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A go-to list of family-friendly spots for an easy lunch, dinner, or post-practice slice—or when you want just really good pizza.
At a Glance
15 great pizza spots across all five NYC boroughs
A mix of classic slice shops and sit-down neighborhood pizzerias
Includes well-known favorites and a few local gems
Good options for a quick bite, takeout, or a casual family meal
What to try at each spot, from simple cheese slices to specialty pies
Prices range from affordable slices to full pies
Ask 10 New Yorkers their favorite pizza spot, and you’ll get 10 arguments. That’s fine because that’s New York, and we have a lot of informed opinions. Plus, pizza here isn’t just food, it’s geography, loyalty, and a little bit of identity. As a native Brooklynite, I’ll always argue that Brooklyn pizza deserves top honors (though long gone are the days when I could get a slice and a Coke on Fridays at Joe’s Pizzeria in Windsor Terrace for a dollar!).
Still, anywhere you go in the city, New York pizza remains a cut above the rest of the nation, hands down.
Whether you just want an authentic New York slice, a Sicilian or two, a pie with all the toppings, or something brand new, these pizza places will not disappoint. Here are some of the top spots worth going out of your way for, across all five boroughs, that make a perfect family snack, lunch, or dinner … because you can never go wrong with a good slice!
Psst… Check Out NYC Grabs #1 Spot in Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat: 5 Family-Friendly Winners
15 Best Pizza Spots in NYC
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Manhattan
John’s of Bleecker Street
278 Bleecker St.
$23–$57+ for full pies — no slices
Sit down, share a pie where they’ve been making pizza since 1929 in a converted old church on Bleecker, and the coal-fired oven hasn’t changed much. The crust is thin and blistered just right. If you’ve never had the white pie, it’s time you tried it. With ricotta, garlic, mozzarella, and no sauce, it’s somehow better than it has any right to be, and perfect for kids who don’t like sauce. If older teens or adults you want heat, the Piccante has cherry peppers and red pepper that actually bites back.
L’Industrie
197 Grand St., Little Italy
Also in the West Village and Williamsburg
$3.50–$7.50 / slice
This one’s from Pistoia, not Brooklyn, and you can taste the difference… but in a good way. The dough has more going on than your average corner slice shop. Adventurous types may want to try the burrata slice with fig jam and bacon. The kids will be happy with plain cheese. Multiple locations now, but the Little Italy original still has the best vibe.
Joe’s Pizza
7 Carmine St.
Additional locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn
$4.50–$5.50 / slice
Everyone knows Joe’s, and there’s a reason it’s been on Carmine Street since 1975 and still has a line at 2 pm on a Tuesday. In true New York style, grab a slice, fold it down the middle, and eat it while you walk. Cheese or fresh mozz is your choice, but no matter what you choose, it’s reliably and consistently good every single time, and that counts for a lot in this city.
NY Pizza Suprema
413 8th Ave., across from Madison Square Garden
$4.50–$7.50 / slice
Around since 1964, same Italian family, same location, it’s right across from Penn Station and MSG. Authentic, quality ingredients: five different house red sauces, 30-month aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and imported olive oil. The selection is huge, with classic round, grandma, Sicilian, a fig slice with ricotta and hot honey, specialty pies, and even solid vegan options. Lines move fast. Open every day until midnight.
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Brooklyn
Lucali
575 Henry St., Carroll Gardens
$32 whole pie + toppings
Baby Luc’s on Court St. = slices at $3.50–$4
People wait two hours for this pizza and leave happy. That should tell you something. Lucali is cash-only, no reservations, no slices. You show up, put your name down, and either wait outside or grab a drink nearby and come back. Owner Mark Iacono’s pies are handmade and simple, with thin crust with a little char, fresh tomato, basil, and good cheese. If the wait doesn’t work with the kids, go to Baby Luc’s on Court Street instead; same pizza, sold by the slice.
Smiling Pizza
323 7th Ave., Park Slope
$3–$6 / slice
Over 50 years old and still right there at 7th and 9th in Park Slope. Santo Zito came from Sicily, worked a dozen different jobs, and eventually landed here — and this became his life’s work. Now it’s on the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. Thankfully, the neighborhood refused to let it disappear, and how many of us stop in there on the way home from visiting a friend, relative, or new baby at the NY Methodist Hospital?! Grandma slice is excellent. The loaded specialty pie with pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, the works, if you’re really hungry. Go on a weekday if you can, since tables fill fast.
