10 Best Pizza Joints In New Jersey

Coming up with the 10 Best Pizza Joints on National Pizza Day is difficult. With hundred of pizza places across the state, finding just 10 comes down to word of mouth. Today Is National Pizza Day and I feel the need to put together an informal list of the best the Garden State has to offer.

There’s nothing more satisfying than a freshly baked pizza right out of the oven from your favorite New Jersey pizza place or bar.

Everything from the creamy melted mozzarella to the flavor infused sauce, to the crust, which should be crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. If we're talking thin crust, I like it light and crispy.

I love all styles of pizza, but Neopolitan style seems to be the most popular with Sicilian coming in 2nd.

The crust should enhance the toppings of the pizza, not overpower them. I love a zesty tomato sauce on my pie with a light sprinkle of aged parmesan.

My favorite topping is homemade fresh sausage.

Pepperoni is America’s favorite topping, but I'm not a big fan of pepperoni, too greasy for me. Although I’d eat a pepperoni slice before I’d go near a slice topped with pineapple…yuck!

I can always tell when a place uses ingredients of a lesser quality. I’ve encountered quite a few places in my travels that use low grade ingredients, like rubbery low fat mozzarella cheese, or industrial size bags of pre-shredded cheese. The pre-shredded stuff has a ton of preservatives and anti-clumping agents. None of that garbage has any flavor!

I love the consistency of good whole milk mozzarella. A good cheese pull and a flavorful quality product seal the deal for me.

A pizza crust’s list of ingredients should be simple. No artificial or inferior ingredients, ever.

I follow a group of pizza lovers on Guy Madsen’s “Jersey Pizza Joints” Facebook page, which has over 100,000 members.

Guy is the main organizer of New Jersey’s Annual Pizza Bowl which just completed its 4th annual competition event.

Vinnie's Mootz of Lyndhurst, whose thin and crisp grandma pie topped with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes took home the prize on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 at Redd's Restaurant in Carlstadt.

I look up to Guy and those who constantly contribute their opinions and great suggestions to the page. Thanks for doing what you do!

I've created an informal list of pizza joints in New Jersey for you to try, all based on the opinions of the preeminent pizza palates on the Jersey Pizza Joints page.

Gotta put the Mootz on the list! Winner of Pizza Bowl 4!  Some say the best mozzarella in Jersey is at Vinnie's Mootz.

After all, Vinnie was taught in Caserta, Italy to make his delicious version of fresh mozzarella.

Maria's won best Pizza in Central Jersey in Pizza Bowl 2, and are being featured today on News12 NJ on National Pizza Day!

Worth the drive from anywhere. Even Dave Portnoy gave them an 8.9. Conte's is a huge favorite of the JPJ crew. Ryan U. says he's been going to Conte's for years and declares it the Top 5 best in New Jersey.

A little closer to home for me. Thanks to JPJ member, Bob Scully for the introduction. A few have mentioned that the vodka slice is worth trying.

I must include the heartbeat of  the Jersey Shore. For a killer thin crust pie, Vic's is hard to beat.

This is a huge favorite for the JPJ crew and other fellow pizza lovers in my orbit. Lots of military personnel from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst eat here too. They give military folks a 10% discount. God bless the U.S. and our military♥

If you're looking for a square tomato pie with a light airy buttery crust, the Jersey crowd digs the daylights out of Kate & Al's. The sauce is a tad sweeter than I'm accustomed to, but the combination totally works . So good. Been around since 1955.

Quality ingredients are used at Delio's. That's one of many reasons they made this list. Shiloh V. from the JPJ page wrote: Delio’s in South Amboy is a place everyone in Central NJ needs to visit. The owners are awesome and make a great pie. Cheese to sauce ratio is spot on.

The cheese coverage on a pie I saw on the JPJ page drew me in. According to the fans of this place, the name is very fitting.

If thin & crispy is what you desire, then this might be a place you want to try. Fresh ingredients are used in their pizza creations. The place is clean and the staff is friendly. A big favorite of those who live in South Jersey.