Each year, we ask Orange County Register readers to choose their favorite places to shop, dine, play and do business in OC.
Here are the top picks for Best pizza restaurant:
1. Mama Roscoe’s Pizzeria
444 N. Lakeview Ave., Anaheim; 657-221-0076; mamaroscoespizzeria
Just the way Mama would have done it if mom opened a pizza place: that was the guiding philosophy for Mama Roscoe’s Pizzeria when it opened its doors in Anaheim in 2023.
And in only 2½ years the word is getting out, particularly among those who value high-quality pizza in an old-school, 1970s style.
“What we’ve done is take Mama’s recipes, with our own little twist,” says owner Dwayne Roscoe, who came up with the concept in 2019 and winnowed it during the pandemic.
As great as Mama’s cooking was, it was never written down.
“We’re unique. We do things in old-fashioned ways. We make our own meatballs and ranch dressing, and the things that modern pizza places don’t do,” Roscoe says.
The ranch dressing, for example, took two years to get just right.
“I nailed it literally a week before we opened,” he said, noting it has the perfect “dill kick.”
Specialties, combining old and new include: Dad’s Home Run Special, a meat lover’s dream; Mama’s creation, which celebrates Judy Roscoe’s Mexican heritage with taco beef, bell peppers, red onion and jalapeño; and J&D’s B-B-Q Chicken, created by brothers Jon and Dwayne.
There are also starters, sandwiches, salads and desserts.
For the time being, Dwayne Roscoe says his goal is to build the brand name and reputation from scratch and, if all works, expand.
“Our motto is zero to one and more,” he said.
— Greg Mellen
2. Riip Beer & Pizza
Huntington Beach; 714-660-7447, riip.com
The culinary roots of Ryan “Riip” Rasmussen are in brewing. His craft Riip Beer Company has been consistently recognized, including 2024 Brewery of the Year in the 2,000-5,000 barrel category at the Great American Beer Festival.
However, his popularity in complementing his brews with high-class pizza and the old-school pizzeria vibe of his youth, are a runaway success.
“Our concept was a retro parlor with arcades, beer and wings with an elevated concept,” Rasmussen said.
Part of that comes from Riip’s artisanal, scratch-made doughs.
“You want to finish our crusts,” Rasmussen said.
Additionally, he says, nothing comes out of a jar or can.
WIth 21 thin-slice and 20 rectangular Detroit-style focaccia-crust pizzas, most available by slice or whole pie, there’s no shortage of flavors. Particularly popular are the “Riipin Bowls,” named for the owner and shape of the cooked pepperoni slices and several takes on creamy burrata cheese and hot honey pizzas.
Riip Beer & Pizza has two Huntington Beach locations — one on Pacific Coast Highway next to Riip’s brewery in Sunset Beach and another at Magnolia Street and Garfield Avenue in the south end of town.
3. Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletano
101 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton; 714-626-0727; fuocopizza.com
It takes a certain skill set to make the perfect, authentic Naples-style, or Napoletano, pizza. And a particular palette to fully appreciate it. If you know, you know, and those in the know rave about family-owned and operated Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletano.
Proudly proclaiming “three generations of pizzaiolo,” or pizza chefs, and an Italian imported hand-crafted oven made from volcanic sand from Mt. Vesuvius and Italian Biscotto bricks, or pizza stones, this is as authentic as it gets.
Speaking of authenticity, the restaurant also imports all its main ingredients from Italy, including, it says “fine double zero ’00,’ flour and San Marzano tomatoes.”
Because, “both from Napoli are essential.”
The pizzas come in 24 varieties, starting from classic Marinara or Margherita bases and branching into myriad and exciting flavor directions.
Close your eyes and you can almost imagine you’ve been transported to the Spaccanapoli.
Dining and Cooking