The Washington Post “analyzed 7.5 million Yelp reviews and developed a formula” to identify the best regional style pizza in each state. As with just about every list imaginable, there will be plenty who disagree with the Post’s rankings, but they’ve listed the following six restaurants as having the best New York style pizza in Maryland:
6. Rocky’s New York Pizza (Hagerstown): “Rocky’s New York Pizza is an independent, family owned and operated business, and we pride ourselves on the quality of our delicious food. Nothing is too good for our customers, so we pull out all the stops when it comes to quality. We start every day off by making fresh dough to create the best, tastiest pizza possible!”
5. Paul & Vinny’s Pizzeria (Berlin): Paul & Vinny’s touts “Serving the Eastern Shore’s finest New York style pizza. Also serving mouth-watering 12″ Italian cold cuts, authentic 12″ Philly cheese steaks, and the crispiest locally grown twice-cooked wings.”
4. Gil’s Pizza (Baltimore): Gil’s Pizza, located at 5132 Belair Road in Baltimore, has been a local favorite since 1958. Known for its signature 12-inch, square-ish pies, Gil’s offers a simple yet delicious menu featuring classics like tomato and cheese pizza, as well as the fan-favorite House Special. The pizzeria has earned high praise over the years, even being recognized as the best pizza in Baltimore by Baltimore Magazine in 2023.
3. Tiny Brick Oven (Baltimore): Tiny Brick Oven, located at 1036 Light Street in Baltimore’s Federal Hill, is a cozy, fast-casual pizza spot known for its handcrafted, brick oven-cooked pizzas. Specializing in New York-style slices and fast-fired personal pies, the pizzeria offers both classic options and vegan-friendly alternatives, including house-made vegan cheese and sausage.
2. Mamma Roma (Odenton): Mamma Roma first opened its doors in 2005. “We are a family restaurant run by brothers Rino and Bruno. Before opening Mamma Roma, Rino graduated from the Angelo Celesti school of hospitals and later worked in some of Italy’s finest restaurants, eventually having the pleasure of working as a sous chef for one of Italy’s top chefs, Piero Scaletti.”
1. Angeli’s Pizzeria (Baltimore): The Angeli’s story began in 1986 in New Orleans, Louisiana before moving to Baltimore more recently. It was described on the Angeli’s website as a small restaurant in a vibrant neighborhood with a goal to provide its community with delicious food, cooked fresh daily. “As the years went by, we created a family friendly atmosphere with the help of our employees, which helped Angeli’s take off into new heights, with the franchise expanding throughout the New Orleans Area. All was well, until Hurricane Katrina hit, leaving us financially limited and unable to hold on to our beloved Angeli’s. Since its closing, our family had always pondered the prospects of bringing back the Angeli’s brand. Little Italy gave us an opportunity to make what was once a possibility into a reality, and bring back Angeli’s to a neighborhood as vibrant and as colorful as the one that we fell in love with all those years ago.”
Featured photo shows a cheese pizza at Rocky’s in Hagerstown