As odd as it might be to contemplate, everyone doesn’t always want pizza. 

In this Memphis Pizza Guide series, we started with what we called classic local “pizza parlors,” pizza-centric places with only one or two locations.

Vote for the best Memphis pizza place

In the second guide, we paired a couple of pizza types: chains (mostly local) with by-the-slice pizza counters. 

But you can get good pizza at more general (mostly Italian) restaurants. Maybe you want pizza and your pal wants chicken parm or is sticking with a salad. Maybe everyone at the table is getting pasta but wants to share a pizza along with it.

This final Memphis Pizza Guide spotlights the best places to get pizza at restaurants where that’s only one part of a bigger pie. 

Bosco’s Squared

• The gist: This is perhaps Memphis’ original (brick-oven) pizza and (craft) beer combo. What was initially an Overton Square outpost of a Germantown restaurant is now the sole location and now among the Square’s most veteran tenants. 
• Location: 2120 Madison Ave.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays.
• Pizza situation: thin crust, individual-sized, wood-fire cooked, similar to Neapolitan-style but crisper. Longtime menu standards are the Germantown Purist (BBQ chicken), the California (goat cheese, sun-dried tomato, pine nuts) and the Palermo (sausage, pepperoni, mushroom). 
• Other menu notes: The brewed-on-site beer is a featured attraction, including the signature Flaming Stone. Loads of sandwiches, salads and steak/seafood entres share billing with the pizza. 
• Delivery: No.
• Website: boscosbeer.com 
• Instagram: @boscos_squared

Cafe Piazza

• The gist: airy, white tablecloth trattoria-style spot on Main Street Collierville near Town Square. This is a regular haunt for local family gatherings and lunch dates with pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salad and wine. 
• Location: 139 S Rowlett St.
• Hours: Mondays-Fridays 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Pizza situation: Pizzas can be ordered regular dinner size, 14-inch, or lunch size weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Topping combinations range across the board from sausage and meatballs to gorgonzola and pulled pork. There are plenty of preset menu options as well as the choice to make your own. Pizzas are set on house-made thin crust, which has an agreeable texture but feels a little flimsy at the ends. The Marguerite with grape tomatoes, basil and pine nuts is a solid choice with the addition of anchovies (if available).
• Other menu notes: The panini sandwiches are popular at lunch with options like portabella and spicy-pimento cheese. Appetizers such as toasted ravioli and artichoke dip are good starters, and the salads are big and good for sharing. There’s a reasonable wine menu across the board.
• Delivery: No.
• Website: cafepiazzaonline.com 

Ciao Bella

• The gist: This East Memphis staple serves Italian favorites, including premium pizzas. In 2022, the restaurant moved from Erin Drive to a more upscale, modernized space in Sanderlin Centre.
• Location: 5101 Sanderlin Ave.
• Hours: 5-9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays; 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; the bar opens at 4 p.m. daily.
• Pizza situation: Order from a menu of pizzeria standards, from margherita to the piccante (sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and more on a marinara base) to barbecue (brisket or chicken). The pies are a step up from casual slice joints due to a balanced medium-thick crust loaded up with cheese and plentiful toppings with bold flavors.
• Other menu notes: While the pizzas, which can also be made as calzones or flatbreads, have their own section, Ciao Bella also has plenty of pastas, Italian appetizers and salads.
• Personal Pizza Pick: Garlic lovers can go for the white pizza, topped with roasted chicken and whole roasted cloves and four kinds of cheese: parmesan, ricotta, feta and mozzarella.
• Web: ciaobellamemphis.com
• Instagram: @ciaobellamemphis

