The Elm City’s distinct style of pizza, lovingly dubbed “Ah-beetz,” has been calling foodie travelers home since 1925, and while New York City may have cornered the market on street corner slices, the perfect pies come from the undisputed pizza capital of the country – New Haven, Connecticut.
In 2022, viral media mogul Dave Portnoy crowned New Haven “The Pizza Capital of the United States,” praising multiple New Haven pizzerias in his popular series of “One Bite Pizza Reviews.” With more than 1,000 pizza reviews under his belt, Portnoy rated Sally’s Apizza’s pie a 9.2, Modern Apizza’s pie an 8.8, and Frank Pepe’s pie an 8.5, adding “this pizza dances. It makes me tingle in places you can’t talk about. I love this pizza.”
Today, amid ever-rising demand and legacy media attention from the likes of The New Yorker, The New York Times, Washington Post, Food & Wine Magazine and more, New-Haven style pizza has become a bonafide food category.
Our pies are known for their thin, fermented crust and smoky char, perfected over more than 100 years of culinary history, stemming from the family recipes of Italian immigrant families who settled in New Haven. As local pizza historian Colin Caplan says, “Apizza is all about simple ingredients that merge in the oven to make a masterpiece. It’s food alchemy.”
Often imitated, never duplicated, authentic New Haven-style pizza can be found nowhere else. Bring your appetite, and we’ll bring the pies – plus, plenty of history, culture, and entertainment to experience while tomorrow’s dough ferments.
The Big Ah-Beetz Players
Sally’s Apizza, est. 1937
Neighborhood: Wooster
Style: Coal-fired
Barstool ‘One Bite’ Ranking: 9.2
Word on the Street: There’s no bad blood in the apizza business, Sally’s Apizza is owned by the nephew of Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria. Ask a local, Sally’s has a secret order-ahead phone number which allows you to skip the line (which is ever-winding).
Frank Pepe Pizzeria, est. 1925
Neighborhood: Wooster
Style: Coal-fired
Barstool ‘One Bite’ Ranking: 8.5
Word on the Street: Frank Pepe’s is the OG of apizza. “The Spot” in the Pepe’s parking lot is the first of New Haven’s pizzeria, still open to customers today. Order the White Clam Pizza, thank us later.
Modern Apizza, est. 1944
Neighborhood: East Rock
Style: Coal-fired
Barstool ‘One Bite’ Ranking: 8.8
Word on the Street: In its early days, Modern sold apizzas for ¢25 a pie, and while the prices may have adjusted to modern times, the pizzeria’s aesthetic has not. Pop in for a pie and a look at walls of vintage photographs, detailing the history of apizza in New Haven.
Ernie’s, est. 1971
Neighborhood: Westville
Style: Gas-fired
Barstool ‘One Bite’ Ranking: 7.9
Word on the Street: Ernie’s owner Pasqual DeRiso makes every pizza himself – seriously, every single pie.
BAR, est. 1991
Neighborhood: Downtown
Style: Wood-fired
Barstool ‘One Bite’ Ranking: 7.4
Word on the Street: This downtown staple created the Mashed Potato Pizza, a must-try for any pizzaiolo.
Da Legna at Nolo, est. 2014
Neighborhood: East Rock
Style: Wood-fired
Barstool ‘One Bite’ Ranking: 7.4
Word on the Street: Da Legna uses thin-crust sourdough pies in their scratch-casual approach towards apizza, ever distinctive.
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