Vote now for the best pizza in Volusia, Flagler. Polls Close Friday.
Whether chowing down on a classic New York-style, thin-crust slice, an indulgent deep-dish pie or crisp, wood-fired pizza, it’s evident Daytona Beach doesn’t shy away from variety.
With such an expansive pool of cheesy, homemade selections to choose from, how do we narrow down the best of the best?
In The News-Journal's own nod to "March Madness," 16 of the best local pizzerias have been seeded and placed in a bracket for round-by-round, head-to-head matchups, where you, the readers, will choose your favorite places for a cheesy bite in the Daytona, Flagler area.
Voting on the first round of matchups started Monday, March 4, with polls closing at noon on Friday, March 8. Weekly voting will restart each Monday through Friday and will conclude with finals taking place on March 25-29. The winner will be announced Monday, April 1.
Decipher between beloved longstanding go-tos and recently discovered favorites, and cast your votes now for the best-of-the-best pizzerias in the Daytona Beach area.
Sweet 16 voting guide
Voting starts at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 4, and ends at noon, Friday, March 8.
Elite voting begins on Monday, March 11, featuring the previous round's winners.
Best pizzeria championships dates
Sweet 16: March 4-8
Elite Eight: March 11-15
Final four: March 18-22
The finals: March 25-29
Winner announced Monday, April 1.
Ahead of National Pizza Day, here are my favorite pizzerias in the Daytona Beach area
Alberto’s Pizza Shop vs. Gabbie’s Pizza
Alberto’s Pizza Shop: Alberto’s Pizza Shop is a community go-to that knows a thing or two about variety. The popular pizzeria offers everything from classic, thin-crust New York-style pizza to deep-dish, Sicilian round, white and Western pizzas. Pizzas are hand-tossed and stretched “to create the familiar size, shape and taste that New York pizza is famous for,” and use made-fresh-daily dough, real mozzarella and homemade sauce. Alberto’s offers 14-, 16- and 18-inch pizzas like the taco, white Buffalo and pickle pizzas. 4036 S. Nova Road, Port Orange; 386-238-9261, albertospizzashop.com.
Gabbie’s Pizza: With owners from New York, Gabbie's Pizza is a Port Orange staple for lovers of golden-brown, crisp crust pies. The eatery boasts authenticity as the foundation of its extensive menu of New York-style 14- and 18-inch whole pizzas and 10-inch gluten-free pizzas. Pies are scratch-made, hand-stretched and use 100% Grande cheese — no blends — with options including the supreme, meat lovers and Buffalo chicken pizzas. 5537 S. Williamson Blvd., Port Orange; 386-675-6586, gabbiespizza.net.
Can't see the poll? Click here to cast your vote!
Pete’s Pizza vs. Sergio’s Pizza Kitchen and Italian Restaurant
Pete’s Pizza: With roots planted in New York, this beloved, family-owned pizza shop has served authentic New York-style pies for more than 50 years, over 30 of which have been right here in Daytona Beach. The family-owned shop embraces its Italian roots and takes a simplicity-never-fails approach to pizza, ensuring the use of only the highest-quality cheeses, fresh ingredients, homemade sauce and a simple, four-ingredient pizza dough made without sugar. Whether grabbing a whole pizza or a slice to go, Pete’s offers with a plethora of gluten-free, stuffed, veggie and thin-crust options, including classic pepperoni, barbecue chicken and margarita. 1441 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach; 386-253-3707, petespizzadaytona.com.
Sergio’s Pizza Kitchen and Italian Restaurant: Located within the Shoppes at Beville Road, Sergio’s Pizza Kitchen and Italian Restaurant feels intimate, inviting and straight off the streets of New York. The popular pizza joint opened its doors several months back, bringing its Italian roots and Long Island flare to Daytona Beach with a variety of homemade pizza styles ranging from stuffed and Sicilian to thin crust, gluten-free and Mediterranean. The eatery offers made-fresh-daily slices using homemade dough, 100% mozzarella and a near 60-year-old tangy sauce recipe. 1500 Beville Road, Daytona Beach; 386-317-4777, Facebook.com.
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Fire in the Bricks vs. Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza
Fire in the Bricks: For lovers of a more charred, crispy crust with a good crunch, Fire in the Bricks is the Palm Coast pizzeria for you. The restaurant promises the preservation of the “centuries-old craft of making authentic Neapolitan pizza,” and offers hand-crafted, woodfire oven pizzas made using imported flour, sea salt, yeast and water — a simplistic yet "special" approach. The eatery offers 14-inch red or white Neapolitan pizzas with options ranging from the pepperoni and margarita to the chicken bruschetta and fig pizza — not to mention dessert selections like the Reese’s and apple crumb pizzas. 5 Utility Drive, Unit 6, Palm Coast; 386-302-0006, fireinthebricks.com.
Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza: Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza is a name known across Port Orange and a cult-favorite pizzeria for locals. The family-owned and operated shop makes every pizza from scratch daily, using homemade dough and sauce. The expansive restaurant, seating over 225 people indoors, is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and hand-tossed, brick-oven-baked pizzas ranging from the Giuseppe’s Special and fried chicken-layered Steel City Slayer to the Hawaiian, white and meat lovers pizzas. 3658 S. Nova Road, Port Orange; 386-761-4717, giuseppessteelcitypizza.com.