Coletta’s Italian Restaurants

• The gist: A 100-year-old Memphis institution, Coletta’s original location feels like a time capsule, set up with red-checkered tablecloths, friendly service and Elvis memorabilia.
• Locations: 2850 Appling Rd.; 1063 South Parkway East
• Hours: Vary by location.
• Pizza situation: Coletta’s claims to be the home of barbecue pizza, and theirs is served on a bready crust, topped with cheese, piled with pork and slathered in sweet barbecue sauce. There are more traditional toppings as well, and the pies have a baked-in-a-home-oven feel.
• Other menu notes: Plenty of pasta and classic Italian dishes.
• Personal pizza pick: The sauce does the heavy lifting to put the “barbecue” in the barbecue pizza, which is almost like a casserole.
• Delivery: Yes, through delivery apps and Goldbelly.
• Website: colettas.net

Hog & Hominy

• The gist: Hog & Hominy has been a buzzy hot spot since Memphis chefs Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman opened the original restaurant in 2011. The new location, as of 2022, is larger, louder, more upscale and Instagram-friendly.
• Location: 707 W. Brookhaven Circle.
• Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays; 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; Dinner: 4-10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays; 4-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
• Pizza situation: Wood-fired pizzas are reminiscent of Neapolitan style with crispy charred edges and chewy, soft center dough with interesting topping combinations. There are signature pizzas, such as the Red Eye with red sauce, pork belly, and an egg, and rotating seasonal pizzas.
• Other menu notes: Plates like meatballs, poutine and collards represent Ticer and Hudman’s Italian-meets-Southern culinary lane; the desserts are not to be missed, especially the peanut-butter pie with a layer of banana pudding.
• Personal pizza pick: The Thunderbird! Forty Twice! Pizza accomplishes the spicy-savory-sweet combo with aplomb: pepperoni, melted fontina and a drizzle of spicy honey.
• Delivery: No.
• Website: hogandhominy.com
• Instagram: @hogandhominy

Pete & Sam’s

• The gist: Nostalgia and tradition put Pete & Sam’s 70-year-old Italian restaurant on the list for longtime Memphians, some of whom swear by the barbecue pizza. The atmosphere, old-school and eccentric, is part of the experience.
• Location: 3886 Park Ave.
• Hours: 4-9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays; 4-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
• Pizza situation: Full-sized pizzas of all kinds with thin crackly crust are available, but the real trick is mini pizzas are available as a side.
• Other menu notes: Pete & Sam’s does their own spin on American-Italian dishes.
• Personal pizza pick: The barbecue pizza is the best known, with red sauce on the sweeter side, rich cheddar and mozzarella and dabs of sticky-sauced pork.
• Delivery: No.
• Website: peteandsams.com

Sam’s Deli

• The gist: A University of Memphis area classic, Sam’s Deli is as much about Indian food and bibimbap as it is about sandwiches. But not many know about the small-but-mighty pizza menu at Sam’s. The assorted digs attract a regular and loyal crowd from the neighborhood and university alike. There’s cheap beer on tap, it’s take-out friendly and U of M students get a 10% dine-in discount.
• Location: 643 S. Highland St.
• Hours: Wednesdays to Thursdays 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fridays 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Pizza situation: It’s eclectic. Funky choices include Korean pizza with gochujang chicken and a gyro pizza with spinach, beef and lamb, but our favorite is The 65 Pizza. It’s topped with onions, spinach, mozzarella and the classic 65 chicken, which is marinated in deep Indian spices and grilled. Drizzled with a little mint chutney, it’s a wild fusion and unlike anything else you can get around town.
• Other menu notes: Don’t sleep on the Indian food, especially not the samosa chaat. It’s one of the most delicious items on the menu.
• Delivery: By delivery app.
• Website: samsdelimemphis.com

Silly Goose

• The gist: This upscale Downtown cocktail bar slings dainty drinks, pasta, salads and personal pies around the corner from Beale Street. The vibes are clubby, and the furniture is Gatsby-esque, as are the crowds who gather here.
• Locations: 100 Peabody Place, suite 190.
• Hours: Kitchen: Mondays-Thursdays 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Fridays 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Saturdays 2 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sundays 2 p.m.-midnight (The bar is open later).
• Pizza situation: 12-inch pies are made to order in wood-fired ovens. The dough looks similar to a classic Neapolitan pizza but tastes more American: It’s more uniform from crust to middle and denser throughout. Simple margherita and pepperoni pizzas juxtapose more complicated flavor combinations such as shrimp with artichoke hearts. The sauce and cheese are pretty run-of-the-mill despite prices of $16-$17 per pie.
• Other menu notes: Pasta like cacio e pepe and bolognese ride sidesaddle with the pizza menu along with some salads, snacks and a charcuterie board.
• Delivery: No.
• Website: sillygoosememphis.com
• Instagram: @sillygoosememphis.com

