How Many Pizza Restaurants Are There in the US?
There are currently over 100,000 pizzerias in the United States, according to Restaurantji.
The geography of pizzerias in America is very diverse - there is not a single state with more than 9% of all pizzerias. California has 8,9%, followed by Texas (7,5%), New York (6,5%), and Florida with 6,1% closing the leaderboard. On the other side, you'll have the hardest time eating pizza in Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming - those states combined have just 0,7% of all pizza restaurants.
Pizza is a very affordable dish - more than 3/4 of all restaurants (85,165 or 77,6%) are in the $-$$ price range. And only 53 fall into the category of expensive establishments with a $$$$ average price tag.
The most popular pizzerias are Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and Papa John's. They have a combined total of 34,558 locations in the US. That's 65% of all chain pizzerias, or more than a quarter (27,7%) of all pizzerias overall.
But don't let their popularity fool you - we analyzed millions of reviews and found that the average rating of independent local pizza restaurants is a cut above chain pizzerias (4,07 vs. 3,2 out of 5).
7 Most Popular Regional Pizza Styles
Neapolitan Pizza
The original Neapolitan pizza comes from Naples, Italy and has just a few fresh ingredients: dough, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. It must have more sauce than cheese, resulting in a very wet center, so it's served unsliced as a personal 10-12 inch pizza. Strict guidelines from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana dictate the ingredients and cooking method of baking at 800°F-900°F for 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven. This creates the signature puffy, charred outer crust. Variations don't qualify as true Neapolitan style.
Sicilian Pizza
The original Sicilian pizza called sfincione has a thick, fluffy bread base topped with a simple tomato sauce made with onions, herbs and anchovies, plus breadcrumbs instead of cheese. When Sicilian immigrants brought it to America, mozzarella was often added. For New York-style Sicilian pizza, the same spongy dough is pressed into an oiled square pan and topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella. The bottom gets crispy and charred while the middle stays soft and doughy. Authentic versions don't use mozzarella since sheep/goat milk is more common in Sicily.
New York Pizza
New York is considered the birthplace of American pizza restaurants, with Gennaro Lombardi opening the first licensed pizzeria in 1905. New York-style pizza has large, floppy slices that are wide and pliable. The crust is thin but not as thin as Neapolitan pizza. An important feature is the ability to fold the slice to eat on-the-go. The oversized slices, around 9-10 inches long, have a crispy bite but stay chewy from the high-gluten flour used. The sauce usually contains herbs, while the cheese is aged low-moisture mozzarella. New York pizzas are traditionally cooked in coal-fired ovens.
New Haven Pizza
At first glance, New Haven pizza looks similar to New York style - circular, thin crust and large. But the slices are smaller and the shape is irregular from longer dough fermentation. Like Neapolitan pizza, it has a signature charred crust from being cooked in scorching coal-fired brick ovens. A famous example is the tangy tomato pie from Sally's Apizza, loved by Frank Sinatra. The sauce is made from a proprietary tomato-herb blend with no cheese. The longer fermentation gives the crust a distinct chewy texture and nuanced flavor.
Detroit Pizza
Born in 1946, Detroit-style pizza was originally baked in rectangular steel pans meant for auto parts. The thick, fluffy crust gets a crispy, buttery caramelized edge from the pan's cast iron-like qualities. It's basically a cross between Sicilian and deep dish, with cheese spread from edge-to-edge under the sauce to ensure a crispy crust. Classic toppings are pepperoni and brick cheese. You can still get these iconic rectangular pies at the original Buddy's restaurant or Loui's in Hazel Park, which has a vintage 1970s vibe.
Chicago Pizza
When people say "Chicago-style", they usually mean the famous deep dish pizza with a buttery, yellow crust made from wheat flour and corn oil or butter. The dough is pressed into a deep pan and topped in reverse order - first cheese to prevent burning, then toppings like meat and veggies, and finally a robust tomato sauceLayer. It takes around an hour to bake. Some prefer the cracker-thin, square-cut tavern-style pizzas that are common in Chicago. Fillings are added to the dough in a pan, with cheese and sauce on top for a lightly-fried crunchy edge.
