Atlanta’s Best Pizza

Photo+courtesy+experiencecolumbus.com

Photo courtesy experiencecolumbus.com

Regardless of the day, time, season, or weather, you can always be in the mood for pizza. Whether it’s a Sicilian slice or a large deep-dish, Atlanta has it all, and to make it easy for you, I’ve compiled a list of the very best. Over the past few weeks, I have driven all over the city and revisited many, many pizza parlors in order to compile the perfect list of recommendations.

To begin, let’s start with the most customizable options. Both Blaze Pizza and Your Pie are great options for building your own pizzas. You get to choose how you want the dough, what sauce you’d like, the cheese, and as many toppings as your heart desires. Additionally, even Blaze Pizza’s gluten-free crust is fantastic, which is a hard thing to accomplish.

As far as casual spots go, Atlanta is full of them, but only a few can make this highly coveted list. Johnny’s Pizza has tons of locations all over the city, and they never disappoint. I think Johnnys’ biggest selling point is the extensive menu with not only pizzas and pasta but salads and wings as well. Personally, I only go for the Saturday night team trivia, but the food is still very good, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a basic but good pizza place.

Mellow Mushroom is one of those places that I think everyone has been to at least once, and if you haven’t, you’re missing out. The crust is absolutely amazing every time, mimicking their pretzels. With 200 locations across 20 states, they’re consistently one of the best pizza places in the country, and I think that it’s hard to beat; however, I did find some that we will later discuss that will take the throne for Atlanta’s very best! 

Fellini’s is a go-to for many Atlanta residents, but I think it only deserves a spot on this list because of its convenience. It’s a quick and easy place to get a slice and a Diet Coke, but parking is always a pain, regardless of the location. 

Blue Moon Pizza is always a safe option: the pizza is consistently amazing with an extensive menu of topping selections. The wings always look good, but I’ve never actually gotten around to trying them, and the Caesar salad is tasty as well! On a recent 10.2 mile walk (this is not an exaggeration), I made a stop for lunch, and it hit the spot. Though there was a loud table next to me, mostly because of the three six-year-olds with them, the food did not disappoint. Another great spot is Pomodoro Bella, located in the Chattahoochee Food Works. It’s a great spot for a quick bite to eat and a fun spot overall, so when you come, be sure to check out the other restaurants available in the hall as well. 

Buckhead Pizza and Amalfi Pizza are both amazing pizza places, but their parking can be annoying. About a week ago, I went to Amalfi Pizza for the first time, just a few weeks after its Buckhead location’s grand opening. After driving in circles around the area searching for the restaurant, I had to stop to look at a map to locate it. Once I found it, I had to park in this small covered lot with virtually no parking because it shares the space with a rental car service that had seemingly reserved every space available. The pizza was excellent, so the tough time trying to get in evens it out. Buckhead Pizza is also a little difficult to find as it is tucked away, and once you get there, parking is impossible because either all of the spaces are filled (it’s very popular!) or you have to find parking at one of the many office buildings in the surrounding area.

Now we are entering the final three, the podium, the holy trinity of pizzerias in Atlanta: Taverna, Antico, and my personal favorite, Varasanos. Taverna has been a favorite of mine for a very long time, and for good reason! The pizzas are the perfect size, they’ve mastered the art of the Margherita pizza, and the location is perfect! Parking is easy (there are various lots and decks available all around the area), the ambiance is relaxing, and the food is fantastic. There’s nothing that I would change about it. Antico is absolutely amazing for a variety of reasons. The sprinkling of garlic on the pizzas is a perfect touch, the layout of the restaurant is really well set up with the giant fire ovens visible from the seating area, which I love, and there’s a pizza named after me (order “The Sophia” next time you’re there, I promise you won’t be disappointed!). The cherry tomatoes on “The Pomodoro” pizza are perfectly cooked and delicious. You can never miss with anything on their menu. Lastly, my personal favorite–Varasano’s. The crust is perfect, the pizza is thin but not hard, and the crust is perfectly made. The “House Special (Nana’s Pizza)” and the “Chica Bella” are the most famous pizzas and for good reason. The House Special is so simple yet so perfect, the Chica Bella is unique (no tomato sauce, just cheese and greens), and it’s an all-around great place. 

That’s it. Those are the best pizza places in Atlanta. Maybe your favorite made a spot on this list or you found a new place to check out!