Wondering where the best pizza in D.C. is found? Here is an epic pizza guide of restaurants that span across the nation’s capital city.
Americans have always enjoyed sinking their teeth into slices of hot, delicious pizza. It’s an especially easy food to order and eat because it’s comforting, convenient, and versatile. There are three specific qualities that every great pizza needs to have:
Dough
This is the vessel that holds all a pizza’s scrumptious ingredients. It’s the pizza’s foundation and when the dough is bad it throws off the entire pizza-eating experience.
Fresh Ingredients
An excellent pizza incorporates fresh ingredients that balance each other out. Having the right ratio of cheese and tomato sauce is extremely important.
Color Quality
The best pizza has colors that pop and showcase fresh ingredients cooked to perfection. Dark, overcooked cheese and old, mealy tomatoes do not make a good pizza.
A pizza must have these three aspects for it to be a stand-out because they are the essence of flavor, texture, and quality. These are often the things people use to compare their pizza dining experience.
Best Pizza in D.C.
It can be difficult to choose which restaurant offers the very best pizza in D.C. because there are so many options. This list includes time-honored mom and pop shops as well as high-brow Italian restaurants, offering classic, minimalist Italian pies, deep-dish Chicago lover styles, vegetarian, and gourmet personal pizzas — among others — from all over signature neighborhoods like Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, and Cathedral Heights. Here are some favorites:
1. Pi Pizzeria
910 F St NW
Known for their spectacular cornmeal-infused crust, Pi Pizzeria has deep-dish Chicago-style pizza done right. They also offer thin-crust pizzas and are known to have the best gluten-free pies around. Pi’s tremendous selection of craft beers is an additional plus. Residents of Sixteen Hundred and The Shelburne in the Dupont Circle neighborhood are less than half an hour away by foot and about a five-minute drive.
2. Pizzeria Paradiso
3282 M Street NW (Georgetown)
2003 P Street NW (Dupont Circle)
Customers love feeling the warmth and seeing the glow of the wood-burning domed stone oven at this popular Italian eatery. The pizza here is worked by hand, graced with quality toppings, and finished off with a brush of extra virgin olive oil in the signature oven. Pizzeria Paradiso has locations in the Georgetown and Dupont Circle neighborhoods and is a favorite among residents of Rocksboro and The Shelburne apartments. It’s less than ten minutes on foot.
3. 2 Amys
3715 Macomb St NW
This popular eatery puts its take on classic Neapolitan-style pizza. The crust is thin, crisp, and perfectly charred in spots. Add the mouthwatering flavors and fresh quality toppings, and you have pizza perfection. The pizzas are personal size, with the clarity of flavor and the simplicity of ingredients making for really good Italian eating. 2 Amys offers al fresco dining and their prime location near the National Cathedral is about a seven-minute walk from The Archer apartment buildings in the Cathedral Heights neighborhood.
4. Vace Italian Delicatessen
3315 Connecticut Ave NW
This classic delicatessen has been serving Washingtonians since 1976. It also happens to be home to some of the most delicious, thin-crust, stretched-by-hand pizza pies around. Grab some Italian groceries, deli meat, and a pizza pie to go from this charming, authentic Italian delicatessen. It’s considered the best pizza in the Cleveland Park neighborhood by many. It’s about a five-minute walk from The Parkwest apartment buildings and only 240 feet from The Parkway apartments.
5. Wiseguy Pizza
300 Massachusetts Ave NW #1
This New York-inspired pizzeria delivers old-school Italian charm. Wiseguy proudly imports its pizza ingredients from Italy and bakes their classic pies in an old-fashioned, stone deck oven. Their pizzas have the perfect ratio of red sauce to cheese and their thin-crust, oversized slices will have you coming back for more. As their website says: “Prepare yourself for Damn Good Pizza.” Wiseguy is a popular takeout choice among college students and the residents of Sixteen Hundred in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. It’s about a 30-minute walk and less than ten minutes by car.
6. Timber Pizza Company
809 Upshur St NW
This neighborhood hangout got its start as a farmers’ market pizza stand. Pizza offerings rotate depending on what fresh ingredients are in season. Their most popular pizza is the “Green Monster,” a favorite comprised of pesto, fresh mozzarella, feta cheese, zucchini, and kale. Residents of the Crestwood Apartments in the Upper 16th Street neighborhood are about a six-minute walk from this trendy hotspot, which is open seven days a week for takeout.
7. Menomale
2711 12th St NE
This cheery bistro’s wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas are the real deal. These portable pies take a 90-second trip in a wood-fired oven heated to 900 degrees; the result is an airy, charred crust with excellent taste and texture. This nouveau Italian bistro, with terrific outdoor seating, takeout, and delivery options, is a great choice for occupants of the Sixteen Hundred apartments in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
8. We, The Pizza
305 Pennsylvania Ave SE
This is farm-to-table pizza at its best. Chefs craft dough with 100% whole wheat flour which provides the delicious base for the gourmet pizzas topped with fresh herbs and natural goodness. We, The Pizza serves up amazing natural sodas, as a bonus, made with a splash of crushed fruit and homemade syrups. This modish spot is a popular choice for residents of Sixteen Hundred apartments in the Dupont Circle neighborhood and is about a 15-minute car drive.
9. DC Pizza
1103 19th St NW
Customization is the theme at this popular pizza spot near the Dupont Circle neighborhood. Their industrial conveyor belt ovens, which are geared for speedy takeout and patio dining, bake custom pies within minutes. Customers’ favorite toppings include smoked ham, grilled chicken, pepperoni, and a variety of veggies. This cool, modern storefront includes gluten-free, vegan, and meat-lovers options. DC Pizza has become the trendy takeout-option for residents of The Rodney Apartments and the Sixteen Hundred Apartment homes in the heart of Dupont Circle. It’s a little over a ten-minute walk from both buildings.
10. Duccini’s
1778 U St NW
This old-school New York-style pizza shop is known for its jumbo slices and a “great bang for your buck.” The pizza crusts are cooked to perfection and paired with incredible, classic Italian tomato sauce and fresh toppings. This casual small pizza shop delivers, no doubt about it. Duccini’s is a 20-minute walk from The Vintage on 16thapartments in the Mount Pleasant/Columbia Heights neighborhoods and the 1900 Lamont residential community.
New York and Chicago residents might say their cities have the best pizza, but after all this delicious research, it’s clear that you can find some of the best pizza in D.C..
Check Out DARO Apartments for Good D.C. Living
The restaurants on this list serve up the best pizzas in Washington, D.C., but the region provides so much more than great food. DARO Apartments offers residents proximity to the best restaurants, shops, and cultural institutions in D.C. Amenities are always close by.
If you are moving to or within D.C. and are looking for an engaging, urban lifestyle in a desirable neighborhood, contact our offices. Our studio, one, and two-bedroom apartment rentals offer vintage charm, high-end updated amenities, and the best pizza in D.C. within close proximity for take-out!
Contact DARO Apartments to speak with a leasing expert and find your new D.C. area apartment home.
