Alabama is a pizza state.

The AL.com team’s journey to find the best food up and down the state included stops at some of the best pizzerias in the country.

Below are 28 places where you’ll find a pie (and more) to satisfy that craving. (Readers also clued us in on the pizza we missed on our list)

ASHLAND MIDTOWN PUB

2453 Old Shell Road; ashlandmidtownpub.com

The menu can do the talking for this one. The Old World: fresh basil, artichoke hearts, sliced Roma tomatoes with mozzarella cheese on a roasted garlic and olive oil base. Mediterranean Shrimp: Diced fresh tomatoes and shrimp with feta and mozzarella cheeses served over a sweet homemade basil pesto sauce. Zydeco: Topped with crab, crawfish, chicken, roasted garlic, bell peppers, gorgonzola and mozzarella cheeses on a white sauce base. Bacon Cheeseburger: Red Sauce, meatballs, bacon, caramelized onions and chopped dill pickle with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. The Tragically Hip: A red and white sauce, Canadian bacon, artichoke hearts, sherried mushrooms and onions with Gorgonzola, asiago and mozzarella cheeses.

Order this: If all this is too high-flown for you, call for The Hook Up, your basic red sauce-sausage-pepperoni deal. Except for the finely chopped jalapenos. — Lawrence Specker

BROADWAY PIZZERIA

5400 McFarland Blvd E., Tuscaloosa, and Highway 43 North, Northport; broadwaypizzatuscaloosa.com

Broadway Pizzeria has been a Tuscaloosa mainstay for 21 years since Eric Wyatt and Rob Coons decided they wanted to bring the taste of New York City pizza to the college town. And although plenty of new, stellar pizza options keep popping up in the area, Broadway remains first-class. The wood-fired pizza has a perfect chewy crust, and they’re more than generous with toppings. (And with the fresh veggies they put on ‘em, you’ll want all you can get.) Simply, this is great pizza.

Order this: I’ve been going on and on about the fresh veggies, but just a classic pepperoni and cheese pizza is perfection here. It’s the right amount of grease, toppings and cheese. — Haley Laurence

CARPENETTI’S

740 Park Ave. in Moody

You’ve probably heard of Carpenetti’s, and it has nothing to do with advertising. The small town pizza joint is pretty much inactive on social media and has no website. But what it lacks in PR it makes up for in word of mouth. It’s gotten a reputation as a must-visit Alabama pizza joint and was named Bama’s Best Pizza by Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) and Alabama Farmers Federation Dairy Division and was named one of Alabama’s must-try dishes by AL.com’s Bob Carlton. And why do people love it so much? It’s because it’s old-fashioned New York-style pizza – no frills, no fancy toppings, just good eats.

Order this: A sausage-and-pepperoni with added green peppers. Or anything, really. It’s gonna be good. — Haley Laurence

DAVENPORT’S PIZZA PALACE

2837 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook; 700 Montgomery Highway, Suite 193, in Vestavia Hills. davenportspizza.com.

For an old-school pizza experience, you can’t do better than Davenport’s Pizza Palace. The original location in Mountain Brook, which opened in 1964, is named after baseball star Jim “Peanut” Davenport, a friend of the original owners, Rex and Ardyce Hollis. Family members still own and operate the restaurant, sticking to a time-honored approach. Pizzas here are hand-tossed, with thin crusts and simple toppings: sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, green peppers, anchovies and the like. The pies are cut into smallish squares, and pizza lovers who grew up on Davenport’s food wouldn’t have it any other way. The no-frills menu includes a garden salad with familiar dressings (French, Thousand Island, Ranch, etc.) and you can get soft drinks by the pitcher. A Vestavia Hills location opened in 2022, by the way, which means more Davenport’s for everyone.

Order this: Jim Special, made with beef, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers. One word: Classic. — Mary Colurso

DEPALMA’S ITALIAN CAFE

2300 University Boulevard, https://depalmasdowntown.com

This downtown Tuscaloosa staple opened in 1995 and remains one of the city’s most popular restaurants, thanks to signature dishes like their Pasta DePalma, pasta primavera, calzones and underrated meatball sub. But when you walk into main dining hall (after a requisite long wait that’s totally worth it), you’ll typically see a pie or two on every other table. You can certainly build your own with traditional ingredients or go with one of their specialties like the Milano (Portobello mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red onions, pancetta, and fresh sage on a white base), Catalonian (fresh rosemary, mild Italian sausage, black olives, sliced mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes on a white base) or the Carnivore (pepperoni, sliced Italian sausage, sliced meatballs, chicken, and extra mozzarella on a red base).

