Geno’s 10 Favorite Tampa Area Pizzas

Author Geno

February 9th, 2022 8:37 AM

In my 10 years now here in Florida, I’ve lived half on the Hillsborough County side and half on the Pinellas County side so if I missed your favorite spot in New Port Richey or Lakeland, that’s probably why it didn’t make my list. On this most sacred of holidays, National Pizza Day, here is my updated for 2022 list of the best pizza in Tampa Bay.

I must be honest. I love living in Florida, but finding great pizza here is not easy. I know natives hate it when those of us transplants who have invaded your home from up north say stuff like this. But it’s true. Just as it’s next to impossible to find a legit great Cuban sandwich in Boston. That said, these 10 pizzas have made me feel happy with my choice to settle down in Champa Bay.

From #10 to #1… you know I’m going to save the best for last!

• Little Italy in St. Pete

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  I felt I should include it since so many have told me it's their favorite. To me it's not really all that flavorful. It's thin and light. I'm a fat guy. I like something hearty. But it's good.

• Lee’s Grocery in Tampa

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  This place is rated best by many Tampa pizza lovers. I like it. It's better than Tampa's other favorite Eddie & Sam's (which I find really average). It's in a quiet neighborhood so you have to seek it out. It's close to the 275/I-4 merge on Central. If you're in that part of town, it's a solid choice. Not my favorite in Florida, but in the Top 10 for Tampa area for sure.

• Paul’s Chicago Style in St. Pete

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  I know many who swear by Paul's being the best around. It's good but I think Cappy's does deep dish way better. However their deep dish isn't bad at all. Call way ahead because deep dish takes a while to make. Paul's loyalists will tell you the REAL Chicago style pizza is the super thin crunch crust.
• Pizza Haven in Brandon

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  I unfortunately discovered this place just as I was moving away from the Brandon area. Not the top of my list, but far from the bottom. Nothing fancy. Just good pizza from a local mom and pop shop. I love those.

• Due Amici in Ybor

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  There are plenty of pizza spots in Ybor City. There's one on a side street off 7th that I can't remember the name of at the moment. But it's frustrating because depending on who's working, some nights it's awesome and some nights their pizza is terrible. But Due Amici is pretty consistent. The game changer for me was when I tried their Sicilian style.

• Mama Rosa’s Italian Touch

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  This spot was once held by Italia Mia. I was crushed when I saw that Italia Mia closed. What I didn't know is the original owners moved to a new place - Italian Touch near Kenneth City.
• Arte Caffe in Bradenton

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  The newest addition to my list is a close runner up to my favorite pizza in Florida. The crust has a perfect texture. The sauce is out of this world. The cheese has the perfect level of saltiness. I don't get to Bradenton often but every time I go, this tiny intimate Italian restaurant will be a new stop for me. The penne pasta was excellent but the pizza was insanely good.

• Cappy’s In Riverview

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  This was one of my first great pizzas I discovered when I moved to Florida. Pizza lovers argue about New York vs. Chicago style pizza. Cappy's has both. Their NY style is good, but the Chicago version is excellent. They also have other locations, including one in St. Pete I've tried a few times. But the Riverview restaurant seems to do it best. It's definitely not an everyday pizza. Deep dish pizza is an event or an occasion. You will not leave hungry.

• My New Jersey favorite came to Florida…

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  I'll never forget when I first heard that Grimaldi's, a legendary pizza spot in NYC and New Jersey, had chosen Florida for its first franchise locations. For a few years, there was none better for me.
• Grimaldi’s…

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  I normally am not a chain pizza person, but they captured the magic of the pizza from Grimaldi's locations in NYC at their Florida locations.

• Sorry Grimaldi’s….

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  So is that it? Is Grimaldi's is my #1 pick? Nope! Grimaldi's style of pizza, coal oven, was eclipsed when listeners insisted I try a similar pie in Clearwater and I never looked back.

• Cristino’s In Clearwater

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  I saved the best for last. I won't even let you argue. I've lived from Maine to California. There's no better pizza in the Tampa area than Cristino's. There's not a lot of parking. It's a pain for most who live in Tampa Bay to get to. But you get rewarded with that first bite.
• Look at this thing… it’s art.

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  Cristino's, I love you. You make national lists for a reason. You're a pain in the butt to drive to but that's probably for the best. Otherwise I'd be there weekly. And I'm fat enough.

• Sorry New York City…

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  The first time I had pizza at Cristino's was right before a New York City trip. The pizza was so good that I didn't even seek out pizza when I was in NYC. That's a crime. You can not go to New York City and not have pizza. It's just wrong. But Cristino's is that good.

• Keep it simple.

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  To get the best experience at Cristino's, go with the basic and just tell them you want TheMargherita with extra sauce. It does have cheese, but like most elite pizza spots, they know to put the cheese below the sauce. This tends to weird out many amateur pizza eaters. But trust me. It's the way pizza is supposed to be done.

Whenever I put this list out there, I inevitably get someone irate that their favorite spot didn’t make the list. By all means, tag @GenoRadio or use the hashtag #GenoAteTampa to add a place for me to try. If you’re going to say Eddie & Sams (I get that one constantly), let me save you some keystrokes. I’ve had it. It’s not bad pizza. It’s just not great pizza. Also, I’m not so much of a pizza snob that I can’t show some love to a chain so I’ll do it here… Hungry Howie’s makes an incredible low price pizza. It’s probably even the pizza I have most often. I just wanted to keep this list to mostly mom and pop shops.

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Author Geno

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• Geno

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#GenoAteTampa... a collection of Geno's favorite places to eat in Tampa Bay!,Bradenton,Brandon,Clearwater,Food,Pizza,restaurants,St. Pete,Tampa