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Nashville Pizza Places to Check Out This Week

Music lovers, history buffs, and nature lovers flock to Nashville, Tennessee’s charming southern belle of a state capital. Country music fans and aspiring artists alike are in the veritable mecca of country music, with attractions like The Grand Ol’ Opry, Music Row, and the Country Music Hall of fame.

two friends eating delicious pizza slices at a restaurant in Nashville

Nashville’s wealth of museums and historical landmarks like Andrew Jackson’s plantation or the Parthenon replica are also nationally renowned, not to mention Nashville’s wonderful city parks and the famous Broadway district to enjoy a lively night out. When I visited Nashville, my days were full of sightseeing, but many of my cultural wanderings were in the culinary realm. My most recent trip involved exploring Nashville’s pizza spots, which offer a great diversity of pizzerias with unique pizza styles and dining experiences. Whether you’re looking for a quick slice or a sit-down formal family meal over a gourmet pizza and a bottle of wine, Nashville has it all. Read on to find out where to get the best pizza in Nashville. 


Five Points Pizza East

1012 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206
Phone: 615-915-4174
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Located in East Nashville’s East End neighborhood, Five Points Pizza is a New York-style pizzeria and bar offering a wide selection of foreign and domestic craft beer on draft and in bottles to enjoy with a large slice or a whole pie. They make their dough and sauce from scratch daily and make the pizza fresh when you order it, making it an old-fashioned deck oven with a brick bottom. Every day there are different slice offerings with a meat option and a vegetarian option. They also make whole pies that you can create yourself or choose from a myriad of specialty pies. They also have a wide variety of white and red sauce variations made from scratch. My favorite is the Vodka Sauce pie with vodka tomato cream sauce, prosciutto, spinach, mushrooms, red onions, fresh basil, minced garlic, and fresh mozzarella.


Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria

Multiple locations
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This fast-casual artisanal pizza eatery combines community outreach with Nashville’s musical spirit. Started by three Tennessee State University grads who wanted to feed and employ their North Nashville neighborhood community, Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria became a fast hit for its delicious artisanal pizza and craft beer selection. It’s also known for its musical events, great hip-hop soundtracks, and performances to serenade customers and workers alike. Slim & Husky’s has since opened locations throughout Tennessee, Georgia, and California to the same acclaim as their first North Nashville restaurant. Many of their specialty pies have play-on-word names that reference famous hip-hop songs. For instance, their vegan pizza “Ain’t Nothing But a V Thing” features red sauce, vegan cheese, spinach, plant-based pepperoni and sausage, mushrooms, and red onions.


Desano Pizza

115 16th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-953-1168
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Located just blocks away from Nashville’s famous Music Row, Desano Pizza is a nationally renowned Italian pizzeria chain serving some of the most authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. It is crafted according to the strictest standards of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Every Desano location has a classic wood-fired oven operated by an expert pizza maker. In addition to a long list of specialty pizzas and traditional Neapolitan pizzas, they also offer delicious house-made meatballs, salads, calzones, and traditional Italian desserts. I recommend the most traditional Neapolitan pizza of all, the Margherita Classica with san Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella di bufala, pecorino romano, olive oil and basil. 


Emmy Squared

Multiple locations
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Originating in Brooklyn, Emmy Squared is surprisingly a Detroit-style pizza and American comfort food restaurant and bar. Their Nashville location lies a few blocks from Music Row and has received countless awards from the Nashville press, including the best burger in Nashville. Founded by New York couple Matt and Emily Hyland, Emmy Squared has become a national hit, with New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Kentucky locations. Since they were voted best burger, I had to try their Le Big Matt, a double-stacked cheeseburger on a pretzel bun, which was outstanding. That said, their square-shaped thick-crusted Detroit-style pizzas were award-winning in my book. Try the Colony with pepperoni, pickled jalapenos, and honey.