Order this: Asiago Chicken (herb-chicken, pancetta, shaved Asiago, and garlic, on a white base) or the Catalonian (fresh rosemary, mild Italian sausage, black olives, sliced mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes on a white base).

EARTH AND STONE WOOD FIRED PIZZA

2600 Clinton Ave. W., Huntsville, earthandstonepizza.com

Earth and Stone didn’t take the easy or quick way to pizza prowess. Owners Tina Ford and Stan Stinson launched it as a mobile food vendor at Huntsville’s popular Greene Street farmer’s market. They affixed a wood-burning stove attached to a towed trailer. After caring for her parents in their twilight years, Ford decided she’d follow her food passion from then on. She teamed with Stinson, whose background in advertising and regional management imparted branding and efficiency savvy. Earth and Stone quickly became a vanguard in Huntsville’s vibrant food-truck scene, winning national honors. Six years or so in, Earth and Stone made the leap to brick-and-mortar, as an embedded pizzeria in Yellowhammer Brewing. Their pies strike a rare mix between artisanal and accessible, with everything from pepperoni to roasted sweet potatoes in play The magic is in the crust though. Bendy, crispy, delicately charred and transcendent.

What to order: Take it back to Earth and Stone’s roots with their Greene Street featured pizza. A satisfying harvest of red sauce, mozz/provolone mix, baby spinach, baby bellas, red bell pepper, red onion and Kalamatas. — Matt Wake

HEAT PIZZA BAR

2250 6th Street, https://heatpizzabar.com

Founded in 2015, Heat Pizza Bar provides downtown Tuscaloosa with artisan pizza and salad made from fresh ingredients, not to mention their drink specials. You can get good traditional pizzas like their “perfect” pepperoni or margherita, but we say venture out with the Thai chicken (Sriracha & sweet chili base, house baked chicken, red onion, green bell pepper, diced Roma tomato, mozzarella) or the Santa Fe (chipotle ranch base, house baked chicken, roasted corn, black beans, red onion, diced Roma tomato, fresh jalapeño, cheddar, pepper jack). They also have gluten-free options.

Order this: The Perfect Pepperoni is a classic, but branch out with the Buffalo Chicken (buffalo sauce, house-baked chicken, mango, red onion, cheddar, mozzarella) or the Aloha (house red sauce, ham, pineapple, jalapeno, red onion, mozzarella). — Ben Flanagan

INNERSPACE BREWING COMPANY

2414 Clinton Ave. W., Huntsville, innerspacebrewing.com

The nerd-culture force is strong with Huntsville, see the popularity of pop-culture cons, arcade-bar mashups, and other geek-chic goings about here. InnerSpace Brewing makes Huntsville’s nerdiest pizzas. And some of the city’s most delicious and creative. Opened in 2018, InnerSpace slings pies with sci-fi nod appellations such as the Silent Running (goat cheese, sweet peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olive) and Millennial Falcon (touted on the menu as “Hotter than the Kessel Run!”). All served by friendly wicked-smart staff (the bartender who took our food order is a space science grad student at UAH) in a cozy, funky space outfitted with celestial furnishings like moon landing posters, a Death Star blueprint and a Lt. Uhura portrait. If you’re a craft-beer enthusiast, signature brews here include a blueberry shake fruit ale and an, ahem, IC3PA India Pale Ale.

What to order: Not sure if consuming the Warp Core on the regular will help you live long and prosper. But this vessel of spicy sausage, Soppressata salami, Gorgonzola, mozz, red onion and siracha drizzle tastes like a journey to pizza’s final frontier. — Matt Wake

JOE’S PIZZA & PASTA

9120 Airport Boulevard, Suite L; www.facebook.com/BestPizzainMobile

Joe’s Pizza & Pasta is about as stripped-down and unpretentious as it gets. It’s a takeout-only spot in a west Mobile strip mall. The deck of Garland pizza ovens tells you they’re serious, it’s like a row of Marshalls at a rock concert, but they don’t score many points on ambiance. The pizzas themselves look very ordinary. But they’ll sell you two slices and a 20-ounce soda for $7, which is a crazy good deal. Then they’ll take those slices and pop ‘em back in the oven for bit to crisp them up, and when you bite down on one you will forget all about looks and ambiance and other irrelevancies.

