Worst pizza city?

Some survey somewhere recently made this declaration about Memphis. 

And, well, look: We’re not here to tell you we’re the best.

Memphis is not New York or Chicago or New Haven, cities with deep pizza culture. 

But here’s the thing: In these United States of America, every town is a pizza town. 

For what it’s worth, Memphis actually does appear in “Pizza: A Slice of Heaven,” the self-proclaimed “Ultimate Guide and Companion” to the dish, by Serious Eats founder Ed Levine. 

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Not every city boasts an entry. Not Tulsa. Not Denver. Not (ahem) Nashville. 

But Memphis isn’t the only potential surprise. How about Grand Marais, Minnesota, where a pizzeria called Sven and Ole’s offers wild rice as a topping? The doughy, cheesy pies of Cleveland? The beef-over-sausage preferences of native Nebraska pizza?

Memphis makes the cut for what has truly become a signature contribution to pizza culture: The creature of barbecue pizza. Downhome, not upscale, natch. And while most places don’t pile on the pork as high as Memphis innovators Coletta’s and chicken is a more ubiquitous topping, some kind of barbecue pizza is now common coast to coast.

Maybe Memphis isn’t a great pizza town, but it has so much pizza and, sorry survey-makers, much of it good. 

You can get New York (Little Italy), New Haven (Little Bettie) and Chicago (Rotolo’s).

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We’ve got old-school local pizza parlors (Garibaldi’s) and new-school ones (Aldo’s). 

We’ve got neighborhood staples (High Point Pizza) and suburban Italian restaurants cranking out fine pies (Villa Castrioti). 

We’ve even got our own signature pizza style, though perhaps no one outside of Memphis knows it and lots of people in Memphis don’t, either. 

We’ve got so much pizza, in fact, that even skimming the surface in our Memphis Pizza Guide required it being broken into three parts. We don’t claim to represent every Memphis pizza option in these guides, only a selective three dozen or so of the better or more notable ones.

And even at that number this so-called worst pizza city will provide plenty of worthy places that didn’t make the cut. And you’ll no doubt let us know about it. 

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Dividing the guide into three parts wasn’t obvious. The prominence of local chains made geographic division chaos. We chose a thematic division, which we know is a little rough. So be forgiving. 

This first guide is what we’re calling classic pizza parlors: all locally owned, pizza-first places with no more than two locations. 

In the second guide, we’ll pair up local or regional chains with the kind of pizza counters that seem to serve up slices more than full pies. 

In the third guide, we’ll look at full-scale (mostly Italian) restaurants with good pizza programs on the menu. 

Spend some time exploring Memphis pizza culture, as we have over the past couple of months, and you probably won’t pound your chest that Memphis is the best on this front. But you will find that there are plenty of good pies to be had. 

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Aldo’s Pizza Pies

• The gist: A fast-rising Memphis favorite with prime Downtown and Midtown locations, a festive vibe at night and pizza by the slice available at lunch. 
• Locations: 100 S. Main St., Ste 101 (Downtown) and 752 S. Cooper St. (Midtown)
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, Downtown; Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. -11 p.m., at the Midtown location.
• Pizza situation: New York style with big, thin-crust pies and foldable slices, including specialties such as the Vodka Pie, the poblano cream-based Bring Out the Gump (shrimp) and The Other Side (roasted chicken), and The Memphis (Central BBQ pulled pork with coleslaw at the center). Aldo’s favorite? The Lombardi, with meatballs and ricotta.
• Other menu notes: Grandma’s Meatballs and house-made garlic knots make for excellent appetizers. 
• Personal Pizza Pick: The creamy Vodka Pie is a strong contender for Memphis’ best (not so) plain cheese pizza. 
• Pizza Pro Tip: If the weather’s right, either Aldo’s location is good for outdoor eating, with the Downtown location’s front patio facing Main Street and the Midtown location’s open rooftop looking down on Cooper Street. On Wednesdays, the Midtown rooftop hosts live music.
• Delivery: Available at both locations.
• Web: aldospizzapies.com
• Instagram: @aldospizzapies

