The 17 Best Pizzerias In Los Angeles

Los Angeles' food scene is a must for foodies. You'll find myriad taco trucks offering up everything from birria to mariscos to al pastor. In the San Gabriel Valley, you can feast on dim sum delights, or venture out to Thai Town for an especially spicy feast. And obviously, you have to grab a Double-Double from In-N-Out.

All that said, Los Angeles is likely not the first place that comes to mind for top-notch pizza. But, in the past few years, the Angeleno pizza scene has significantly heated up. Among the crowd of So Cal pizzerias, there are plenty of high-end artisan restaurants that sling pies. While absolutely delicious, they come with a cost. With the fertile Central Valley of California within driving distance, highly-admired toppings, such as squash blossoms, fresh heirloom tomatoes, and edible flowers, make it unsurprising that some restaurants not only charge a premium but require advance reservations.

When you're in a hurry, there are also satisfying slice-to-go options that would pass muster by even the most discerning native New Yorker in a blind taste test. While it's been claimed for a while that there's something in the water in the five boroughs (via Food & Wine), rest assured you absolutely can get a tasty wedge of 'za near and around Beverly Hills, 90210. And if you want to throw a pizza party, there are also great places for a large gathering. Whether it's for a group of adults or a kid's birthday, Los Angeles is ready to serve up some delicious pizza.

While Blackbird Pizza Shop also offers thin crust options, if you're craving a deep dish pizza and you happen to be in the mid-city area of Los Angeles, we recommend this as your destination. We're talking golden brown, wonderfully-crispy dough and ample amounts of gooey cheese with a variety of mouthwatering and tongue-tingling toppings, such as homemade chorizo, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, pickled jalapeño, and piquillo peppers (look for it on the menu as the "El Chingon").

At times, the pizza joint offers special discounts for takeout orders. And if you're feeling home bound, it is partnered up with many of the familiar delivery apps.

Blackbird Pizza Shop's menu goes beyond pizza, but as for the pies, Yelp reviewers have tended to gravitate towards the Spicy Italian Deep Dish. And especially popular, despite its potentially polarizing name, is the "Balls Deep" with — you guessed it — meatballs as a topping. For thin crust, we quite like Blackbird's white pie topped with goat cheese, ricotta, bacon, and asparagus.

The Fairfax District area in Los Angeles is particularly popular among locals and tourists due to its vast array of trendy fashion boutiques. But after all that shopping, you'll need to grab a bite to eat, and Prime Pizza is ready to serve.

Prime Pizza has you covered with its NYC-style slices that are served hot and warm and always with friendly service and a smile. Help yourself to red hot chili flakes, grated Parmesan, and oregano for extra seasoning. The staff has a sense of humor and won't judge when it comes to the controversial pizza and ranch dressing combo if that happens to be your thing (via Instagram).

Beyond the mid-city area of Fairfax, Prime Pizza has multiple locations in the region, which include the east side of the San Fernando Valley in Burbank, the northwest section of the SFV in Sherman Oaks, Little Tokyo near downtown Los Angeles, and West Los Angeles across the 405 heading towards the ocean; there are also plans to expand to El Segundo.

If you're in the San Fernando Valley and have a hankering for some pizza, we encourage you to move west down Ventura Boulevard and go free fallin' into Pizza Wagon's popular location in Sherman Oaks. This pizza joint prides itself on bringing Brooklyn-style pizza to all the valley dwellers out there.

Our preferred selection from Pizza Wagon's menu is the thick crust Sicilian style pizza, but you really can't go wrong with any of the offerings. Beyond the requisite pepperoni, sausage, and plain cheese menu items, Pizza Wagon also nods to Hawaii with its pineapple and ham-laden 'za. 

Despite claiming roots in one of the five boroughs of New York, the spot features an upstate-inspired Buffalo chicken pizza that's topped with breaded, baked chicken morsels and a delightfully spicy and tangy house-made sauce. If you're a pesto fan, try a slice with pesto sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella. There are also vegan and gluten-free options for those with certain dietary needs.

Nancy Silverton and Joe Bastianich collaborated on the Pizzeria Mozza concept, and it's been one of the most reliable and popular pizza venues in Los Angeles for over 15 years; it has also been in Orange County's Newport Beach for more than 10 years (via OC Register). In dining spaces that are both elegant and cozy, it's a perfect place for date night or a special gathering with friends.