Order this: Based on our limited experience, you can’t go wrong with the pizzas. But next time we’re absolutely going for one of those calzones. — Lawrence Specker

MATA’S GREEK PIZZA & GRINDERS

1620 Quintard Ave. in Anniston; https://www.matasgreekpizza.com

In 1980, people told William and Mata Rodopoulos that opening a pizzeria in Anniston would be a bad idea and would never succeed. We’re glad they never paid attention to that advice, because Mata’s Greek-style pizza is exceptional. Take one bite of it and you’ll realize why people drive from all over to try it. The crust is the star of the show here – it’s thick and sturdy. It supports all the toppings (and it has ample toppings) but especially the white Cheddar cheese, which is just pure cheesy goodness. This is another stretchy-pant pizza – it’s heavy, but it’s worth it. (Note: The dining room isn’t open right now, but you can call in your order or order online and pull up to the drive-thru window to pick up your pie.)

Order this: The extra-special pizza is what I’d imagine cheese heaven would taste like: hamburger meat, pepperoni, onions, green peppers, Canadian bacon and mushroom blanketed with White Cheddar cheese. Oh, y’all. I can’t even begin to describe how good it is. — Haley Laurence

MATER’S PIZZA & PASTA EMPORIUM

329 Locust St. in Gadsden; Franchises in Albertville and Fort Payne. materspizza.com

Mater’s has been a mainstay in Gadsden since 1978, when it was a small eatery in the downtown area. Now, it takes up half a city block and consists of a bar, game room and outside dining. (It opened franchise locations in Albertville in 2013 and Fort Payne in early 2023.) If you’re looking for light pizza, this isn’t the place for you. The crust is thick – Sicilian style – and toppings are generous and piled sky-high. This is stretchy pants pizza, and man, is it good.

Order this: The Better Boy pizza. The pie consists of pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, ham, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives and extra cheese, and it’s hearty deliciousness. Fun fact: If you buy it in the largest size (16 inches), it weighs seven pounds. — Haley Laurence

MIDTOWN PIZZA KITCHEN

2940 Zelda Road in Montgomery & 584 Pinnacle Place in Prattville; mpkmontgomery.com

The Montgomery area’s pizza scene only keeps getting better, and Midtown Pizza Kitchen is a part of that. It’s a fun neighborhood joint – the way a pizzeria should be. The restaurant has a menu packed with eclectic specialty pizzas, and all of the ingredients are fresh. (“Every day is prep, prep, prep,” they explained to me in 2016.) The crust is thin, crispy and perfect. This is just top-notch pizza, y’all.

Order this: The VY pizza. Topped with red sauce, spinach, fennel sausage, artichokes, cherry tomatoes and provolone, you won’t be able to stop eating this. I normally don’t crave artichokes on pizza, but this one converted me. — Haley Laurence

MR. G’s

908 McFarland Boulevard in Northport, mrgsalabama.com

Founded by Gerald and Erma Gilbert, this longtime Northport favorite offers favorites like pasta, hoagies and other Italian delicacies. But the pizza is widely considered one of its best items, as well as some of the best pies in the city. Serving Tuscaloosa for several decades now, they also have a Demopolis location.

Order this: Try the BBQ Pizza (topped with barbecue pork and Mr. G’s BBQ sauce), the Deluxe (cheese, sausage, beef, ham, pepperoni, green olives, black olives, onions, mushrooms and green pepper) or, if you’re a pineapple-on-your-pizza person, the Hawaiian (ham and pineapple). — Ben Flanagan

ORIGINAL VALENTINA’S PIZZERIA & WINE BAR

25951 Huntsville Brownsferry Road Suite B, Madison; valentinaspizzeria.com

Valentina’s has only been in Madison since 2020, but it has a well-known figure at its helm: Joe Carlucci, who has notched a Guinness Book of World Records nod for his pizza toss. (It was a 21-foot-5-inch toss, if you’re curious.) Carlucci’s pizza at Valentina’s has already garnered another award – it received the top prize in the International Pizza Challenge’s Traditional Division at the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas earlier this year. You’ll find New York, Sicilian and Detroit-style crusts on the menu – and perhaps Carlucci tossing dough high in the air, putting on a show.