Bella’s Pizzeria

• The gist: A bare-bones, longtime Collierville pizza counter at perhaps the Memphis area’s most pie-centric intersection, half a block from both Collierville’s Memphis Pizza Cafe location and the neapolitan-style Ciao Baby. 
• Location: 833 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville
• Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays; noon-9 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays; 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Mondays.
• Pizza situation: Bella’s advertises itself as “New York style,” and you can get pizza by the slice, but the crust is a little thicker and breadier than most slices you’d find in NYC. Not in a bad way, though. The edges of that crust have the pleasantly faint flavor and texture of focaccia. The Bella’s Special has roma tomatoes, spinach, ricotta, basil and olive oil. The Bella’s Rustica subs out the former’s ricotta for feta, grilled chicken and garlic.
• Other menu notes: Pizza counter staples such as calzones, garlic knots, etc. 
• Delivery: Available dinner hours only.
• Web: bellaspizzeriacollierville.com
• Instagram: @bellas_collierville 

Broadway Pizza

• The gist: “Legendary” Memphis-style pizza (the sign says so) has been a Broad Avenue staple since 1977, more recently expanding to a second location in the heart of the Poplar Avenue corridor.
• Locations: 2581 Broad Avenue, 629 S. Mendenhall.
• Hours: 10 p.m.-10 a.m., Sundays-Thursdays; 10 a.m.-midnight, Fridays and Saturdays.
• Pizza situation: Doughy mid-width crust piled high with ingredients, cheese on top. Bigger pies cut into rectangular pieces. Along with Exlines’, the thickest, freshest sausage in town. 
• Other menu notes: Southern-style plate lunches are available at the Mendenhall location, with catfish also on the menu at Broad. And this pizza operation is also a cake operation. Look for pieces of Southern favorites such as strawberry, German chocolate or caramel at the counter. 
• Delivery: No. 
• Web: broadwaypizza.com
• Instagram: broadwaypizza901

Ciao Baby

• The gist: This Collierville strip-mall gem from chef/owner Adrian Arcuri is perhaps the Memphis area’s purest example of Neapolitan-style pizza.
• Location: 890 West Poplar Ave., Ste. 1
• Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sundays. 
• Pizza situation: Cooked fast and hot — 90 seconds at 900 degrees — in the handsome, Naples-made, tile-covered, wood-burning oven you see behind the counter. Crisp on the bottom, puffed around the edges, airy and chewy. Dough and mozzarella are both made fresh in the shop, with pizzas formed behind the counter where you order. 
• Other menu notes: Get deeper into that house-made mozz with an appetizer, the mozzarella fritta (upscale cheese sticks) or, better, the burrata served with roasted beets, pistachio, greens and a balsamic reduction.
• Personal Pizza Pick: Broccoli (rabe, especially) and sausage is an underrated, too-little-seen pizza combo, and this pairing finds a high calling here with Ciao Baby’s Rapini pizza.
• Pizza Pro Tip: Avoid multiple meats and other pizzas with too many toppings. That can overwhelm the soft crust. Simple is better. You can’t go wrong with the margherita, one of the “three classics” (along with the tomato-less bianca and cheese-less marinara) per the menu: San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, parmigiano, basil, salt, garlic and olive oil.
• Delivery: No. 
• Web: ciaobabypizza.com
• Instagram: @ciaobabyneapolitanpizza

