From Chicago deep-dish to thick squares from Sicily, these are the most popular types of pizza across the country.
15 Types of Pizza: The Most Popular Slices in the US and Italy
Updated on Sep. 30, 2024
There are few things in life greater than pizza. This culinary masterpiece has humble beginnings in Naples, though ancient Romans wouldn’t recognize the slices we serve! In the United States, where pizza has been embraced and innovated, the recipes are as diverse as the country itself. Each region offers its unique spin on this classic dish.
Whether you prefer traditional toppings or more adventurous combinations—looking at you, Hawaiian—there’s no denying that modern pizza is a rich tapestry of flavors and styles. Here’s a closer look at regional styles of pizza in the U.S., as well as types of pizza from Italy that have traveled across the Atlantic.
1
/
15
New York-Style Pizza
First created by immigrants from Naples, Italy, this type of pizza features a thin, hand-tossed crust. New York-style pizza is typically cut into triangles and often sold by the slice—and many people fold it in half before taking a bite. That’s easy to do since the classic New York-style pizza toppings are simple: marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
There are serious debates about where to get the best New York-style pizza, but popular joints include Joe’s Pizza and Ben’s Pizzeria, which are just blocks away from each other in Greenwich Village. Joe’s Pizza ships nationwide through Goldbelly.
2
/
15
Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
Since Chicago is famously the “Windy City,” it seems apt that its namesake pizza is heavy enough to stay on your plate during a tornado. The whole pizza is 1 to 2 inches thick, and it’s the only type of pizza you have to eat with a knife and fork.
A Chicago deep-dish pizza has a thick crust and is topped with mozzarella, meat and vegetables. The tomato sauce goes on last. Crumbled Italian sausage is a popular Chicago topping in addition to other classic pizza toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms and peppers.
You can get a Chicago deep-dish pizza from Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s—they both ship nationwide!
3
/
15
Detroit-Style Pizza
Wondering what type of pizza is squared off? Here’s your answer: Detroit-style pizza was created when someone started using metal trays, which originally held small factory parts, to cook this rectangular deep-dish pizza. It has a thick, chewy crust and is baked not once but twice for perfectly caramelized cheese—those crispy edges are sought after!
More so than specific toppings, Detroit pizza is known for having sauce on top of the cheese—it’s often applied in stripes across the pizza. The most popular topping is pepperoni—often cupped on top or sometimes layered directly on the crust, under the cheese.
You can get a Detroit pizza from Detroit Style Pizza Company—they also ship their pizzas nationwide through Goldbelly.
4
/
15
St. Louis-Style Pizza
St. Louis-style pizza has an unleavened, super-crispy crust and sliced (never diced) toppings. The sauce is almost sweet and instead of mozzarella, it features “provel”—a blend of provolone, Swiss and white cheddar. This type of pizza is typically served with a “party cut”—a round pizza cut into squares.
As for other toppings, you might see full strips of bacon in addition to the usual meat and vegetable choices.
You can get St. Louis-style pizza from Imo’s Pizza, which has locations throughout Missouri, Kansas and Illinois, and ships nationwide through Goldbelly. Many St. Louis pizzerias, including Imo’s, also famously serve toasted ravioli.
5
/
15
California-Style Pizza
The chef behind California Pizza Kitchen, Ed LaDou, created this famous chewy hand-tossed crust. This pizza style has made waves all over the U.S.
You’ll find a California-style pizza topped with all sorts of non-traditional ingredients, such as smoked salmon, Peking duck, goat cheese and arugula.
You can make this type of pizza yourself—check out our California Pizza Kitchen copycat recipes. You can also often find it at restaurants that serve California cuisine.
6
/
15
Quad City-Style Pizza
Hailing from a group of cities in eastern Iowa and western Illinois, Quad City-style pizza features malt in the crust. This secret ingredient gives this type of pizza a toasty, nutty flavor. And with chili flakes and ground cayenne in the sauce, Quad City pizza might have more of a kick than you’re used to.
You can get just about any topping you’d like on Quad City-style pizza, but purists opt for the signature lean sausage cooked with fennel.
If you’re near the Quad Cities, it’s worth stopping at Frank’s Pizzeria or Harris Pizza. You can also get Quad City-style pizza at Roots Handmade Pizza in Chicago.
Craving pizza yet? Take a look at our most popular pizza recipes.
7
/
15
New Haven-Style Pizza
This type of pizza, known locally as “apizza”, is popular in the New Haven, Connecticut, area. With Neapolitan roots, it’s similar to New York pizza, but New Haven-style pizza is known for its oblong shape and chewy crust. It’s cooked in a coal-fired oven, giving it a charred flavor. (You could try it at home using one of the best outdoor pizza ovens.)
The most simple version of New Haven pizza, sometimes also called tomato pie, focuses on the crust and sauce, with just a sprinkle of grated Romano on top. Mozzarella is considered a topping, so you can opt in or not.
New Haven is also known for its white clam pizza, which features olive oil, garlic, clams and grated Romano. For a similar flavor, try making our New Haven Clam Pizza.
One of the best-known places to get New Haven pizza is Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, which has multiple locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as locations in New York and Rhode Island.
