incomparably creamy,” wrote Reddit user u/lemlaluna. “Plus, their specials are delightful and the other menu items are incredible. It’s just a great time all around.”
straccipizza.com. 106 Hume Ave., Alexandria, Va.
Clockwise from top left, roast eggplant white Roman pizza, chef special pizza, pesto romana pizza and Bolognese romana pizza at Menomale. (Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post)
10: Menomale
The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, responsible for certifying true Neapolitan pizzas, counts only three D.C. pizza makers among its ranks: Georgetown’s Il Canale (not on this list), Pupatella (see below) and Menomale. Menomale, with two locations in the District, is run by chef Ettore Rusciano, who not only carries a card for the organization but serves as an instructor. Plus, he’s been hailed by The Post’s Tom Sietsema as “one of the best bread makers in Washington.”
menomale.us. 2711 12th St. NE and 33 N St. NE.
9: Slice and Pie
I’ve tried this pizza
I haven’t tried it
It may be ninth on our local list, but Slice and Pie ranked 41st on a list of the 50 top pizzas in the United States — the only D.C.-area pizzeria to make the list. Since it opened near the corner of 14th Street and Florida Avenue NW about a year and a half ago, Italian-born founder Giulio Adriani has combined classical Neapolitan techniques with New York flair. He also offers Detroit-style, puffy pies draped with a crusty cooked layer of asiago and parmesan.
sliceandpie.com. 2221 14th St. NW.
8: Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza
There’s pizza, then there’s apizza. The style originating in Connecticut is a descendant of Neapolitan, charred in an oven set well over 700 degrees. The first thing you need to know about Pete’s is that it’s as close to traditional New Haven style as you can find in Washington, clam topping offerings and all. The second thing you need to know about Pete’s is that it serves only all-natural ingredients down to the drinks (the sodas include only cane sugar) from tri-state-area farms.
petesapizza.com. 4940 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Italian white pizza at Ledo Pizza. (Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)
7: Ledo Pizza
With 30 locations in the DMV, it’s no surprise that locals love Ledo — even other pizza chefs. Andy Brown (yes, that Andy’s — see below) wrote that he “grew up on Ledo.” Though the flaky crust and square cut are divisive, Ledo has a longevity that suggests its critics don’t matter much — its flagship store opened in 1955 in Adelphi, and the pizza has been a staple for generations of nearby University of Maryland students.
“It’s not Neapolitan or NY or New Haven, but it’s a local original and still kicks a--,” wrote Reddit user u/adambulb.
ledopizza.com. Locations throughout the Washington area.
6: Wiseguy Pizza
The pizzeria, with two locations in D.C. and two in Virginia, bills itself as New York-style, and though a hot slice might have nearly the same texture and taste, you’d be hard-pressed to find any local shop on the Lower East Side with an option to add Tuscan truffle oil. But Wiseguy is a place with something for everyone, including 10 gluten-free and two vegan offerings. It has pizzas that, as Post reader Brett Hatfield wrote, are a “hangover cure,” and yes, even options for the advanced palate — though street-style is its bread and butter (sauce and mozzarella?).
“Sometimes you don’t want something fancy, and you don’t want brick oven … you just want a slice of decent pizza,” wrote Reddit user u/LEagle89. “For my money, the only place that really gives you that experience with the same kind of quality you find at a NYC corner pizzeria is Wiseguy.”
wiseguypizza.com. Four locations in the D.C. area.
Green Monster pizza at Timber Pizza. (Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post)
5: Timber Pizza
What started as a farmer’s market favorite became a bricks-and-mortar Petworth shop in 2016. It has since expanded to include a few offshoots, including a respite for weary travelers at Reagan National Airport. One reader is right to point out its smaller menu of specialty pizzas, but it also offers something you won’t find in most pizzerias: empanadas.
“I live just down Georgia Ave and it’s my go-to,” wrote Reddit user u/SmallieBigs56. “Also the reason I don’t know any other pizza place in town.”
timberpizza.com. Locations throughout the D.C. area.
A Margherita DOC pizza cooks in the oven at Pupatella. (Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post)
4: Pupatella
Diners need to look no further than his pies to know that Pupatella’s owner, Enzo Algarme, hails from Naples — the dough, made with a natural levain, undergoes a nearly three-day fermenting process before it’s topped and baked in a wood-fired oven. The chain, which started as a cart in 2007, has several locations in Virginia and one stop in Dupont Circle, and is further expanding soon to include shops in Chantilly, Alexandria and East End, plus a first Maryland location in Columbia.
“The original Pupatella on Wilson [Boulevard, in Arlington],” says Reddit user u/nsfbr11. “Loved them since they were a truck.”
pupatella.com. Locations throughout the D.C. area.
Cheese pizza at Vace. (Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post)
3: Vace Italian Delicatessen
You won’t find a floppy, foldable pizza at Vace. The dough is mixed with high-gluten flour, producing a sturdy base for whatever toppings suit your fancy (readers recommended the white pie with onions). But the slice’s real variation comes from the sauce layered on top of the mozzarella. It’s what has made Vace’s two locations in Cleveland Park and Bethesda into community mainstays.
“As someone that lived two blocks from Original Famous Ray’s AND Lombardi’s in NYC for more than 20 years, the pizza in D.C. leaves a lot to be desired, but Vace dependably makes the best thin crust pizza in D.C.,” wrote Seth Rosenberg, a handyman and Reddit user who previously worked as a chef.
vaceitaliandeli.com. 3315 Connecticut Ave. NW and 4705 Miller Ave., Bethesda, Md.
Pozzuoli pizza at 2 Amys. (Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)
2: 2 Amys
For a pizzeria with just one location, 2 Amy’s had an impressive showing in our data. The Cathedral Heights restaurant has been churning out Neapolitan-style pies since the early 2000s, and, according to The Post’s Sietsema in his 2022 review, old dishes “continue to set the standard.” Those plates include more than a classic slice — he recommends the “Tuscan steak night” special available on weeknights or the vitello tonnato with a creamy tuna sauce.
“Date night pizza with delicious sides,” wrote Post reader Paul Challan.
2amyspizza.com. 3715 Macomb St. NW.
A Diavolo Pie and slice at Andy’s Pizza. (Maansi Srivastava for The Washington Post)
1. Andy’s Pizza
The New York-style joint, which has four locations around D.C. and two in Northern Virginia, won gold in 2021’s International Pizza Challenge. Though that award was given to a cheese pizza, it was Andy’s “cup and char” pepperoni that was royally ranked among readers; in our online poll, Andy’s was mentioned more than three times as often as the runner-up. We heard from scores of Andy’s loyalists who raved about Andy’s thin-crust slices.
“I am a snobby New Yorker when it comes to pizza, and I have been one of those jerks who complains loudly about the lack of good pizza in D.C.,” wrote Post reader Zach Montellaro. “No more! I love Andy’s, it is so good and reminds me of the pizza from back home. I have been thrilled to see it thrive and expand.”
eatandyspizza.com. Locations throughout the D.C. area.
Fritz Hahn and Greg Morton contributed to this report.