Order this: The Godfather. My colleague Matt Wake calls it, “The real deal. The crust was chewy here, crispy there and crunchy along the edges. Nice.” — Haley Laurence

PANE E VINO

300 Church St SW, Huntsville, paneevinopizzeria.com

Pane e Vino is a case where the food and atmosphere are equally terrific. Part of Boyce Concepts — the restaurant group helmed by local celeb chef James Boyce that also includes fine dining faves Commerce Kitchen and Cotton Row – Pane e Vino sits inside downtown’s Big Spring Park. Their space is actually below the Huntsville Museum of Art. As such, Pane e Vino pies take their names from famous artists. There’s the Michelangelo (fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, garlic), the da Vinci (pesto base, Roma tomato, mozzarella, arugula, balsamic reduction), Georgia O’Keefe (mozzarella, Romano, pesto, chicken, tomato, red onion), etc. They also do elegant versions of a caprese salad, bruschetta app and some bodacious meatballs.

What to order: Several masterpieces at Pane a Vino, but I’m partial to the Jackson Pollock, an expressionist work of mozzarella, Romano, pesto, chicken, tomato, red onion. — Matt Wake

PIZZA ED

305 Main St. W. in Hartselle, facebook.com/thepizzaed/

Pizza Ed Owners Eddie and Chandra Gwin have brought world-class pizza to cozy downtown Hartselle. The eatery opened in 2018 right in the heart of downtown, and it’s made a name for itself in the five years since. But the owners didn’t just open a pizzeria; they made sure they did their homework first, traveling to New York, Chicago and LA to learn more about pizza. “If you’re going to do something, you should do it right, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he told the Hartselle Enquirer in 2018. “If you want to get into the pizza business, you need to go to New York and learn how to make a pizza.”

And y’all, this pizza is amazing. Pizza Ed offers New York and Chicago styles, and both are must-tries. The crust of the New York style is just right (I’m a monster who sometimes throws away her crust, and I would never throw Pizza Ed’s away), and the Chicago deep dish is smothered with fresh toppings. (You can also get a Chicago stuffed crust.) And soon, Hartselle won’t be the only place you can get Pizza Ed’s. A downtown Guntersville location is planned to open around July Fourth – so there will be two locations you can get Alabama’s Best Pizza.

Order this: We can’t choose, so we’ll give you two. The most popular deep-dish pizza is the Cubby. The butter crust is topped with Chicago sauce, a four-cheese blend, Italian sausage, meatballs, pepperoni and bacon, and you won’t want to waste a bite. And even if you’re not a fan of chicken bacon ranch pizza, you’ll love it at Pizza Ed’s: It’s not too ranch-y and it’s just right. — Haley Laurence

PIZZERIA DELPHINA

518 Dauphin St.; www.facebook.com/delphinapizza

Go ahead, accuse us of making a sentimental choice. This is a sentimental choice that happens to be knock-your-socks off good, not to mention that the by-the-slice option makes it one of the fastest lunch options in downtown Mobile. Richie Gambino broke a lot of hearts when he closed shop at 107 Dauphin St. two years ago. Pizzeria Delphina was tiny, but it had an outsize reputation far beyond the downtown clientele. More recently, Gambino and partner Benjamin Reese opened in The Insider Collective Eatery farther west on Dauphin. The setting is much more modern, and bustles with food-court energy, but the vintage Blodgett oven and the expertise are the same.

Order this: The Cadillac is a good starting point: Pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, onion, red pepper, beef, ham, black olive, garlic. — Lawrence Specker

PIZZERIA GM

600 Oak Grove Road in Homewood. pizzeriagm.com.

Think of this as a sister restaurant to Gianmarco’s: Younger, more casual, but just as worthy of your attention. Pizzeria GM was founded in 2018 by the Respinto family, the owners of Gianmarco’s, an upscale Italian restaurant in Edgewood. Gianmarco’s is the kind of place where you make reservations, typically weeks in advance. Pizzeria GM (about 1.5 miles away) is more of a drop-in spot, where eating with your hands seems just fine. The menu features hand-tossed pies that range from a traditional meatball pizza to a smoked salmon and asparagus pizza to “build your own” options. (Confession: Pizzeria GM is the only place in Birmingham where we’d even consider eating a Baked Rigatoni Bolognese Pizza, so draw your own conclusions from that.) The menu includes sandwiches, salads, small plates, pasta, desserts and more.

