Where to Find Denver’s Best Pizza

While we’re known to indulge in the occasional delivery from a pizza megachain, Denver’s growing roster of pizzerias make it worth forgoing those mix-and-match deals for an expertly prepared local pie. Over the past few years, a bevy of fresh dough-slinging eateries have joined the Mile High City’s long-standing favorites, allowing Denverites to widely sample pizza’s regional forms, from the blistered Neapolitan to the buttery Detroit-style to the bready Sicilian. Here, 10 of the best pizza restaurants in Denver to grab a pie or slice right now.

Best New York–Style Pizza

Famous Original J’s Pizza

The bites at Famous Original J’s Pizza are infused with the flavors of the Big Apple—literally. Owner Joshua Pollack uses a reverse osmosis system to recreate New York City tap water for his dough, in hopes of bringing the pies he ate growing up on the East Coast to Five Points (he does the same at Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen). Taste the fruits of his labor at Famous Original J’s grab-and-go window, where big, foldable thin-crust slices are priced at just $3 to $4.25, while square slabs of tomato-sauce-crowned grandma pies will set you back $4.50 to $6. Whole pies are also available; try the Meat Lovers with pepperoni, sausage, and Taylor ham. 715 E. 26th Ave.

Best Neapolitan Pizza

Cart-Driver

Few eateries have won the adoration of Denver foodies like nine-year-old Cart-Driver, whose RiNo and LoHi outposts manage to toe the line between neighborhood pizzeria and hip hangout. The bustling spots—which emulate Italy’s carrettiere, cart drivers that serve roadside farm-to-table fare—are go-tos for fresh-shucked oysters, well-mixed Negronis, and pies charred to perfection for 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven. On the pizza menu, go for crowd-pleasers such as the Daisy (the restaurant’s take on the margherita) and seasonal stunners like the Autumn (Honeycrisp apple, fennel, lemon, Brie, and house-smoked pork jowl). Look for updates about the reopening of the LoHi location, which has an expanded non-pizza menu but has been closed for renovations since November. 2500 Larimer St., Suite 100; 2239 W. 30th Ave (temporarily closed)

Best Detroit-Style Pizza

Blue Pan Pizza

While several Detroit-style joints have turned on their ovens on the Front Range over the past couple years, Blue Pan’s square pizzas still reign supreme. That’s because owners Giles Flanagin and chef Jeff Smokevitch are dedicated to using the methods of the style’s original creator, Detroit native Gus Guerra. That includes baking the pizzas in blue steel pans, which maintains optimum hydration levels in the dough, and layering the cheese from edge to edge. The results are square masterpieces with a soft, caramelized crust that maintains its integrity even after days in the fridge. Our current favorite order is the Sweety Pie, bejeweled with bacon, pineapple, jalapeño, and dollops of ricotta. 3934 W. 32nd Ave.; 3509 E. 12th Ave.

Best Hybrid Pizza

Redeemer Pizza

Redeemer’s naturally leavened pizza combines the best of two styles—New York and Neopolitan—resulting in chewy-crunchy, well-blistered palettes for myriad topping combinations, which you can enjoy in two ways. While you can beeline for the RiNo restaurant’s heated patio and grab a slice or pie (or hoagie) from its pick-up window for lunch or dinner (open 11 a.m. daily), we like to duck into the cheerful, red-accented dining room for a sit-down experience, starting at 4 p.m. There, you can devour the cacio e pepe pie—a cheesy delight laced with garlic cream and pink and black peppercorn—alongside a bottle of orange wine and apps like the pork shank sprinkled with a pepperoni-sesame crumble. 2705 Larimer St.

Best Sicilian Pizza

Dough Counter

Five-month-old Dough Counter is one of the newest pizza places on the scene, but there’s a reason why it’s already a huge hit: It’s from the Dym family behind Denver pizza institution Marco’s Coal Fired. While Marco’s focuses on Neapolitan-style pies (which easily could’ve made this list), Dough Counter is the place for New York slices and—what we’re really there for—thick slabs of focaccialike Sicilian pizza. The crust is fluffy and well-crisped on the outside, and there’s just enough toppings to take it from the realm of bread to pizza heaven. Build your own—gluten-free crust and vegan cheese are available—or go straight for the Triple Threat with stripes of marinara, vodka sauce, and basil pesto. 2466 S. Colorado Blvd.

Best Style of Pizza You’ve Never Heard Of

White Pie

At White Pie in City Park West, chef-owners Kris and Jason Wallenta (also behind Dos Santos) churn out rare-in-Denver New Haven–style pizzas, known as the leaner, crispier, coal-fired sibling of the Neapolitan. The siblings, who grew up eating the style at Sally’s Apizza in the Connecticut town, cloak their dough with classic and inventive ingredients, from pepperoni to mashed potatoes, and char the asymmetrical rounds in a wood-fueled oven. The cracker-thin beauties are best with fewer toppings, so opt for the Porky Porkorino with mozzarella, soppressata, pickled chiles, and hot honey or the Fuggedaboutit with red sauce, lots of garlic, and Kalamata olives. 1702 Humboldt St.

Best Late-Night Pizza

Cosmo’s

Cosmo’s gigantic, floppy slices and sides of ranch have satisfied the appetites of late-night sustenance seekers since 2001. The Boulder-born pizzeria has six locations on the Front Range, including one off Grant Street that’s open until midnight. Pick up one of Cosmo’s hand-tossed 24-inch wonders studded with the topping of your choice (only $25) and a jar of spicy ranch—a dipping sauce so famous that out-of-state fans yearn for its recipe—for a filling finale to any bar crawl. 550 Grant St.; 3920 Federal Blvd.

Best Toppings

Joy Hill

The building blocks of a great pizza are all executed well at Joy Hill on South Broadway: a blistered sourdough crust, a fresh-tasting tomato sauce, and pools of melty mozzarella. But you really shouldn’t stop there. The pizzeria’s customizable, high-impact toppings, such as local bison chorizo and Italian sausage, Castelvetrano olives, and cheeses like Burrata, ricotta salata, and house-made fresh mozzarella, make plain pizzas pale in comparison. Also look for the specials board near the front door for seasonal pies; during our last visit, we liked the honeynut squash combo with salami, thyme ricotta, and pickled red onion. 1229 S. Broadway

Best Non-Pizzeria Restaurant

The Greenwich

Pastry whiz Luke Miller’s promotion to the Greenwich’s executive chef position is very much a sign that the RiNo restaurant, despite its wide menu, places high priority on its pizzas. Described by Miller as artisan style with a New York edge, these 12-inch pies feature a fluffy sourdough crust piled high with elevated toppings. We like the current menu’s Golden Filetti, which combines mozzarella and Grana Padano cheeses, golden tomatoes, arugula, Calabrian chiles, balsamic vinegar, and ribbons of optional Elevation Meats ham. Tack on one or two vegetable sides and Miller’s burnt-top cheesecake for a meal of epic proportions. 3258 Larimer St.

Best If You Want It All

Hops & Pie

When you need a pizzeria that satisfies all cravings, Hops & Pie on Berkeley’s Tennyson Street is the way to go. Not only will you find sourdough-leavened New York–, Detroit-, and Sicilian-style pizzas with toppings aplenty, there’s also gluten-free and vegan alternatives and a healthy list of appetizers, salads, and sandwiches if someone in your party doesn’t like pizza (though we hope not). The drink menu is equally diverse and includes an impressive collection of nonalcoholic beers. Some of the weekly deals make a visit worthwhile, too: On Tuesdays, you can snag a Detroit-style or small New York–style cheese pizza and a draft beer for $15. 3920 Tennyson St.