The argument about which borough makes better pizza — Brooklyn or Manhattan — is one of the more productive ongoing disagreements in New York food culture. Brooklyn’s case rests on a concentration of coal-oven institutions that have been operating for decades, a neighborhood pizza culture where the slice shop on the corner has to be good because the neighborhood regulars know what good pizza tastes like, and two specific restaurants (Lucali and Di Fara) that have generated more serious food writing per square foot than almost any other pizza places in the United States.
Lucali (Carroll Gardens): The Most Acclaimed
Lucali at 575 Henry Street is the most discussed pizza in Brooklyn. Mark Iacono’s coal-oven pizzeria serves only whole pies (no slices), takes no reservations, opens at 6pm, and fills its waitlist by 5pm on most weekend nights. The wait can be two hours. The pizza — thin crust, coal oven blister, fresh tomato sauce, whole-milk mozzarella — is worth the wait. You can bring your own wine. The calzone is equally excellent. Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday if you want to get in before 8pm.
Di Fara (Midwood): The Pilgrimage
Di Fara at 1424 Avenue J in Midwood is a 45-minute subway ride from Williamsburg and worth every minute of it. Dom DeMarco made every pizza at Di Fara himself for nearly 50 years until his death in 2022 — cutting fresh basil with scissors over each pie, adding specific olive oil from a specific bottle, using cheese from specific sources. The pizza that resulted was the subject of more earnest food writing than almost any other restaurant in New York. The family continues to operate it. The waits are still significant and the cash-only policy still stands.
Grimaldi’s (DUMBO): Under the Bridge
Grimaldi’s at 1 Front Street in DUMBO is technically not the original Grimaldi’s — Patsy Grimaldi sold the name when he retired and then opened Juliana’s in the original location. The current Grimaldi’s is excellent regardless: coal-oven pizza in a room under the Brooklyn Bridge with Manhattan skyline views from the line that forms outside. The margherita and the white pie are the orders. Expect waits on weekends.
L’Industrie (Williamsburg): The Best Slice
L’Industrie Pizzeria at 254 South 2nd Street in Williamsburg makes what many current pizza writers consider the best slice in Brooklyn — possibly in New York. The burrata slice (fresh burrata on a tomato-sauce base) is the signature. The regular margherita is exceptional. By-the-slice service, reasonable prices, perpetual lines during peak hours. The difference between L’Industrie and a mediocre slice shop is the dough — properly fermented, properly handled, properly baked.
Roberta’s (Bushwick): The Creative One
Roberta’s on Moore Street in Bushwick made its reputation on wood-fired pizza with creative toppings and a restaurant culture that embraced the arts community around it. The pizza is excellent — the dough is properly made and the toppings are chosen with genuine thought. Slices at lunch, whole pies for dinner. The outdoor garden is one of the best dining spaces in Brooklyn in warm weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best pizza in Brooklyn?
Lucali in Carroll Gardens (coal oven, whole pies, legendary waits) is the most acclaimed. Di Fara in Midwood is the most historically significant — Dom DeMarco made every pizza himself for decades. L’Industrie in Williamsburg makes the best slice. Grimaldi’s under the Brooklyn Bridge for the tourist pilgrimage that is actually still good.
Is Brooklyn pizza better than Manhattan pizza?
Brooklyn has the stronger overall pizza culture — more coal-oven institutions, more neighborhood slice shops where the pizza is made for regulars who know what it should taste like. Patsy’s in East Harlem is Manhattan’s strongest counter-argument. The honest answer is that both boroughs have exceptional pizza and the comparison is useful mainly as a framework for making people care about pizza history.
What is Di Fara pizza?
Di Fara at 1424 Avenue J in Midwood, Brooklyn, is the pizzeria run for decades by Domenico DeMarco, who made every pizza himself until his death in 2022. The pizza — scissors used to cut the basil on top, specific olive oil, specific cheese — became a pilgrimage site for pizza obsessives. The family continues to operate it.
Where can I get a great pizza slice in Brooklyn?
L’Industrie Pizzeria on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg makes the most praised current slice in Brooklyn — the burrata slice and the regular margherita are both excellent. Lucali is whole pies only. Di Fara is more of a destination than a casual slice stop. Roberta’s in Bushwick serves pizza by the slice at lunch.
Also see: our best Williamsburg restaurants guide
Also see: our Brooklyn date night guide
