From Neapolitan to classic New York style, these L.A. pie purveyors are top-notch
Everyone has a pizza relationship, and it means many things to many people, such as a thin-crust New York-style pizza or deep-dish Chicago pie. No matter what you like on your pizza, it can be hard to narrow down a list of top pizzas when there are so many places in Los Angeles that serve them.
There have been new places popping up all over L.A., but there are some here that stand out from the pack and should keep you excited for future pizza adventures.
Some are so good, they could (almost) convince a cynical New Yorker to move to the West Coast.
This is why it was time for us to give you an updated L.A.'s best pizza ranking.
Here are our top pizza picks for your family. Still, please keep in mind that we aren't talking about these pizzerias' atmosphere, decor, and service. This article's takeaway is simple: you need to eat here before it becomes a chain with too many locations. Now go enjoy some delicious pie!
786 Degrees
Ali Haider operated a mobile pizza oven at Northridge and West Hollywood farmers markets before settling on a Sun Valley plaza for his permanent home back in 2015. His Naples-born oven incorporates Mt. Vesuvius volcanic rock and sports black shard tiles with "786" in red.
Smoldering olive and almond woods cook 786 pizzas. Halal meats top 12-inch pizzas that cook for 90 seconds at approximately 786 degrees Fahrenheit, hence, and obviously, the namesake.
A typical flavor combo may include Bombay Tikka Masala or the El Chapo, a Mexican-inspired pizza with a distinct and very unique flavor profile.
Their Pizzas complement different parts of the world and represent other countries and their uniqueness.
Location: 8879 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Unit #a., Sun Valley
Apollonia's Pizzeria
Their vibrant strip mall space features tile floors, graffiti splashed on white walls, and a bumping jukebox is where Justin De Leon and wife Linda have been "rolling in LA since 2012".
Most of the time, round pizza with pleasantly chewy crust is the only option, available with some unusual toppings and cheeky names like The Mayor's Mistress and The Adonis.
Their unique concoction, Apollonia's square pie, draws on Detroit pizza traditions. It comes topped with pepperoni, cheese, or Acapulco Gold with ricotta, truffle oil, and arugula. Pepperoni is delicious, teaming melted mozzarella with garlicky tomato sauce, chiffonade basil, savory Parmesan, and a crusty cheese skirt that forms from touching the sizzling hot pan.
Our picks are the Wilshire Margherita and The Mayor's Mistress. Both are worth the visit.
Location: 5176 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Burattino Brick Oven Pizza
With a tagline of "just listen! The CRUNCH will tell you everything you need to know!" you know you've found something special.
Burattino is a wooden puppet and the main character in "The Golden Key," a popular Russian children's book by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy that is based on Italy's Pinocchio. This character appears in paintings and photos on walls at Burattino Brick Oven Pizza in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Not the norm toppings appear on crispy, cracker-like crusts, including Black Magic pizza with black garlic and pepperoni and Croatian pizza with beef "prosciutto."
Their Christmas-colored Chori-Man Special may be Burattino's best bet, combining ultra-local red chorizo and green chorizo, bacon, garlic, chopped tomatoes, onions, mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce.
We recommend the 120 Pepperoni Pizza. At least 120 pieces of premium pepperoni on an 18" XL crust! Try it in three mouthwatering options, and pretty soon, you'll find yourself in a love triangle, as each sauce creates a different gourmet experience!
Location: 29701 S. Western Ave, Suite 103, Rancho Palos Verdes
Cosa Buona
Situated in a compact, 45-seat diner is what to expect with Chef Zach Pollack's place, Cosa Buona. These pizzas are everything you'd expect from a fab pizza joint, only supercharged.
Starting with the crust, which is char-pocked and easily pulls apart, which of course, is prepared in a legit wood-burning oven by Stefano Ferrara.
They have a stand-out version of a traditional pepperoni with crispy-cupped pepperoni discs, tomato, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano is excellent, but truth be told, so is the spicy sausage and mozzarella pie.
The Meat-Lovers is always a hot choice, and be sure to add Prosciutto!
Location: 2100 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles
Milo & Olive
A neighborhood bakery and pizzeria, Milo & Olive is a creation from Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan, the husband-and-wife team behind the Rustic Canyon Family of restaurants.
This place is, first and foremost, a bakery. In fact, the location was initially sought out simply as a larger space to craft and make bread for the owners' other restaurants, Rustic Canyon and Huckleberry.
It was a random and happenstance event when they stumbled on an area that had an additional seating area and kitchen attached. So what better to do than, of course, open a pizza joint.
Among the favorites are the crispy pepperoni and the mixed mushroom and seasonal pizza, such as one that incorporates Texas sweet onions and finocchiona salami.
The one you cannot pass up is the Breakfast Pizza. Pork belly sausage, farm egg, roasted potato, fontina cream, pickled Fresno chili, mozzarella.
Location: 2723 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
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