7 Pizza Places in Connecticut That Are Worth the Visit

“Unless you are a pizza, the answer is yes, I can live without you.”
– Bill Murray

Who doesn’t love pizza? No other food can top the combination of melted cheese, tomato sauce, a crispy crust, and the plethora of toppings that personalize each pizza. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there is no wrong time to eat a delicious slice of pizza. 

While we always look to New York for its pizzerias, Connecticut is in-fact home to some of the best-ranked pizzerias in the county. And Delamar, with locations conveniently located across the state, offers a great home base for your pizza tour of Connecticut’s best pies. You may even be able to order delivery right to your guestroom!

Here is our list of 7 places throughout Connecticut to explore for your next slice.

1) Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana 

New Haven, West Hartford, Fairfield, Manchester, Danbury, Uncasville, and Waterbury – pepespizzeria.com

For the third straight year in a row, this 85+ year old establishment has ranked #1 on the Daily Meal’s 101 Best Pizzas in America list. The original location opened in 1925, serving two types of “apizza,” one with tomatoes with grated cheese, garlic, oregano, and olive oil and the other with anchovy.

Since then, the business has expanded to locations all across CT, including in West Hartford, Fairfield, and Danbury. The Original Tomato Pie is still offered today, along with plenty of other options, including their signature coal-fired White Clam Pizza featuring fresh clams, grated pecorino romano, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. 

2) Sally’s Apizza 

New Haven – sallysapizza.com

Operating from the same location where it opened in 1938 in Wooster Square, this iconic pizzeria is known for its authentic coal-fired, thin-crust pies, and long lines.

The restaurant was actually first purchased by Filomena Consiglio, sister of Frank Pepe, who was the owner of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. Since then, there has been a rivalry between the two pizzerias. But one thing is for certain, the Sally’s tomato pie beats Pepe’s original pie.

3) Modern Apizza 

New Haven – modernapizza.com

Along with Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s Apizza, Modern Apizza forms what is referred to by locals as the “Holy Trinity” of New Haven-style pizza. Established in 1934, Modern is known for using one of the last oil-fueled brick ovens in the country.

The pies are quite different than those found at Pepe’s and Sally’s and tend of be more charred, chewy, and heavy. Be sure to try out their signature Italian Bomb pie featuring bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion, peppers and garlic.

4) Colony Grill

Stamford, Fairfield, Milford – colonygrill.com

Beloved since 1935, Colony Grill is famous for its one-of-a-kind, thin-crust pizza that is best served with the signature spicy, pepper-infused creation known as the “hot oil” topping. 

The original owners of Colony Grill were Irish-Americans, but they employed Italian chefs that wanted their patrons to try the pizza recipes from their homelands. And so the “bar pie”, a thin crust, smaller than a traditional pizza, that can be easily managed with one hand at the bar, was invented. Over the years, the bar pie became so popular that the other menu items faded away.

5) Fire Engine Pizza Co

Bridgeport, CT – thefireenginepizzaco.com

After a fire destroyed his original pizza restaurant, the owners Martin McCarthy and Phil Segneri bought a fire truck and converted it into a pizza truck. They eventually opened up a new place in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. Reclaimed barn-wood, hickory floors, endless artifacts donated from local Fire Departments and brick oven backdrop create a dining experience like no other. 

The menu offers brick-oven pizzas with an excellent selection of seasonal drafts and craft brews. Don’t forget to try out their specialty pizzas, including Fruitti Di Mare and Jalapeño Polenta pizzas. The menu also offers gulten-free options!

6) Brick + Wood 

Fairfield – lovelifeandpizza.com

One of the newer restaurants on this list, Brick + Wood is inspired by Italian street foods and wood-fired pizza. They serve small pie pizzas that are topped with hand-pulled mozzarella prepared fresh at the restaurant’s mozzarella bar. The dough is handmade on the premises and leavened for 24-48 hours. They also have more than 30 wines on tap as well as an extensive list of draft beers and appetizers. 

7) First & Last Tavern

Hartford, Avon, Glastonbury, and Plainville – firstandlasttavern.com

The original First & Last has been in service in Hartford since 1936. Brick oven pizzas were added to the menu in 1986 when the DePasquale family took over.

Since then, they’ve been serving authentic brick oven pizza and many other entrees at locations across Connecticut. Be sure to try out Hartford original’s pizza lineup featuring specialty pies like puttanesca (tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, hot peppers) and “sweet pea” (peas, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, basil.) 

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Visit Connecticut

Situated just two hours from NYC and Boston, Connecticut offers rich history, beautiful landscapes, fine-dining, and of-course delicious pizza! When you’re exploring everything that Connecticut has to offer, be sure to choose a hotel that offers a convenient home base but doesn’t compromise on luxurious details. With three convenient and dog-friendly locations throughout Connecticut, Delamar offers the best in luxury living and convenience.