pizzawareLong Island, like Manhattan, is a massive, densely populated, and diverse island that hooks up via Queens to NYC and stretches for over 100 miles along the Atlantic Coast. Not only does it have countless distinct neighborhoods, but it is also home to a wealth of natural beauty – as well as delicious Long Island pizza.
Long Island’s diverse neighborhoods have an equally diverse restaurant scene, but I wanted to find the quintessential New York food: pizza.
Long Island’s pizza restaurants encompass the authentic New York-style pizza experience, offering slice shops, family-friendly restaurants, and high-end pizza bars.
Read on to find my top picks for the best pizza in Long Island.
Grimaldi’s
242-02 61st Ave, Queens, NY 11362
Phone: (718) 819-8889
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Teetering between Glen Oaks and Douglaston, Grimaldi’s is a friendly, old-school New York pizzeria and Italian restaurant with red and white checkered tablecloths and a mural of an old Italian city scene spanning the interior walls.
The cute, family-friendly atmosphere is a welcoming place to dine in.
They offer a full menu of small plates, salads, calzones, slices, and whole pies. Their pizzas are thin-crust coal-coal fired brick oven pizza with gourmet topping combinations.
I loved the Dame Pizza with white cream sauce, sliced mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, and balsamic glaze. IF you’re looking for a delicious red pizza, try the Don Pizza with Italian sausage and meatballs.
Saverio’s
929 N Broadway, North Massapequa, NY 11758
Phone: (516) 799-0091
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Saverio’s is the sister restaurant of the long-standing Queens-native Cataldo family business as a swine butcher and owner of the Detroit-style pizza joint, Depequa.
At Saverio’s the Cataldo family teams up with Italian pizzaiolo and head chef Saverio to bring the Massapequa neighborhood certified, authentic Neapolitan pizza using imported ingredients and a wood-fired brick oven from Italian oven makers.
They use San Marzano tomatoes, imported olive oil, and house-made mozzarella to create delicious, fresh, and authentic Neapolitan pies.
They’re famous for their Margherita DOP pie, but if you want a more complex offering, try the Saporita with homemade Genovese sauce, mozzarella di bufala, fried eggplant, pecorino romano, and dollops of pesto.
Salvatore’s Coal Oven Pizzeria
124 Shore Rd, Port Washington, NY 11050
Phone: (516) 883-8457
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Named for owners’ Fred and Marco Laancieri’s father, Salvatore’s is an extension of a long-standing family pizzeria that opened in Harlem in 1933.
Sixty years later, Salvatore’s opened in Manorhaven, using the same iconic coal oven pizza recipes passed down from their great aunts and uncles, which Zagat rated as #3 in the nation.
They make delicious stromboli and pizza rolls as well as calzones, baked pasta, and small plates.
Their famous thin-crust coal-fired pizzas come as either Margherita (red) based pizzas or white pizzas, which you add the toppings of your choice to.
I had the Margherita pizza with meatballs, mushrooms, and onions.
Little Vincent’s Pizza
329 New York Ave, Huntington, NY 11743
Phone: (631) 423-9620
Located in the heart of Huntington Village, Little Vincent’s Pizza is a casual, counter-service New York-style slice shop and pizzeria with a no-frills dining area open late.
They exemplify the old-school notion of simple, always-hot, always crispy thin-crust pizza sold in giant, foldable slices on the cheap.
One thing that sets their slices apart is that they served them to you with an extra handful of shredded mozzarella cheese on top, which adds to the richness, texture, and overall hunger-quelling aspect, turning a snack into a meal.
You can get build your own pies, but there’s nothing more perfect than a simple cheese slice at 1 am.
Umberto’s Pizzeria & Restaurant
64 Manetto Hill Rd, Plainview, NY 11803
Phone: (516) 433-4999
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Founded over 50 years ago by Italian natives Umberto and Carlo Corteo, Umberto’s Pizzeria and Restaurant is a New York staple for quality Italian food and fine pizza in a warm, cozy dining hall.
While the flagship location is in New Hyde Park, Carlo’s son Rich opened Umberto’s in Plainview, attracting the same faithful following.
Along with a massive menu of appetizers, pasta, salads, heroes, baked pasta, and entrees, Umberto’s offers both New York-style and Sicilian pizzas.
Sicilian, deep-dish pan pizza is my personal favorite, and you can get it in the same variations as thin-crust at Umberto’s.
I recommend the Pazzo Pizza with house-made sausage, roasted peppers, onions, olives, and mozzarella.
La Piazza
1137 Old Country Rd, Plainview, NY 11803
Phone: (516) 938-0800
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Another long-time Plainview favorite, La Piazza has been serving authentic Italian pasta dishes and wood-fired pizza in Long Island for over 40 years.
