With a crisp golden crust, an even layer of homemade sauce, melted cheese dripping off the sides, and the freshest toppings, pizza is one of humanity's greatest gifts to itself.
Just as this democratic food has changed our diet over the years, so has the local pizza landscape shifted. Newcomers to Miami have amassed a following through their innovative creations, while established joints endeavor to maintain their reign with no-fail recipes. Bottom line: You can find a pie that fits you no matter what you fancy.
Below, listed alphabetically, are Miami's ten best slice spots.
Andiamo Pizza
5600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami305-762-5751
andiamopizzamiami.com Don’t let the fact that this pizza joint was once a tire shop distract you. The focus at Andiamo is on the pie: more than 30 gourmet brick-oven pizzas. Take in the view of bustling Biscayne Boulevard as you dine alfresco on a breezy patio and enjoy favorites such as the "New Yorker," made with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, Parmesan, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh basil, or the "Godfather," a meat lover’s dream topped with sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, and mushrooms. The "Sunday Pie" is also worth a try for its seamless blend of sweet, spicy, and meaty flavors courtesy of tomato sauce, pepperoncini, mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan, and basil.
Frankie's Pizza
9118 Bird Rd., Miami305-221-0221
frankiespizzaonline.comFrankie's has been in business since 1955 and remains a classic, no-fuss, mom-and-pop shop dishing out its famed square-cut pies at rock-bottom prices. Sure, the dining room is decorated with a worn Formica counter, faded sports posters, and a rattling cooler of soft drinks. And, yes, there's no beer or booze. But honestly, who cares? Frankie's has some of the best pizza around, and that's why you're here. It's all about the crust at Frankie's: crisp on the bottom, slightly chewy at the center, and tastes of fresh-baked bread. Cheese and toppings are generous without being overindulgent, and a bargain — slices start at just under two bucks.
La Leggenda Pizzeria
224 Española Way, Miami Beach305-763-8566
laleggendapizzeria.comTo say that Giovanni Gagliardi is obsessed with pizza is like saying Wynton Marsalis dabbles in the trumpet. The entire life of this pizzaiolo from Naples revolves around perfect pies. He was born into a family famous for a roving truck that dished out first-rate versions of the stuff. He's won multiple world championships, and an armory of awards litters his small South Beach spot. The world's famed Neapolitan flour companies, which produce the only flour acceptable for making true Neapolitan pies according to European Union standards, fly him around the globe to stretch, dress, and bake on their behalf. Visit his Miami Beach restaurant for yourself and watch him pull pies from the oven. Now and then, you'll see him snip a pie crust with scissors to ensure it's puffing up and crisping just right.
Lucali
1930 Bay Rd., Miami Beach305-695-4441
lucali.com Lucali's pizza makers take their time prepping pies for the wood-burning oven. Crusts emerge thin and blistered, their surfaces puffed by blackened bubbles of golden dough. Melted buffalo mozzarella and shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cocoon smooth tomato sauce (a secret recipe that can be ordered as a side dish). Add pepperoni, artichokes, onions, red peppers, shallots, porcini mushrooms, or hot peppers. If you've got room for dessert, don't miss the Nutella pie, slathered in gooey, warm chocolate-hazelnut spread.
Miami Slice
1335 NE Miami Ct., Miami305-217-5423
miamislicepizza.comThis Miami pizzeria has gained a viral following since its humble beginnings as a pop-up out of the La Latina kitchen in 2019. After dozens of recipe modifications in a quest to create the Magic City's best artisan New York-style slice, the concept was crafted into a proper slice shop. Open Thursday through Sunday starting at 5 p.m., the lines are known to extend far past the entrance well before opening. Arrive early, and you'll be given the option to dine in or take out. Don't miss the chance to sit at the bar where you can watch staff shuffle massive slices in and out of ovens before plating them on wooden boards where they receive a final dusting of fresh-grated cheese, sauce, or add-on toppings. The menu offers five slices that can be gussied up with a choice of four "extras," including hot honey, a red sauce, three-cheese dip, or a few dollops of creamy stracciatella. Pro tip: the stracciatella makes for an utterly sublime top-off to the "Pepperoni Proper" or mushroom-truffle slices.
The star-shaped pizza from Mister 0-1 is what sets this pizzeria apart from all the rest.
Mister 0-1 photo
Mister O1
Multiple area locations, including:2315 N. Miami Ave., Miami
786-991-9343
mistero1.com Owner and master pizzaiolo Renato Viola uses only the freshest ingredients and premium-quality cheeses (vegan cheese is available for an additional charge) to top Mister O1's thin-crust pies. While there are more than 15 options, the signature pie remains the 13-inch "Star Luca," named for its star-shaped points that form perfect little dough pockets filled with creamy ricotta cheese and a center layered center with the house Italian tomato sauce along with mozzarella and spicy salami. That star sets Mister O1 apart from other local pizzerias — and what led to the pizzeria's expansion to Madrid, Saudi Arabia, and Naples (Florida, that is).
