70 years after its first pizza parlor opened, Charlotte is a pizza city with craft pies galore
.jpg "Inizio Pizza’s Neapolitan pizza is baked in a wood fired oven.")
All good parties include food — often pizza. Fortunately for partygoers and throwers alike, Charlotte has pizza options — lots of them.
Party planning was underway for my good friend Blake Edwards’ birthday. At the time, the Charlotte creative had recently played Theodore Roosevelt in the TV special ”Buffalo Keepers,” and we were gathering for a special screening of his marvelous performance as the country’s 26th president.
In addition to beer and Funfetti cake, we knew food was in store — birthday boy’s pick. His choice? Pizza. Four of us agreed to bring our favorite Charlotte pizza, which included:
Inizio Pizza’s Pistachio pizza with rosemary, sea salt, ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, garlic, pistachio pesto sauce and pistachios (we opted to add sausage).
Pure Pizza’s BBQ Chicken pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, pepperoncini, chicken, SC mustard BBQ sauce and cilantro.
Salud Cerveceria’s Latin Lingo pizza with a spicy crema base, chicken, roasted corn, red onion, jalapeno, cotija cheese, cilantro and Tajin.
A Detroit-style pepperoni pizza from a national chain perhaps most iconic for its unique buildings of yesteryear.
As I watched, I was awed by the resilience of the buffalo and its ability to adapt to almost any climate and terrain. As I ate, I was struck by the diversity of pizza styles and toppings. I had an epiphany that others have already experienced — that 70 years after The Open Kitchen introduced the Queen City to pizza — Charlotte is now a pizza city. Furthermore, I realized — NoDa is Charlotte’s pizza capital — with the likes of Benny Pennello’s, Figo36, Room and Board and Salud Cerveceria.
[RELATED: A new nickname for NoDa: Charlotte’s Little NODALY.”]
Though craft pizza has graced Charlotte for nearly 25 years, there’s no denying the scene’s explosion in recent years. This is great news for all Charlotteans, as we’re celebrating National Pizza Day and are fortunate enough to have so many delicious options close to home.
Whether you’re forever-and-ever amen committed to a favorite style, or you enjoy all varieties of pizza equally, here are 25 pizza shops you’ve got to try, organized by type:
Buffalo style
Location: 710 W. Trade St. F, Charlotte, NC 28202
What to know: Dine-in or order online. When ordering a Bisonte Classic pizza with mozzarella, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, hot peppers, black olives, Italian sausage and capicola, consider getting some of its award-winning wings, too.
Location: 9610 Sherrill Estates Rd B, Huntersville, NC 28078
What to know: Dine-in or call for takeout. Try a sheet pizza — on its own or as part of the Panther Pack, which includes a bucket of 50 wings.
Chicago style
Reginella Pizzeria & Ristorante
Location: 1808 S York Rd #321, Gastonia, NC 28052
What to know: Dine-in or order pickup online. Owner Raffaele Falciai previously owned and operated a restaurant in Florence, Italy — but the Chicago deep dish is the star here.
Detroit style
Location: 1508 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
What to know: Dine-in or order online. All of Emmy Squared’s pizzas are square, but only the Hot Chicken pizza includes ʻBama white sauce, Nashville hot chicken and chopped pickle.
Location: Multiple locations
What to know: Order online — or text your order to receive 20% off menu price pizzas. The Triple Cheese Turbo Stix are baked with mozzarella and cheddar, then topped with butter, garlic and Romano cheese.
Location: 3228 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
What to know: Dine-in on the Spaghetti and Meatball pizza with mozzarella, homemade meatballs and fresh basil.
Jersey style
Location: 224 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
What to know: Dine-in — try the Fall Harvest pizza topped with butternut squash, ricotta, spinach, sausage and garlic.
Location: Dilworth Crossing Shopping Center, 2212 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 3723 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28205
What to know: Dine-in or call for takeout. Another pizza parlor with Jersey influence, Sal’s offers delicious crust that’s thin and crispy.
Neapolitan style
Location: 500 S. Main St., #401, Mooresville, NC 28115
What to know: This Merino Mill pizzeria was named by Delish in 2021 as North Carolina’s “Pizzeria Everyone is Obsessed with In Your State.” The restaurant uses San Marzano tomatoes, Caputo Italian flour, extra virgin olive oil and buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy weekly.
Location: 303 S Church St, Charlotte, NC 28202
What to know: At Angeline’s, the team uses and maintains its own house starter, and making the dough — using both a 00 flour and whole wheat, with a touch of honey — is a multi-day process. Its pizzas are made to order in an imported Italian pizza oven, using both Italian ingredients and fresh produce and dairy from local farms.
