Atlanta’s pizza scene has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past fifteen years, evolving from a city that lacked destination pizza into one with Michelin-starred Neapolitan pizzerias, serious New York-style slice shops, celebrated Chicago deep dish, and creative wood-fired concepts that have attracted national attention. The catalyst was largely the arrival of Giovanni Di Palma’s Antico Pizza in 2009, which introduced Atlanta to true Neapolitan pizza and earned a Michelin Star in 2023, establishing a standard that elevated the entire local pizza market. Today, Atlanta diners can find Neapolitan DOC-certified pies, cup-and-char pepperoni New York slices, Detroit-style squares, and regional Italian interpretations all within close geographic proximity. Several Atlanta pizza restaurants have developed national followings and routinely appear on best pizza lists.
When choosing a pizza restaurant in Atlanta, consider the style you are seeking since the preparation methods differ fundamentally between styles. Neapolitan pizza is characterized by a thin, charred, floppy crust cooked in a wood-fired oven at very high temperature for 90 seconds, using San Marzano tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. New York-style pies have a larger, slightly crispy yet foldable crust with low moisture mozzarella and cook for several minutes in gas ovens. Chicago deep dish is an entirely different structure with a thick butter crust filled with cheese and chunky tomato sauce. Quality indicators across styles include fresh-made dough with proper fermentation time, quality tomato products, and appropriately hot ovens. Avoid any pizzeria that uses pre-made dough or processed cheese substitutes.
Top Pizza Restaurant Companies in Atlanta
1. Antico Pizza Napoletana
Address: 1093 Hemphill Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 724-2333
Website: https://www.littleitalia.com
Founded: 2009
Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30 AM-10 PM, Saturday 12 PM-10 PM, Sunday 12 PM-9 PM (closes when dough runs out)
Awards & Recognition: Michelin Star 2023
Services:
- Certified Neapolitan pizza (DOC style)
- Wood-fired oven preparation
- San Marzano tomato and fresh mozzarella toppings
- Traditional Italian antipasto and accompaniments
- Dine-in at Little Italia complex
- Locations at The Battery and Alpharetta Avalon
About: Antico Pizza Napoletana, founded by chef Giovanni Di Palma in 2009, is the restaurant most responsible for transforming Atlanta’s pizza culture, earning a Michelin Star in 2023 and anchoring the Little Italia complex in West Midtown. Di Palma’s Neapolitan pies are made with dough that rises for days, cooked in wood-fired ovens at temperatures exceeding 900 degrees, and topped with San Marzano tomatoes and fresh mozzarella in the Vera Pizza Napoletana tradition. The restaurant closes when the day’s dough supply is exhausted, a practice that reflects its commitment to freshness over volume. Additional locations at The Battery and Alpharetta Avalon have extended access to Di Palma’s Michelin-recognized pizza across the metro area.
2. Junior’s Pizza
Address: 77 Georgia Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Phone: (404) 549-7147
Website: https://www.juniorspizzaatl.com
Services:
- New York-style pizza by the slice and whole pie
- Cup-and-char pepperoni specialty
- Brooklyn-style large pies
- Takeout and delivery
- Summerhill neighborhood location
About: Junior’s Pizza began as a pop-up operation before establishing its permanent location in Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood, quickly developing a devoted following for its cup-and-char pepperoni pies, a New York-Brooklyn style in which small pepperoni cups form during cooking to hold rendered fat and create a crispy, intensely flavored bite. Junior’s has been credited with popularizing the cup-and-char pepperoni style in Atlanta, with several other local pizzerias adopting the technique after seeing its success here. The New York street pizza tradition of large foldable slices with low-moisture mozzarella and a properly cooked crust defines the Junior’s product. The Summerhill location has become a neighborhood anchor for pizza enthusiasts across Atlanta.
3. Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria
Website: https://www.maxsatl.com
Services:
- New York-style coal oven pizza
- Classic Italian-American preparations
- Pasta and Italian sandwiches
- Coal oven wings (signature item)
- Salads and traditional sides
- Downtown Atlanta location since 2009
About: Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria has served Downtown Atlanta since 2009, building a consistent following for its New York-style pizza baked in a coal-fired oven, which produces a distinctive crust character different from gas or wood-fired methods. The coal oven wings have become a signature item that draws customers as much as the pizza itself. Max’s occupies a position in Atlanta’s pizza landscape as the reliable neighborhood-style New York pizza option in the Downtown corridor, serving residents, office workers, and visitors who want a straightforward, quality pizza experience without theatrics. The restaurant has maintained consistent quality over more than fifteen years in the Downtown market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What pizza style is Atlanta most known for?
A: Atlanta is most closely associated with Neapolitan pizza since Antico Pizza Napoletana’s Michelin Star in 2023 established the city’s international credentials in that tradition. However, New York-style pizza has a larger everyday market presence in Atlanta, and the cup-and-char pepperoni style popularized by Junior’s Pizza has become a distinctly Atlanta pizza moment in recent years. Detroit-style rectangular pizza has also gained a foothold. Atlanta’s pizza scene is characterized by its diversity of styles rather than a single dominant tradition.
Q: What does pizza cost at Atlanta’s best pizzerias?
A: At Antico Pizza, whole pies run $18-$28 depending on size and toppings, and the pies are sized for two to three people. At Junior’s Pizza, individual slices are typically $5-$8 and whole pies are $22-$36. Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria prices whole pies at $18-$28 with individual slices available. Premium Neapolitan pies at Atlanta’s top wood-fired pizzerias generally represent strong value given the quality of ingredients and labor-intensive preparation. Delivery and takeout from most Atlanta pizzerias carries standard delivery fees in addition to menu prices.
Q: What makes Neapolitan pizza different from other styles?
A: Neapolitan pizza is defined by its thin, soft, slightly charred crust cooked in a wood-fired oven at approximately 900 degrees for about 90 seconds, producing a fast-cooked pie with a leopard-spotted char pattern on the crust. The dough must be made with specific Italian-style flour, fresh yeast, salt, and water, with no oil or sugar, and fermented for a minimum of eight hours. Toppings are typically minimal — San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil — to showcase the crust and tomato quality. The pie is intentionally floppy and is served uncut at traditional Neapolitan establishments.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s pizza scene offers remarkable quality across multiple traditions, from Antico Pizza Napoletana’s Michelin-starred Neapolitan pies in West Midtown to Junior’s Pizza’s celebrated cup-and-char style in Summerhill and Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria’s Downtown New York-style institution. Each restaurant represents a genuine and distinct approach to pizza craft. Contact them directly for current hours, special events, and catering availability for your next group pizza occasion.