Krispy Pizza
7112 13th Ave., Dyker Heights
Multiple locations in NJ
$3.50–$5 / slice
A family business, now on the second generation. The name is accurate as the crust has a good snap to it, and the sauce leans a little richer than most. Nothing on the menu is going to surprise you, which is sort of the point. You want a square? They have it. Vodka slice? Yep. Buffalo chicken if the kids are going through a phase? Also yes. It’s an authentic neighborhood pizza spot that does what it’s supposed to do, and has been for decades.
Di Fara
1424 Avenue J, Midwood
$6–$8 / slice
Worth the trip to Midwood, worth the wait, worth the price. Dom DeMarco spent decades perfecting this pizza, with fresh mozzarella, good Parmesan, and basil snipped right over the pie before it comes out. The result is the kind of pizza that makes you happy to be a New Yorker. Brooklyn College kids have been coming here forever, and so have people who drive in from New Jersey.
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Queens
Philomena’s
41-16 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside
$4–$8 / slice
Queens pizza lovers have loved this place for years. This pizza is juicier than most, so be warned, it drips. The sauce is tangy and garlicky, and somehow the crust stays crispy enough to handle it. Kids will have a great time and maybe make a mess. White pie and vodka pie are both delicious options here, too.
Amore Pizza
30-30 Stratton St., Flushing
$3.50–$4.50 / slice
Amore Pizzeria is a classic NYC neighborhood gem, serving up thin crust, that perfect cheese pull, and a mellow, well-balanced sauce. The meatball pie is worth ordering if you want something more substantial. Prices are still reasonable, which is getting harder to say about anywhere in this city. You can bring the family, split a few slices, and go home full and satisfied.
Rosario’s Pizza
22-55 31st St., Astoria
$3.75–$5 / slice
Astoria’s got a lot going on, and Rosario’s fits right into the neighborhood; it’s unpretentious, consistent, and never going to let you down. Thin slices with a real fold, Sicilian squares, and a few specialty options are available. It’s the spot you end up at after the park, museum, or just a long Saturday of errands and practices.
The Bronx
Louie & Ernie’s Pizza
1300 Crosby Ave., Schuylerville
$3.50–$5 / slice
Started in Harlem in 1947, it’s been in the Schuylerville neighborhood since 1959, and still one of the most argued-about slices in the city. The crust is impossibly thin without being cracker-dry, and it holds, it folds, it doesn’t fall apart on you. The fennel sausage pie is made with links from a nearby deli, and it’s the one everyone tells you to get, but don’t rule out a white pie with ricotta and mozzarella. There is backyard seating in warm weather, and it’s cash only, so stop at the ATM first.
Emilio’s of Morris Park
1051 Morris Park Ave., Morris Park
$4–$7 / slice
Morris Park is the Bronx’s Italian neighborhood, and Emilio’s has been part of it for years. The pizza that put them on the map is the chicken vodka pie: grilled chicken over a penne vodka–style sauce, and somehow the thin crust holds it all together without getting soggy. The white slice is aggressively garlicky with ricotta islands and stretchy mozzarella, which is either too much or exactly right depending on your preference. It’s more of a sit-down spot than a grab-and-go, which suits the neighborhood perfectly.
Staten Island
Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern
524 Port Richmond Ave., Port Richmond
Full pie $21.45 and up
Open since 1937, Denino’s is a tavern and pizzeria, with thin, crispy pies with a slightly charred bottom and toppings. The sausage and onion pie is the local legend order, and has been on the menu forever. It’s a big, busy, family-friendly spot with a lot of energy on weekends. Not a slice-and-go situation; you’re sitting down, ordering a pie, maybe some fried calamari to start. Staten Island pizza culture at its most classic.
Lee’s Tavern
60 Hancock St., Dongan Hills
Full pies sold only, call for prices
Bar pies are their whole thing here, and they’ve been doing it since 1940. The crust is thin, almost to the point of cracker territory but stays crispy, and holds its toppings. The clam pie is what many come for, with white sauce, garlic, herbs, tender clams, no cheese. It is one of the better versions of it you’ll find anywhere in the five boroughs.
Psst…Check Out 8 of the Best Pizza by the Slice on Long Island: Local Spots & Unexpected Gems
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