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Williamsburg Pizza Restaurants You Have to Try

New York City is one of the largest cultural melting pots in the world, and Williamsburg is an exaggerated slice of New York’s characteristic diversity. 

Williamsburg’s central region is a historically Jewish neighborhood, home to the Hasidic community. Williamsburg’s North Side has a large Italian presence, while South Side Williamsburg is known as a Puerto Rican and Dominican area. East Williamsburg is the epicenter of hipster culture, with its countless breweries, distilleries, restaurants, and art galleries.   

delicious italian pizza served at a restaurant in Williamsburg

A visit to Williamsburg is an education in old world and new world cultures, and its proximity to the Lower East Side of Manhattan makes it an excellent place for young tourists and locals to explore, dine, and play.

Williamsburg has some of the city’s best breweries and beer gardens, so it only follows that they also have some of the best pizza in NYC. Williamsburg’s newfound hipness combined with its rich multicultural history makes its pizza spots especially diverse. Pizzerias range from trendy upscale gastropubs to mom-and-pop neighborhood staples to the classic NYC corner slice.

I did my research on where to get pizza in Williamsburg, so you don’t have to. I’ve found the best pizza in Williamsburg at the following pizza restaurants I describe below.


Best Pizza

33 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-599-2210
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Best Pizza
Source: Best Pizza

It’s hard to argue with the name of this pizzeria, located two blocks from the Williamsburg bridge in west Williamsburg. Owner and head chef Frank Pinello utilizes his background growing up in Brooklyn and Queens and his Sicilian Grandmother’s cooking as inspiration to create Best Pizza. He strives to revive the old-school New York City family-style pizzeria for the hipster generation to enjoy.

Chef Pinello is a celebrity chef with his own show on Vice about pizza. You can thus expect the pizzas at Best Pizza to live up to their name. They are wood-fired in a 100-year-old oven, with a simple yet delicious menu of build-your-own pies, hero sandwiches, and salads. I had a red pie with pickled veggies, caramelized onions, and Calabrian chili. 


Sal’s

544 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-388-6838
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Sal's Pizza
Source: Sal’s Pizza

Located in the center of Williamsburg, two blocks from the principal Meeker Ave. that turns into the Williamsburg Bridge, Sal’s is a classic take-out, delivery, and by-the-slice New York-style pizzeria. Named for the original owner, Sal’s has been a neighborhood staple for decades, its indoor seating area lined with black and white pictures of Sal and his family.

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Sal’s is known for their plain cheese pies and their fried capellini topping, but their menu has an extensive offering of pasta, salads, appetizers, calzones, and hero sandwiches. They offer the classic New York-style large round pizzas as well as the thicker, denser, square-shaped Sicilian pizza. You can get pizzas by the slice from a wide selection on display in the classic bar-level glass case. 


L’industrie Pizzeria

254 S 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-599-0002
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L'industrie Pizzeria
Source: L’industrie Pizzeria

L’industrie Pizzeria is a modern take on the classic New York pizzeria, offering gourmet versions of New York slices, pies, salads, and more at affordable prices. Located two blocks from the Williamsburg bridge and the Continental Army Plaza, L’industrie Pizzeria is owned and operated by Florence-native Massimo Lavelgia, who puts a more Italian spin on New York-style pizza.

Chef Massimo imports special ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, truffle, prosciutto, and olive oil directly from Italy. There is also a selection of soft-serve gelato, with flavors that rotate monthly. I recommend their Tartufo pizza with mozzarella, ricotta, portobello mushrooms, truffle sauce, and basil.   


Screamer’s Pizzeria

620 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Phone: 347-844-9412
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Source: Screamer’s Pizzeria

Located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Williamsburg, one block north of the giant McCarren Park, Screamer’s Pizzeria is a vegan pizzeria. Its hip vibe and quirky bright pink and turquoise table appeal to the hipster crowd. While meat lovers might be skeptical, these giant New York-style pizzas look and taste as good as any dairy and meat-topped pizzas.

All ingredients are plant-based and full of healthy, lean protein and fat. There’s a long list of amazing-looking specialty pies that taste as delicious as they sound. You can choose from a New York-style or Sicilian-style pie. I recommend the Clean Slide pizza, New York-style sesame-crusted pie with pesto, vegan cheese, house-made seitan sausage, marinated kale, and oregano oil drizzle.


Vinnie’s Pizzeria

148 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Phone: 718-782-7078
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Vinnie's Pizzeria
Source: Vinnie’s Pizzeria

Vinnie’s Pizzeria is a family-friendly, neighborhood favorite that has been serving delicious pizzas to Williamsburg’s Westside since 1960. The recipes for their delicious doughs and sauces have remained the same, but the concept changes constantly to offer some of New York’s most creative pies. One pie even comes in a “box” made out of pizza dough!

Vinnie’s award-winning menu and fun atmosphere, replete with a daily special “bored,” featuring specialty pie of the day plus a daily set of puns, has won Vinnie’s accolades in dozens of local and national press and media reports. You can choose from a meat, vegetarian, and vegan menu of pizzas at Vinnie’s. I recommend the Vinnie’s Supreme pizza with fresh mushrooms, green peppers, onions, sweet Italian sausage, pepperoni, and mozzarella. 

