Ultimate Guides Washington D.C.
The Ultimate Resy Guide to Pizza in D.C.
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The most brilliant aspect of the pizza scene in Washington, D.C.? It refuses to pick a lane. Along with glorious Neapolitan pizza with chewy dough at Pupatella, sought-after sourdough crusts at Alfreda, and New Jersey-style pizza galore at All-Purpose, there truly is something for every occasion.
And the variety doesn’t stop at the dough, toppings, or pairings. The makers behind our local pizzas ovens have also cooked up all kinds of restaurants and settings to enjoy your pies, from charming date nights to pizza with your pups. If you aren’t craving a slice of yet, keep reading – we’re just getting started.
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La Merna Washington
Tavern-style rules
Dupont Circle is now home to Chicago-style tavern pizza. Run by husband-and-wife duo, G. Bradley Shorten and Meg Schmitt, the signature trademark of La Merna’s pizza is its thin crust, with pies sliced into squares. Along with the housemade cheeses and pasta, you’d also do well to pair everything with classic cocktails, Italian wine, and local beers.
Alfreda Dupont Circle
Nonna-inspired pies
No frills, no fuss: Alfreda is where the pizza takes center stage. Chef Russell Smith named his restaurant after his beloved grandmother, a subscriber to the philosophy that food is the best way to bring people together. He launched his dream of opening a pizzeria during the pandemic when he tested sourdough pizzas in his house for nearly two years before Alfreda’s doors even opened. The payoff of his hard work is in every bite — the crust is built on sourdough starter and a 48-hour cold ferment, delivering a blistered, crackly crispy exterior wrapped around a soft, yielding interior. Baked in a brick oven, the restaurant’s eight pizza options swing from comforting classics to seasonally inspired creations (the potato with Taleggio and rosemary has earned a devoted following). But somehow the simple Alfreda, blanketed in a trio of cheeses and garlicky tomato sauce, with a generous sprinkle of wild oregano, steals the show every time.
All Purpose Shaw
New Jersey-style
Known for its slightly heartier crust than its New York counterpart — along with a soft, doughy texture and golden-brown tan — New Jersey-style pizza has helped All-Purpose achieve a decade of accolades. Here, the pies come drowning in melted cheese and old-school New Jersey red sauce, with optional “dippies” (aka sauces in flavors like tangy feta ranch or Sicilian hot sauce for dousing). The restaurant nails the nostalgic New Jersey Italian American restaurant vibe, complete with comfy booths, bar stools along the windows, and rustic wooden tables. There’s a seat with your name on it, accompanied by the lineup of your dreams: giant garlic knots, cheesy pies, and freshly baked-to-order chocolate chip cookies.
Dog Daze Logan Circle
Pizza with your pup
Part dog park, part pizzeria: Pups and pizza lovers have found their heaven at Dog Daze Social Club. Watch your doggie live their best life in the outdoor dog playpen while you stuff your face with pizza and beer. The menu features seven super-thin-crust pizzas or you can build your own with options that include vegan cheese and gluten-free crust. From Fridays to Sundays only, the venue drops long fermented, thick crusted Sicilian pizza slices cut into hefty rectangles. Fair warning: Your dog may try and sneak a bite.
Grazie Nonna Midtown Center
Not your grandma’s pizza
The vast covered patio at Grazie Nonna in Midtown Center provides a convivial, relaxed space to indulge in their massive, chewy pizzas. Grandma’s comfort food takes a whimsical turn with these pies. There is the Drunken Love with a swirl of vodka sauce, Green Goddess with the creamiest of creamed kales, and the indulgent Il Bruco — which translates to caterpillar and is a nod to the mushrooms and truffle pecorino adorning the pie, that are forest floor ingredients similar to what caterpillars love to feast on.
Sonny’s Pizza Park View
A blooming pizza garden
Perch yourself at one of the picnic tables in Sonny’s verdant pizza garden and get ready for a grand evening of pizza indulgence. Their whole pies serve up to four people, but they also offer pizza by the slice, which are frequently ordered by solo visitors who come with a book to relax in the garden. The pizza is thick, square-shaped, and hearty, making it the perfect partner to a cold beer.
Il Canale Georgetown
An OG for a reason
This D.C. institution is nearing its 17th year in Georgetown and locals and tourists alike still flock to the venue for its charming streetside seating. It’s a splendid spot for people watching and idling away the afternoon, and, of course, for their pizza. Run by a family of Sicilians, the pizzas follow classic Neapolitan tradition, which means they take their pizza ingredients seriously. Their pizzas arrive with puffy burnt bubbles on the rim crust, made from organic 100% Italian wheat “00” flour, bubbling San Marzo tomato sauce, and stretchy spheres of flor di latte mozzarella cheese. Close your eyes, and you might just imagine yourself in Italy.
