Calling pizza purists and maximalists alike! Wood-fired, electric, by the slice, by the box, authentically Italian, unapologetically new world, team pineapple: we’ve got ‘em all. Go ahead, let’s gather round one of nature’s most innately delicious and shareable foods.
Tacoma
Tacoma Pie
The name of the shop might be “Tacoma,” but the pizza here is undeniably Detroit. The deep dish pies get crispy edges, like the corners of lasagna. The room is big and friendly for large parties. You can play ping pong and bocce ball while your pie is in the oven. All good reasons to come!
Camp Colvos
Camp Colvos owners Matt and Lara are basically showing off at this point; in addition to their awesome craft beers brewed on Vashon Island, their Tacoma location in the Brewery District is casually serving up fantastic New York style pizzas, with leopard-patterned crust made from slow-ferment sourdough. Is there anything they can’t do?
Parky’s Pizza Bar
This beloved neighborhood bar is home to some humbly solid pizza. Their five-day fermented dough sets it apart for a surprisingly complex crust in a place adorned with beer swag and tvs. If you like a hand-tossed crust with a bit of chew that gives way to a crisp bottom, you might find yourself joining the daily line out the front door.
Wooden City Restaurant
Fighting for parking in Tacoma’s historic downtown is worth it if you’re going to Wooden City, where the wood-fired pizza and accompanying small plates make for one of the best dinners in Tacoma. Their pizza offerings are rather simple with six evergreen pies, but if you want to mix things up, add prosciutto to their veggie pizza for the best of both worlds.
Galileo’s Pizzeria
Italian owner Fabio is making our pizza fantasies come true with gloriously blistered crusts, fresh ingredients, and all the classic Italian offerings. We implore you to chase down this mobile food truck if at all possible for some of the best pizza in the state. If you think we’re speaking in hyperbolics, this line from a recent Google review sums it up (thanks Emma T.): “This isn’t just food—it’s an experience.”
Bar Rosa
How do you know a pizza place is legit? Well, it helps to see a giant Mugnaini oven imported from Italy the moment you walk in the door. Bar Rosa serves Neapolitan-style pizzas with characteristically floppy centers and charred bottoms, and they’re in such high demand that Seattle Times named Bar Rosa one of the 10 Best Restaurants in Tacoma just this January. You’ll have to leave the kids at home for this one, as Bar Rosa is a 21+ establishment.
State Street
Our Neapolitan pizza excursion continues with State Street, a brewery that adapted brilliantly in the dark ages of 2020 to offer pizza and natural wines in addition to their craft beers. Bring the whole family out for this one, as the restaurant is all ages and the menu delivers for particular eaters of any age.
Salamone’s Pizza
Next we head to Tacoma’s historic Stadium District to Salamone’s, where you can get pizza by the slice or pie, as well as stromboli and calzones for a classic NY pizza experience. They have an assortment of local beers, especially microbreweries like 7 Seas and Odd Otter, but many people default to Salamone’s when they want a solid grab-and-go lunch, fast.
Abella Pizzeria
Some pizza aficionados chase authenticity, wanting something that feels straight out of New York or Italy, and there are plenty of places on this list to satisfy those types of pizza eaters. But for an unapologetically American pizza experience, head to Abella. Self-described as “no fuss, no muss pizzas,” these are the slices you want for lunch when you are hungry. Abundant cheese and pepperoni if you’re into that sort of thing, with massive slices and a clean but tiny dining room.
Cloverleaf Pizza
Cloverleaf has kept a good thing going since 1950. Their green sign shouts “World Famous Pizza. Ice Cold Beer.” If you still need to know more, the toppings are generous, and the restaurant gets loud with all the families crowding in to descend on these satisfying pies.
Bigfoot Pizza
Sometimes you need a pizza at 1am. And not just any pizza: you need something to soak up a night of fun and maybe one too many craft beers (it is the Pacific Northwest, after all). Thank goodness for Bigfoot, where you can get a pie til they close at 2am that blows the national chains out of the water.
Slice of Life
Don’t be fooled by the humble exterior. Inside Slice of Life you’ll find live music, open mics, and gloriously cheesy pizza to make the first two items in that list tolerable.
