New York City’s Most Famous Pizza Slices, Re-Tasted And Ranked For 2022

Originally appeared on Uproxx

Ask any New Yorker where you can get the best slice of pizza in the city and you’re bound to hear some passionate opinions. Pizza by the slice is to New York City what the cheesesteak is to Philly, the Juicy Lucy is to Minneapolis, or the steamed crab bucket is to Baltimore: an iconic and beloved local favorite (which people get borderline too passionate about).

Enjoying a steaming hot slice of ‘za is a New York City rite of passage, both for locals and visitors, not to mention a fairly low-cost yet satisfying meal. While the “dollar slice” may be mostly dead, dollar or not, it’s usually more than worth the dough.

The only “problem” with New York pizza, if you can call it that, is that there’s so much of it. New York is practically drowning in by-the-slice pizza, with literally hundreds of spots to grab a slice in the city, from long-standing neighborhood joints to the spots you patronize late at night, after hitting the bars. Having so much quantity can be tricky though — it’s tough for a newcomer to discover the real gems amidst all the run-of-the-mill-level slices.

With that in mind, we took the liberty of doing some of the legwork for you, attempting to taste as many of the city’s most famous and most acclaimed pizzerias as we could and offering our updated rankings of the best New York pizza slices.

The Rules:

When there was a margherita slice available, I ordered a margherita slice. If no basil was available to be laid across that sizzling cheese, I ordered a plain slice. In places that had both triangle and Sicilian slices, I ordered both, and if only a Sicilian slice was available, I grabbed a plain or granny slice.

The one hard and fast rule is that each and every spot on this list has pizza available by the slice for takeaway, meaning little to no wait time for all that cheesy goodness.

The Guidelines:

There are a few key markers I look for when it comes to a perfect New York slice. While I understand that there are people who savor a slice with an obscene amount of cheese piled on or a super sweet sauce, that isn’t going to do for this list.

It’s also important to distinguish a New York slice from your typical Domino’s—the bottom of the slice should be crisp and thin, and shouldn’t flop too much or fall apart in your hands (no soggy bottoms!). The cornice of the crust should be slightly raised with a good bit of chew on the inside and air bubbles topped by a slight char for flavor and crunch. Most New York pizzerias top their pies with low-moisture mozzarella. When done impeccably, the slice should still have some red sauce splotches coming through, a nice oily sheen, and stretchy cheese that pulls in strings when you take a bite.

As for the sauce, I’m looking for that classic, simple New York-style pizza sauce — crushed tomatoes that provide their own sweetness and a zingy, acidic taste. It might be flavored with salt and Italian herbs. What you don’t want in pizza sauce is an overt, sugary sweetness, which could come from lazier sauces made with added sugar.

When it comes to the Sicilian slice, that’s a whole different story. You’ll find Sicilian slices all over New York (including in this article), and they can be supremely satisfying when done right. They’re typically square, with a much breadier, thicker crust than what you’d see with a New York triangle. That means that the entire crust, from the bottom to the back of the slice, should be consistently crunchy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. It should also be a bit lighter and kind of airy—almost like focaccia bread. For a Sicilian slice, dry or stodgy crust is the kiss of death.

Regardless of the granular distinctions, the bottom line is that we were on the hunt for tasty pizza that kept us wanting more, and distinguished itself amongst its many many competitors.

#4 WilliaMSBURG PIZZA

What was once one small slice shop on the corner of Union and S. 3rd has grown into a NYC pizza empire, as Williamsburg continues to open up shops all around the city. I tried a margherita slice at their original shop, and was pleasantly surprised that they lived up to the hype.

Not floppy at all with a great char on the bottom of the slice, sauce peeking through the mozzarella. Zesty, acidic sauce that isn’t sweet. Shredded basil. Crust tastes fresh with a good chew to crunch ratio.

Bottom Line:

A very solid slice all the way around.