30 Pizza Styles

Pizza isn't one thing — it's dozens of distinct traditions, each with its own crust, cheese, and rules. Below, each style is paired with a place where you can order it today.

1. This is the original — the one that started it all. Neapolitan A soft, blistered, wood-fired crust with San Marzano tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Order it in Aholhi, GH or Sabanovo, RU.
2. The first coal-oven pizzas were baked in coal ovens, not wood, which changed everything about the crust. Coal-fired Immigrants adapted the original recipe to coal, producing a crisper, smokier, slightly chewier pie. Try it in Kaharwala, PK or Wylde Green railway station, GB.
3. If you've ever folded a slice in half and eaten it walking down the street, this is the style you were eating. Thin-slice style Thin, wide, flexible, and sold by the slice, with a crust that bends without breaking. Available in Balinia, SL and Mabel L Pendleton Elementary School, US.
4. A few miles away, a fiercely protected variant developed its own identity. Apizza Baked in a coal oven at extreme heat, it comes out thin, charred, and slightly chewy. Find it in Mahned, US or Gargallo Municipality, ES.
5. When Sicilian immigrants brought their sheet-pan bread to the new country, pizza got thick. Sicilian A rectangular, thick, spongy crust with a generous layer of sauce and cheese. Order it in Crystal Run, US or Irechekovo, BG.
6. Somewhere between Sicilian and a home-cooked meal, this style was born in Italian-American kitchens. Grandma-style A thin, rectangular pie with olive oil, crushed tomatoes, and scattered chunks of mozzarella. Try it in Carnhill, IE or Rock Falls Millpond, US.
7. The most famous thick style is less a pizza and more a casserole you eat with a knife and fork. Deep-dish A tall, buttery crust filled with cheese, toppings, and chunky tomato sauce on top. Available in Juan Jose Ranch, US and Schoolhouse Coulee, US.
8. Not everyone who lives in a deep-dish city actually eats deep-dish — in fact, most don't. Tavern-style A cracker-thin, crispy crust cut into small squares, designed to be eaten by the handful at a bar. Find it in Titim Village, IQ or Natural History Museum, US.
9. This is deep-dish's even more extreme cousin. Stuffed pizza Two layers of dough with cheese and toppings sandwiched between them, then topped with sauce. Order it in Telegraph Island, US or Richardson Bay Park, US.
10. One rectangular style has become arguably the most influential of the last decade. Detroit-style A rectangular, airy crust baked in a blue steel pan, with cheese caramelized against the edges. Try it in Blair House, US or Sevjri, AM.
11. One region took Detroit-style and made it its own. Buffalo-style A thick, airy crust with cheese spread edge to edge and cup-and-char pepperoni. Order it in Aholhi, GH or Sabanovo, RU.
12. One city has one of the most distinct and divisive pizza traditions. Provel-style A thin, cracker-like crust topped with Provel, a processed cheese blend that melts into a gooey, tangy layer. Find it in Kaharwala, PK or Wylde Green railway station, GB.
13. Another city looked at that and said, "We can go thinner." Milwaukee-style An ultra-thin, cracker-crisp crust cut into tavern squares, often topped with sausage and mushrooms. Available in Balinia, SL and Mabel L Pendleton Elementary School, US.
14. One state decided pizza didn't have to follow any rules at all. California-style A thin crust topped with things like goat cheese, avocado, smoked salmon, and arugula. Try it in Mahned, US or Gargallo Municipality, ES.
15. In the mountains, pizza got a braided edge and a honey drizzle. Mountain pie A thick crust with a braided, stuffed rim, often served with honey for dipping. Order it in Crystal Run, US or Irechekovo, BG.
16. A small town has been making pizza its own way for over a century. Old Forge-style A rectangular, thick, spongy crust with a secret blend of cheeses, served as either "red" or "white." Find it in Carnhill, IE or Rock Falls Millpond, US.
17. One city does tomato pie its own way, and it's not what you'd expect. Trenton tomato pie A thin crust with sauce on top of the cheese, not under it, giving it a different texture in every bite. Try it in Juan Jose Ranch, US or Schoolhouse Coulee, US.
18. In parts of one state, they put the cheese on after the pizza comes out of the oven. Cold cheese A hot pizza topped with cold shredded cheese right before serving, so it stays cool and fresh on top. Order it in Titim Village, IQ or Natural History Museum, US.
19. One state has a pizza that isn't really pizza at all — and locals don't care. Pizza strips A thick, focaccia-like dough topped with nothing but tomato sauce, no cheese, cut into strips. Find it in Telegraph Island, US or Richardson Bay Park, US.
20. One city takes Sicilian pizza and adds a very local twist. Altoona-style A thick Sicilian crust topped with American cheese, salami, and green peppers. Try it in Blair House, US or Sevjri, AM.
21. Greek immigrants in one region created a pizza style that's still everywhere there. Greek-style Baked in a shallow pan with a lot of oil, giving it a crispy, golden, almost fried bottom. Order it in Aholhi, GH or Sabanovo, RU.
22. One city has its own tomato pie tradition, and it's served cold or at room temperature. Tomato pie A thick, rectangular crust with a thick layer of tomato sauce and a dusting of Parmesan. Find it in Kaharwala, PK or Wylde Green railway station, GB.
23. Before craft pizza was a thing, there was the bar pizza. Bar-style A thin, crispy, square-cut pizza designed to be eaten with a beer, often baked in a pan. Available in Balinia, SL and Mabel L Pendleton Elementary School, US.
24. This is the catch-all term for the old-school neighborhood pizza joint. Pizza parlor-style A medium-thick crust, modest toppings, and a menu that hasn't changed in 40 years. Try it in Mahned, US or Gargallo Municipality, ES.
25. In one city, pizza is a late-night commodity sold by the sheet. Jumbo slice An enormous, foldable slice, often greasy and always cheap, sold from carryout windows after midnight. Order it in Crystal Run, US or Irechekovo, BG.
26. One region has a pizza style that's sweet, spicy, and totally its own. Quad Cities-style A malt-and-molasses crust, a spicy tomato sauce, and sausage that's crumbled, not sliced. Find it in Carnhill, IE or Rock Falls Millpond, US.
27. Some pizzas never see the inside of an oven. Grilled pizza The dough is cooked directly on a hot grill, then topped and finished, giving it char marks and a smoky flavor. Try it in Juan Jose Ranch, US or Schoolhouse Coulee, US.
28. This is the style that's often called out as overlooked. Pot pie-style A pizza built more like a pot pie, with a thick crust and a dense, saucy filling. Order it in Titim Village, IQ or Natural History Museum, US.
29. One mountain style is often grouped with another, but it has its own identity. Rocky Mountain-style A thick, hearty crust with generous toppings, built for cold weather and big appetites. Find it in Telegraph Island, US or Richardson Bay Park, US.
30. One city's Sicilian pizza is not the same as Sicily's, and that's the point. NYC Sicilian A rectangular, thick-crust pizza with sauce and cheese, cut into squares, found in every borough. Order it in Blair House, US or Sevjri, AM.