Marisol Doyle, shown in this 2023 file photo, is the award-winning chef at Leña Pizza + Bagels in Cleveland. She ranks among the best pizza makers in the world.
Rory Doyle
USA TODAY Network, Reuters
One of Mississippi’s biggest food success stories just earned a new honor. A Cleveland pizza spot was named among the 50 best in the world. The global recognition comes months after it also made a prestigious list of the Top 10 in the U.S.
The chef, Marisol Doyle, owner and chef of Leña Pizza + Bagels in Cleveland, also was named among the 50 best pizza chefs in the world earlier this summer.
Menu items pair traditional Neapolitan pizza techniques with flavors from the chef’s Mexican heritage and Southern food icons from the Mississippi Delta.
Looking for a great slice? This restaurant is worth the trip.
Mississippi pizza restaurant named among world’s Top 50
Leña Pizza + Bagels ranks No. 38 in the world. The 50 Top Pizza list was named in Naples, Italy, on Sept. 15, 2026.
“It’s such an honor to be here in Naples for the 50 Top Pizza global event,” said Doyle. “Most pizzerias on the list are based in big metropolitan areas, so it means the world to us to represent our small town of Cleveland, Mississippi. We’re so thankful to 50 Top, our supporters back home, and all the customers who have walked through our doors. None of this is even possible without the great team at Leña, and I want to dedicate this to them.”
Earlier this year, the restaurant was named the No. 9 best pizza place in the U.S., according to 50 Top Pizza. Last year, it was No. 38.
Her unique style keeps customers coming back for more. The Potato Bacon Blanca is a special featuring white parmesan sauce, roasted potatoes, bacon, mozzarella and green onions.
The New York Times called it one of the 22 best pizza places in the country in 2024.
Marisol Doyle lands in global Top 50 rankings
Doyle was named No. 48 among the 2026 Best Chef Pizza rankings. The honors were announced in June at the 2026 Best Pizza Awards in Milan, Italy. She was also a speaker at the industry event.
Doyle was also named the “2026 Pizza Maker of the Year” at the 50 Top Pizza awards. The individual honor recognizes someone whose work stands out for quality and creativity.
Marisol Doyle serves authentic artisan pizzas at Leña Pizza + Bagels in Cleveland. Rory Doyle USA TODAY Network, Reuters How Marisol Doyle brought world-class pizza to Mississippi
Doyle, born and raised in Mexico, met her husband, Rory Doyle, in Arizona. The couple moved to Cleveland when he started working with Delta State University.
“We eventually grew to love Cleveland,” Marisol Doyle said in a 2023 interview with The Clarion Ledger. “It’s small enough that you get to know people, and it has a really cool downtown. We made friends, and we have stayed.”
Doyle worked in restaurants and managed a place in Cleveland for about a decade. She burned out and didn’t plan to work in the food industry. But “dabbling” with bagels with a friend for the Cleveland Farmers Market led to more.
For about a year, she worked at a business in Clarksdale focusing on coffee and bagels. It helped local teens learn how to enter the workforce as part of an economic education and development project.
Then the couple decided to develop a pizza restaurant in downtown Cleveland.
Marisol Doyle trained at Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Naples, Italy, and at the Scuola di Pizzaiolo, which is near the city.
Leña Pizza + Bagels launched in 2023. Since then, it’s thrived, drawing visitors from around the world.
Doyle and the restaurant have earned other accolades from the New York Times, Bon Appétit, Food &Wine, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, and Pizza Today.
Leña Pizza + Bagels hours, location and menu
Leña Pizza + Bagels is at 331 Cotton Row, Cleveland, Mississippi. It’s closed for a short break and will reopen on Oct. 1.
The restaurant is usually open for pizza from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 4:30-7:30 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month only. Bagels are available from 9-11:30 a.m. or until they sell out on Saturdays.
The menu changes weekly, and hours might change. The restaurant advises following their Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY NETWORK. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com. Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform @GreenOkra1. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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