Cooper House Project

• The gist: Cooper House Project embraces the classic beer and bread partnership; they brew limited-edition beers on premises, and the pizza and pretzels are made with house dough. It’s all served in a small, modern gallery with indoor and patio seating.
• Location: 960 S. Cooper St.
• Hours: 4-10 p.m., Thursdays-Fridays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturdays; 1-7 p.m., Sundays
• Pizza situation: Four pizza options — cheese, pepperoni, margherita, barbecue chicken— are fired up swiftly in the brick oven behind the counter. It’s an excellent dough, which has a crispy charred crust (perhaps over-charred for some, though) but is softer towards the center.
• Other menu notes: The pretzel, served with grain mustard, proves that Cooper House Project knows their bread; nearly 20 small-batch beers on tap mean there’s always something new to try.
• Personal pizza pick: The crispy, old-school pepperoni cups, layer of melted, browned mozzarella and simple, lightly sweet sauce make for a solid pepperoni pizza snack along with a beer flight.
• Pizza Pro Tip: The barbecue pizza’s sauce has an unexpected kick of spice; mileage may vary but this had a surprising amount of heat, even compared to other barbecue pizzas topped with jalapenos.
• Delivery: No. 
• Web: cooperhouseproject.com
• Instagram: @cooperhouseproject

Ferraro’s Pizzeria and Cheesy Corner

• The gist: This friendly Pinch District dive closed during COVID and reopened in 2020 with its “Cheesy Corner” addition, balancing pizza with grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese dishes. A cozy hangout spot that also seems to be a popular takeout spot for residents/workers on the north end of Downtown.
• Location: 111 Jackson Ave.
• Hours: 5-9:30 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays; 5-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays
• Pizza situation: Medium crust, maybe a little on the heavy/bready side but with a nice crunch around the edges. A large menu of specialty pizzas, including the Porky Pig (five kinds of pork), the Old Country (a sausage pie with roasted garlic and roasted red peppers) and the Florentine (a spinach-artichoke dip base with Greek chicken, feta and sun-dried tomatoes). 
• Other menu notes: In addition to the cheesy pastas and sandwiches, you can get a Tater Tot fix here, as an appetizer or maybe on a pizza. (The Napoleon is basically a barbecue chicken pizza with bacon, jalapeno and … Tots.) 
• Delivery: No. 
• Instagram: @ferraroscheesycorner 

Fox Ridge Pizza Bar & Grill

• The gist: Another “Memphis-style” standard-bearer, now bringing its old-school Fox Ridge roots to Brookhaven Circle. 
• Location: 711 W. Brookhaven Cir.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays.
• Pizza situation: Like Broadway, a mid-thick crust with a crunchy bottom, thick with ingredients. Cheese to the edges, and maybe the best odds in Memphis of getting that caramelized cheese ring like the best Chicago deep dish. Available as small as a seven-inch personal pie, with larger pizzas cut rectangularly.
• Other menu notes: Southern plate lunch specials are available daily. Fried green tomatoes as a pre-pizza appetizer? Yes, please. 
• Pizza Pro Tip: Pizza + patio should be a more common combo. This is a good place to do it when the weather’s right.
• Delivery: No.
• Web: foxridgepizza.com
• Instagram: @foxridgepizza

High Point Pizza

• The gist: A quintessential neighborhood pizza parlor in an inviting commercial strip in largely residential High Point Terrace. Though it’s been around less than 20 years, it already feels like a multi-generational neighborhood staple.
• Location: 477 High Point Terrace
• Hours: Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Pizza situation: Flavorful medium crust in a “hand-tossed style,” with a good balance of crunch and chew. Keep an eye on chalkboard specials, such as a recent “French Quarter” with andouille sausage, chicken and creole seasoning.
• Other menu notes: The muffaletta sandwich has big fans. 
• Pizza Pro Tip: Take advantage of the surroundings. Grab some beer or ice cream from the adjacent High Point Grocery if you’re doing takeout. Pair a visit with a stroll on the Shelby Farms Greenline if you’re eating there. Sit outside on the patio. 
• Delivery: No.
• Web: 901highpointpizza.com