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Joe’s Pizza

216 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Phone: 718-388-2216
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Joe's Pizza
Source: Joe’s Pizza

Joe’s Pizza is another New York pizzeria institution run and operated by Joe Pozzuoli since 1975. Joe still works at their original Manhattan location rolling and flipping dough at 75-years old. Joe’s Pizza in west Williamsburg offers the same no-frills, simple yet perfect New York pizza at affordable prices as the other five locations. 

The pizza at Joe’s is consistently delicious, using high-quality ingredients and a fool-proof secret method that Joe himself personally teaches to his pizza chefs. There is no menu at Joe’s Pizza, just the old-school giant, cheap whole pizzas, and slices of the best cheese pizza you’ll ever taste. You can request a white pizza or toppings, selecting from the list available on the given day.


Carmine’s

358 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-782-9659
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Carmine's
Source: Carmine’s

Located in the trendy East Williamsburg neighborhood, Carmine’s is a cozy, colorful, and friendly neighborhood pizzeria, offering many New York-style and Sicilian pies. They offer pizza by the slice for lunch or dinner on the go, but their bright blue walls with old black and white family photos and the super friendly service make Carmine’s a great sport to dine in.

If you’re a Sicilian pizza fan, Carmine’s has the best in town. They have a huge selection of specialty pies, New York-style, Sicilian, and gluten-free pizzas, along with rolls, calzones, heroes, salads, and more. I recommend the thick-crust Sicilian sausage vodka pizza with fresh crumbled sweet Italian sausage, homemade vodka sauce, mozzarella, grated romano, and olive oil drizzle.


Patrizia’s of Williamsburg

35 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Phone: 718-218-9272
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Patrizia's of Williamsburg
Source: Patrizia’s of Williamsburg

Overlooking the Williamsburg bridge and the Manhattan skyline, a quick walk from Domino Park, Patrizia’s of Williamsburg is a family-friendly authentic Neapolitan pizzeria and eatery run by Naples native brothers Giacomo and Gennaro Alaio. Since they were adolescents, the Alaio brothers have been working in their family’s pizzerias and Italian restaurants in New York and Naples, utilizing their decades of experience to inform their award-winning Italian food.

They are known for their housemade pasta, so I would recommend ordering a delicious wood-fired Neapolitan Margherita pizza as an appetizer. I loved their rigatoni Da Vinci with shrimp and crabmeat in a pink sauce.


Leo

123 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-384-6531
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Leo
Source: Leo

Locate done block from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in central Williamsburg, Leo is a refined yet casual wine and cocktail bar and pizza bistro. Specializing in Neapolitan wood-fired pizza and small plates, Leo also has an outstanding natural wine and craft cocktail selection for a leisurely dinner with friends and family.

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Their delicious dough makes perfectly charred pizzas along with fresh, piping hot bread and butter served as an appetizer. They make some killer pork and beef meatballs with house-made tomato sauce, parmesan, and basil. Their pizzas are thin and crunchy with charred, chewy crusts. I recommend the clams pie with clams, cream, garlic, chili, parsley, and pecorino. 


Williamsburg Pizza Upper East Side

1617 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028
Phone: 212-457-3114
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Williamsburg Pizza Upper East Side
Source: Williamsburg Pizza Upper East Side

With multiple locations in New York, Williamsburg Pizza’s original location is in East Williamsburg, a few blocks from Sternberg Park. Known for their square-shaped specialty slices, Williamsburg also creates creative heart-shaped pizzas and other colorful creations out of their tiny corner pizza kitchen in an old-school brick wall spot with limited seating. They’re a great place to order take-out or pick up a few square slices. 

They serve New York-style round crust pizza or Grandma-Square crust pizza with delicious specialty options that cater to meat-eaters and vegans alike. I recommend their Grandma-square crust pizzas, especially the Apple Bacon pizza with smoked fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, bacon, crushed walnuts, gorgonzola, and apples.


Emmy Squared: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

364 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-360-4535
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Emmy Squared: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Source: Emmy Squared: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Located right off the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in front of the Jaime Campiz Playground, Emmy Squared is a Detroit-style pizzeria and American grill from the critically acclaimed chef and restaurateur couple Emily and Matthew Hyland. Despite its Detroit-inspired pizza, Emmy Squared originated in Brooklyn and has since expanded to eight locations around the nation.

Emmy Squared’s burgers are praised as the best burgers in NYC from both the Gothamist and The Infatuation, so I also recommend trying one of their burgers. Their Detroit-style square-shaped pizzas with a dense base and practically no crust are a unique and tasty diversion from New York-style pizza. I recommend the Colony pizza with spicy pepperoni, jalapenos, and honey drizzle.


Whether you’re looking for a trendy vegan-friendly pizza restaurant or a classic no-frills New York neighborhood pizzeria, you’ll find an excellent selection of the best pizza in Williamsburg on my list. 

If you’re looking to expand your culinary horizons a bit more, you can check out my list of the best restaurants in Williamsburg.

Did we leave out your favorite place to eat pizza? Let us know in the comment section below!

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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.

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