Nicky’s Coal Fired

5026 Centennial Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: 615-678-4289
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Located in Nashville’s Nation neighborhood close to the famous Cumberland River, Nicky’s Coal Fired is an Italian kitchen and pizzeria offering authentic Italian plates and pizzas in a casual and comfortable setting. Owned and operated by Nashville native couple Tony and Caroline Galzin, Nicky’s menu revolves around its coal-fired oven. You can order a cocktail and a delicious dinner from Wednesday through Sunday or stop in for fresh bagels Saturday and Sunday mornings. Their coal-fired bread and pizza have a delicious flavor and a perfect combination of crispy and chewy textures. I recommend trying Nicky’s Supreme pizza with your favorite toppings; mozzarella, fennel sausage, roasted peppers, and oil-cured olives. 

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Joey’s House of Pizza

897 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210
Phone: 615-254-5639
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Joey’s House of Pizza is a family-owned and run New York-style pizzeria, specializing in classic round pies and Sicilian square double-stuffed slices. Joey’s family are Italian Americans from Brooklyn that use family recipes to create a pizza that New York natives would certainly approve of. Joey’s has served Nashville’s Berry Hill neighborhood for over 20 years and was voted best pizza in Nashville. It’s hard to choose between the classic round whole pie, the Sicilian double-stuffed pie, so I recommend a double-crust and whole Italian pie slice. In addition, they have one round pie special that I recommend with meatballs, Italian sausage, chicken, spinach, artichokes, eggplant, and fresh tomatoes.       


NY Pie

6800 Charlotte Pike #105, Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: 615-915-1617
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NY Pie owner Greg has been working in pizzerias in New Jersey and New York since he was 12 years old and learning the NY-style pizza business from the best of them. Consequently, NY Pie serves some of the most authentic New York-style pies in Nashville and is a favorite Nashville West neighborhood pizzeria where you can watch the pros toss giant saucer sized dough while you wait for your meal.  Pizzas are thin and crispy, baking for a few minutes in NY Pie’s giant brick ovens. They also have a delicious NY calzone and Stromboli selection. You can build your own thin-crust pie or order a full-sized square Sicilian pizza choosing from over 30 fresh toppings. If you want to keep it simple with a specialty pie, I recommend the NY White with ricotta and mozzarella, fresh minced garlic, and extra virgin olive oil drizzle.


Manny’s House of Pizza

15 Arcade Alley, Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: 615-242-7144
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Located in Downtown Nashville’s historic Arcade Building, Manny’s House of Pizza has been a Nashville favorite since 1984, when New York transplant Manny Macca started serving classic New York-style thin crust and thick crust Sicilian pies. In addition to amazing pies, Manny’s has delectable subs, calzones, pasta, and lasagna. I recommend trying an eggplant parmesan pizza roll made from Manny’s secret-recipe pizza dough that has been stuffed with classic breaded eggplant and parmesan filling and served with a side of fresh marinara sauce. True to New York-style pizza, you can buy pizza by the slice in every variation, whether you want plain cheese or an elaborate 5-topping slice. 


Bella Napoli Pizzeria

1200 Villa Pl #206, Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-891-1387
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Located in the Edgehill neighborhood in a quaint old house with exposed brick walls and rustic wood floors, Bella Napoli Pizzeria is a classic Neapolitan pizzeria, importing all the ingredients to make their dough and sauce directly from Italy. Plus, Chef and Owner Paolo Tramontano are from a small town 10 miles north of Naples, so you know you’re getting the real deal. In addition to wood-fired pizzas, Bella Napoli offers an extensive menu with all the classic Italian favorites from pasta to main courses to authentic Italian cocktails. I recommend starting with the fried calamari. As for the perfectly bubbly Neapolitan pizza, I recommend the Salsiccia with fresh mozzarella, homemade Italian sausage, broccolini, and fresh garlic.  


