Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
Row 1
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana celebrated its 90th birthday in June and is enjoying its third consecutive year at the top of this list. And why shouldn’t it be named America’s best pizza? This is a checklist destination, one you’ll have to make a pilgrimage to if you want to discuss the topic of America's best pizza with any authority. The New Haven icon opened in Wooster Square in 1925, offering classic Napoletana-style pizza made by an Italian-American immigrant. After arriving in the United States in 1909 at the age of 16, Frank Pepe (watch him at work in this video) took odd jobs before opening his original restaurant (the location, now called "The Spot," is now an adjunct to the main Pepe's location).
There are now seven locations around Connecticut and one in New York State operated by Pepe’s 10 great-grandchildren (all of which use original recipes to make their coal-fired pizza), with a new Boston pizzeria scheduled to open in the fall.
What’s the move? As if you didn’t know! Two words: Clam pie ("No muzz!"). This is a Northeastern pizza genre unto its own, and Pepe's is the best of all — freshly shucked, briny littleneck clams, an intense dose of garlic, olive oil, oregano, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano atop a charcoal-colored crust. The advanced move? Clam pie with bacon. Of course, Pepe’s summer special, their seasonal “fresh tomato pie” made with locally grown tomatoes, is worth its own trip (and the addition of shrimp to a tomato pie is an under-hyped gem of a combination). No matter what you’re thinking of ordering, expect to wait in line if you get there after 11:30 a.m. on a weekend.
— Arthur Bovino, 101 Best Pizzas in America 2015, 8/6/2015
The Daily Meal Editors and Community Say...
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The signature white clam pizza, a combination of fresh clams and garlic is worth the wait in this inviting Italian neighborhood on Wooster Street. -
Pizza here is a must-do for any New Haven visit -
The original location is still the best. -
Lines are long for tables. Waltz right in, get carry out, and eat it in the park a block away! -
This place alone is worth a trip to New Haven! Amazing pizza - you won't be disappointed. -
Defy convention by leaving New York to get Pizza. (Nowhere but Pepe's can justify this...) -
The original white clam pizza is so popular that they go through over 40 to 50 bushels a week. Order a large and split the pie, and a pitcher of beer or two, with a group of your closest guy friends. -
Love it - head to Libby's for dessert :) -
Best pizza in town according to the locals! The thin crust pizza baked in the brick oven is just mouth-watering! -
Pizza was pretty good. You'll definitely eat more than you think -
best pizza in the entire country, hands down, no trip to new haven is complete without a stop here to get some delicious pie, well worth the long lines and wait -
the line is half as scary as it looks; it's worth waiting for a table. -
A must...the clams are so fresh in this pie! -
Get the latest dining deals and reviews. -
Try the Fresh Mozzarella With Basil Pizza -
Awesome no frills atmosphere. Just great pizza and beer with hyper efficient service. Don't you dare sleep on their White Clam pizza. You might find clam pizzas elsewhere but no one does it like this. -
You gotta get the Foxon Park White Birch Beer. Local soda made right in CT! -
The white pizza is mind-blowing. The oven gives the crust a smoky flavor that exists nowhere else! -
Holy sht that is good pizza. Make sure there is pepperoni involved in your situation. -
Came here with pop, should be good