Cleveland's Essential Pizza Restaurants

Boom’s Pizza

14370 Detroit Ave., Lakewood

Partners Ben Bebenbroth formerly of Spice and Jonathan Bennett of Moxie and Red started hosting “doughball Fridays” at Keep the Change Kitchen Collective, the now-closed virtual food hall from Spice Hospitality Group, during the pandemic. The pizza became so popular that they decided to open a brick and mortar space which opened in Lakewood in January as Boom’s Pizza. The Neapolitan-style pizza shop has quickly become one of the most popular eateries in town, and for good reason. It’s phenomenal.

ETailian

13 Bell St., Chagrin Falls

Eddie Tancredi’s ETalian specializes in Naples-style wood-fired pizza. The oven, an Acunto, was custom made in Italy and has been installed in the open kitchen. At ETalian, they keep things simple, but fresh, focusing the operation on a handful of pies, salads and desserts.

Biga Wood Fired Pizza

9145 Chillcothe Rd., Kirtland

You might call Kirtland’s Biga's pizza style neo-Neapolitan. While the restaurant doesn't adhere to the strict rules of the Vera Pizza Napoletana, they do their own version and knock it out of the park. The homemade desserts are also worth the trip.

Farinacci Pizza

Multiple Locations

When you’ve been around since 1971, you must be doing something right. Whether it’s from their Hudson location or their Northfield one, you’re gonna get a tasty pie.

Flour

34205 Chagrin Blvd., Moreland Hills

Flour might be named after a simple ingredient, but the Italian food cooked up by the culinary dream team of Paul Minnillo and Matt Mytro is anything but basic. While Flour has tons of great dishes on their menu, the thin-crust pizzas are sublime and needed to be included here.

Congin’s Pizza

Multiple Locations

For some reason, this pizza place isn’t well known to all, but we can’t figure out why. With one location around Euclid and the other out in Chardon, there’s no excuse not to try a pie from here.

A Slice Above

8788 Pearl Rd., Strongsville

If you’re looking for a slice in Strongsville, this is your spot. They have their own style along with New York and Chicago so you really can’t go wrong.

Ohio City Pizzeria

3223 Lorain Ave., Cleveland

This Ohio City spot is a non-profit opened by a graduate of EDWIN’s Leadership program. They provide training to those who need essential job skills. And they make a damn fine pizza.

Angelo’s

13715 Madison Ave., Lakewood

Debate the merits of deep-dish versus thin crust all you want, but it's hard not to be won over by Angelo's Chicago-influenced pies. We recommend ordering deep dish with the tender meatballs for a topping. At a time when ordering delivery has never been easier, an impressive draught beer selection and a friendly, neighborhood vibe make Angelo's, a frequent winner of Scene’s Best Of Best Pizza award, a worthy spot to dine in.

Pizzeria DiLauro

17800 Chillicothe Rd., Chagrin Falls

Pizza lovers in Northeast Ohio got to know Adam DiLauro and his pies thanks to the Pizzeria DiLauro food truck, a mobile trailer with a built-in wood-fired oven., DiLauro parked the rig to refocus his attentions on a brick-and-mortar pizzeria of the same name. When it opened in 2021 in Bainbridge, Pizzeria DiLauro brought a little taste of the East Coast to the far East Side.