I love pizza. Thin crackly crust, thick chewy crust or lithe, bendy hand tossed crust. Fresh out of the oven or cold for breakfast. Turns out I’m not alone in my love of the slice (there are an estimated 44,600 independent pizzerias in the United States), but people can be persnickety purists about precisely which pie they prefer.
To be clear, what we’re talking about here is pizza, as in crust, sauce, toppings. Savory. Not going to delve into abominations like dessert pizza, taco pizza or their equally unwelcome cousin, breakfast pizza. For the purpose of this post, we’re going to slice it up by style: thin/Neapolitan, New York style, wood-fired, wild card and, of course, Stillwater style. I also conducted a highly unscientific poll of my friends, asking “What’s your favorite pizza in OKC and why?”
Super-Thin or Neapolitan Style
Of the 33 people who answered my question, nine chose Pizzeria Gusto as their favorite. It’s delish. Crust is chewy-crisp, topping are imaginative without being insane (OKC’s top food writer, Greg Horton, LOVES the soppressata). Plus, their happy hour is excellent, and there are plenty of apps, salads and well-crafted cocktails, too.
Definitely a super-local, slightly under-the-radar choice, and a solid one. Two people chose Stella Modern Italian Cuisine, and when I saw the first one, it was a head-smack moment. Stella! Of course! Very rustic oblong shaped pizzas, beautifully thin crackly crust and gorgeous flavor. The pear and prosciutto (omit the ham if you’re vegetarian, it’s brilliant either way), with its caramelized onion, fontina, gorgonzola, fresh thyme, garlic oil and spicy honey…so amazing.
Don’t let The Saucee Sicilian's name fool you – the pizza here is Neapolitan, not Sicilian style. It was the top choice for five survey respondents, and it’s got a Cinderella story, transforming from a glimmer in its founders’ eye to national champion food truck to a cute brick and mortar location.
New York Style
There are three Empire Slice House brick-and-mortar locations in OKC, plus one inside the Paycom Center. Founder Rachel Cope studied the fine art of pizza making at the famed San Francisco-based Tony Gemignani’s International School of Pizza. If you love a BIG slice, the kind you can fold to eat, this is your pie.
With two votes for Dado's Pizza, and an exceptionally effusive review of the vodka sauce pie, this far north OKC pizza parlor is worth the drive. Pro tip: Pesto. Cream. Cheesy knots. You’ll dream about them.
By the slice or by the pie, you cannot make a poor choice at Sauced on Paseo. Literally something for everyone, including a vegan pie complete with plant-based cheese and pepperoni. Does that frighten you? Try the vegan pizza rolls – you’ll see what I mean. Those and a Caesar (plus a martini) make a darn fine late, lazy lunch.
Stillwater Style
One of Oklahoma’s OPs (original parlors) is the venerable Hideaway Pizza, started in Stilly many moons ago. This pizza bastion got four votes, and it deserves all of them. When you just want a really good, cheesy, yummy pizza with a really good sauce, this is your spot. Plus, they do a great happy hour, and I love the fried pickles dipped (drowned) in ranch.
At The Wedge Pizzeria, every pie is made from scratch, and many are made with vegetables and herbs grown in its own garden. If you’re hangry, consider starting with an order of the house made meatballs.
The Hall's Pizza Kitchen's rooftop patio is a great Midtown spot to unwind with an Aperol spritz and a chewy, lightly charred masterpizza! I’m a fan of the Matt – carmelized pepper and onion, walnut pesto, pizza sauce and whole-milk mozz.
Upper Crust's Classen Curve location means lots of great shopping! Here, my go-to starter is fried zucchini chips served with spicy ranch. Pizzas are individual sized or 12” and you cannot go wrong.
Wild Card Style
There are a handful of spots whose pizza doesn’t fall neatly into one category or another, yet they earned votes, are delicious and each one stands out in its unique way. Each earned one vote: Pizza Fusion; Joey’s Pizzeria; Rendezvous Pizza (serves multiple styles); Birra Birra Craft Pizzeria.