Pizza Perfect

Multiple locations
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Pizza Perfect is a Nashville staple, serving fresh-baked bread, sandwiches, pasta, and gas-fired pizzas to the Bellevue and Hillsborough neighborhoods since 1983. Pizza Perfect strives for freshness, creating all sauces, bread, dough, and pasta from scratch using preservative-free ingredients. They’ve received plenty of press over the years, including #1 Pizza from Nashville Scene magazine. Both locations have great specials, including two-for-one pizza and beer on Mondays and large cheese pizzas for under $14 on Wednesday nights. In addition, they have a great selection of draft and bottled beer to pair with your pizza. I recommend their Mexican-inspired thin-crust pie, Dante’s Chicken pie with habanero sauce, chicken, spinach, onions, bacon, tomatoes, cheddar, and mozzarella.


Coco’s Italian Market

411 51st Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: 615-783-0114
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Located in the Sylvan Park neighborhood a few blocks from Richland Park, Coco’s Italian Market is owned and run by the Cinelli family, who hail from the Campania and Lazio regions of Italy. Coco’s Italian Market is a classic Italian restaurant, using the family’s deep-rooted classic Italian recipes. Their specialties include Tuscan specialties like the white bean dish Manast and amazing house-made pasta dishes. Their pizzas are thin-crust, super crispy pizzas that utilize American flavors and influences in their specialty pies. Take, for example, the Cheesesteak pizza with shaved Italian beef, mushrooms, peppers, and onions, with an alfredo sauce base.

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‘za Wood Fired Pizza

2005 Belcourt Ave, Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-622-4457
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Located between the Hillsboro West End and Edgehill neighborhoods, ‘za Wood Fired Pizza is a classic southern Italian pizzeria that uses locally sourced ingredients and flavors from the deep south to inspire their delicious specialty pizzas. They also offer a small selection of local craft beers and canned microbrewery beers along with white and red wine. They serve their delicious pizzas with your choice of housemade dips from ranch to spicy honey to pesto and many more. I recommend the Pine Yapple Pizza with white sauce, mozzarella, pineapple agrodolce sauce, pork sausage, and Fresno chilies for a sweet and spicy burst that will tickle your tastebuds.


Mafiaoza’s

2400 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: 615-269-4646
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Located a quick drive from Vanderbilt University in a cute, comfortable, and lively space in the Edgehill neighborhood, Mafiaoza’s is a New York-style pizza and pub. They claim to provide “1920’s-style” New York Italian food and service in a great indoor and outdoor dining area adorned with mafia-themed photos and décor. Their menu is likewise a nod to famous 1920’s mafia bosses and characters in the iconic Godfather Trilogy. I recommend “The Last Request” pizza with pepperoni, sausage, salami, black olives, onions, green peppers, garlic, extra cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, and jalapenos. I found the name fitting, as I would likely order a similar combination if it were my last meal. 


Two Boots Nashville

1925 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-340-4343
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Located on the liveliest nightlife famous Broadway Street, Two Boots Nashville offers a funky, quirky, and unique pizza experience from food to the atmosphere. The food at Two Boots is a combination of New York Italian and Cajun cooking, an unlikely combination that blends perfectly into an explosion of spicy, sweet, and savory pizzas. They offer an extensive menu of vegan and vegetarian pizzas in addition to meat lovers pizzas and Calzones. I recommend trying their classic Cajun foundational pizzas, namely the Bayou Beast, with spiced shrimp, crawfish, andouille, jalapenos, and mozzarella.


Pastaria

8 City Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: 615-915-1866
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Located on the northeast corner of Nashville’s famous Centennial Park, Pastaria is a modern Italian restaurant offering fresh organic ingredient-based pasta, antipasti, entrées, and wood-fired pizzas. They have a classy, industrial-chic dining room with an open kitchen and full cocktail bar. Pastaria is a classy yet comfortable sit-down multi-course Italian meal experience to share with family, friends, or a significant other. I recommend starting with the wood-fired delicata squash served with ricotta encrusted with herb citrus breadcrumbs and topped with pepitas and pepperoni oil. I also recommend splitting a wood-fired pizza like the spicy Nduja while you wait for a spectacular pasta dish like the pistachio ravioli or the Garganelli pork ragu.


