Food and Drink

8 things to know about Charlotte’s thriving pizza scene

Stories by Charlotte Observer journalists, with AI summarization

Charlotte’s pizza scene buzzes with fresh faces and nostalgic favorites. Legendary spots like House of Pizza keep longtime locals coming back for the sense of family and tradition. Bird Pizzeria and Pizza Baby are both making national headlines, with Bird even earning a spot in The New York Times' list of best pizzerias and Pizza Baby West named among the country’s top 50.

Zepeddie’s brings back ‘90s charm with its New York-style pies, while King of Fire’s award-winning Americana-style pizzas now have a home base uptown. Though Charlotte recently lost Chicago deep-dish favorite Rosati’s, a wave of new recipes, old-school icons, and inventive flavors continues to shape and energize the city’s diverse pizza culture.

NO. 1: YOU KNOW THE ROOF, BUT DO YOU KNOW THE RESTAURANT? WHAT BECAME OF CHARLOTTE’S OLD PIZZA HUTS.

When I think of Pizza Hut, I think of cardboard to-go boxes at pool parties and the ultimate reward if my fifth grade class collected enough box tops. | Published June 21, 2024 | Read Full Story

A 14-inch pizza from Bird Pizzeria. By Alex Cason

NO. 2: THE NEW YORK TIMES NAMES 22 BEST PIZZA RESTAURANTS IN THE U.S., INCLUDING A CHARLOTTE ICON

The secret is out: CharlotteFive discovered this gem before it was even a restaurant, and now it’s nationally known. | Published June 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Melissa Oyler

The Bianco pizza at Pizza Baby has a roasted garlic crema as its sauce, with roasted garlic on top and prosciutto. By Alex Cason

NO. 3: THE BEST PIZZERIAS IN THE WORLD HAVE BEEN NAMED, AND A CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT MAKES THE LIST

A guide to the best pizzerias in Italy and worldwide has ranked a Charlotte restaurant as 43rd best pizza in the USA. | Published June 28, 2024 | Read Full Story by Kayleigh Ruller

NO. 4: A POPULAR CHARLOTTE PIZZERIA STRAIGHT FROM THE ’90S IS OFFICIALLY BACK.

The restaurant focusing on delivery and takeout offers New York-style and thick crust pizza, plus sandwiches and salads. | Published October 22, 2024 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley

King of Fire’s Apple Orchard Salad, along with its La Regina, Honey Pie 2.0 and Cal Italia pizzas. By Heidi Finley

NO. 5: A WORLD PIZZA CHAMPION’S AMERICANA-STYLE PIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE

Say hello to the Honey Pie 2.0, Cal Italia, La Regina and other pizzas from a food truck favorite that’s now in a permanent space. | Published December 6, 2024 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley

Tristan Graziano at Geno D’s Pizza. By Jamie Graziano

NO. 6: A CHARLOTTE PIZZA CHALLENGE: ONE FAMILY’S JOURNEY TO FIND THE BEST SLICE IN TOWN

A cheesy bond: After a local father and son eat their way though 16 of the city’s top pizzerias, a few spots came out on top. | Published March 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jamie Graziano

Dean Psilopoulos runs House of Pizza with his aunt, Eleni (Helen) Mitsios. By Alex Cason

NO. 7: WHY HOUSE OF PIZZA IS SUCH A BELOVED LANDMARK IN CHARLOTTE’S FOOD SCENE

Charlotte’s Classic Eats: Since 1979, the legacy restaurant has served up Italian and Greek food, along with a killer steak Philly. | Published May 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Katie Black

Find a taste of Chicago in Waxhaw at Rosati’s. By Courtesy of Rosati's

NO. 8: THE BEST-KNOWN SPOT TO GET CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA AROUND CHARLOTTE HAS CLOSED

“Thank you for being part of our story,“ the restaurant’s Instagram post says. | Published April 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.