Why King of Fire’s pizza is drawing crowds to uptown Charlotte
The scent of fresh pizza drifting through The Green in Uptown is often the first sign you are getting close to King of Fire Pizza.
King of Fire is one of those places that draws you in before you even step through the door. We do not know if it is luck or clever design, but the kitchen exhaust seems perfectly positioned so that you catch warm, irresistible whiffs of pizza as you walk in.
We caught up with Siler Chapman, who co-owns King of Fire Pizza with his wife, Amber. He explained that what began as a single food truck has grown into an entire fleet and now includes the permanent brick-and-mortar location that opened in 2024 and is co-owned by Evan Gentile and his wife, Shelby.
The spot feels perfectly suited for the uptown lunch crowd, and the popularity shows. In fact, King of Fire was not only voted the Charlotte Observer’s Best Pizza in 2025, but it is also a five-time world pizza champion.
Inside, the atmosphere is not your typical red-checkered-tablecloth pizza shop. Instead, the space leans contemporary with white subway-tiled walls and dark ceilings.
The vibe is quick-casual but energetic — the kind of place where you can grab a quick lunch, watch a game and enjoy the constant aroma of fresh pizza coming out of the oven.
The menu offers a handful of appetizers and salads, and we are always suckers for garlic knots. These might be some of the best we have had. They were like eating puffy pillows of garlic bread, perfect for dipping in marinara sauce.
While a classic cheese pizza is available, King of Fire clearly focuses on craft-style pies with creative topping combinations. Many of the options lean heavily into meat-forward ingredients, so if that is your style, there are plenty of bold choices to explore.
Tristan summed it up best when he described it as “city-style pizza,” and the menu certainly fits that description.
Each pizza comes in a personal-sized 10-inch format with a thin, crispy undercarriage and a nicely puffed crust. It lands somewhere between New York and Neapolitan styles.
It is not quite traditional Neapolitan, but it carries some of the same airy texture while still delivering a satisfying crunch. The portion size feels just right for one person, though if you happen to bring a hungry teenager along, do not be surprised if they polish off an appetizer, salad, pizza and dessert without slowing down.
On a previous outing Jamie tried the Margherita, topped with red sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of EVOO, so even though it was wonderful, we changed up our order this time.
The Caprese, topped with red sauce, EVOO, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, basil and garlic, was a real treat. The dough was light and airy with a crispy bite and minimal flop. It was cooked just right, with a nice crunch on the crust.
At first the sauce leaned slightly sweet, but as we worked through the pie, subtle peppery undertones began to emerge and round out the flavor. The mozzarella melted well without watering down the crust, though it did pull away a bit with each bite.
Next came a build-your-own veggie pie with olives, peppers, cherry tomatoes and onions, finished with a hot honey bomb on top. Now when we say build-your-own, we actually mean it.
Siler clearly loves what he does and has a contagious enthusiasm for pizza. When we started placing the order, he told Tristan that everything tastes better when you make it yourself and invited him back to cook alongside him.
And while the pizza may be the main event, dessert is worth a look, as well. The cannoli shells are shipped in from a vendor in New Jersey and are filled to order with a classic Sicilian-style cream with a subtle hint of orange zest and just the right amount of sweetness.
We would definitely order them again, although Siler mentioned that homemade gelato will soon be joining the menu, which may make the dessert decision even harder.
Between the inviting atmosphere, the aroma of fresh pizza in the air and a menu full of bold topping combinations, King of Fire Pizza makes a strong case for itself in Charlotte’s crowded pizza scene.
If you enjoy craft-style pies with personality, it is definitely a spot worth adding to your rotation — whether you are grabbing lunch in uptown or catching one of their food trucks when it rolls into your neighborhood.
Tristan Graziano, a Weddington High School student, enjoys golfing in his free time and hanging with his friends. He can be reached on Instagram @tristanscoops. Jamie Graziano, aka The GrazFather, is a graduate of the University of Florida, an employee of a Fortune 500 company and dad who dreams of starting his food review and travel website TheGrazFather.com. He can be reached at jamie@thegrazfather.com or on Instagram @thegrazfather.
King of Fire Pizza
Location: 435 S Tryon St #140, Charlotte, NC 28202
Cuisine: Pizza
Instagram: @kingoffirepizza