Little Coco’s Petworth
A charming pizza date night
Need a spot for your pizza date night? We’ve got you. Little Coco’s is intimate and cozy, with sunshine-colored walls, dim globe-shaped light fixtures, and candlelit tables. Kick things off with the signature Coco’s Basil Gimlet and then dive headfirst into their pizza menu, divided into three sections: red sauce, white sauce, and pesto. Pizza daredevils should try the Between Two Leaves, which arrives topped with braised cabbage and funky gorgonzola, garnished with a smattering of toasted walnuts, a splash of honey and snippets of fresh chives. Trust the chaos: It’s a symphony of flavor.
Lucy Pizza Bar Columbia Heights
Pizza with a jazzy pairing
The best night to visit Lucy Bar is every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday when the venue hosts live jazz because as it turns out, pizza makes for an ideal partner to live music. The pizza at Lucy bar is classic Italian with a twist; the Marinara Evoluta is just the right representation of Italian ingredients with confit cherry tomatoes, garlic, smoked mozzarella, anchovies, olives, and oregano. The smoky, garlicky aroma will have you drooling before you even take a bite.
Timber Pizza Co. Petworth
A food truck’s flagship
It’s as fun to enjoy a pizza at Timber Pizza Co.’s homey Petworth flagship as it is to find them at their food truck, with their signature Timber wood-fired oven glowing in the background. They are known for their eclectic pies: Hallmarks include the Norman, with gooey melted mozzarella, hunks of sweet nectarines and smears of strawberry jam contrasted by salty bacon and spicy jalapenos; as well as the Green Monster, with an earthy concoction of feta, zucchini, kale and pesto.
Walk-ins only.
Via Roma Pizzeria Washington D.C.
All roads lead to pizza
Via Roma specializes in pinsa, a Roman-style pizza made with a high water-content dough made of wheat, rice and soy flour that bakes up lighter and airier than your typical crust. The pies are pressed and stretched into an oblong shape, then piled high with toppings and baked. At Via Roma the pies range from simple to seriously loaded; our pick is their signature pizza, the Via Roma, with both smoked mozzarella and stracciatella cheeses, artichokes, roasted crimson peppers, pesto, and, fruity, plump taggiasca olives from Lugaria. It’s a love letter to Italy on a plate.
Pupatella Neapolitan Pizza – Capitol Hill Washington
Officially certified Neapolitan pies
Founded as a food-cart in Arlington, Virginia, by Naples native Enzo Algarme, Pupatella has grown into a small local chain in the DMV. Unlike most chains, Pupatella still serves authentic Neapolitan pizza as certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), which ensures that each certified pizzeria in the world observes the strict traditional pizza-making rules established in Napoli. The savory pizzas are a dream and we especially love the sauceless burrata option with cherry tomatoes and pine nuts. But save room for their Nutella pizza dotted with powdered sugar and crowned with fresh apple, it takes decadence to whole new level.
L’Ardente East End
Pizza and a show
Pizza connoisseurs, look no further than the pizza bar at L’Ardente. There, you’ll have front-row views of the oven and grill, and you can watch your pizza take a spin in their gold-plated, brick Marra Forni pizza oven, emerging as a golden, cheese-covered dreamboat. There are only four pizzas on the menu; each made with exquisite ingredients and impressive attention to detail, including a three-day fermented sourdough derived from a five-year-old starter, mozzarella from Wisconsin, and fresh basil that comes off the stem no more than an hour before service. Of the quartet, the funghi is the star. The pizza sells itself with its extravagant, luscious morel mornay sauce enveloping meaty trumpet mushrooms, and a dusting of parmigiano for a nutty finish. Close your meal with the venue’s signature soft serve (might as well go full indulgence at this point!).
Frankly Pizza Kensington
Calling all pizza aficionados
The secret to this small, simple 12-year-old pizzeria’s longevity is a deep love for the craft of pizza-making. Chef Frank Linn, a pizza pro who embarked on his dream back in 2011, uses only premium quality ingredients on his red and white pies, and when the topping isn’t housemade, it’s sourced from local vendors. The pies are baked in a wood-fired brick oven, resulting in crusts that are among the most pillowy and beautifully blistered that you’ve ever seen. Pair your pie with a housemade soda, also made with seasonal ingredients (tart blackberry ginger, pineapple lemongrass, and tangerine creamsicle are among the best picks).
Boogy & Peel Dupont Circle
Sandwiches in pizza form
This LGBTQ, woman-owned pizzeria has an unconventional theme: your favorite sandwiches in pizza form. There’s a big mac pizza with beef, American cheese, iceberg lettuce, and pickles; a Rueben pizza with, you guessed it, pastrami and Swiss, and even an Italian sub pizza. Pizza daredevils, this spot is for you.
