Portland has long been celebrated as a top-tier pizza city, earning praise from critics and experts worldwide. In the name of deliciously scientific research, here is a roundup of some of the places making the best pizza in Portland.
Anthony Bourdain once said, “I think food, culture, people, and landscape are all absolutely inseparable.” It’s perhaps the simplicity of pizza that makes it a great vessel for those four elements to come together, something you can definitely taste in the pies from Pan Con Queso. Everything on the menu is imbued with the Mexican and Pacific Islander stories from co-owners Henry Martinez and Makeila Magno.
We might be thousands of miles away from New Jersey, but a slice of New Jersey-style pizza from Lombardo’s could cure homesickness, even if you’ve never stepped foot in The Garden State. Such is the power of melted cheese layered underneath tomato sauce (that’s what makes it New Jersey-style).
On a lot off Northeast Sandy Boulevard, Mexican-born chef Roberto Hernandez Guerrero serves Neapolitan-style pizza alongside pies inspired by his background and that of his Honduran wife and Reeva co-founder Roseva Alcerro. It’s a place that will make you want to change the saying from “oyster” to “the world is your slice.”
A pizza from Lovely’s Fifty Fifty with cosmic gold potatoes, curly kale, and parsley pesto. (Austin Riggs / Friend of City Cast Portland)
Delicious pizza made with ingredients from local farms and foraged mushrooms is just the type of thing you’d expect from a renowned chef (and 2024 James Beard Award finalist) Sarah Minnick. As if delicious and sustainably-made pizza wasn’t enough, Lovely’s also manages to serve some of the best ice cream in town.
Changing its offerings with the seasons, the pies at Red Sauce’s specials are a snapshot of peak produce with each visit. Even the most staunch pepperoni purist will be persuaded by all the quality seasonal options. Plus, I love that they have a quick guide on how to reheat your pizza.
That’s just a few of the hits. Who else is serving good pizza in Portland?
