Mid-South Pizza Guide

New York, Chicago, Detroit—these cities have made quite a name for themselves when it comes to pizza. One might argue that Memphis has its own famous pizza (yes, that would be barbecue pizza!). But we also have an amazingly delicious array of styles to choose from, including the ones made famous by the cities just mentioned. Which is exactly why we made this guide for you to enjoy and to help you discover something new-to-you. As with all of our guides, this is a work in progress as we like to personally visit every place that we include. In addition to our Memphis favorites, we’ve included a few places a short drive away, just for fun and to maybe inspire a little Road Therapy! The guide is in alphabetical order.

🚘 = In house delivery

Aldo’s 🚘

Available downtown and Midtown, for pickup, delivery, or dine-in, Aldo’s is ready for you and your pizza cravings. With their porch and roof seating, we prefer to enjoy Aldo’s New York-style pizza outside with a cold beer in hand. While they have a few classic pies, Aldo’s is a great spot for the pizza adventurer. Ingredients like jerk chicken, mango chutney, Central BBQ, truffle oil, and more exciting flavors make their way onto various pizzas. And don’t get us started on the vodka sauce! If you’re there for the full dining experience, order an appetizer of Grandma’s Meatballs or the garlic knots for an extra-good time.

100 South Main Street, Suite 101
752 South Cooper Street
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Daily

Bar Hustle

The Roman-meets-Detroit-style pan pizza at Bar Hustle may be the best-kept secret in town. Located inside the Arrive Hotel on South Main, Bar Hustle is the lobby bar and specializes in inventive cocktails. Hustle & Dough, the lobby restaurant, supplies the food to the bar. They’re known for their fresh-baked bread, so it should come as no surprise that their pizzas are simply delicious. The thick crust is made from the same sourdough starter as the bakery loaves and is crispy and bubbly and even more delicious when topped with cheese and pepperoni and mushrooms and all of the other things they come up with. Menu changes with the seasons, so go often.

477 South Main Street
4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday

Broadway Pizza

Established in 1977, Broadway Pizza is known for its classic, old-fashioned-style pizzas from “the Hamp,” aka Binghamton. These uber-cheesy, meaty pies come in about every combo option you can dream of. They feature sausage, chicken, turkey, barbecue, and more—plus some delicious veggie options as well. Their catering menu is stacked with Southern specialties, sandwiches, and cakes. Order from their two locations—on Broad Avenue and in East Memphis.

2581 Broad Avenue
629 South Mendenhall Road
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Daily

Ciao Baby

Ciao Baby is known for bringing Neapolitan-style pizza (aka traditional margherita-style pizza) to Collierville’s Poplar Market Plaza. But customers can also choose from other pizzas on their signature menu or design their own pizzas, choosing from around 40 toppings. This family-owned establishment prides itself on its 900-degree, wood-fired oven. It came all the way from Naples, Italy, and cooks whole pizzas in 90 seconds flat. Ciao Baby employees make the mozzarella and the pizza dough fresh daily. Cold and hot sandwiches, calzones, wings, and desserts can also be found on the menu.

890 West Poplar Avenue, Suite 1
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

Coletta’s

Coletta’s is Memphis’s oldest restaurant, dating back to 1923! Jerry and Diane Coletta still run the original location on South Parkway, while their children run the Appling location. (There’s also a Coletta’s in the UTHSC Madison Plaza Food Court.) Jerry and Diane employ their grandchildren too—the fifth Coletta generation to have worked in the restaurants. A favorite of Elvis himself, the original Coletta’s features an Elvis room and lots of memorabilia to admire. Coletta’s is credited with inventing barbecue pizza, and legend says that putting barbecue on pizza is what made pizza popular in Memphis. Our favorite thing to do is enjoy that signature dish at the South Parkway location bar, chat with the regulars, and have a beer (or two).

1063 South Parkway East
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

2850 Appling Road
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

East Memphis Pizza & Subs

Since 2005, owner Aaron Kearney and his team have been serving up hot lunches and dinners at this East Memphis spot. Their pizzas range from standards like veggie and supreme to the chicken ranch pizza—which is Aaron’s personal recommendation. They also offer subs, wings, and daily lunch specials. But they’re perhaps best known as the “home of the overstuffed potato.”

3736 South Mendenhall Road
10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday

Elfo’s Pizzeria

Are you a fan of the Grisanti’s 9 Dough 1 pizza truck? You can still book the truck for private events, but Elfo’s Pizzeria, next door to the latest Grisanti’s in Southaven, is serving the same pizza for takeout! That’s right—there’s a $10,000 oven in there that can crank out Neapolitan pizzas in about 90 seconds. Available in 8-, 12-, and 16-inch sizes, these pizzas are worth the trip across the state line.

5627 Getwell Road (Southaven, MS)

11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday

Fox Ridge Pizza

Fox Ridge Pizza has been a popular Memphis pizzeria for more than 40 years. Originally opened in 1979 on Knight Arnold Road, a second location soon followed on Germantown Parkway in Cordova. However, in 2019, it moved all operations to its new home in East Memphis’s Brookhaven Circle. Fox Ridge Pizza is known for medium-crust pizzas that have toppings all the way to the edge, so there’s no bland bite in sight. The menu offers a variety of signature pizzas, as well as burgers, salads, sandwiches, and Southern-style plate lunches. The restaurant features a bar, outdoor patio, small private dining room, and arcade room for kids.

