Pizzavania editor Patrick Berkery recently traveled from NEPA to Philadelphia, sampling pizzas on the recommendation of readers. The verdict is in: these are his favorites.
In each edition of Pizzavania, our newsletter highlighting the best in Pennsylvania pizza (subscribe here), I ask readers to share recommendations on their favorite pizzerias in the commonwealth. You can find the running list of reader recs here.
I recently visited some pizzerias in the eastern part of the state based on reader recommendations, and am highlighting my five favorites below.
Please keep those suggestions coming, and maybe I’ll visit your favorite spot soon!
Angelo’s Pizzeria, Wilkes-Barre
I’m not telling the good people of The Diamond City anything they don’t already know: Angelo’s Pizzeria is amazing. I dropped by the unassuming shop on Hazel Street on a weekday afternoon (several readers cautioned me about 2-3 hour wait times on Fridays and Saturdays), and walked out with my large pepperoni (and a bag of Middleswarth chips—can’t find those near me in the Philly ’burbs) 20 minutes later. First impression: they do not skimp on the pepperoni. I could barely see the sauce and cheese for all the pepperoni coins covering the pie. Angelo’s does a sauce-on-top pie, and said sauce was spectacular, sweet with a bit of heat. The crust was chewy and flavorful, foldable, with a bit of crunch. This kind of quality is why Angelo’s has been slinging pies for over 50 years.
Apizzeria 888 by Sebastian, Elkins Park
I first learned about Apizzeria 888 by Sebatian from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Michael Klein, who wrote about this pickup-only spot shortly after it opened last fall. Owner Sebastian Besiso describes his one-man operation as a “pizza lab,” and his dedication to dough prep suggests as much. Sebastian told me he employs a six-week dough fermentation process (most pizzerias do 72 hours at most). The end result is a crust that’s practically credit card-thin and so light, you have to double-check to make sure there’s a pie inside when he hands you the box. I tried his Roma pie, which featured mozzarella beneath dabs of a sweet tomato-basil sauce and shredded parm on top of a crust that was so crispy, it started to break apart with the first bite. Pro tip: Keep your hand or plate ready to catch those falling bits of crust—you don’t want any to go to waste. It’s a must-try pizza experience, but you need to plan for it. Apizzeria 888 only serves up 50 pies a day (Sebastian told me he may soon cut back to 40), and you usually have to call in to reserve a pie. I got through shortly before he opened at 4 p.m. on a recent Saturday and was able to nab one of the last two slots he had remaining for the day.
A white pizza with prosciutto, stracciatella, and roasted red peppers, topped off with arugula and Pecorino Romano cheese from Switchback Pizza Company in Emmaus. (Patrick Berkery)
La Nova, Northeast Philadelphia
Not all pizza lovers are looking for artisanal, elevated takes on pies that exacting pizzaiolos make only in small batches. Some just want a dependable neighborhood joint that makes a traditional pizza with fresh ingredients. La Nova in Northeast Philly’s Holmesburg neighborhood fits that bill. To be honest, I thought the large plain I ordered looked a little basic when I popped open the lid on the box. A few bites later, I was a believer in this pie that a few folks whose opinions I trust recommended. Great crust, tangy sauce, foldable, but with a little bit of snap, a nicely-charred bottom: it had everything you want in a pizza. And their large is $15.95. That’s a pizza price point you see less and less of these days.
Switchback Pizza Company, Emmaus
Located a few blocks off the main drag in Emmaus, Switchback Pizza Company serves up Neapolitan-style pies and Pa.-made beers and wines, including its own Red Balloon Cider. I was driving the day I stopped in so I laid off the adult beverages, but I did devour a white pie with prosciutto, stracciatella, and roasted red peppers, topped off with arugula and Pecorino Romano cheese. On some prosciutto-based white pies, the other ingredients can play second fiddle to the cured meat. Not here. The arugula tasted so fresh and peppery, you’d think it was early June, and the sharpness of the Pecorino blended perfectly with the greens. The crust was perfectly charred and chewy. A great white pie, all the way around.
The O.G. pie from Verona Pizza in Maple Glen. (Patrick Berkery)
Verona Pizza – Maple Glen
Since it opened in 2023, Verona Pizza has become a destination spot in the Philly suburbs for cheesesteak and pizza enthusiasts. Even the governor loves it. It’s not uncommon to see lines out the door of this Montco strip mall spot on the weekends, and that’s what I encountered on a recent Saturday afternoon; and I can confirm that this is pizza worth waiting in line for. I got the O.G., which features two kinds of mozzarella, swirls of San Marzano tomato sauce that had a little heat, basil, and a dusting of Grana Padano cheese on top of a beautifully charred and blistered crust. Some have compared Verona’s pies to South Philly’s beloved Angelo’s Pizzeria. It’s a fair reference point, and I may even rate Verona a tick higher. It’s that good.
Have a story tip? Reach Patrick at [email protected]. For local reporting in Iowa that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Patrick’s newsletter.