Super 7: Miami's Best Pizza
If you think about it, a $30 pizza is still dinner for two
The Alley
During my Mansion-and-Crobar heyday, eating back alley pizza in South Beach meant eating a slice that had been sitting in a window for three days, and it would make you you sicker that the booze you were using it to soak up. Chef Laurent Tourondel flips the script on that concept with The Alley, tucking a fantastic little pizza joint behind the Betsy Hotel. Massive, wood-fired, thin-crust pizzas dominate the menu, the kind of giants that look intimidating but still won’t fill you up. The Alley eschews specialty pies for simple bases of red or white sauce, so you can create your own masterpiece with stuff like soppresata, burrata, and other Italian imports. It’s a delightful place to sit outside and people watch in the shade as you split a whole pie.
Pro Tip: The little alley it hides inside has a stellar gelato shop next door. So leave room for dessert.
@thealley // 1433 Collins Ave., South Beach
Bar Bucce
As a huge fan of Macchialina, I knew I was going to love Bar Bucce before I even walked through the door. This Little River spot functions as multi-hyphenate wine bar, Italian market, and pizzeria where the 16-inch pies serve as the main event. They reportedly spent five years testing the dough, and that effort shows in a crust that is puffy and charred yet structured enough to hold creative toppings like rock shrimp with sweet onions or a sauce-less zucchini pie with egg jam.
Pro tip: Keep an eye out for a “Blind Date with Bucce”- a brown-bagged bottle of wine where you choose your discounted wine based on handwritten tasting notes that makes for a DIY blind tasting.
@barbucce // 7220 N. Miami Ave., Little River
Eleventh Street
What started as a pandemic pivot now has two locations serving sourdough-based New York pies. Eleventh Street’s pepperoni cups crisp up perfectly under a drizzle of hot honey, while seasonal specials keep regulars coming back. The dense, Parmesan-dusted garlic knots alone are worth the visit.
Pro Tip: Hit the downtown spot late night (they’re open until 2 a.m. on certain evenings) when the slices taste even better. We won’t ask why you’re up. @eleventhstreetpizza // 1035 N Miami Avenue, Downtown Miami
Fratesi’s
Look, I’m as horrified by the concept of a $30 pizza as anyone, but if you’re gonna drop the cost of an entire fifth-grade pizza party on one pie, Fratesi’s is the place to do it. The Downtown pizza shop feels like the pizza parlors of your childhood, done up in tiffany lamps and wooden booths, with surreal nostalgia trip art on the walls. The thin crust pies are entirely devourable, topped with high quality pecorino romano and seasoned ricotta. The plain cheese might be the best non-Neapolitan in Miami, and the pork-averse can delight in Fratesi’s chicken sausage in specialty pies like the Demon Pig Girl, which also includes hot honey and banana peppers.
Pro Tip: While the pizza’s great, parking is a nightmare, especially on weekends. Take the Metromover or Uber here, or you’re looking at adding $30 to the cost of your night out.
@fratesi_pizza // 69 E. Flagler Street, Downtown
Lucali
Thirteen years after Mark Iacono brought his Brooklyn cult followed pizza spot to Sunset Harbour, Lucali remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of the Miami pizza scene. The deliciousness here comes from a simple execution of housemade pomodoro, an alleged secret blend of cheeses, and fresh basil added right as it leaves the oven. The candle lit room is dark and moody with a fun playlist and a flickering wood-fired oven, making it a rare import that truly maintains its reputation for locals and visitors alike.
Pro tip: You have to order the calzone. Even if you think you are only there for the pizza, the massive, ricotta-stuffed calzone served with a side of their signature sauce is a non-negotiable part of the Lucali meal. Trust.
@lucali_miami // 1930 Bay Rd., Sunset Harbour
Stanzione Pizza
After leaving Brickell behind (like most of us wish we could), this Neapolitan pizza master found new life in Little River, bringing back their wood-fired classics and adding fresh new takes. Stanzinoe Pizza’s bubbling charred crust makes the perfect base for their carbonara pizza, which transforms the pasta dish into pie form. The casual, food hall vibe matches the neighborhood perfectly.
Pro Tip: Get the pizza trio: Three mini versions of different pies that let you sample more of the menu without hating yourself afterwards. @stanzionepizza // 8300 NE 2nd Avenue, Little River
Steve’s Pizza
Since 1974, Steve's Pizza has been cranking out perfect corner-slice-shop pies in a space that looks like a pizza-loving teenager's bedroom got stuck in time - in the best way. The classic American-style pizzas come with properly doughy crusts and that ideal grease-to-cheese ratio that makes pizza worth breaking your diet for. The walls of Polaroids and decades of booth graffiti tell you all you need to know: this place is pure Miami pizza history.
Pro Tip: During off-hours, snag one of the coveted wooden booths and soak in the old-school pizza parlor atmosphere.
@stevespizza // 12101 Biscayne Blvd, North Miami