pizzawareNew York is so much more than the Big Apple, and the beautiful city of Rochester is a testament to upstate New York’s charm and history. Located on the banks of Lake Ontario with the beautiful Genesee River flowing through downtown, Rochester is a picturesque city steeped in rich history.
Visitors and locals alike feel like family as they dine in one of Rochester’s many mom-and-pop eateries. There’s no better example of this local restaurant scene than Rochester’s pizzerias.
The best pizza in Rochester takes many forms, from authentic Neapolitan pizzerias to New York-style slice shops, and most of them are owned and operated by proud Rochester natives.
If you’re looking for the best pizza in Rochester, look no further than my list of pizzerias. Whether you want classic New York, fancy wood-fired, or comforting Sicilian deep dish, you’ll find the best pizza in Rochester at one of the restaurants I explore in the following section.
Best Rochester Pizza Shops
- Pizza Stop
- Napa Wood Fired Pizza
- Cam’s Pizzeria
- Create A Pizza
- Nino’s Pizzeria
- Veneto Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta
- Galleria Pizza
- Rhino’s Pizzeria
- Linda’s New York Pizzeria
Pizza Stop
131 State St, Rochester, NY 14614
Phone: (585) 546-7252
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Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, with two other locations in Pittsford and Greece neighborhoods, Pizza Stop is a Rochester institution, serving the best, most authentic New York-style pizza since 1986.
Pizza Stop is family-owned and operated by Brooklyn natives who brought the family tradition from the old neighborhood where they worked in their parent’s pizza shop in the 1950s.
In true New York fashion, Pizza Stop offers round, thin crust and thick, dense square-shaped Sicilian along with stuffed pizza and calzones. I loved their specialty meatball and ricotta white pie. If you want a unique specialty pie, try the Jurassic Chicken with bacon and a BBQ and habanero sauce base.
Napa Wood Fired Pizza
573 S Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14620
Phone: (585) 232-8558
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Napa Wood Fired Pizza is a brewpub and pizzeria in the Southwedge neighborhood, offering a wide array of local and foreign craft beers on tap and an extensive wine list to accompany a thin crust, wood-fired pizza.
Napa’s fresh pizza and unique beer selection have gained notoriety in the press, winning the best restaurant and diner’s choice award from TripAdvisor and local Rochester publications.
Their signature pizza is a super thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza with perfect bubble and char to the outer edges. They also have a wide selection of gourmet appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. I loved their Greko specialty pie with basil pesto, spicy chicken sausage, spinach, roasted red peppers, feta, and mozzarella.
Cam’s Pizzeria
2487 Browncroft Blvd, Rochester, NY 14625
Phone: (585) 203-1765
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Located in the Browncroft/Penfield neighborhood, Cam’s Pizzeria is a fast-casual, family-friendly pizza shop.
Cam’s is owned and operated by brother and sister duo Carmelo and Giuliana, who strive to carry on the legacy of their father, who opened the original Cam’s in 1980. They still use their father’s award-winning recipes.
Cam’s Pizzeria specializes in New York-style thin crust and thick pan Sicilian pizza along with salads, stromboli, subs, and appetizers. You can build your own pie or choose from one of their creative specialty pies. I went for the Grande Supreme, a red pie with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives.
Create A Pizza
766 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Phone: (585) 730-5141
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True to its name, Create A Pizza is a fully customizable pizza shop with the best prices and shortest cook time in town. Located between Cobb’s Hill Park and Village Gate Square, Create a Pizza is a casual mom-and-pop pizza shop with a welcoming, local vibe.
They keep their oven super-hot to bake pizzas in three to five minutes, making them an excellent spot for dinner and lunch on the go.
If you want to waste even less time on your order, you can choose from one of their specialty pies instead of creating your own. I loved the Sweet and Saucy, with sweet buffalo sauce, white cheddar, banana peppers, pineapple, green peppers, broccoli, and chicken.
