It’s National Pizza Month! These Are America's 25 Best Pizzerias

Not all pizza is created equal, but many people would argue that just about all of it is pretty darn good. While purists might still consider an old-school Neapolitan pie a cut above the rest, the growing diversity in the world of pizza is definitely a good thing for our taste buds.

In honor of National Pizza Month, The Daily Meal combed every corner of the country to find out which pizzerias are serving the most delicious slices of pie. The team researched the newest and best pizzerias across the nation, created a survey that included almost 1000 of them, and then sent that survey to chefs, restaurant critics, bloggers, writers, and other culinary authorities.

The survey asked panelists to vote for their favorite pizzerias based on a rather open-ended definition of “the perfect pie,” which The Daily Meal explains must have a “neither too sweet nor too salty” sauce, “well-distributed cheese,” “sensibly combined toppings,” a “flavorful, savory crust,” and “a judicious, well-balanced and pleasing ratio” of ingredients that “maintains a structural integrity no matter the style.”

Based on that definition, it seems like voters were pretty much asked to follow their hearts. Did their hearts (and other senses) lead them to New York, pizza’s biggest braggart? For many of them, yes: Out of the top 25 pizzerias, 12 of them are located in New York.

Having said that, the list was not without its surprises. The legendary Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Connecticut, took the top spot, trailed by Brooklyn-based Lucali and Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Though the East Coast undoubtedly dominated, Arizona, Oregon, and California each made the list once, and Illinois claimed a respectable three spots.

The pies themselves ranged from Sicilian-style to Chicago’s polarizing deep dish, and each one is its own unique thing of beauty.

Take a look at the top 25 below, and see The Daily Meal’s comprehensive list of the 101 best pizzerias here.

1. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (New Haven, Connecticut)

1. Lucali (Brooklyn, New York)

1. Razza Pizza Artigianale (Jersey City, New Jersey)

1. Pequod’s (Chicago, Illinois)

1. Buddy’s Pizza (Detroit, Michigan)

1. Totonno’s (Brooklyn, New York)

1. Sally’s Apizza (New Haven, Connecticut)

1. Patsy’s (New York, New York)

1. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria (Chicago, Illinois)

1. John’s of Bleecker Street (New York, New York)

1. Joe’s (New York, New York)

1. Santarpio’s (Boston, Massachusetts)

1. Una Pizza Napoletana (New York, New York)

1. Prince St. Pizza (New York, New York)

1. Pizzeria Beddia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

1. Di Fara (Brooklyn, New York)

1. Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix, Arizona)

1. Grimaldi’s (Brooklyn, New York)

1. Lombardi’s (New York, New York)

1. Modern Apizza (New Haven, Connecticut)

1. Piece (Chicago, Illinois)

1. Pizzeria Delfina (San Francisco, California)

1. Lovely’s Fifty Fifty (Portland, Oregon)

1. Motorino (New York, New York)

1. Roberta’s (Brooklyn, New York)

By the way: Did you know that the word pizza dates all the way back to 997 CE? Find out more mouthwatering pizza facts here.

[h/t The Daily Meal]