The 16 best pizza places in the Triangle, for a slice or a whole pie
The hunt for the best pizza in the Triangle brought us nothing but good vibes.
In fact, a glowing purple neon sign reading “Good Vibes Only” just happens to grace the doorway leading into Frank’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant in Raleigh, voted the best pizza in the Triangle in a recent poll by The News & Observer.
Owned by Nasser and Paula Lachichi, the 46-year-old New Bern Avenue shop has been a Raleigh icon for generations. The restaurant is named, incidentally, for its original owner, Frank Amato (of Piccola Italia in Raleigh’s Village District), who sold it to Nasser in 1986.
Over the years, Nasser has embraced “Frank” as a kind of pizza-centric alter ego, a name bigger than him and maybe even bigger than the restaurant, which diners know as the place with the special pizza.
This pizzeria makes fans for life. Meet the winner of our Triangle Pizza Bracket.
The Frank’s Pizza of today and the last 36 years is based on the original recipes, the dough, the sauces, even the same supplier. But the flavors and techniques have evolved.
The dough at Frank’s is more of a ritual than a recipe. Nasser would give you the recipe if he could, if it existed, but he said it’s something that must be felt, not measured out in tablespoons. The countless balls of daily dough have to keep a bounce, he said, some elasticity, or a promising pizza will deflate into a cracker.
The pizzas come as thin and chewy New York-style or thick Sicilian slices with caramelized crusts.
Where to find Frank’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant: 2030 New Bern Ave., Raleigh. 919-231-8990 or frankspizzainraleigh.com
A second-place trophy for Trophy Pizza
Though it hasn’t been around as long as Frank’s, Trophy Brewing & Pizza will celebrate a decade in Raleigh in 2023.
For one of the Triangle’s favorite breweries, adding pizza became a creative flourish that made sense for owners Chris Powers, Woody Lockwood, David Meeker and Les Stewart.
“Pizza is a personal thing, mostly,” Powers said. “For us, we decided pizza and beer were the perfect meal.”
From its beginning, Trophy’s pizza program matched the creativity in its beer, serving up pies like the Vermonster, made with maple syrup, apples and ham, or the Farmers Market, which has evolved for years based on what’s in season and currently features roasted beet hummus and roasted vegetables.
The classics also get twists, Powers said, with house-made lamb sausage adding depth, and salami kicked up with ghost peppers.
Where to find Trophy Brewing & Pizza: 827 W. Morgan St., Raleigh. 919-803-4849 or trophybrewing.com
The best pizza places in the Triangle
BENCHWARMERS BAGELS 500 E. Davie St., Suite 107, Raleigh or benchwarmersbagels.com
Anyone who stops by Transfer Co. Food Hall on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights knows this full-time bagel shop and part-time pizzeria bakes a one-of-a-kind pizza. Cooked in the same wood-fired oven as the bagels, these rectangular odes to Detroit-style always offer pepperoni and cheese slices and a weekly special.
CAPITAL CREATIONS GOURMET PIZZA 1842 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh. 919-836-8000 or capitalcreations.com
A short drive from downtown Raleigh, this pizzeria is a neighborhood takeout favorite. Capital Creations bakes an ideal pizza party pie and takes special care with vegetarian toppings and a pizza menu of more than two dozen, well, creations.
FRANK’S PIZZA & ITALIAN RESTAURANT 2030 New Bern Ave., Raleigh. 919-231-8990 or frankspizzainraleigh.com
Many pizza lovers think Frank’s is their best-kept secret, but everyone knows about these perfect pizzas. For nearly 50 years, Frank’s has been a Raleigh favorite, sidestepping pizza trends and delivering timeless pies fresh out of the oven.
HUTCHINS GARAGE 402 W. Geer St., Durham. 984-219-6578 or facebook.com/hutchins-garage
Initially billed as a bar with pizza on the side, Hutchins Garage exploded on the Triangle pizza scene in 2018, offering a deep lineup of traditional round pies and a simple but satisfying rectangular grandma pie. The spicy vodka pizza has become a Durham icon as Hutchins quickly grew into the neighborhood shop that feels like it’s always been there.