Old Greg's went from pandemic pop-up to serving one of Miami's favorite pies from a brick-and-mortar location.
Photo by Nicole Danna
Old Greg's
3620 NE Second Ave., Miami866-653-4734
oldgregspizza.com Miami pizza lovers flock to Old Greg's for a taste of its sourdough pies. Regulars have come to expect the wait for Old Greg's, named after the sourdough starter restaurateur Greg Tetzner and his girlfriend, Jackie Richie, affectionately dubbed "Old Greg." What began as a pandemic pop-up is now a brick-and-mortar shop offering Tetzner's famous pies and slices. For a crust that's nearly an inch thick, it's notably light, boasting a well-toasted bottom and covered with a slick of tomato and cheese that caramelizes into those extra-crisp patches that beg to be eaten first. While ordering the plain pie is never a bad idea, don't overlook the "O.G. Roni." The list of side dishes includes breadsticks with garlic-hollandaise dipping sauce, meatballs, and massive breaded chicken wings. Those, and desserts like the olive oil-based lemon poppyseed tres leches, gussied up with Sicilian pistachio, fennel pollen, and stracciatella-rich cream, make this more than your average pizza pit stop.
The charcoal-infused dough is a specialty of O'Munaciello in Miami's MiMo District.
Photo by Nicole Danna
O'Munaciello
6425 Biscayne Blvd., Miami786-907-4000
munaciello.com With roots in Florence, Italy, O'Munaciello in Miami's MiMo District is the stateside outpost of the original pizzeria built in an annex of the 17th-century Florentine Santo Spirito Basilica. Owner Valentina Borgogni's goal was to re-create the feel of the Italian original. That includes the restaurant's master pizza chef, Carmine Candito, who grew up working at his family's pizza shop in Naples. Candito's pies — nearly two dozen to choose from — arrive with crisp edges and doughy centers. Try the "Vesuvio," a breathtaking marriage of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, black truffle, and burrata. Pies start at $13, and any selection can be prepared with the restaurant's signature black dough made with activated charcoal. The pizza arrives with an eye-catching charcoal hue and is said to aid digestion — and even treat hangovers. The black crust imparts a smoky taste but doesn't overwhelm the other flavors.
Square Pie City
3918 N. Miami Ave., Miami786-408-3591
squarepiecity.com A lifelong Miami resident and former private chef for rapper Rick Ross, Miami chef Jeremiah Bullfrog has done it all — from working in some of the most exalted restaurants in the world, including El Bulli in Spain and Noma in Copenhagen, to towing one of Miami's first food trucks, Gastropod. The chef also became known for his Miami-based food events, Duck Duck Goose and P.I.G., which brought together local and national chefs to turn out dishes focusing on fowl and pork, respectively. Bullfrog is creating some of the Magic City's best pizza at Square Pie City, where he delivers his own riff on the deep-dish square pie. Pies are available in half or whole pans and prepared with Bullfrog's 72-hour, double-fermented dough, which bakes up super crisp. Like most Detroit pies, it's topped with cheese before being smothered in a layer of sauce. Two varieties offer takes on both red and white pies, with the option for vegan/gluten-free substitutes. Standouts include the "All White E’rrything," topped with mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan, and roasted garlic; and the "Many Magical Mushrooms," with cremini mushrooms, porcini dust, mozzarella, asiago, and garlic; and the "Red in the Head, Fire in the Bed," made with spicy Calabrian chilies, chili-infused oil, mozzarella, and provolone.
Steve's Pizza
12101 Biscayne Blvd., North Miami305-891-0202For more than 40 years, this longtime North Miami staple is best known for serving up the quintessential "New York" slice, priced at $3.75. While the northern Biscayne corridor is mostly quiet during the late-night hours, Steve's is the sole exception. Dining in is your best option, especially if you're on the prowl for some late-night eats. The restaurant is open to 2 a.m. on the weekdays (3 a.m. on weekends), and its Formica tables riddled with graffiti are the perfect spot to tackle these large, two-plate-worthy, cheese grease-slicked slices. An extra-large 18-inch cheese pizza will arrive hot and ready in 20 minutes, with an airtight layer of mozzarella cheese blanketing a thin crust with a red sauce bursting with tomato flavor in between. Toppings? Totally unnecessary here — but if you insist, get the thin-sliced meatball or specialty pies like the lover's, a sauce-free white pizza, or the veggie.