California Pizza
California pizza broke the rules by featuring fresh, innovative toppings representing the state's diverse bounty of produce. It started in 1982 at Spago in Los Angeles with a smoked salmon, red onion and dill crème fraîche pizza. Chains like California Pizza Kitchen popularized unique flavor combinations like barbecue chicken, avocado carpaccio, and mixed toppings like pear, walnut and blue cheese. The crust is often similar to Neapolitan style - thin and hand-tossed - but the generous toppings are where California pies get creative and over-the-top.
Most Popular Dishes in Pizza Restaurants in the US and Canada
Restaurantji collected millions of restaurant reviews from all of the Pizza restaurants across the US and Canada to find out, which particular pizzas are mostly loved by North Americans.
Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni is the most popular choice of topping, and analysis by Restaurantji only proves this. About 251.7 million pounds of this flavorful, meaty topping is eaten annually in the U.S. on pizzas. More than 36 percent of the pizzas ordered at restaurants around the U.S. have pepperoni as a topping. Its tasty slightly smoky and spicy flavor makes it easy to understand why so many people love it. Surprisingly, pepperoni wasn't created in Italy - it was invented by Italian immigrants in New York City in the early 1900s. Pepperoni became a go-to topping when pizza chains like Pizza Hut and Domino's opened, since it was inexpensive and traveled well. Common ingredients are a pizza crust, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and thinly sliced pepperoni.
Some of the most praised restaurants serving Pepperoni Pizza, according to Restaurantji:
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Pizza • Meat Lovers Pizza
This hearty pizza is topped with a variety of different meats like pepperoni, sausage, ham, and bacon. It's popular with customers who want a protein-rich meal and love the flavor of meats. Some versions may also include vegetables like onions, peppers and mushrooms, though the focus is on the meats. Key ingredients are pizza crust, tomato sauce, cheese, and assorted cooked/cured meat toppings.
According to Restaurantji, the best Meat Lovers Pizza is served here:
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Beer Bar • Supreme Pizza
In the US, a supreme pizza usually contains traditional toppings like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. However, in Italy, the term "supreme" isn't used and topping combinations vary by region. Supreme pizzas appeal to many because of the variety of flavors - from savory meats to sweet pineapple. The exact origins are unclear but some believe it started with Italian-Americans customizing pizzas, or with the rise of pizza chains creating new topping combos in the 1960s. Typical ingredients are crust, sauce, cheese, plus an assortment of vegetable and meat toppings.
Users recommend these places for the best Supreme Pizza:
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Italian • Lasagna
An Italian favorite, lasagna is surprisingly one of the most popular non-pizza dishes at many pizzerias in the US. It's a comforting baked casserole with layers of wide noodles, cheese, meat sauce, and more cheese. Though strongly associated with Italy today, lasagna did not actually originate there. It may have evolved from ancient Greek laganon noodles layered with toppings and eaten with a stick. The key ingredients in modern lasagna are wide flat noodles, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, ground meat sauce, and tomato or bechamel sauce.
These places pop up the most when talking about a perfect Lasagna:
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Italian • Margherita Pizza
The simple yet iconic Margherita pizza was created in Naples with just a few quality ingredients: yeasted dough stretched into a round, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. One legend traces its 1889 creation to honoring Queen Margherita with colors of the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil). However, similar pizzas likely existed before that in Naples. The key ingredients are a simple bread dough base, fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and olive oil.
Restaurantji suggests to try Margherita pizza here:
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Pizza • The First Pizza Restaurant in The United States
Lombardi's – Est. 1905 (New York City) started out as a small grocery store on the corner of two streets in 1897. Lombardi's changed food history forever when the owner, Gennaro Lombardi, decided to start making pizzas in 1905. Lombardi's moved locations in 1984, but still uses the same type of coal oven to bake crusts that are blackened on the bottom with a yeasty, soft inside, topped with tomato sauce made from fresh basil.
About 350 Slices of Pizza Are Eaten Every Second in The US
Americans eat an average of 350 pizza slices every second. That equals about 100 acres of pizza every day and 21,000 slices per minute. That's a huge amount of pizza.
93% of Americans Order Pizza At Least Once A Month
Pizza is more than just America's favorite comforting food. It has become a regular part of our diet. More than 93% of Americans order pizza at least once every month. This means pizza makes up an important part of what Americans eat regularly. And it's probably the most delicious part of the diet too.
Pizza Is a Super Bowl Dish
The American Pizza Community says that around 12.5 million pizzas are ordered, baked, and delivered to football fans on Super Bowl Sunday. Domino's revealed they sell more than 11 million slices on just that one day. The most popular pizza topping for Super Bowl orders is pepperoni.