Cerello’s Pizza/Wine Cafe
You know what makes good pizza taste even better? Great service. Oh, and wine. Cerello’s comes through with both, making it a favorite among locals. This is the place to come when you want to enhance your dinner with cheesy breadsticks and chicken wings, but boxed wine simply won’t do.
Lakewood
Pizza Pizzazz
This takeout-only pizzeria will bring a pie straight to your hotel room, and only slightly hungry eaters need not bother. The pizzas are expansive and piled high with toppings, yet somehow they manage to retain a crispy crust that would make Paul Hollywood smile: no soggy bottoms here.
Puget Sound Pizza
PSP, as it is locally known, makes foldable New York-style slices. We love their lunch special: pizza slice, salad, and soda for just $9.99. The veggies are largely sourced locally, which elevates the classic pizzeria experience.
Gig Harbor
Millville Pizza Co.
If you’re not sure why people love wood-fired pizza so much, we recommend taking yourself to Millville for a pizza education. The high heat delivers a perfectly-cooked pizza with toppings that melt and brown without steaming, so the crust remains crisp and nicely charred. Their giant pepperoni is a novelty for pepp lovers, and every Tuesday it’s 50% off bottles of wine, so you know what to do.
Fondi Pizzeria
Fondi is named for a small Italian town just 12 km from the Mediterranean Sea. True, Gig Harbor is a bit colder and only has the one gondola, but you can channel Italy right here thanks to the brick oven and authentic Neapolitan pizzas. The tang in the dough is thanks to the house sourdough starter, named after Italian actress Sophia Loren.
Seabeck Pizza
The best beach towns have a classic American pizzeria, and Seabeck is here to represent for Gig Harbor. They’ve been doing their thing since 1989. The crust is soft, the pizza is cheesy, and in case you didn’t meet your dairy quota, you can order ice cream for dessert.
Fircrest
Slice Garden
Great news for the indecisive (or maybe bad news?): Slice Garden offers multiple pizza styles under one roof, so you can taste the pizza rainbow. Choose from their New York house pies, Naples-style pizzas, Sicilian, and even Grandma slices. Slice Garden is the sister restaurant to Salamone’s in Tacoma, so you know it’ll be good.
Puyallup
Puyallup Pizza “Pizza Time”
If you partake in Washington State’s legal Marijuana, we strongly suggest you visit Puyallup Pizza, aka Pizza Time. Authentic it most certainly is not, but go ahead and lean into the fun by trying the “Pizza Mac,” basically a Big Mac on a pizza, or the delightfully sweet BBQ chicken.
Wicked Pie Pizza
“Wicked serves exceptional grown-up pizza and drinks in an exceptional grown-up atmosphere,” boasts the Wicked Pie website. Come to Wicked for cold beer, plenty of TVs to catch the game, and a slice of simple but satisfying wood-fired pizza.
Orting
Route 66 Pizza
Locals Randy and Mary claim to come from a multi-generational pizza dynasty, and their cozy Orting restaurant makes a strong case with curled pepperoni cups and crisp crust. Special shoutout to their buffalo wings.
Ruston
Farrelli’s Pizza
For many people, pizza and sports are intertwined. And for those people, Farrelli’s Pizza is a great go-to destination. Steps from a splash pad in the summer, with views of the Salish Sea on the dining deck, the whole family is bound to love the restaurant, but sports fans in particular will appreciate the abundant screens showing every conceivable sports game (if you don’t see the one you want, just ask).
University Place
Chicago’s Pizza Kitchen
If you’ve ever had a slice of pizza and wished there were more cheese…like way more cheese…come on down for a slice of Chicago-style deep dish pizza at University Place. You can also find homey square Grandma slices and friendly service.
Wilkeson
The Carlson Block
Dear readers and eaters, we invite you to make a pizza pilgrimage in the shadow of Mt. Rainier to the charming town of Wilkeson. The Carlson Block is located in a century-old building on the main drag of Church Street, and perhaps the ghosts make the pizza taste so incredible, or maybe it’s the wild-yeast sourdough. The pizza is wood-fired, the toppings are locally-sourced, and rumor has it that this humble kitchen is churning out the best pizzas in the state. We’ll let you be the judge, but one thing is for certain: you can’t beat that view.
Did we miss your favorite pizza stop in Pierce County? Tag us on Instagram at @visittacomapiercecounty!