Porta Via Ristorante e Bar

21 White Bridge Rd #104, Nashville, TN 37205
Phone: 615-356-0001
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Located in West Nashville’s Belle Meade neighborhood, Porta Via Ristorante e Bar is a fine-dining authentic Italian bistro serving VPN-certified Neapolitan pizza, house-made pasta, salads, antipasti, entrees, and even homemade gelato. They also have a large cocktail and wine menu. The restaurant space is as traditional Italian as it gets, with a tiled fountain, cherry pergola, and Florentine plastered walls. Porta Via offers dinner and weekend brunch. As a fine-dining establishment, you’ll want to order multiple courses, and their certified authentic Neapolitan pizzas are a hit. I recommend the Bianca with mozzarella, shaved Parmigiano, prosciutto, arugula, olive oil, and pesto. 


312 Pizza Company

371 Monroe St, Nashville, TN 37208
Phone: 615-730-7888
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Located in Nashville’s famous Germantown neighborhood, 312 Pizza Company is a family-owned and run Chicago-style pizzeria whose native Chicagoan owners come from Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood, where the pizza pie culture originated. They use Nashville-local produce, meats, and cheeses to create these colossal deep-dish masterpieces that are as hearty and decadent as pizza gets. They have a full bar and cocktail menu at 312 Pizza, along with a wine and beer list to pair with their pizza. You can build your own pie or choose from their excellent specialty options. I recommend the Capone with sausage chunk, pepperoni, Italian beef, and bacon.


PennePazze

3826 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: 615-730-3088
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Located inside the Sylvan Heights L&L Market, PennePazze takes full advantage of the surrounding produce vendors and local cheese and meat merchants to create a true farm-to-table Italian eating experience. The cute open-kitchen dining room and nice outdoor patio space make for an entertaining and lively atmosphere to enjoy a fresh Italian meal. Their pizzas are wood-fired personal-sized oval-shaped pizzas with bubbly and crispy crusts served on the very rectangular pizza stone. They offer pizzas of the day with the freshest produce as well as vegan pizza options. I recommend the Pizza Maeducata with tomato sauce, fontina cheese, pancetta, and onion jam for meat-eaters.

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Mangia Nashville

701 Craighead St, Berry Hill, TN 37204
Phone: 615-750-5233
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Located in Nashville’s historic Melrose District, Mangia Nashville is a focacceria, ristorante, and bar with a traditional Italian menu and a family-style communal dining arrangement. Mangia has received national praise on Food Network shows, and owner Nick Pellegrino has been called the Godfather of Italian “pop-up” dining by Tripadvisor. You can choose from a casual dine-in weekly menu or a set weekend feast menu that rotates and features the chef’s selection of a lavish multi-course meal. They serve Neapolitan wood-fired pizza with your choice of roasted garlic crust or a black carbon crust. I recommend either the Truffle Shroom pizza with ricotta, crimini mushrooms, black truffle, or the Mortadella Pistachio pie with ricotta, pesto, mozzarella, mortadella, burrata, and pistachio.


TennFold

2408 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: 615-727-7577
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Located between the Hargis Heights and Merry Oaks neighborhoods, TennFld is a brewery, whiskey and cocktail bar, and pizza-forward bar food eatery. Along with a massive list of cocktails, whiskey, and artisanal craft beer, their gourmet bar fare takes comfort food to a classy and refined level with beautiful-looking food on industrial-looking sheet pans. In addition to pizzas, they have amazing-looking burgers, seasoned and battered fries, and sweet potato fries, and baby-back ribs, not to mention a full menu of entrees, appetizers, salads, and bowls. If you want pizza, I recommend the caramelized onion and brie pizza with arugula and lemon vinaigrette.


