atlanta good food tagged interest

We’re the type of pizza people who throw around words like “leoparding” and “lo-mo.” And because it’s our job, we spend a considerable amount of time checking out newcomers, revisiting all the old classics, and chasing down pop-ups to make sure this list always represents the city’s finest. No matter how you slice it—whether it’s a Neapolitan for a bougie date night or deep dish with the crew, a New York-style or the new Atlanta-style pizza (you didn’t know?)—these are the best places to get a pie in the city.

THE SPOTS

Antico is the city’s Michael of pizza (anyone, Tyson, Jordan, Jackson), and they're one of the best pizzerias in America. They’ve nailed the perfectly charred, chewy doneness of the Neapolitan pie like no other. And like “flu game Jordan,” they’re never off their A-game—probably since they keep a short menu and a strict no-substitution rule. Steaming hot pizzas topped with imported Italian meats and cheeses come delivered to your table in near minutes after placing your order at the counter. While all of their four locations deliver quality pies, their always-busy Battery location is our favorite thanks to a big indoor/outdoor bar and a table turnover that rivals the speed of a fast food chain.

This Emory Village Italian restaurant is by far our top choice for a bougie pizza date night since it also has a few highfalutin’ apps and entrees. But with fresh fior di latte mozzarella on every Neapolitan pie and dough made from heirloom yeast starter and—you guessed it—double zero flour, no one will judge if pizza is your only course. Be advised: Double Zero's pillowy-soft pizza comes unsliced and delivered to your table with a pair of kitchen shears, which often confuse diners. But just go with it.

Everybody has that friend who, no matter how long it’s been since you last spoke, can slide right back into your life as if no time has passed. That’s a meal at this classic ATL pizza chain. Out of seven area counters, we’re partial to Ponce because there’s just something about sitting on the street-facing patio with a cold beer and a few massive NY-style slices of pepperoni, mushrooms, and extra cheese. Fellini’s remains a late-night fixture since it’s open until midnight seven days a week and is one of the few places in the city that still sells by the slice.

This quiet downtown Italian restaurant mostly serves a devoted corporate lunch crowd and a few tourists. But Amalfi’s fabulous carnival-style margherita is the under-the-radar masterpiece that motivates us to pay $20 for parking, since dollops of creamy ricotta tuck into the corners of their puffy, wood-fired Neapolitan dough. It’s like your childhood stuffed-crust dreams played out in a nicer, more sophisticated setting with way better ingredients.

Coming from the innovative Lazy Betty team, this posh pizzeria in the late-night Interlock scene is a big draw for big kids. While Humble Pie no longer carries the clam pie (damn them), they have a few other elevated pizza pairings that you’ll fantasize over like a tween over their last fanfiction read. We might be getting a bedroom wall poster made of the cajun-flavored pie with shrimp and étouffée sauce. And with locally milled whole wheat flour, the crusts here have a subtle earthy flavor and a satisfying crunch that stands apart from the usual pies.

You’re at the mercy of the BeltLine’s rhythms to determine if this pizzeria is an easy walk-in or a three-hour wait for a loud and rowdy packed house. But with the best Detroit-style pizza in the city, just take your chances (and hit neighboring spots for drinks until your table is ready). Ignore your impatient friends who want to order the traditional pie because it’s faster—a few bites of the buttery thick-crust pizza topped with smooth housemade mozzarella will make up for any hangry words.

We like to hit this Morningside Italian restaurant for aperitivo hour, which includes drink specials and $12 Neapolitan pies. While the menu has a lot of great pizza and non-pizza choices (big thumbs up to the meatball flight and branzino), Grana’s classic margherita and the sweet and savory brilliance of their potato pie with pistachio and truffle honey are our top choices.

There’s another smaller location in Krog Street Market, but their Ansley sit-down restaurant stands out. Slide into a seat on the vine-covered patio, a tranquil cove hidden in a strip mall. Get started with a spritz and a counter-sliced charcuterie plate. Then customize your own light-as-a-feather wood-fired Neapolitan pie with toppings like smoked buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, and a spicy Nduja spread. With an airy, gently crisped dough, Varuni is a finish-your-crust kinda joint, so just order another spritz and settle in.

Varasano’s airport location is an always busy pre-flight stop, but their Buckhead restaurant thankfully draws a more mellow crowd. When it opened more than a decade ago, Varasano’s thinnish-crust pies were all the rage with fresh imported cheeses, soft Neapolitan-style dough, and a list of quality toppings, from peppery arugula to thinly sliced meats. Plenty of local pizzaiolos follow that blueprint now, but Varasano’s simple, perfectly acidic tomato sauce still holds their spot in the “Atlanta greats” conversation.

If Atlanta was a Neapolitan pizza, what would it taste like? Phew’s Pies, a creative pop-up that regularly hits spots like Steady Hand Beer Co., answers that question with a tasty lemon pepper wings-topped pie. If that’s sold out the next time you’re in the mood, go with the oxtail- and ricotta-covered option or the incredible barbecue sauce-based Jive Turkey. Though the crust could be a pinch crispier, their slices loaded with well-seasoned meats ensure any disappointment is short-lived (check their website for daily locations).