The 16 best pizzerias in Connecticut, according to our readers

Which Connecticut pizzeria makes the best pizza? In 2019, we left it up to our readers to nominate their favorites, and we got more than 1,000 submissions.

Of all of those submissions, these 16 pizzerias were the most popular.

Bobby’s Apizza

1179 Foxon Road, North Branford

The family-owned pizzeria, first established in 1969 and purchased by Joseph Cappetta in 1980, describes its pies as “innovative gourmet style,” with signature recipes like “Bobby’s Mac and Cheese” (with pasta, cheddar cheese sauce and bacon); a “Veg 8” featuring choice of red or white base and eight different vegetable toppings, and even a Reuben pie with corned beef, Swiss, Thousand Island dressing, mozzarella and pickles. bobbyspizza06471.wixsite.com/bobbyspizza/menu.

Camille’s Wood-Fired Pizza

23 Fieldstone Commons, Tolland

Camille’s ultra-thin pies are the star at this funky, family-friendly pizzeria, with gourmet selections like spicy sausage and kale with chili oil and Billy’s Bianco, with pistachio, garlic cream sauce, goat cheese, ricotta, red onion and truffle honey. A specials menu often highlights the best of seasonal produce, and craft beer lovers watch the tap list closely for the latest and hottest IPAs, sours and stouts. Owners Camille Malaspina and Dave Noad recently expanded to South Windsor, introducing Camille’s sibling Oakland Pizza Co. in the fall of 2018. camillespizza.com.

E&D Pizza Company

200 W. Main St., Avon

E&D, named for owner Mike Androw’s pizza-loving sons Enzo and Dario, expanded in 2017, allowing for a kitchen twice the size and seating for about 35 guests. Specialty pies include the Positano (black mission fig, goat cheese, red onion and chili honey) and the Calabrese (Italian sausage, hot capicola, provolone, red onion and oregano.) eanddpizzacompany.com.

First & Last Tavern

Locations in Hartford, Avon, Glastonbury and Plainville

The original First & Last has been a mainstay in Hartford since 1936, getting its start post-Prohibition as a “tradesman’s bar,” featuring a limited tavern menu with grinders and pasta with meatballs or sausage. The DePasquale family added brick oven pizza when they took over in 1983, and partners Rich, Curt and Russ Nemarich now operate suburban locations in Avon, Glastonbury and Plainville. Menus vary by restaurant, but the Hartford original’s pizza lineup features specialty pies like puttanesca (tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, hot peppers) and “sweet pea” (peas, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, basil.) firstandlasttavern.com.

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

Multiple locations

The pizzeria brand is synonymous with New Haven, but over the past decade and a half, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana has expanded significantly, adding six additional locations across Connecticut and also crossing state lines into New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Timeless classics include the original tomato pie (with or without mozzarella) and its exalted white clam pie, with fresh clams, grated pecorino romano, garlic, oregano and olive oil. pepespizzeria.com.

Harry’s Bishops Corner

732 N. Main St., West Hartford

In a town with an increasingly overwhelming amount of restaurant choices, Harry’s Bishops Corner is a constant favorite, most recently earning “best pizza in West Hartford” honors in CTNOW’s 2019 Best of Hartford poll. Harry’s fans love the thin-crust pies in traditional and specialty varieties (margherita, shrimp florentine, roasted potato and cheddar) as well as its seasonal selections, like the highly anticipated fresh tomato and basil pie that appears every summer. harrysbc.com.

Little City Pizza

152 Simsbury Road, Avon

Little City, which spent 15 years in Simsbury before moving to a much larger space in Avon last year, built its reputation on thin-crust pies with roasted tomato sauce, hand-cut vegetables, housemade sausage and meatballs and other fresh ingredients. The “Little City” eponymous pizza is a favorite, with grilled chicken, melted leeks, roasted garlic spread and fontina and Romano cheeses. littlecitypizzaco.com.