Location: 416 E 36th St Unit 600, Charlotte, NC 28205
What to know: Dine-in on pizza with made-in-house pizza dough using a family recipe. The Black Garlic and Eggplant pizza is made with black garlic eggplant puree base, bufala mozzarella, roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, lemon and Aleppo chili-dressed greens.
Location: 2230 Park Rd #101, Charlotte, NC 28203
What to know: Dine-in or order online. Its wood-fired oven takes 90 seconds or less to cook your pizza. Don’t sleep on the seasonal specials, including:
- In the spring: Luciano — mortadella, Burrata, pistachio, Buffalo mozzarella, fior di latte, pecorino, basil, EVOO;
- In the summer: Limone e Capra — thinly sliced lemons, fig jam, goat cheese ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, fior di latte, thyme;
- In the fall: Pumpkin pizza (and pumpkin cannoli!);
- In the winter: Vodka Pesto Pizza ~ vodka sauce base, Buffalo mozzarella, pecorino, with a pistachio pesto spread.
Location: 1030 Woodward Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206
What to know: Dine-in or order online. Located inside of Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts, Livy’s offers specialty pizzas such as the Hawaiana with ham, marinated pineapple, bacon, truffled alfredo sauce, and sweet chili glaze.
New York style
Location: 8200 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
What to know: Dine-in or order online. Sit by the lakeside and try a pizza topped with lamb, shrimp or salami.
Location: 510 E 15th St, Charlotte, NC 28206
What to know: Served from a walk-up window, this “East-Coast style” pizza is similar to New York style and has earned quite the reputation in its first year.
Hawthorne’s New York Pizza and Bar
Location: 1701 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204
What to know: Dine-in or order takeout. The Inducer pizza with hot Buffalo sauce, chicken and mozzarella cheese has been known to help expedite labor in pregnant women.
Location: 15205 John J Delaney Dr Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28277
What to know: Dine-in or order takeout. Keep it simple or try the Chicken Parm pizza with fried chicken, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and tomato sauce.
Portofino’s Ristorante Italiano e Pizzeria
Location: 3124 Eastway Dr, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 5126 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Location: 8128 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
What to know: Dine-in or call for takeout. The slices on the Meatball Pizza might look like discolored pepperoni, but one bite and you’ll know the difference.
[READ NEXT: Where’s the best bacon, egg & cheese in Charlotte? We asked — and our readers answered.]
Roman style
Location: 1055 Metropolitan Ave #130, Charlotte, NC 28204
What to know: Dine-in, or order pickup or delivery using Uber Eats. With more than 20 pizzas to choose from, you’ll have to decide between a staple or a seasonal pizza such as the Sorrentina with whole milk mozzarella, caciocavallo, poached lemon, smoked ham, cracked black pepper and fresh basil.
St. Louis style
Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market
Location: 316 Main St, Pineville, NC 28134
What to know: Dine-in on this pizza with thin cracker-like crust cut into square slices. Margaux’s Southern Heat comes with grilled chicken, buffalo sauce, house blend of cheeses, red onions, and jalapenos — complete with a side of ranch.
Virginia style
Location: 2909 N Davidson St #100, Charlotte, NC 28205
What to know: Dine-in, order pickup, or order takeout via Postmates or Uber Eats. Home of the Virginia Slice, which more than fills a paper plate — or order an entire pie and feed two families.
Wood fired
Note: Don’t miss the wood-fired options above under the Neapolitan style category, as well.
Location: 6815 Phillips Pl Ct, Charlotte, NC 28210
What to know: Dine-in or order online. Many of its pizzas feature organic veggies, and for $4 you can substitute cauliflower crust.
Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar
Location: Multiple locations
What to know: Dine-in or call to pick up some of Charlotte’s original craft pizza including the Bronx Bomber with spicy Italian sausage, prosciutto, mozzarella, gorgonzola and fresh oregano.
[RELATED: This homegrown chain was built in Charlotte on craft beer and woodfired pizza.]
Location: 1730 Abbey Pl, Charlotte, NC 28209
What to know: Dine-in or order online. Try one of Charlotte’s only Muffuletta pizzas, topped with ham, Genoa salami, provolone and muffuletta spread.
Location: 1911 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
What to know: Dine-in, order for pickup or get delivery via DoorDash. For a sweet treat, ask for honey to drizzle on your pizza.
Location: 3306-C N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
What to know: Dine-in or order takeout online. Don’t miss the pepperoni rolls topped with house red sauce and shaved parmesan.
[READ NEXT: 2023 James Beard Award semifinalists are out — with three Charlotte nominees.]