Order this: Pimento Cheese pizza, made with Conecuh sausage, bacon and jalapeño. Southern flavors make this pizza a standout. — Mary Colurso

POST OFFICE PIES

209 41st St. S. in Birmingham and 270 Rele St. in Mountain Brook , postofficepies.com

People have lots of Big Opinions about Post Office Pies – because of its popularity, they either love it or hate it. (My colleague Mary Colurso did not put it in her top 5 Birmingham pizzas list, and while she is a sweet angel, I think she is just wrong for that.) But there’s no reason for the hate. Post Office Pies always serves a solid pizza. The wood-fired pizza has a light and airy crust, and the fresh mozzarella and locally-sourced ingredients make this one tasty pie. It’s not fancy, but it’s delicious.

Order this: Saw’s Soul Pie is a uniquely Alabama pizza. Topped with Saw’s BBQ sauce, BBQ pork, red onions, mozzarella and a side of white sauce, this is one eclectic pie. — Haley Laurence

RAVENITE PIZZERIA

102 N. Section St., Fairhope; www.theravenite.net

The Ravenite has been a bastion of Eastern Shore pizza for a long time, and if you Google “best pizza in Fairhope” you’ll probably wind up looking at a list that it tops. Once bite of The Special and you’ll know why. The lineup of ingredients is pretty common – pepperoni, sausage, onions, green pepper, mushroom, beef, ham, black olive and garlic – but the garlicky flavor just explodes off the top of it. The menu starts with the basic cheese pizza and a la carte toppings, then goes to the mid-tier “combination” pizzas, which include Greek, Mexican and Pulled Pork Hawaiian specialty jobs, then to the top-tier Gourmet pizzas such as The Special. So there’s no shortage of choices here.

Order this: Our second choice after The Special was The Southwestern, with broiled chicken, black beans, red onion, roasted red pepper, chipotle, fresh tomato, white queso sauce and Monterey jack cheese over red sauce. But honestly, The Special would be hard to beat. — Lawrence Specker

SEMMES HOUSE OF PIZZA

3958 Snow Road Suite C, Semmes; semmeshouseofpizza.com

The fan base extends far beyond Semmes, a small but growing young city on Mobile’s northwest flank, and it’s easy to see why. As proprietor Chris Brill told AL.com: “We make our own dough, we grate our own cheese, we make our own sauce. We cut all of our vegetables. Some people will buy frozen vegetables that are already chopped. We cut everything, which helps make it as fresh as possible.” And subtle tweaks put fresh life in familiar items, like the Buffalo pizza – its base is an alfredo sauce, not ranch, and the drizzle of house-made ranch is packed with dill.

Order this: That buffalo pizza is a good place to start, but order the Manhattan (basically a supreme) if you want to enjoy the freshness of the veggies. — Lawrence Specker

SLICE PIZZA & BREW

725 29th St. South in Birmingham’s Lakeview neighborhood; 1101 Dunston Avenue in Crestline; 3104 Timberlake Drive in Vestavia Hills; 1105 Ashville Road in Montevallo. slicebirmingham.com.

The Slice empire has grown over the years, and it’s easy to see why. Three brothers — Chris, Jeff and Jason Bajalieh — opened the Lakeview Slice in 2011, and it quickly became a crowd-pleaser. Three other locations followed, amping up the Slice goodness throughout the metro area. Options abound on the menu, with creative toppings that range from braised beef short ribs to smoked brisket to bacon with banana peppers. The agenda includes salads, small plates and sweets, as well. And let’s not forget that “brew” is part of the restaurant’s name. Beer and pizza go hand-in-hand, and you’ll find canned, bottled and draft brews here.

Order this: White Shadow pizza, made with garlic, caramelized onions, sliced Portobello mushrooms, feta, parmesan and truffle oil. Not a tomato in sight, but a real treat for the taste buds. — Mary Colurso

SLIM’S PIZZERIA

65 Church St. in Mountain Brook. slimspizzeria.com.

Slim’s Pizzeria is a relative newcomer to Birmingham’s food scene, but definitely worth a visit. Photographer Miller Mobley, a Tuscaloosa native, founded the restaurant in 2021 after returning to Alabama from New York City, teaming with John Rolen of Bottega, Charles Morgan of Chuck’s Fish and John Michael Bodnar of Fresh Hospitality. Slim’s pizzas have traditional appeal, but adventurous diners will find toppings such as hot honey and jalapeño, shrimp and Calabrian chiles, chicken and pancetta (pork belly). Fresh ingredients, combined in interesting and tasty ways, make Slim’s pizzas stand out. The menu includes appetizers, salads, ice cream and yummy cocktails, as well.