Little Bettie Pizza & Snacks

• The gist: Memphis’ only self-proclaimed “New Haven-style” pizza (which, yes, is a thing and very much deserves to be) serves up some of the city’s best pies from a little window inside the Wiseacre Brewery’s large Downtown location. Beer and pizza: A classic combo.
• Location: 398 S. B.B. King Blvd. 
• Hours: 4-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 4-9:30 p.m., Thursdays; 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays; noon-7:30 p.m., Sundays
• Pizza situation: Guy Fieri: Go get a late pass. What Food Network viewers now know, Memphis pizza partisans have known: The signature here is the Thud Butt, with mortadella, ricotta cream, black pepper honey, pistachio and stracciatella cheese. “New Haven style” means large, thin-crust pies with a crisp, crackly bottom. 
• Other menu notes: The “snacks” include the “Imagine the Future” chicken wings, with “Sicilian crunch” and beer-cheese fries. 
• Personal Pizza Pick: Love the Thud Butt, but don’t sleep on the light, bright Whistle Stop, which has ricotta cream, lemon/lime zest, green tomatoes, sweetie drop peppers, black pepper honey and basil. 
• Pizza Pro Tip: Little Bettie is an 11-minute walk from FedExForum and serves up pizza by the slice on game nights. Bonus: On an occasional basis, Little Bettie has lately been cooking up “Roman-style” pizzas (large, rectangular, medium-thick crust) which are sent to Wiseacre’s Broad Avenue location and available there only, by the slice. 
• Delivery: No. 
• Web: wiseacrebrew.com/little-bettie
• Instagram: @little_bettie_pizza

Slice of Soul

• The gist: This “pizza lounge” is a pizza parlor by day and venue by night. LED lights line the corners of walls and ceilings and a full bar flanks the center of the restaurant. Weekly themed nights put karaoke and hookah in the spotlight for group gatherings. 
• Locations: 1299 Madison Ave.
• Hours: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 4-10 p.m.; Sundays, 5-7 p.m.
• Pizza situation: Pizza is available in whole pies or by the slice in select flavors. Flavor combinations are named after Memphianisms (i.e. Al B. Green Pizza, Bar-BQ-Kays Pizza, etc.) and are loaded from center to crust with ingredients. Slices are as generously loaded as the whole pies, with the pepperoni slice being completely covered in slices of meat. Cheese beneath the sauce makes the crust extra crispy but can cause toppings to become slippery. A house seasoning is added on top of every pizza for an extra kick.
• Other menu notes: Cheese sticks, fries, wings, salads and a loaded baked potato accompany the pizza menu. The hot honey gold wings are particularly delicious and come dripping in sauce, the excess which can be used for dipping a slice of pizza.
• Delivery: No.
• Web: www.sliceofsoulpizzalounge.com 
• Instagram: @sliceofsoulpizzalounge

Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza

• The gist: Tamboli’s began as a farmer’s market stand offering pasta made from scratch, and that handcrafted quality and focus on fresh, local ingredients has carried through for a consummate Italian pizzeria in Midtown.
• Location: 1761 Madison Ave.
• Hours: 4-9 p.m. daily
• Pizza situation: Wood-fired pizzas made with an exemplary medium-thick crust perfectly baked with crispy edges, and a bright, jammy, herbaceous red sauce base. Dough to cheese to sauce to toppings — including thick-sliced pepperoni — Tamboli’s says all ingredients are homegrown or local. An airy dining room with full cocktail bar is approachable and casual, but nice enough for a date night.
• Other menu notes: While there’s no gluten-free pizza, there are vegan and build-your-own options; Tamboli’s also serves fresh pastas and seasonal specials such as arugula and burrata salad and bruschetta.
• Personal pizza pick: The cacio de pepe pizza with a whipped ricotta base is rich and satisfying in its simplicity; the pepperoni pie has dabs of ricotta and a dusting of oregano.
• Delivery: Yes.
• Web: tambolis.com
• Instagram: @tambolisresto