New Jersey takes pizza personally. Ask ten people where to get a slice and you’ll get ten answers, plus an argument about whether the sauce goes on top. That loyalty is good news for you: almost every town has at least one pizzeria worth knowing, and many have several. The hard part is telling a great one from one that’s just close by.
This guide covers the styles New Jersey is known for, why the state’s pizza regularly shows up on national and international lists, what separates a great pie from an average one, and some simple ordering tips. When you’re ready to look, the Pizza category on NJ Business Directory lists 273 pizza shops across the state, so you can compare local options in one place.
Why New Jersey Pizza Ranks With the Best Anywhere
New Jersey has some of the best pizza in the country, and in recent years it has been named among the best in the world. That reputation grew with the Italian immigrant communities that settled here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in neighborhoods like Trenton’s Chambersburg. In 1912, Giuseppe “Joe” Papa, a 17-year-old immigrant from Naples, opened Papa’s Tomato Pies there, helping establish the Trenton tomato pie — cheese first, crushed tomatoes on top — that is still the state’s signature style. New Jersey Monthly has documented that history. Papa’s later moved to Robbinsville, where it still serves tomato pies today.
Local papers keep that culture in the spotlight. NJ.com and The Star-Ledger, including longtime food writer Peter Genovese and the NJ.com food team, publish a large statewide pizza ranking most years; the 2026 edition listed 125 pies. New Jersey Monthly keeps a pizza guide and runs an annual readers’ poll. Those lists change, and they are the publications’ opinions, not a ranking from NJ Business Directory. What they show is how often the same shops, and the same New Jersey styles, keep coming up.
Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, from pizzaiolo Dan Richer, is the clearest national example. The Italy-based guide 50 Top Pizza ranked Razza No. 10 in the world on its 2026 list — up from No. 69 in 2025 — and No. 3 in the United States on its 2026 USA list. In 2017, New York Times critic Pete Wells gave the restaurant three stars and asked whether New York’s best pizza might actually be in New Jersey. Food & Wine included Razza’s East Coast Margherita on its 2026 list of “The 27 Best Pizzas in America Right Now.” On NJ.com’s 2026 ranking of 125 New Jersey pizzas, Razza’s burrata pie placed No. 4.
Other shops that show up on more than one recent list:
Star Tavern in Orange is known for thin-crust bar pies. Its pepperoni pie was No. 5 on NJ.com’s 2026 list, and New Jersey Monthly readers voted it the North Jersey pizza favorite in 2025. See the Star Tavern listing.
Papa’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville is known for Trenton-style tomato pie; its mustard pie was No. 6 on NJ.com’s 2026 list. New Jersey Monthly and the shop describe it as the oldest continually operating, family-owned pizza restaurant in the country.
Brooklyn Square Pizza in Jackson is known for its Upside Down Square, No. 10 on NJ.com’s 2026 list. Readers also named the shop in New Jersey Monthly’s 2025 poll.
Pizza Town USA in Elmwood Park, open since 1958, had its cherry pepper pie ranked No. 15 by NJ.com in 2026. NorthJersey.com has also written about the Route 46 shop as a long-running local fixture.
De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville, a Trenton tomato-pie shop since 1947, had its clam pie ranked No. 26 by NJ.com in 2026 and appears in New Jersey Monthly’s pizza guide.
Bread & Salt in Jersey City is known for Roman-style pizza. Food & Wine included its mozzarella pie on the same 2026 national list as Razza, and NJ.com ranked the rossa pie No. 30.
Pete & Elda’s (Carmen’s Pizzeria) in Neptune City, a Shore bar-pie shop since 1961, was No. 56 on NJ.com’s 2026 list and a Central Jersey readers’ favorite in New Jersey Monthly’s 2025 poll. See the Pete & Elda’s listing.
Bricco Coal Fired Pizza in Haddon Township placed No. 31 on 50 Top Pizza’s 2026 USA list (No. 28 in 2025) and No. 69 on NJ.com’s 2026 ranking. See the Bricco Coal Fired Pizza listing.
Kinchley’s Tavern in Ramsey, known for ultra-thin tavern pies since 1937, appears in New Jersey Monthly’s pizza guide and was No. 80 on NJ.com’s 2026 list. See the Kinchley’s Tavern listing.
These are not the only shops worth seeking out, and a published ranking is not a recommendation from us. Use the lists as a starting point, then judge the pie in front of you — which is what the rest of this guide is for.
Sources: 50 Top Pizza World 2026; 50 Top Pizza USA 2026; Pete Wells, The New York Times, Sept. 12, 2017; Food & Wine’s 2026 list, as reported by NJ.com; NJ.com, “New Jersey’s 125 best pizzas ranked, for 2026“; New Jersey Monthly pizza guide and 2025 Jersey Choice Restaurant Poll; New Jersey Monthly, “In the Classic Tomato Pie, Tomatoes are Still on Top.“
Know the styles New Jersey is known for
Before you judge a pizzeria, know what it’s trying to make. A good shop does its own style well. It doesn’t try to do every style at once.
Tomato pie. Central Jersey, and Trenton in particular, is known for the tomato pie. The cheese goes down first and the crushed tomato goes on top, so the sauce is the star. Expect a thin, crisp crust and a brighter, tangier flavor than a standard cheese pie.