711 West Brookhaven Circle
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

Garibaldi’s 🚘

One of the OGs, Garibaldi’s Pizza has been family-owned and Memphis-based since 1975. One of their goals, aside from community focus and Memphis pride, is to have something for everyone—and they really do. Their pastas, appetizers, salads, and large catering menu are stellar, but the pizza is what endlessly draws us back. Choose between their classic hand-tossed pies or the Neapolitan-style thin crust pizza. Whichever way you go, you won’t be disappointed. Order at any of their three locations for excellent service and delicious pizza.

3530 Walker Avenue
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Daily

7521 Queens Court
10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday – Saturday

764 Mount Moriah Road
10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

High Point Pizza

High Point Pizza is a true neighborhood restaurant. It’s a great place to take the family for a bite, enjoy date night, or reward yourself after a stroll on the Shelby Farms Greenline. Standout pizzas include the Buffalo Chicken Supreme, Bacon Cheeseburger, Wild Mushroom, and the Loaded (pepperoni, Black Forest ham, Pesce’s Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers, and black and green olives). On nice days, the patio is the place to be.

477 High Point Terrace, Suite A
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday, Closed Monday

Hog & Hominy

After a fire caused an extended closure and complete rebuild, Hog & Hominy is back and better than ever. You can enjoy their wood-fired pizzas in their beautiful indoor or spacious outdoor space. Favorites include the new Pizza the Hut and classics like Quattro Formaggio, Margherita, and Thunderbird! Forty Twice!

707 West Brookhaven Circle
5-10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday & Saturday

Little Bettie

Pizza and beer have never paired better, thanks to our friends at Wiseacre Brewing Company. They’ve partnered with pizza kings Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman to open the Little Bettie snack bar and pizza stand inside their gorgeous new taproom downtown. Little Bettie—named after the previously existing bayou where the brewery now sits—specializes in New Haven-style pizza. This is a thin-crust, coal-fired, Neapolitan pizza. Think thin, crispy, and topped with quality ingredients like ricotta, cured pork shoulder, mortadella, spicy salami, Tuscan sausage, and Calabrian chilis. There are also salads, chicken three ways (wings, tenders, and nuggets), as well as clam hush puppies and onion rings. The taproom has expansive indoor and outdoor spaces for drinking and eating.

398 South B.B. King Boulevard
4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Sunday

Little Italy 🚘

If classic New York-style pizza is what you’re after, Little Italy is the place for you. We’ve perfected our regular order, which always includes a fresh mozzarella pizza (think margherita) and the buffalo chicken pizza—but feel free to get creative ’cause you really can’t go wrong. All doughs and sauces are made from scratch in-house, and that fresh taste really comes through. The original store is located in an unassuming spot at the bottom of Kimbrough Towers on Union (where they grow their fresh herbs in the window), but they recently opened a new location downtown.

1495 Union Avenue
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

106 G.E. Patterson Avenue
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday – Friday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Closed Monday-Tuesday

Memphis Chess Club

The Memphis Chess Club is a great place to learn and play the game of chess and enjoy a house-roasted coffee. (We love the giant sized cold brew.) They also offer a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. They sell stickers that read, “Chess Club, Try the Pizza,” so we did. Y’all. Each pizza has a chess themed name – we love a theme – and comes in a 12 or 15 inch size. We tried the Fischer with marinara, Italian sausage, pepperoni, bacon, gruyere, and mozzarella. Check. Mate!

195 Madison Avenue
Wednesday – Sunday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Memphis Pizza Cafe

We’re pretty sure most Memphians know about Memphis Pizza Cafe, but we are just here to agree that the hype is real. They have a reputation for being one of the best in the business for the past 25 years with locations all over town, including Collierville and Germantown. We fell in love with them at Overton Square, where it just feels so right to stroll by for a beer and an amazing pizza. They offer delicious classic pies with a super thin-and-crispy crust, as well as adventurous options like the BLT and the dessert pizzas. And don’t forget happy hour, Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. Open for dine-in and takeout.

2085 Madison Avenue
5061 Park Avenue
7604 West Farmington Boulevard (Germantown)
797 West Poplar Avenue (Collierville)
11 a.m to 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

New York Style Pizzeria

New York Style Pizzeria in Collierville has been open for a couple of years and specializes in New York Style pizzas, in case the name didn’t clue you in. Owner Jose Antonio Granados is originally from New York and made pizzas there for 28 years. So, yes, you can absolutely count on getting an authentic NY style slice! Chewy, cheesy & thin crusted deliciousness!