Studies show that 61% of people consider pizza a "must-have" food for Super Bowl parties. It's estimated that over $230 million is spent on frozen and deli pizzas in just the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl game.
The Largest Pizza in The World
Pizza Hut teamed up with a famous YouTuber named Airrack to make the world's largest pizza. The giant pizza was 14,000 square feet in size! It was made using huge amounts of dough, pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Guinness World Records was there to officially declare it the largest pizza ever made, beating the previous record set in 2012.
Airrack wanted to make this colossal pizza for two reasons: 1) To celebrate getting 10 million followers on YouTube, and 2) To make up for a disappointing 8th birthday party from his childhood where the birthday pizza did not get delivered.
Pizza Hut helped sponsor and create this pizza. It took 48 hours of non-stop work by Pizza Hut workers and Airrack's friends at a convention center. The finished pie had 68,000 slices, all of which were donated to charities in Los Angeles.
Must-Try Restaurants
“Delicious pizza (nice and thin and delicious toppings) + nice employees = 5 stars!
The food was great & the pizza was something different th...”
“The atmosphere was absolutely incredible, and the service was amazing! There was some trivia that also added to the vibe!!”
“It's very nice and all, but I don't understand how people pay to go make their own pizza ?”
“I’ve never eaten at Angeli’s ever until recently at almost 12 midnight on a recent Saturday. Food, drinks, and service was great. Very kind people!!!”
“Parking: Street parking right outside.
Kid-friendliness: Just a very good atmosphere
Wheelchair accessibility: No n...”
“Please go here! We live in San Antonio but we are here on our way to Montgomery, Tx. The service was IMPECCABLE! The staff is very friendly and family or...”
“Food is great and the guy at the front desk is super friendly. The location is very clean and recommend it to everyone.”
“First Review of 2025 and boi oh boi this is gonna be a good one. I usually give restaurants a few tries before I make reviews to just get a feel for thei...”
“I am from up north and have eaten pizza at some real great spots. The pizza here is excellent! I would say one of the better places in Florida I have tried!”
“Katie was our server and she’s always wonderful. We’ve had her a few times before too and we always look forward to her incredible service.”
“Marco was great, very attentive and considerate of our needs. The food as usual was amazing!
Thanks ”
“Super yummy and interesting pizzas! They came out quick and we sat for hours talking. Wonderful place.”
“Great food, great service. Thanks Emily for taking care of us!
Vegetarian options: Can make your pizza veg or vegan”
“Got delivery the other night! Ordered: -goat cheese croquettes -burrata w/ sun-dried tomato -"caesar" salad -pumpkin ravioli -pesto gnocchi -Br...”
“Our first time here and so glad we made the stop. Not only were the pizza and dessert fantastic, the owner, Vito and staff were so welcoming and kind. Ma...”
Recently Opened Restaurants
“Pretty disappointed to turn up here, having left another place to come and visit, to be told that they’re closed, despite google maps saying they’re open...”
“UPDATE THE OWNER REPLIED TO MY REVIEW AS YOU WILL SEE BELOW. I GAVE HER THE CHANCE TO MAKE GOOD ON WANTING TO FIX THE ISSUE SO I EMAILED HER THE NEXT DAY...”
“Saw portnoy’s review and decided to try it. Got the original sin pie and if I’m being honest, it was good and crispy but not much cheese and sauce on it ...”
“Our first visit @ La Pizza and we loved it! We had a party of 13 for family birthday. The staff was very accommodating. The pizzas were great.”
“Delicious pizza, Reagan and Conner were awesome, great service, will be back for sure.
Parking: RIM, parking lot easy access.”
“Small cozy place. Great pizza. Friendly staff. Clean restaurant and a very clean restroom.”
“The margherita pizza was excellent; would definitely get it again. The Goatsmary pizza tasted ok but was very dry. Needs at least more oil or something e...”
“First time ordering from this dominos location. I will say, the pizza was ok. Definitely made unevenly though. One half of the pizza was perfect crust si...”
“Horrible. Salad and and ranch is terrible. Very very mediocre. Poppers tasted like from a frozen package”
“Was excited at first about this new pizza place. This quickly has become a place I will no longer order from. Have now had several problems with orders. ...”