Thin-crust bar pie. Bar pies are personal-size, very thin and crisp right to the edge. They come out of the tavern tradition, where they were made to go with a drink. If a place calls itself a bar or tavern and serves pizza, this is often what you’ll get.
New York–style slice. A large, foldable slice with a thin center and a chewy rim. This is the everyday standard at a lot of North Jersey counter shops, and it’s the easiest way to compare places side by side.
Sicilian and grandma pies. Both are square and baked in a pan. Sicilian is thick, airy and spongy. Grandma is thinner and denser, often with the sauce dotted on top and a crisp, oily bottom. A shop that makes a good square pie usually takes its dough seriously.
Neapolitan and wood-fired. Small, soft-centered pies with a puffy, charred crust, baked fast at very high heat. These are more common at sit-down restaurants than at slice counters.
What separates great pizza from average pizza
You don’t need to be a pizza critic to spot quality. Look for these signs.
The dough is made in-house
Dough is the backbone of a good pie. Shops that make their own dough tend to have better texture and flavor than ones using frozen or bought-in dough balls. It’s fine to ask. Most pizzerias that make their own are happy to say so.
The oven fits the style
Deck ovens (brick or stone) give the classic crisp-chewy slice. Wood-fired and coal ovens run hotter and give more char. Conveyor ovens are consistent but rarely produce a standout crust. The oven doesn’t guarantee a great pie, but it tells you what the shop is going for.
Real cheese and a sauce with character
Look for whole-milk mozzarella that melts and browns in spots. Fresh mozzarella is a plus on Margherita-style pies. The sauce should taste like tomatoes, not just sugar. On a tomato pie, it should be bright enough to carry the whole slice.
The bottom tells the truth
Lift a slice and look underneath. A great pie has some browning, maybe a few darker spots, and holds its shape without flopping. A pale, soggy bottom usually means the oven isn’t hot enough or the pie came out too early.
A clean, busy counter
Turnover is your friend. A shop that’s selling slices all day is reheating fresh pies, not ones that have sat for hours. A tidy prep area and a clean counter are good signs too. New Jersey’s local health departments inspect retail food businesses, so if you have questions, your town’s health department is the place to ask.
Ordering tips that make a difference
Slice first, pie second. If you’re trying somewhere new, start with a plain slice. It’s the cheapest, fastest way to judge the crust, sauce and cheese before you commit to a whole pie.
Ask what they’re known for. Many shops have one pie they’re proudest of, like a grandma square, a vodka pie or a white pie. That’s usually your best order.
Pickup beats delivery for crust. Pizza steams in the box, so a pie on a 30-minute drive will lose crispness. For thin and bar-style pies especially, pick it up yourself, or crack the box lid on the way home.
Reheat it right. Skip the microwave. A hot skillet or a few minutes in a hot oven brings leftovers back much closer to fresh.
Check how they handle special requests. If you need gluten-free crust, vegan cheese or allergy care, call ahead and ask how they prepare it. Policies vary from shop to shop.
How NJ Business Directory helps you find pizza near you
Picking a pizzeria is local by nature. You want a place near home, work or wherever you’ll be. The Pizza category puts pizza shops from every part of the state on one page, and you can narrow the results by county or town to find a shop close by.
Some quick numbers from the directory right now:
- 273 pizza listings statewide, and the category keeps growing.
- Counties with the most pizza listings: Bergen County (45), followed by Burlington and Middlesex (28 each), Camden (26) and Monmouth (24).
- Towns with the most: Hoboken (6) and Jersey City (5), with several other towns close behind.
Each listing shows the address, a map and directions link, and contact details, so you can line up a few nearby options before you pick up a pie or sit down. If you want a full meal rather than a quick slice, the Restaurants category and the Hoboken restaurants Best Of page are good places to keep browsing.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of pizza is New Jersey known for? New Jersey is best known for the tomato pie, especially around Trenton, where the cheese goes on first and the sauce on top. Thin-crust bar pies and New York–style slices are also everyday favorites, and square Sicilian and grandma pies are easy to find.
What’s the difference between a Sicilian and a grandma pie? Both are square pan pies. Sicilian is thick, airy and bready. Grandma is thinner and denser, usually with sauce on top and a crisp, oil-fried bottom.
How can I tell if a pizzeria makes its own dough? Ask. Shops that make dough in-house usually say so proudly. A crust with real chew, some air bubbles in the rim and browning underneath is another good sign.
Is pickup or delivery better for pizza? Pickup, if you can. Steam builds up in a closed box and softens the crust, so the shorter the trip, the crisper the pie. Thin-crust and bar-style pies suffer most on long deliveries.
How do I find a pizza shop near me in New Jersey? Open the Pizza category on NJ Business Directory and filter by your county or town. You’ll see nearby pizzerias side by side with addresses, maps and contact details.
Own a pizzeria in New Jersey?
If your shop isn’t listed yet, or you’d like to claim and update your listing, you can do it on NJ Business Directory. Every plan starts with a free listing. None of the 273 pizza listings is Featured yet, so the first shop to upgrade gets the top spot in the category. See plans and pricing.