10 pizzerias with some of the tastiest slices in Texas

The annual college basketball frenzy we call March Madness will soon be in full swing—and pizza will undoubtedly be on our minds. Pies are easy crowd-pleasers, whether you’re hosting a watch party at home or dining out with friends. Bite into some of the tastiest slices in Texas at these 10 pizzerias.

These large, foldable pies have a hand-tossed crust that’s thick and crisp on the edges yet floppy in the middle.

Dylan’s pizza makers cook with coal instead of wood. The hotter fire and quicker bake help seal in the flavors. “The coal-fired oven gives a different taste and allows for a great crust that is unique to our pizzeria,” says Bryan Atwood, executive general manager of food and beverage at Legacy Ventures, which operates the restaurant at the Cinnamon Shore resort.

Pepperoni and Margherita pizzas are the top sellers, along with the prosciutto and arugula pizza—a lemon pepper–dusted pie with ricotta. Or build your own with toppings like goat cheese and caramelized onions.

Like all the best pizzerias, this brick-oven joint makes its dough from scratch daily and uses fresh sauce and local ingredients whenever possible. Try the Danitza, a meaty choice (Genoa salami, ham, and bacon) with garlic oil and fresh parsley.

Did you know? Brought to America by Italian immigrants in the 1800s, pizzas originally had thin, chewy crusts with only tomatoes, mozzarella, and olive oil on top. But crusts grew larger to create a lip so busy New Yorkers could grip their slices on the go. Chefs added toppings like pepperoni and mushrooms to appeal to the diverse population—and a culinary legend was born.

These extra-thick, dense pies are loaded with cheese, tomato sauce, and meat—and sometimes veggies—all held together by a tall, crunchy crust made with butter for a pastry-like taste.

“We try to keep it as authentic as possible,” says Bob Zincoris, who runs Big Z’s with his brother Tony Perry. “We’re originally from Chicago, so we know how pizza is supposed to taste.” Good choices include the Swamp pizza with shrimp and andouille sausage, and the Mac-N-Cheese with Italian sausage and jalapeños. You can’t go wrong with the Chicago Favorite, either: “It’s all about the Wisconsin cheese and sausage made in Chicago.”

This pizzeria takes things up a notch with a double-decker stuffed pizza, a deep-dish offering with another thin crust on top and additional layers of toppings, sauce, and cheese. Or order a classic Chicago deep-dish. For solo diners or small appetites, individual pizzas hit the spot.

Did you know? Invented in Chicago in 1943, the deep-dish inverts the usual order: cheese goes first, then meat and vegetables, and finally a chunky sauce on top.

These pies are baked in high-sided, rectangular steel trays with extra cheese for a uniquely crunchy and caramelized crust.

“Our pies aren’t super dense like Chicago-style. They have a light and airy crust,” says Motor City Pizza owner Greg Tierney, a Detroit native. Chefs bake the pizzas in blue steel pans and layer Wisconsin brick cheese directly onto the dough. “All the way to the edges. After we cheese the dough, we add the toppings,” Tierney says.

Feast on Mediterranean flavors with the Greektown Pizza, which sports black and green olives plus fresh tomatoes, spinach, and feta cheese. Or go for the best-selling Motown Supreme, a cavalcade of old-world pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and ricotta.

Did you know? Caramelized cheese is Detroit-style pizza’s magic ingredient. As the cheese melts down the sides of the pan, it caramelizes around the edges of the pie, which is then cut into squares.

These wood-fired pies are cooked at a blistering 900 degrees Fahrenheit for less than 90 seconds.

Sink your teeth into Cane Rosso’s traditional Neapolitan-style pies baked with house-made mozzarella. The Honey Bastard pizza is the hands-down fan favorite, a spicy little number with hot soppressata (dry Italian salami), savory-sweet bacon marmalade, and habanero honey. Not into heat? Choose from almost 20 pizzas on the menu or build your own.

Dodici chefs fire pies over Texas post oak wood in a brick oven built in Naples. Carnivores rejoice: The Carlito pizza is a meat lover’s dream. Pepperoni, bacon, and smoky brisket from 1848 BBQ restaurant (a local favorite) are drizzled with a rich serrano crema. Enjoy it on the pizzeria’s leafy back patio. Closed Monday through Wednesday.

Did you know? The center of an authentic Neapolitan pizza is tender-thin, a knife-and-fork situation well suited to fancy, light toppings. In Texas, you’ll often find Neapolitan-ish pizzas with creative local fixings and crusts that are crisp through and through.

These rectangular pies have a fluffy crust and are cut into squares like Detroit pizzas, usually with more sauce and less cheese.

“For Sicilian style, it’s all about the dough,” says Pedroso’s owner, Thiago Vasconcelos. A 3-day fermentation process followed by several hours of rising time gives Pedroso’s dough complex flavors and more internal structure. Loads of melted mozzarella and a bold, slightly sweet tomato sauce kick up the flavor even more, especially when topped with charred, cup-shaped pepperoni and grated pecorino cheese.

This Arts District hangout bakes pies with standard pizza toppings as well as wild ones. Think barbecue rib eye kimchi, elote and chorizo, and roasted chicken with lemon confit and broccoli rabe pesto. Can’t decide? Leila’s Mix & Match deal is for you: a square each of 8 different pies.

Did you know? Sicilian pizza crust is similar to focaccia, billowy and bread-like—which makes sense because this pie was born in the bakeries of Sicily. Originally called sfincione, or “thick sponge,” Sicilian pizza morphed after arriving in New York City and gaining a crucial ingredient: mozzarella.

Fort Worth–based freelance writer Shilo Urban has eaten pizza on 6 continents, from yak-cheese pies in Nepal to cashew pizza in New Zealand.