La Piazza has a large, family-friendly dining room with a robust wine, beer, and espresso selection, not to mention over 25 varieties of hand-made pasta.
They specialize in Neapolitan-style pizza but honor their New York roots by offering it by the slice or whole.
The menu features a multi-course offering of antipasti, soups, pasta, pizza, and entrees, so many people order a pizza to share before the meal. They also offer a Sicilian square pizza.
My favorite Neapolitan-style is the Quattro Stagioni with tomato basil sauce, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, black olives, prosciutto, and mushrooms.
GoodFellas L.I.C.
2519 40th Ave, Queens, NY 11101
Phone: (718) 472-1932
Located in the heart of Long Island City, GoodFellas L.I.C. is a fast-casual classic NYC slice shop with counter-service and a large display case full of fresh New York-style slices.
Their crusts are perfect proportions of chewy, doughy, and crispy. Slices are hot, giant, crispy, and perfectly foldable, and you can get a two-slice and a drink combo for less than any other fast food combo meal.
Their slices usually come as simple cheese or one-topping pies with the option to build your own whole pie.
They make incredible garlic knots with the pizza dough, and they also offer the classic square-pan Sicilian or “grandma” pie smothered in chunky San Marzano tomato sauce, globs of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil on top.
Philomena’s Pizza
4116 Queens Blvd, Queens, NY 11104
Phone: (718) 255-1778
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Philomena’s Pizza is a beloved Sunnyside haunt, offering gourmet, artisanal New York, and Sicilian pizza in a casual, slice-shop atmosphere.
Their motto is “made with love,” and you can certainly feel the passion for pizza with every mouthwatering bite.
Prices are as affordable as your typical NYC pizzerias, but the high-quality, gourmet ingredients and expert execution of crust texture and topping ratio are on par with a world-class bistro.
They make personal New York-style thin-crust pies in 12” rounds as well as standard mediums and large pies. The Sicilian is a large square pie.
I recommend the Spicy Mikey with tomato sauce, onions, soppressata, mozzarella, and Mike’s Hot honey.
Sunnyside Pizza
4001 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside, NY 11104
Phone: (718) 433-4040
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Family-owned and operated by second-generation Italian Americans, Sunnyside Pizza is a small, mom-and-pop pizza shop with friendly service and authentic New York-style pizza.
The family’s travels around Italy mixed with their Sunnyside roots inform their fusion of Italian flavors with New York-style cooking techniques.
What I like about Sunnyside Pizza is that you can opt to build-your-own pie in quarter increments, meaning you can put a certain topping combination on one-fourth of the pie, another topping combination on a second fourth, and perhaps a different combination for the remaining half.
They’re the kings of special orders at Sunnyside Pizza.
Manetta’s
10-76 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
Phone: (718) 786-6171
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Founded by Rome transplants Phyllis and Mario Manetta in 1992, Manetta’s has been serving Long Island City traditional Italian cuisine and wood-fired brick oven Neapolitan pizzas for over 30 years.
Zagat calls them a family-friendly neighborhood mainstay that makes you feel like you’re eating at your Nonna’s kitchen.
The large, rustic, and welcoming dining room is a romantic and lively place for date night or a family meal. Along with Neapolitan pizza, they have a full menu of antipasti, pasta, salad, soup, and regional Italian entrees.
My favorite pizza is the Vongole with fresh mozzarella, clams, garlic, Parmigiano, oregano, and spicy Calabrian chilies.
Levante
26-21 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
Phone: (718) 392-3885
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Located in a stylish industrial-chic space in the heart of Long Island City a few blocks from Court Square, Levante is a fashionable, upscale cocktail bar and Italian kitchen with a bustling atmosphere.
The space is an enormous warehouse-sized dining room with a long 16-seat cocktail bar and a wonderful outdoor patio, serving high-end, beautifully presented contemporary Italian dishes using high-quality imported Italian ingredients.
They have an enormous, blue-tiled wood-fired oven in which they bake their perfectly charred and bubbly Neapolitan pizza.
I loved the Alessia pizza with fresh mozzarella, oven-roasted mushrooms, truffle pate, Parmigiano, and creamy burrata.
Final Thoughts
Long Island pizza joints range from your typical counter-service slice shops to trendy, upscale Italian restaurants.
No matter what dining experience you prefer, you’re guaranteed the best pizza in Long Island from any of the fabulous options on my list.
You can spend the summers camping and lazing on the beaches of Montauk or Jones Beach, making the trek to the stunning 17th century Montauk lighthouse for an iconic photograph. But don’t forget to grab a slice while you’re there!
Long Island also houses the ritzy towns of the Hamptons where New York’s wealthiest elite have their summer homes.
If you’re looking for other types of food around New York, you’ll find every cuisine imaginable on my many other, more eclectic lists of restaurants throughout the five boroughs.
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