Feb. 9 is National Pizza Day, and Pittsburgh is blessed with dozens of delicious ‘zas, but how do you choose?! We tapped Pittsburgh’s favorite pizza journalist, Dan Tallarico, for his top recommendations to satisfy any craving.
First, his bona fides: Dan first fell in love with pizza as a little kid at a birthday party at Luciano’s; as a teen, he delivered for Bellisario’s; he rooted on now-shuttered restaurants during Pittsburgh’s culinary renaissance around 2009; and now he’s a full-fledged pizza connoisseur through his Substack and website pizzawalkwithme.com.
We brought him categories, and he served up his faves! 😍🍕
🧀 Basic Cheese
Dan agrees that there IS such a thing as too much cheese, so he leans toward the classics — Angelo's and Fazio's, both in Bloomfield, as well as Mamma Lucia's in Downtown. But he’ll make an exception for Driftwood Oven's summertime four-cheese specialty pie in Lawrenceville.
🪵 Wood-Fired
Dan is still wistful about Pizza Taglio, which closed its East Liberty spot in 2020, but recommends Driftwood for its family-friendly atmosphere, Mercurio’s in Shadyside and Fox Chapel, and Gus Franco’s in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
The white Sicilian from Badamo’s in the North Side. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
🥖 Thin Crust
Check out Mamma Lucia's classic, thin traditional pie, or consider this local hack: Dan says that if you ask nicely, Fazio's will take their medium pizza dough and stretch it out to a large, yielding a delicious cracker crust. Or if it’s just the crispy edges you like, no one does it better than Bedamo’s in Dormont or the North Side.
Seitan pizza from Spak Brothers in Garfield. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
🍅 Vegan
Lawrenceville’s Spirit and Garfield’s Spak Brothers know what they’re doing, and Dan also loves Black Cat Pizza, which does pop-ups and festivals around the city. He’s particularly fond of BCP’s cashew mozzarella.
🚫 Gluten Free
Mercurio’s pioneered gluten free pizza in Pittsburgh, Dan says — he loves their wood-fired Neapolitan — and since the local pizza game is so tight-knit, they gave their dough recipe to the folks over at Iron Born to tinker with. If you’re ordering online, make sure to select it in the Extras section. Right now, it’s only available at the Strip location.
The veggie supreme pie from Iron Born in the Strip District. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
🍄 Specialty
For a greasy slice open late night, City Cast producer Sophia Lo loves Fazio’s Hawaiian pizza. “It’s very salty, very acidic, very sweet. Really, chef’s kiss.” Dan loves Iron Born for all its decadent options. For a cozy date night, add Market Square’s Pizzaiolo Primo and their Neapolitan menu to your long list. Beto’s Ohio Valley-style pizza with its cold toppings can be divisive, but Dan still recommends you give it a try. (Pro-tip: If you get it as takeaway, the steam from the box will melt the cold cheese on your way home). For an authentic New York option, Dan says Rockaway in White Oak is a must-visit.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to Dan’s newsletter on Substack and find more of his pizza expertise on the City Cast Pittsburgh podcast 🎧