Pizzeria Mozza's riff on Hawaiian pizza (pizza Alla Benno) is one we would highly recommend. Sprinkled with speck, pineapple, and jalapeños it's an irresistible blend of salt, sweetness, and heat. One bite might change your tune when it comes to this polarizing pizza order. The menu also features a fun riff on a BLT, plenty of options for meat lovers and vegetarians alike, and a picture-perfect pizza topped with 'nduja and fontina with an over-easy egg in the center.

With a very small-capacity dining room and a limited seating situation, the first location of Jon & Vinny's is located near the trendy area of Fairfax Avenue between Melrose Avenue and Beverly Boulevard. It can be a tough reservation to book but it's well worth the effort. In our experience, sometimes you can get lucky with a seat or two at the bar if you're a walk-in.

You can also easily order delivery — which obviously comes with a fee — or go with takeout, but be advised that traffic and parking in the area can be a challenge. There are also locations in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and West Slauson Boulevard not too far from LAX.

From James Beard award-winning chefs Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo, some of our favorites include the All Hail Black Kale, which is topped with black kale, fennel sausage, caciocavallo, mozzarella, Yukon gold potatoes, a friend onion, and chili oil, as well as the LA Woman, which features exceptional locally-sourced burrata. If you're not in the mood for pizza, it also serves up delicious pasta, have a well-curated wine list, and are open for breakfast.

Located on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach, Gjelina has been delighting the West Side's taste buds since 2008 with its farm-to-table approach that favors local produce and a menu that changes with what's in season. What make the pizzas at Gjelina so special are the high-end toppings featured on the pies, such as house-made chorizo, guanciale, and lamb sausage, and the fact that they're cooked in a wood-fired oven, which results in an incredible crust. With 15 pizza options on its menu at time of publication, it has plenty to offer.

Beyond the tasty 'zas, it has an especially dynamic dining room space both indoors and outside on the patio. It's well-known among locals as a place to see and be seen, and is notable as a popular spot for entertainment industry "power lunches." Don't be surprised if you have a celebrity sighting when you go for a remarkably elegant pizza experience.

Gjelina doesn't offer delivery, but you can order for pick-up. If you dine in, note that there is a mandatory 20% service charge.

For authentic Neapolitan pizza, look no further than L'antica Pizzeria Da Michele. For fans of the movie "Eat, Pray, Love," you may recall Julia Roberts delighting in what the Naples location served up to her character who enthused, "I'm in love. I'm having a relationship with my pizza." With a history dating back to 1870, the Hollywood location opened in 2019 and was the first to open in the United States. The company also has locations in New York City, and Santa Barbara, California.

L'antica Pizzeria Da Michele serves real-deal, wood-fired pizza and there are plenty of excellent choices on the menu, such as the arugula and prosciutto pizza that includes basil, mozzarella, pecorino, and shaved Parmigiano. Sometimes, though, you want to stick to the classics and in this case, the Margherita is top-notch. We would also recommend the "Piece of the Pie," as the mozzarella slices are designed to create a smiley face, and part of the proceeds go towards local charities. 

Perhaps one of the most indulgent pizza styles out there is pan pizza; the thick, crispy, crunchy, oily crust is pretty hard to resist. Quarter Sheets Pizza Club certainly delivers on that front.

While there are some reliable mainstays, there isn't exactly a fixed menu. The pizzaiolos at Quarter Sheets are akin to improvisational avant-garde jazz musicians — the company often collaborates with other chefs around town, and posts on social media about new, hot, and temporary specials. The combinations are always unique and mouthwatering, such as this Instagram-worthy pizza topped with smoked chicken, pineapple-bourbon BBQ sauce, mozzarella, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and Gouda cheese.

With its spot in Echo Park not far from Silverlake, it's particularly popular among Los Angeles' East side residents, or any pizza fans willing to make the drive out there. Here's the thing, though — you can't make a reservation for dine-in. The restaurant only accepts walk-ins and you can expect a line. There's also the option of placing pre-orders through Tock, which starts at 10:00 a.m. daily, but the option vanishes pretty quickly, so set your alarm.