Rhode Island's Best Pizza Joints
Ann & Michael Martini, GoLocalProv Food Editors
Rhode Island's Best Pizza Joints
You may be able to sit down and eat but, really, it's all about take out.
Pizza is the ultimate binge-viewing food. As you blow through episodes of your binge du jour, a pizza is a perfect companion: hot and fired-up start; long lasting and satisfying to keep you going; finally, when you realize the sun is coming up and "Breaking Bad" is still on, cold pizza provides breakfast sustenance.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWe set out to find our 5 favorite pizza shops in Rhode Island and came back full and with these. Mangia!
Rhode Island’s Best Pizza Joints
Catanzaro's, Cranston
The undisputed champ...again. When it comes to Sicilian style, thick crust pizza we haven't found one as good anywhere. The family-run restaurant features a few tables and a nice bar, and a super-friendly staff. The pizza pans are the star here as they help form a small border of caramelized cheese around the outside of the pie. This little burnt edge is not to be missed. The toppings are thick-cut and fresh. The pepperoni is the kind that curls up and holds a little oil--which we love. We also love their pizza with roasted portabella mushrooms and caramelized onions. The flavor combination is delicious. 1283 Park Ave. 946-8880
Fellini's, Cranston
A second location for Fellini's--this one in fabulous Pawtuxet Village--is an instant classic. The Wickenden Street location is till cranking out delicious pies, but our walking-distance location has reminded us how good and consistent their pizza really is. The wheat-blend crust forms a perfect base for the fresh toppings. We love their pesto. It's fresh and herbaceous without being too garlic heavy. Top it with thin sliced plum tomatoes, eggplant and artichoke hearts and you have a pretty perfect pie. It's all about the details here: mandolin-sliced veggies keep the delicate crust from getting moisture-sogged; thin-sliced white-meat chicken soaks up the flavors of pesto or BBQ sauce or whatever else you can imagine. Fellini's in one of those places that makes Rhode Island unique and wonderful. 2191 Broad St. 467-5992
Bob and Timmy's, Providence
Living in the American birthplace of grilled pizza has plenty of perks. You can go to a lot of area restaurants and find some version of this classic. Chefs use them as a palette for seasonal ingredients. We all know the classic version originated at Al Forno but you can find another version just off Atwells at Bob and Timmy's. They have been delivering on that early promise by staying true to the idea that fresh, thin dough grilled 'till crisp and topped with just the right fresh toppings makes a great pie. And we agree! This is classic smoky grilled pizza. The thin crust has always been a staple but a recent visit left us thinking it has, somehow, gotten better. We gravitate towards the BBQ chicken pizza. The combination of sweet and smoky is our favorite. The smoked gouda and romano cheese accent each other perfectly. 32 Spruce St. 453-2221
Warren House of Pizza, Warren
A couple of serious food lover friends of our told us that we needed to check out Warren House of Pizza the next time we chose best pizza. We did and here they are! There is something comforting about "house of pizza" pizza...if you catch our drift. This is classic comfort food style pizza. And that's a good thing as far as we are concerned. You also have to love that they have their own line of classic flavored beverages that come in glass bottles. All of your favorites are here but we fell in love with the meatball pizza. Classic, homemade meatballs pack a ton of flavor into this pizza. 464 Main St. 247-0230
Tommy's Pizza, Providence
For generations folks have been flocking to Chalkstone Avenue for great pizza and subs. This is old-school pizza at its finest. At Tommy’s pizza, somehow, the quality has remained consistent. We are drawn back for two simple reasons: first, the pizza is always crisp, fresh and delish; second, there may not be a better meatball grinder in the state. No specialty pizzas here—they all build-your-own. On our last visit we put together a pie of epic meat proportions: pepperoni, ham, meatballs and sausage and peppers. Crisp, with those little burnt pieces of cheese stuck to the crust. All of the meats cooked well with no rubbery toppings. Now the rap on the place is the service can be a little gruff. Be ready to order, be quick and concise and you will have no problems here! 936 Chalkstone Ave. 621-3509 or 351-4141