8
/
15
New England Greek-Style Pizza
Originating from Greek immigrants in New England, this type of pizza is baked inside of a pan in the oven instead of being laid straight on the bricks, so the crust comes out thick, soft and crispy (nearly fried) on the edges. It’s also known for being greasy—it’s made with lots of olive oil, which often soaks through the bottom of the pizza box.
New England Greek-style pizza is typically topped with tomato sauce, lots of oregano, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. It can have Greek-style ingredients such as feta, kalamata olives and artichokes, but the hallmark of a New England Greek pizza is the thick, oily crust.
You can find Greek-style pizza at Greek-owned pizzerias in the Boston area, throughout Connecticut and in other places across New England.
9
/
15
Neapolitan Pizza
It’s believed that Neapolitan pizza originated from a meal eaten in ancient Rome. They would eat focaccia-like flatbread with toppings. Sound familiar? The pizza is cooked at extremely high temperatures for a short amount of time and is closer in size to that of a personal pizza.
The toppings are very traditional and don’t pivot like other American pizzas. Neapolitan pizza is only made with simple ingredients like raw tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil and olive oil. Unlike other pizzas, Neapolitan pizza also has more sauce than cheese.
To have a truly authentic Neapolitan pizza, the tomatoes must be either San Marzano tomatoes or Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio.
While this type of pizza originates in Italy, it has become popularized in New York restaurants like Ribalta.
10
/
15
Roman Pizza
Roman pizza, similar to Neapolitan pizza, is a focaccia-like thin crust. It is sometimes referred to as pizza bassa, or low pizza, to further distinguish it from Neapolitan pizza, or pizza alta. There are two versions of Roman pizza: one in a round shape and the other rectangular.
A classic version of this pizza is the Capricciosa, which is topped with ham, mushrooms, olives, artichoke, an egg and tomato.
Some of the best Roman pizza in the U.S. can be found at Bonci in Chicago (which ships nationwide!) and Rione in Philidelphia.
11
/
15
Sicilian Pizza
Sicilian pizza originated in Sicily, Italy. The crust is thick and sponge-like. This is the differentiating factor that sets it apart from other Italian pizzas, as well as the topping options. The pizza is cut into a rectangle and cooked with plenty of olive oil.
While you can choose in which order you place the sauce and cheese, Sicilian pizza typically layers the sauce on top of the cheese.
It is often topped with onions, anchovies, tomatoes, herbs and strong cheese such as caciocavallo and toma.
Notable Sicilian pizzas in New York are Upside Pizza and The House of Pizza & Calzone. Di Fara Pizza ships its Sicilian pizza nationwide on Goldbelly.
12
/
15
Grandma Pizza
Italian nonnas from Long Island created these reverse-style squares, with cheese on the bottom and the dough lacquered with sauce. Fans of pizza from Sicily and Detroit will like grandma pizza, which is cooked in olive oil-coated rectangular pans and sliced in squares.
Head to the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan for the best crispy-edged slices. To go all out, order a “sassy grandma,” which is loaded with fresh mozzarella, homemade vodka sauce, chicken cutlets and hot peppers.
13
/
15
Philadelphia Pizza
Philadelphia is all about old-school tomato pies. Medium-thick, square slices are slathered in a sweet tomato gravy-like sauce and served sans toppings and cheese, except for a light dusting of Parm or Pecorino Romano.
To find this type of pizza, crawl the City of Brotherly Love’s famed Italian bakeries. Legends like Sarcone’s and Corropolese are tops for their fresh-baked hoagie rolls, made from the same dough that’s used for their award-winning Philly-style tomato pies.
Iannelli’s is another institution for “gravy pies,” but be sure to call ahead before visiting. They’re only open 15 days a year.
14
/
15
Colorado-Style Pizza
Beau Jo’s owner Chip Bair invented this pizza at his restaurant in Idaho Springs in 1973. Like Colorado’s rocky landscape, its signature pizza is made up of peaks and plains. This pizza, or “Colorado mountain pie,” looks like it sounds. The thick, hand-rolled crust juts up around the edge like a row of boulders.
Though similar in shape and size to Chicago deep-dish, Colorado is in a category all its own thanks to this braided ring that towers over the toppings. It’s also smaller in diameter and has a shorter cooking time than its Midwestern neighbor. The addition of honey—both in the crust and served on the side as a dipping sauce—gives Colorado slices natural sweetness.
15
/
15
Hawaiian Pizza
Hawaiian is the sweet-and-sour slice that people love to hate. You would think that this pineapple-topped pizza hails from the Aloha State, but no—it’s from Canada!
Greek-born Canadian Sam Panopoulos created the Hawaiian pizza at his restaurant Satellite, in Chatham, Ontario in 1962. Panopoulos topped his crust with red sauce, cheese, strips of salty ham and chunks of pineapple, and Hawaiian pizza was born.
Though it’s one of the most controversial types of pizza, Hawaiian is readily available. Domino’s Honolulu Hawaiian pizza features pineapple, ham, smoked bacon, mozzarella and provolone cheese, while Papa John’s serves the “Super Hawaiian” with pineapple, a three-cheese blend and two kinds of bacon: Canadian and hickory-smoked.
Hungry yet? Make your own homemade pizza recipes for a fun Friday night. Just make sure to avoid these common homemade pizza mistakes.