Valle’s Italian Rebel

• The gist: The Whitehaven lunch institution for nearly half a century serves pizza, pasta and sandwiches.
• Location: 1636 Winchester Road.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. 
• Pizza situation: The crust is medium-thick with crunch on bottom and chew up top in the “Memphis style.” Otherwise, what the outdoor signage proclaims the “world’s finest pizza” is more “school lunchroom style” (in a good way), full pies cooked in baking-sheet rectangles and cut in the same shape. The menu offers a chance to buy a “slice,” but the same outside signage is truth in advertising: “Buy it by the piece.” Toppings are restricted mostly to pizza-parlor basics (pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, onion, etc.) with full pies going up to the 26-by-18 inch “family size.” 
• Other menu notes: Don’t want to choose among Valle’s three food groups? Pairing a slice/piece with one of the other two is easy. The “Rebel Combination” gets you spaghetti, lasagna and a two-topping slice/piece for $11.75. The sandwiches (served with ridged potato chips) are manageable enough that adding a slice/piece to one is not just appropriate but perhaps necessary. And Valle’s has a menu option we haven’t seen anywhere else, adding to the homey vibe: rotel chicken spaghetti.
• Pizza pro tip: Valle’s is a blue-collar beacon and the small parking lot is often packed with large pickup trucks and service vehicles. Be prepared to navigate. 
• Personal pizza pick: More of a sandwich pick, but add a slice/piece to a spicy Italian sub.
• Delivery: No.
• Website: italianrebel.com
• Instagram: @vallesitalianrebel

Venice Kitchen

• The gist: The small regional chain (formerly Old Venice) now has a Memphis and an Oxford location; in Memphis, the full-service restaurant has dining, bar and patio seating.
• Location: 368 Perkins Extended.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
• Pizza situation: Individual or large-sized pies offer chewy, nicely browned crust, plenty of sauce options and high-quality, fresh toppings. There are set combinations — a Crabby Crawdaddy with alfredo, andouille, crawfish and crab; a Deluxe, their version of a supreme; the self-explanatory Mighty Meaty — or build-your-own pizzas.
• Other menu notes: The self-described eclectic menu is Italian (chicken parmesan, pastas, lasagna) with Cajun and new American influences.
• Personal pizza pick: The Great White pizza balances creamy (alfredo base with gouda, parmesan, feta, mozzarella) with peppery arugula and savory truffle oil; add chicken if you need more protein.
• Delivery: Yes through delivery apps.
• Website: venice-kitchen.com
• Instagram: @venicekitchen

Villa Castrioti

• The gist: A Cordova staple since the late 1980s, with a more recent second location in Lakeland’s Lake District and a Nashville outpost to come. The original is a cozy spot, with a festive central bar, a huge pizza oven right behind the host station and live music on select nights. 
• Location: 714 N. Germantown Pkwy.; 9861 Lake District Drive W. 
• Hours: 5-9 p.m. Sundays and Mondays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays 5-10 p.m., Saturdays (Cordova).
• Pizza situation: The hand-tossed, medium-crust pies have great texture, with a good tug on the bite and pleasant crunch at the edges. Special pies include the Johnny New Yorker (prosciutto and Alfredo sauce) and a “fish of the day” seafood pizza. 
• Other menu notes: Pizza is but one component of a full Italian menu, with pastas, steaks, seafood and more. The shrimp scampi and fried zucchini appetizers are popular.
• Delivery: No. 
• Website: villacastrioti.com
• Instagram: @villa.castrioti_cordova