Modern Apizza

874 State St., New Haven

The State Street pizzeria, founded in 1934, is a staple of New Haven’s robust apizza scene, and has been featured in numerous national publications and spotlighted on Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food” and “Pizza Paradise” programs. Its signature pie, the “Italian bomb,” is topped with bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion, pepper and garlic on a mozzarella base and available with red or white sauce. modernapizza.com.

Mondo

10 Main St., Middletown

Mondo recently celebrated its ninth anniversary in Middletown, thanks to a cult following for its specialty and artisan pies like figs with prosciutto, bleu cheese and arugula and “oozy egg” with fresh mozzarella, romano, prosciutto di parma, egg & truffle oil (a Wesleyan student favorite, owner Keith Vibert told The Courant in 2014.) mondomiddletown.com.

Naples Pizza

838 Farmington Ave., Farmington

The beloved Farmington pizza joint has been a fixture in town since 1995 (and actually helped inspire Mondo and Camille’s, as two of owner Kurt Kruczek’s former employees branched out on their own.) The thin-crust pies feature specialties like pesto chicken, shrimp with red onion and capers, and a monthly seasonal pizza, with recent offerings like a summer sweet corn and tomato pie, “kickin honey BBQ chicken” and an October special with roasted butternut squash, wilted spinach, caramelized onions and goat cheese. naplespizza.net.

Pleasant Pizza

413 Pleasant St., Willimantic

Pleasant, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in May, features a slew of creative pies (“Flaribbean” with a ranch base, Cajun-sauced chicken, pineapple, jalapeños and BBQ sauce; “Mambo” with sour cream base, pulled pork, ham, pickles and spicy mustard drizzle) along with pizza-by-the-slice lunch specials. The pizzeria’s “Maria’s Garden” offers popular outdoor seating in the summer. pleasantpizzact.com.

Rossini’s Italian Restaurant

62 W. High St., East Hampton

Rossini’s, an East Hampton favorite since 1991, features hand-tossed pies, ranging from a classic margherita with fresh mozz and basil to a decadent seafood pizza with shrimp, calamari and clams. The pizzeria recently featured a “lasagna” pizza with its housemade meat lasagna filling, ricotta and mozzarella, as well as a chicken broccoli Alfredo pie. rossiniseasthampton.com.

Sally’s Apizza

237 Wooster St., New Haven

Sally’s, an Elm City legend, changed hands in its 80th year as the Consiglio family sold the business to Lineage Hospitality in late 2017 (but Bob and Rick Consiglio, sons of original owners Sal and Flo, opted to stay on as managers at first to help the transition.) The iconic pizzeria, which has served celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Kathleen Turner and Don Rickles, is still a nationally renowned destination for tomato pie — just check out the lines snaking down Wooster Street. sallysapizza.com.

Tony’s Pizza

117 Main St., Willimantic

Tony’s, which just marked its 46th anniversary in September, offers Greek-style pizza with classic toppings and even a few Greek-inspired pies —moussaka, with eggplant, olives, onions, garlic and meat sauce, and Grecian Delight, with feta, olives, onion and tomato. tonyspizzaplace.com.

Willington Pizza House

25 River Road, Willington (Willington Pizza Too, its second location, is at 11 Phelps Way in Willington)

This eastern Connecticut fixture, in its 41st year, is known for its inventive pies, introducing a pickle pizza with a garlic Parmesan sauce base in 2018 and a recent Octoberfest special with sliced bratwurst, red onions, shredded cabbage, roasted garlic, sharp cheddar and a drizzle of whole grain mustard. Its signature red potato pizza (with toppings of broccoli, bacon or both) was featured on Cooking Channel’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” in March. willingtonpizza.com.

Zuppardi’s Apizza

179 Union Ave., West Haven

“Zupp’s,” a West Haven institution since 1934, is famous for its white clam pie with shucked-to-order littlenecks (a favorite of world-renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer) and others featuring its housemade fennel sausage. Beyond city limits, Zuppardi’s also operates a food truck and an outpost at The Hops Company beer garden and event hall in Derby, and out-of-state fans can even order pies for nationwide shipping through Goldbelly. zuppardisapizza.com.