New York City is known as the home of pizza. Throughout every block, one encounters a pizza parlor with the most delicious, mouth watering, cheesiest pizzas, filled with toppings galore. Here are ten pizza spots to try in western Queens.
Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria is located at 37-08 30th Ave. in Astoria.Photo by Alice Moreno
Known as the home of the late great Andrew Bellucci, they specialize in the classic NYC pizza pies and slices. According to their website, Andrew Bellucci’s pizzeria has “become a gastronomic sensation in Astoria, New York and for good reason. The combination of the perfectly crafted crust, zesty sauce, and gooey cheese makes each slice a culinary experience.” The pizza shop launched in February 2020, and is known for its plethora of unique flavors, including the Vodka-Roni pizza, the freshly shucked clam pizza, and his very own, special Burrata pie. Not into the unique flavors? Andrew Bellucci’s pizza sells a white variety of classics, including pepperoni and margherita.
Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria is located at 37-08 30th Ave. in Astoria. Their hours are Sunday – Thursday, noon to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight.
Nonna’s 1977 is located at 45-13 34th Ave. in Astoria.Photo by Alice Moreno
Nonna’s 1977 began in 1977 on the Lower East Side, with a recipe created by none other than Momma Leone, feeding the immigrant community with their special Italian-style squares. After being in the Lower East Side for years, they were unfortunately priced out of their neighborhood. They chose a new home – Astoria — continuing the tradition. Their “magic pies” are all named after classic rock and pop songs, with unique flavors such as “Gloria,” which is an Italian sausage with homemade roasted peppers and wild mushrooms; “Angie,” a stuffed artichoke nestled on spinach cream with ricotta; and Eleanor Rigby, which contains freshly grilled chicken, baby arugula, roasted peppers and aged balsamic reduction.
Nonna’s 1977 is located at 45-13 34th Ave. in Astoria. Their hours are Monday to Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Rosario’s is located at 22-55 31st St in Astoria.Photo by Alice Moreno
Rosario’s is known as “a neighborhood pizzeria where being independent means we’ve chosen to do this the harder way… the right way.” They take pride in doing pizza right, earning the trust of the residents of Astoria. They sell a variety of fun flavors, including Salsiccia Pizza, which includes homemade sausage, homemade fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce on hand-tossed dough; Chicken broccoli pizza, which includes breaded chicken, broccoli, homemade fresh mozzarella, and tomato sauce on hand-tossed dough; and chicken parm pizza, which includes breaded chicken, parmesan cheese, a touch of ricotta cheese, and tomato sauce on hand-tossed dough.
Rosario’s is located at 22-55 31st St in Astoria. They are open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and are closed on Sundays.
NOTE: Rosario’s is currently on vacation, and will reopen Aug. 10.
Astoria Pizza Factory is located at 19-46 37th St. in Astoria.Photo by Alice Moreno
Started by Fillippo Rappa, he is a “third generation pizza man who wanted to continue his family legacy.” The business opened in 2014, and ever since then, he has served the community in Astoria high quality food with the freshest ingredients available. A plethora of flavors can be seen at Astoria Pizza factory, including “Hell Gate Pizza,” which includes mini pepperoni topped with jalapeno and hot honey; “Steinway Special Pie” which includes mini pepperoni topped with ricotta and hot honey; and “Calamari Special” which includes fried calamari in a “sweet and spicy” sauce and fresh mozzarella.
Astoria Pizza Factory is located at 19-46 37th St. in Astoria. Their hours are Monday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m; Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
New York Fine Foods – a food truck providing service throughout New York City and the Tri-State Area – provides authentic, neapolitan pizza as well as catering for any parties. They are cooked in 90 seconds at 900 degrees Fahrenheit in their specially designed ovens. They offer 14” and 10” personal neapolitan pizzas, with special flavors such as “Diavola,” which has tomato sauce, fior di latte, basil, parmigiano, hot soppressata, jalapeno, and hot honey and “Prosciutto di Parma,” which includes tomato sauce, fior di latte, basil, arugula, prosciutto di parma and shaved parmigiano.