Order this: Hot Honey pizza made with pepperoni, mozzarella, chili, honey and jalapeño. It’s a signature dish at Slim’s, popular with folks who crave sweet heat. — Mary Colurso

THE STANDARD

1217 University Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, thestandardbama.com

The Strip’s new pizza-by-the-slice spot has a special Gameday menu and a service window on the sidewalk. Enjoy the pizza, plus their fresh hand-cut fries, wings, appetizers and adult beverages (full bar serving draft beer and slushies).

Order this: That gameday menu includes their standard 20-inch pies like the Meat Lovers, Chicken Bacon Ranch and Buffalo Wing.

TERRY’S PIZZA

7900 Bailey Cove Road S.E., Huntsville, terryspizza.net

It’s not easy for a reboot to live up to nostalgia. But Terry’s Pizza has done a solid job rising to that challenge. Since returning in 2018 at a new South Huntsville location, Terry’s has served unfussy pies from an era before pizza toppings included foodie flash like avocado and beansprouts. Lou Pejza, an IBM typewriter repairman who’d relocated from Chicago, opened the first Terry’s Pizza in 1959, on Governors Drive. Pejza co-founded the original with his sister Theresa (for whom the restaurant was named) and brother-in-law. Other locations opened later. For decades, Terry’s Pizza, said to be the city’s first pizzeria, was central to Huntsville food culture, until shuttering in 2006 after Pejza’s death. Like soon-to-be-revived dive Tip Top Café, Terry’s was something many locals never thought would return. Yet here we are.

Order this: Terry’s signature item, the Sticky Fingers is sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms under a blanket of extra cheese on a crisp, thin and sturdy crust. — Matt Wake

TRATTORIA ZAZA

207 20th St. North in downtown Birmingham. www.zazabham.com.

Pizza by the slice is a fabulous thing, especially at Trattoria Zaza. The name of this restaurant has changed a couple of times over the years — ZaZa Trattoria to Trattoria Centrale to Trattoria ZaZa — and the original owners sold the place to two longtime employees in 2015. The goals remain the same, however: to serve “Italian foods from the finest ingredients, carefully everyday.” Mission accomplished, we think, and tons of pizza aficionados in Birmingham agree. Sure, you can order full pies here (and those are uniformly excellent) but we’re all about the mix-and-match squares at Zaza, prepared Roman style and served al taglio, or “by the cut.” Daily slice offerings and specials are posted on Twitter; pizza staples include Three Cheese, Sicilian, Pepperoni and Porkalicious. The menu also includes pasta dishes, salads, soups, desserts and more.

Order this: Spicy Swineapple pizza, made with bacon, ham, Calabrian chiles, pineapple, charred onion, tomato and chili oil. Think ham and pineapple don’t belong on a pizza? Zaza will make you a convert. — Mary Colurso

TuscNY

229 McFarland Circle North in Tuscaloosa, Facebook

“We are all about the finest all natural ingredients for our hand built pizzas,” they claim at this still-new pizzeria north of the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa. Styles range from Detroit to Sicilian with an impressive menu featuring pies like the Magic Mushroom, Carnivore, Hot Tamale and Bacon Chicken Pesto Ranch. Some fun facts from their menu: They put more than 150 slices of pepperoni on their 20-inch pies, and it takes more than six hours to make their caramelized onions. They make their own pasta and slice all veggies in-house.

Order this: The Mama Mia: Sliced meatballs, caramelized onions, garlic confit, mozzarella, pecorino Romano and marinara sauce. Or the Hot Italian (Cup & char pepperoni, hot honey, mozzarella, pecorino Romano, pizza sauce).

VENICE PIZZA

6610 Old Madison Pike, Huntsville, venicepizzahsv.com

It’s the pie that matters most, not the location or space. And their pie is the why Venice Pizza makes our list. Venice can be found in a humble commercial strip located near Bridge Street Towne Center. Their dining room is small and nondescript. But their pizzas, cooked in a stone deck oven, are gooey, chewy and savory. Nice, foldable crust and tangy sauce. At Venice Pizza, you can go as small as by-the-slice or as big as their battle-shield size party pizza, the latter available on rectangular and circular chassis. The emphasis is on populist and traditional specialty pies, think Margarita, Mediterranean, pineapple, buffalo chicken and barbecue chicken.

What to order: The house special delivers a satisfying balance of sausage, pepperoni, ground beef, green peppers, mushrooms and onions. — Matt Wake