Nino’s Pizzeria
1328 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14609
Phone: (585) 482-2264
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Established in 1973 by the Cardella family, who still runs the business today, Nino’s Pizzeria is a no-frills old school pizza joint and a Culver Parkway institution for nearly 50 years.
Their pizzas run the gamut of Italian and Italian American styles from gourmet artisanal flatbread to Sicilian to Neapolitan, and each one is better than the next.
Nino’s has thin-crust Neapolitan, thick pan Sicilian, flatbread, and my personal favorite, a focaccia crust. The spongy, flavorful olive oil-soaked focaccia bread is baked fresh daily and topped with fresh herbs and your choice of veggies, cheese, onions, and meat.
Veneto Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta
318 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604
Phone: (585) 454-5444
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Located in the Alexander neighborhood, Veneto Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta is a friendly, cozy Italian eatery and bar in a bustling dining space with an open kitchen revealing an enormous wood-fired brick oven. Veneto is a great place for a nice family dinner or a lively happy hour gathering.
Their authentic Italian menu features delicious small plates, salads, house-made pasta, and wood-fired pizza Neapolitan-style. I highly recommend their homemade ricotta gnocchi with vodka cream sauce.
My pizza pick would be the Rustica with Pomodoro sauce, Italian sausage, green peppers, caramelized onions, provolone, mozzarella, and asiago cheese.
Galleria Pizza
16 E Main St, Rochester, NY 14614
Phone: (585) 262-2222
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Galleria Pizza is a family-friendly casual pizzeria and Italian American restaurant in the Four Corners neighborhood right in front of Aqueduct Park on the Genesee River.
Owners Tony Natalie and Edward Frusci opened Galleria Pizza in 1994, and they strive to serve the best selection of pizza, subs, wraps, sandwiches, and fried fish in town.
You can get pizza by the slice or whole specialty pies at unbeatable prices in both New York or Sicilian styles. They also offer great daily special combos for lunch and fish fries on Fridays. I loved their Eggplant Parm pizza with fried eggplant, ricotta, mozzarella, basil, oregano, and red sauce.
Rhino’s Pizzeria
391 Humboldt St, Rochester, NY 14610
Phone: (585) 288-7492
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Teetering between the Culver-Winton Main and East Avenue neighborhoods, Rhino’s Pizzeria is a quirky pizzeria and wing shop serving unique pizzas that fuse ingredients and flavors from around the globe.
Their famous Dill Pizza put them on the map, but there are plenty of other crazy combos to try. If you love pickles, the Dill Pizza is covered in dill pickle slices and fresh dill with white garlic sauce.
For those who want to try another interesting creation, I loved the Chicken Fajita Pizza with red and white sauce, mozzarella, cheddar, sweet peppers, onions, tomato, and spicy chicken.
Linda’s New York Pizzeria
1219 Lyell Ave, Rochester, NY 14606
Phone: (585) 458-8900
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Located in the Lyell-Otis neighborhood, Linda’s New York Pizzeria takes New York-style pizza to the extreme, using other New York-famous cuisine to inspire its specialty pie creations. Linda’s also makes some of the best New York-style cheesecake in town, so save room for dessert!
Linda’s casual, friendly dining space has a large open kitchen with a giant sign that says “Original Home of the Breakfast Pizza,” their most popular item.
Who says you can’t have pizza for breakfast? The breakfast pizza has freshly cracked eggs combined with American and mozzarella cheese with peppers, onions, sausage, and whatever other toppings you desire. It was delicious!
Final Thoughts
Rochester’s pizzerias offer a wide variety of locally owned New York-style and authentic Italian spots with family-friendly atmospheres to enjoy fresh hot pizza at its best. You’re sure to find your new favorite spot on my list of the best pizza in Rochester.
Plan your next trip to Rochester and stop at these pizza shops! Families will love visiting Rochester’s Strong National Museum of Play, offering a smorgasbord of toys, dolls, and games to keep kids of all ages entertained for hours. Nature lovers will love the countless parks, beaches, and gardens along the river and lakefront. Grab a slice after a day of fun in Rochester, New York!
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