TailGate Brewery

7300 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: 615-861-9842
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TailGate Brewery is a craft beer brewery with three lively locations in Nashville. Each has its own colorful and creative indoor and outdoor eating space and a state-of-the-art onsite brewery from which they source all their draft beer offerings. You can find a TailGate Brewery in West Nashville, Music Row, and East Nashville. Beer lovers and families seeking a fun, colorful, and creative dining experience will love TailGate brewery’s atmosphere. You can even bring your furry friends to their giant outdoor seating areas. They have a creative menu full of delicious and innovative creations, with pizza and other bar fares. I recommend the Nashville Hot Chicken pizza with breaded spicy fried chicken and sliced dill pickles.


City House

1222 4th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208
Phone: 615-736-5838
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Located in Nashville’s Germantown, City House is an upscale southern fusion kitchen, pizzeria, and cocktail bar with some of the most delicious specialty pizza and small plate combinations I’ve ever seen. They are the only James-Beard award-winning restaurant on my list, and they are more than worthy of this lofty culinary award. Their expertly crafted cocktails and their dessert offerings are equally as interesting and stunning as the dinner menu. I recommend starting with sour corn cakes with pickled beets and mustard greens topped with bleu cheese and a beet mustard dressing. As for pizza, you really must read the menu to get an idea of just how special these pizzas are. I tried the specialty pizza with apples, kohlrabi, bacon, ricotta, and parmesan.


Roberta’s Pop-Up at Urban Cowboy Public House

103 N 16th St, Nashville, TN 37206
Phone: 347-840-0525
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If you’re looking for a high-end New York bar experience with a rustic, southern twist, come to the Urban Cowboy boutique hotel’s Public House. This stunning rustic and industrial-chic hotel and bar in East Nashville’s Lockeland Springs neighborhood has a pop-up restaurant from one of New York’s most famous pizzerias, Roberta’s. While you won’t get the full New York menu, Roberta’s pop-up menu has a selection of Roberta’s most famous pizza offerings. Roberta’s is a wood-fired pizzeria, offering the perfect mix of Italian and Neapolitan-style pizzas with contemporary ingredient combinations. I recommend trying the Bee Sting pizza with tomato, mozzarella, soppressata, basil, chili, and honey. 


Folk

823 Meridian St, Nashville, TN 37207
Phone: 615-610-2595
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Located in Nashville’s Greenwood neighborhood, Folk is a contemporary Italian kitchen in a beautifully light and airy industrial-chic space with exposed brick walls draped with hanging plants. They use the freshest locally sourced proteins, cheeses, and produce to create a delicious multi-course menu of small plates, pizzas, and seafood and meat main dishes. I recommend trying a small plate from the vegetable and fruit menu because they are veritable works of art that are almost too pretty to eat. Pizzas should be the second course in anticipation of hearty seafood or steak main dish. Their pizzas are as colorful as their veggie plates. I recommend the pizza with radicchio, smoked mozzarella, pecorino, hot honey, and crunchy fried garlic.


Mellow Mushroom

Multiple locations
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Located in the heart of the famous Broadway strip surrounded by bars and music venues, Mellow Mushroom is a favorite for late-night slices to fuel Nashville’s young bar hoppers. They make their dough from scratch and offer a full menu of calzones, burgers, salads, and bar snacks. Of course, they’re also a bar themselves, offering a whopping 32-beer selection along with handcrafted cocktails. They use their scratch-made pizza dough to make some spectacular bar snacks like giant pretzels and cheesy bread. Mellow Mushroom’s psychedelic-looking pizzas aptly represent the restaurant’s groovy name and vibe. I recommend the Kosmic Karma pizza with red sauce, spinach, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese with a pesto drizzle applied in a bulls-eye-shaped swirl. 

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Written by Brian Nagele

Brian attended West Virginia University, then started his career in the IT industry before following his passion for marketing and hospitality. He has over 20 years experience in the restaurant and bar industry.

As a former restaurant owner, he knows about running a food business and loves to eat and enjoy cocktails on a regular basis. He constantly travels to new cities tasting and reviewing the most popular spots.

Follow him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Quora, Google Guide and Facebook.