“Cami was a fantastic server, food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. Will definitely be coming back.”
“Great pizza! Tastes like a great NY slice. Also ordered the gnocchi sorrentina and it was excellent.”
“My husband and I went here for lunch. We have eaten here twice before and really liked it. I am Celiac and got the gluten-free crust both times in the pa...”
“Tried Kechy for the first time on Super Bowl Sunday - did not disappoint. We will absolutely be back! One of the best crusts we’ve ever had!”
Recent Reviews
“The grilled chicken sandwich with roasted red peppers, spinach, a mix of cheeses including feta with a spicy buffalo mayo is absolutely delicious! My ...”
“We tried this last night. Best pizza we have ever had!!!”
“It's 9:30 your crew is killing it. This combination of people work great together. Don't spilt them up. When it's busy the communicatio...”
“Oops l meant to give Stefano's a solid star rating.”
“Great pizza, been there twice just what I wanted”
“Placed order at 515PM still waiting after a call at 645 PM. Very hungry”
“We eat at Sergio's on a regular basis, food is outstanding, service is wonderful, friendly welcoming staff. We have taken many friends there and man...”
“Great food great employees they’re funny to cut up with and they play good music while you sit and wait for your order don’t take lon...”
“Just left after birthday party with 5. Semolina gnocchi with ox tail ragu was ok, sauce somewhat bland. Bolognese nothing extraordinary and cheesecake de...”
“The pizza is the best ever. The sauce is so sweet and they do not scrimp on toppings. We always enjoy getting a large to have leftovers the next day. ...”
“Not very good pizza. Cheese tastes like plastic”
“First, was SUPPOSED to be curbside. Had to go INSIDE. When I got my pizza, didn't get proper respect, and the pizza was COLD! Plus, I like onion...”
“can never stop loving it!”
“We can't say enough great things about A Roma! After being in Italy over the holidays we got spoiled and have been in search of better Italian food ...”
Recently Updated Menus
“This is my families go to for our take out treat. We've ordered from them over 10x now since they've been open and we have always always always...”
“Friendly and great on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Jesikah is the best delivery person they have had in a while. The kids and liana cook some amazing p...”
“I have no idea what the bread rolled pepperoni's are suppose to be but they're dry, dry, dry to eat. You better have a big glass of pop to Wash...”
“We are from Michigan & have not found one local chain pizza place that actually has 'flavor'! My son & I visited here last week & w...”
“The food was amazing. Me and my traveling companion had the torta and pizza. We're only here 5 days on a business trip and with all the places there...”
“Pizza is super on point! 8.7 .. The Large Bbq Wings are really good. 8.2 .. I take them home and bake them a little longer as I am all about super cooked...”
“Very disappointed!! Just left this restaurant, ordered some southwest egg rolls for an appetizer and boneless chicken wings. First the egg rolls had a lo...”
“Absolutely delicious. Best fired pizza in Bedford. Excellent dough and sauce, fresh, no grease. You can tell they care about quality ingredients. The sau...”
“The drive thru window for Pizza is a great idea! I can't wait to try some of the other items on the menu.”
“Went there on a Saturday night w a large group of family. The owners were extremely friendly. The menu has something for everyone. And the food is excell...”
“Food was awesome the owners are super nice folks, we drive 45 minutes just to eat here and it's worth every minute of the drive. Food selections are...”
“Ordered a medium pizza for lunch today. I requested a works pizza and substituted the olives for jalapenos. When I called in my order the gentleman at th...”
“Try the fajita chicken sub. It’s special. Can’t really explain but trust me. They have the crispy seasoned fries and their sauces are the bomb dot com. I...”
“Reminds me of being in Chicago. Everyone is awesome. Food is great. Entertainment is outstanding. Wish I could give this place a 10”
“very friendly owners.pizza was really good. would recommend, all homemade ingredients. Definitely would order from there again.”
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They have swapped ownership (asked and confirmed) and you can tell by the service and quality. Use to we only got little Caesar’s to save money. Now it’s because it’s better also! The pizza is coming out just right. They are doing so good about having your order out on time, in my experience. This is on the weekend we do this so for me, that’s awesome.If you stopped coming to this particular little Caesar’s in the past cause of the quality or time, I’d highly recommend giving it another shot.Also, don’t mind the photo, yes I already dug in and writing the review while I enjoy it☺️