A moving food truck, they can be seen everywhere within NYC, but can commonly be seen at Long Island City between 47th Road and 5th Street. For more information on their location, visit newyorkfinefoods.com.
Centro Pizza Bar & Italian Kitchen opened their doors February of 2018 at Long Island City and has been selling mouth-watering, traditional Italian pizzas since. Using locally sourced meat and produce, as well as a garden in their patio area where they grow an assortment of vegetables, their food is as authentic as it gets. They sell the classics, alongside specialty pizza such as broccoli with ricotta pizza, balsamic chicken roasted pepper pizza, and lasagna pizza.
Centro Pizza Bar & Italian Kitchen at 4723 Vernon Blvd in Long Island City. They are open everyday from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
GoodFellas Pizzeria – LIC, Sunnyside
Goodfellas Pizzeria, named after the film of the same name, offers some of the top pizzas in LIC and Sunnyside. According to their website, “Immerse yourself in the culinary scene of Sunnyside with some of the area’s top dishes. These classics are popular for a reason, so go ahead and see what all the fuss is about. Enjoy the perennially popular White Pizza at this establishment. One taste, and you’ll see why it’s a local favorite.” They’re well known for their Good Fella pizza, which includes pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. For those who want to expand their taste palette, they serve a medley of deep dish pizza, including their sunnyside special, which features chicken, bacon, and ranch.
They’re located at 39-09 47th Ave in Sunnyside and 25-19 40th Ave. in Long Island City. Hours for their Sunnyside location include Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and closed on the weekends. Hours for their LIC location include Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then 5 to 9 p.m.
Recognized as a staple to Sunnyside, they are well known for their Neapolitan-style pizzas. Their dough is fermented between three to five days, depending on the type of pizza, creating a complex flavor. In addition, their pizza cooks for about four minutes, unlike the usual 90 seconds, proving that Philomena’s does not take any shortcuts when it comes to the quality of their pizzas. They sell an abundance of unique pizza flavors, including “Spicy Mikey,” which has tomato sauce, red onions, soppressata, mozzarella, and topped off with Mike’s Hot Honey; “Dragon Breath,” which includes tomato sauce, pepperoni, sweet & spicy sausage, red onions, jalapenos, and mozzarella; and the “Pickle Pepper,” which includes tomato sauce, mozzarella, green peppers, japapinos, and beef pepperoni.
Philomena’s is located at 41-16 Queens Blvd in Sunnyside. Their hours are Monday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m.; Friday from noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday from 1 to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 to 9 p.m.
Established in 2023, they market themselves as the “best pizza in Queens,” serving traditional, NYC slices. They have pizza options ranging from the traditional cheese and pepperoni, to distinctive flavors such as the “Wise Guy,” which includes fresh mozzarella, pepperoni cups, vodka sauce, and pecorino romano; “Supreme,” which includes pepperoni cups, sweet italian sausage, red onions, fresh mushrooms, red pepper, tomato sauce, and aged mozzarella; and “Tony White,” which includes aged mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, pecorino romano, and extra virgin olive oil.
Leonardo’s Pizza is located at 41-10 49th Street in Sunnyside. They are open everyday from noon to 9:30 p.m.
Run by a family of second generation Italian-Americans who “have explored the beautiful cities and breathtaking countryside of Italy; including the stimulating streets of Rome, the vibrant city of Florence, the exquisite and alluring piazzas of Naples, and our little town of Pomigliano d’Arco. Each one has left a permanent signature on our hearts, with the love that they put into and the quality of taste of their food.” They sell a wide variety of flavors, including buffalo and barbecue chicken, Nonna, Margarita and even Hawaiian.
Sunnyside Pizza is located at 40-01 Queens Blvd, and it’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.