1996 S Houston Levee Rd, Suite 103
Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Closed Sunday

Pete & Sam’s 🚘

Pete and Sam are cousins who opened this Memphis favorite in 1948. Pete jumped ship after only six months, but Sam couldn’t afford a new sign. The restaurant was completely redone in 2018 and a lovely cocktail bar was added. The sign, the charm, and the food remained the same. There’s a lot of talk about whether spaghetti is a side dish or a main in Memphis, and we’ll just say we like it either way. What we really like is that at Pete & Sam’s, pizza is a side dish. That’s right—you can add a perfectly crispy Baby Pizza as a side to any entree. (Go ahead—make it a double side. We won’t tell.) Full-size pizzas, including a barbecue pizza, are also available.

3886 Park Avenue
4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

Pizzeria Trasimeno 🚘

Now that the Pizzeria Trasimeno dining room is open, we’ve been popping in for the $10 lunch special from Tuesdays to Thursdays. It’s a whole pizza of your choosing and either a soft drink or bottle of water. The pizzas at Trasimeno are authentic Neapolitan style, and typically people can eat a whole one by themselves. In addition to great daily specials, Trasimeno also sells fresh and frozen dough, DIY pizza kits, and frozen pizzas—and offers free delivery in a four-mile radius. Other menu items include salads, paninis, meatballs, focaccia, tiramisu and Zio Matto gelato. There’s also a mighty fine patio with primo people watching.

1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 181
11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday – Saturday, Closed Sunday and Monday

Saint Leo (Oxford)

Yes, Saint Leo is in Oxford, Mississippi, but hear us out. You must go there! (If you’ve visited before, note that they’ve moved from their original location into the lounge space across the street.) This restaurant, based on wood-fired Italian cooking, is just magic—the food, the ambiance, the service, everything. We love to drive over for brunch on Saturday or Sunday and have a cocktail, a pizza or two, and the carbonara. Trust us on this one. (Read “A Day (or Two) in Oxford” before planning your visit!)

922 Jackson Avenue East (Oxford, Mississippi)
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday – Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Closed Monday – Tuesday

Sicily’s (West Memphis)

ICYMI: We had a series of love letters to West Memphis, Arkansas, in February of 2020 written by West Memphis resident Amber Carswell. She wrote, “Sicily’s makes their pizza ingredients from scratch, and the first thing the Albers team did was to begin weighing ingredients to keep the dough and the sauces consistent. But the menu hasn’t changed much in 17 years. Phil [Albers] says, ‘My joke is that I came here and tried the handmade lasagna, and I liked it so much that I bought the whole restaurant.’ He and his wife are there every weeknight and his son is still back in the kitchen.” (Read more here.) Sicily’s is currently open for takeout only.

108 Glen Bailey Drive (West Memphis, Arkansas)
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday – Friday

Silly Goose

The wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas at Silly Goose are fire! Susie, the sweetly named pizza oven, works hard to bring you fresh, wood-fired pizzas every day of the week. The current menu features favorites like the Margherita, Buffalo Chicken, Memphis BBQ and the superstar Spicy Boi (arrabbiata, pepperoni, calabrese, mozzarella, oregano, lunchbox peppers, Parmesan, Calabrian peppers, and spicy honey). A new menu is launching soon, but staff is always happy to make old favorites by request.

100 Peabody Place
12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Daily

Slice of Soul

We tried out the “Al B Green” pizza, and we’ve never had so much fun eating so many veggies. It’s not surprising that it is one of Slice of Soul’s most popular pizzas. They love dishing up delicious pizza and spinning amazing tracks, sticking close to their soulful roots. Be sure you try a pizza, wings, and other tasty sides at their location on Madison, decorated to reflect all the funk, fun, and fabulousness of Memphis. They’re open for dine-in or pickup.

1299 Madison Avenue
4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday – Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

Slim & Husky’s

We finally made it to the front of the line at Slim & Husky’s and were excited to check out their two styles of pizza (that’s right—slim and husky). The slim is long and thin, approaching a cracker crust. The husky is more substantial than the slim, but still a thin-style crust. We tried a slim Hot Chicken (the owners are from Nashville, after all). The hot comes from jalapenos, banana peppers, and spicy honey rather than a seasoning rub. We also tried a husky Rony, Roni, Rone!—which features three kinds of pepperoni. We rounded out our order with some garlic knots and got some surprise drizzles at pickup. (Drizzles FTW: jalapeno cilantro ranch, garlic butter, honey sriracha mayo, balsamic molasses, pineapple chipotle bbq, and stoneground peach mustard.) Ordering online is a breeze, though parking is not—at least during lunch and dinner rushes. (Look for extra parking on Monroe.)

634 Union Avenue

12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Daily

Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza 🚘

The 14-inch wood-fired pizza at Tamboli’s is next level with everything made from scratch. Owner Miles Tamboli has a roster of local farms that he supports, and the food simply couldn’t be fresher. After pivoting to a mobile deli and takeout for many months, Tamboli’s dining room is back open, and the new patio is gorgeous. Don’t miss the $10 deals on Thursdays, and definitely try the new Padella pizza, which features a thicker, pan-style crust. Visit Tamboli’s booth at the Cooper Young Community Farmers Market year round on Saturdays to pick up your own pizza-making supplies. You can also find them at the Memphis Farmers Market April – November.

1761 Madison Avenue<data-preserve-html-node=”true” />4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday, Closed Monday