ITALIAN PIZZERIA III 508 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-968-4671 or italianpizzeria3.com
This Franklin Street icon could blanket Chapel Hill with its daily output of pizzas. Beloved with UNC students and Chapel Hill residents, this New York style pizzeria is one of the busiest restaurants in the Triangle and on game days there’s no warmer place to be than a booth at IP3.
LILLY’S PIZZA 1813 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh. 919-833-0226 or lillyspizza.com
This Five Points icon has been a Raleigh pizza favorite for more than 20 years. The pies bake up with a thick crust and creative toppings, and the restaurant is always a bustling pizza parlor.
MILTON’S PIZZA & PASTA 8853 Six Forks Road, Raleigh. 919-847-0604; 14520 New Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh. 919-570-9099. miltonspizza.com
Milton’s is a North Raleigh beacon for pizza lovers, serving Greek-style pies for more than 30 years.
NAPOLI PIZZERIA 105 E. Main St., Carrboro; 530 Foster St., Durham in the Durham Food Hall. 919-448-8638; 230 S. Nash St., Hillsborough. 919-245-8566. napolicarrboro.com
Beginning as a food truck with a 1,000-degree oven, this trio of pizzerias offers true Neapolitan-style pizza, where pies are cooked in a few seconds and best eaten in the moment, while the cheese is still bubbling and the crusts are filled with warm air.
OAKWOOD PIZZA BOX 610 N. Person St., Raleigh. 919-594-1605 or oakwoodpizzabox.com
Though it looks simple, everything that’s fun and beloved about pizza is on the menu at Oakwood. From a basic gas oven, the pies start as red sauce or garlicky white pizza, and then build from there, with curled pepperoni, top-quality olives, sauteed mushrooms, you name it.
PIE PUSHERS 117A W. Main St., Durham. 919-294-8408 or piepushers.com
What started as a festival and farmer’s market food truck favorite grew into a downtown Durham pizza parlor, with Pie Pushers serving by-the-slice options that venture beyond pepperoni and cheese, including the iconic breakfast slice.
PIZZERIA FAULISI 215 E. Chatham St., Cary. 919-377-8244 or pizzeriafaulisi.com
This wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzeria helped launch the idea of downtown Cary. Faulisi bakes at the top of the pizza craft, with chewy, airy crusts and bright, flavorful toppings. This soulful dough also led to Big Dom’s Bagels, a sister shop across the parking lot.
PIZZERIA MERCATO 408 W. Weaver St., Carrboro. 919-967-2277 or pizzeriamercatonc.com
Helmed by Gabe Barker, named one of the country’s top young chefs a few years ago by Eater, Mercato explores the seasonal side of pizza with endlessly creative pies, but never turns its back on the classics. The bright Margherita is a year-round mainstay and as good as they come, but in the summer look out for corn to end up on the pizza menu.
PIZZERIA TORO 105 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham. 919-908-6936 or pizzeriatoro.com
This downtown Durham pizzeria is built around a wood-fired oven. Toro has been around for nearly a decade yet always feels fresh, where the top pies include spicy lamb meatball, a clam pizza and a straightforward Margherita.
POOLE’SIDE PIES 428 S. McDowell St., Raleigh. 919-803-8660 or ac-restaurants.com/pooleside
Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen opened this wood-fired pizzeria next-door to her iconic restaurant, Poole’s Diner, hence the name. A gigantic, tiled pizza oven was lifted through the roof and into the kitchen when Poole’side opened in 2019, unveiling a mix of pizza classics and creations.
RANDY’S PIZZA Eight locations in the Triangle. randyspizza.com
To walk through a door with a stack of Randy’s pizzas is to become the hero of any room. This Triangle chain offers tried and true party-worthy pizzas, as well as the largest pizza you’re likely to find, at 30 inches wide.
TROPHY BREWING & PIZZA 827 W. Morgan St., Raleigh. 919-803-4849 or trophybrewing.com/brewing-pizza-menu
One of Raleigh’s top breweries is also one of the city’s most popular pizzerias. Trophy boasts one of the Triangle’s most creative pizza menus and was a pioneer in Detroit-style pies that are now all the rage.