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Pizza Pazza Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant vs. Nonne’s Italian Restaurant and Sports Bar
Pizza Pazza Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant: This Port Orange pizzeria offers an expansive menu of 12- and 16-inch thin crust pizzas, with slices available from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Boasting fresh ingredients as the foundation of its made-fresh pies, the charming, family-owned shop intertwines its owner’s Sicilian and northern pizzeria-owning roots through the use of its homemade, slightly sweet sauce, hand-tossed dough, Italian-imported mozzarella cheese and saucy toppings, with menu options including the chicken parmigiana, Firecracker, bruschetta and gluten-free pizzas. 3761 S. Nova Road, Suite 224, Port Orange; 386-492-7831, pizzapazzaportorange.com.
Nonne’s Italian Restaurant: Nonne’s Italian Restaurant & Sports Bar is a laid-back local favorite that keeps things simple, and makes a consistently delicious pizza with a crust that's never too thick and doughy nor overly crisp. The eatery’s pizza selections use scratch-made-daily dough for a soft, golden-brown crust and a secret, homemade sauce that’s neither spicy, nor overly sweetened. Pizza options range from the gluten-free cauliflower and meat lovers pizzas to the Floridian and white pizzas. 5901 S. Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange; 386-675-6066, nonnesitalian.com.
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Don Giovanni Contemporary Italian and Pizzeria vs. Genovese’s Italian Café
Don Giovanni Contemporary Italian and Pizzeria: Don Giovanni offers house-made pizzas with firm, golden-baked crusts that are never overly sauce-smothered nor greasy. The family-owned shop’s Italian foundation shines through every exceptionally authentic cheesy selection, created using rich, homemade sauce, fresh ingredients and Italian-imported mozzarella cheese, with menu options including the classic cheese, meat lovers, gluten-free and thick-crust Sicilian. 1930 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach; 386-310-4135, thedongiovanni.com.
Genovese’s Italian Café: Genovese’s Italian Café has been serving the Daytona Beach area for over 40 years, offering an array of homemade dishes, with arguably the most loved being its authentic, New York-style pizza. The eatery boasts the use of “only the freshest ingredients” with made-fresh-daily, hand-tossed dough and sauces passed down through generations. Whether dining in or placing an order to-go online, Genovese’s has something for everyone offering 10-, 13- or 16-inch pizzas as well as Sicilian deep-dish, with choices that include the spinach Alfredo, veggie combo and clam pizzas. 183 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach; 386-677-3222, genovesesitaliancafe.com.
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Panheads Pizzeria vs. Prima
Panheads Pizzeria: This Guy Fieri-approved, family-owned shop serves up some of the best specialty pizzas in New Smyrna Beach. All pizzas are made fresh, in-house using homemade red sauce and dough, as well as their own delicious cheese blend. The lively little shop also slow smokes its own meats and creates its own rubs and seasonings creating vibrant, flavor packed pies with a thicker, doughy crust. Whether opting for a pizza flight or single pie, options include the roasted chicken and ranch layered Sweet Home Alabama and the pepperoni-, sausage- and ham-decorated Nothing But a Good Time pizzas. 113 S. Orange St., New Smyrna Beach; 386-428-8738, panheadspizzeria.com.
Prima: Prima is hidden gem in New Smyrna Beach whose immaculately thin, homemade pizzas showcase a crisp crust with a good crunch and variety of fresh, creative toppings. The quaint Italian restaurant offers an array of sweet, savory and veggie-packed pies ranging from the goat cheese, vodka sauce, bacon and basil-topped Flying Pig to the spinach, artichoke and green onion layered mushroom fontina and white pizza. 112 Sams Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-847-8556, primansb.com.
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Bronx House Pizza vs. Jets Pizza
Bronx House Pizza: This beloved local chain takes New York-style pizza to the next level. The popular pizza shop serves made-fresh-daily, New York-style slices and prides itself on its meticulously prepared pizza dough — created using a “multi-step fermentation process” — that promises light, crispy, golden-baked pizza whose subtle crunch, depth of fresh flavors and authenticity leaves a lasting impression. The eatery uses whole milk mozzarella for its New York Pizza, with other options ranging from the Buffalo chicken to the Detroit pan pizzas, Beast of Burden and the build your own. 1290 W. Granada Blvd., Unit 200, Ormond Beach; 386-888-6699, bronxhousepizza.com.
Jet’s Pizza: This 1978 Michigan-born chain, known for its made-fresh-daily Detroit-style pizza, recently opened shop in Port Orange. The eatery’s famous pizza variety includes crust styles like the New York-style, hand-tossed round and gluten-free, as well as thin crust and seasoned cauliflower. Pizza choices vary from the Aloha BBQ Chicken and veggie to the All Meaty, Chicken Bacon Ranch and classic Detroit-style deep-dish, created using a special flour blend that is “kneaded and hand-pressed into thick, steel pans,” ultimately expanding into “a pillow-like form.” The eatery uses fresh, hand-cut veggies and homemade sauce with Jet’s signature herb and spice blend. 3813 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Port Orange; 386-488-2939, jetspizza.com.
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Dough Bros Pizza vs. Pagano’s Pizzeria
Dough Bros Pizza: Dough Bros is a “lip-smacking good” family-owned and operated local pizzeria. The consistency-first South Daytona shop uses homemade recipes dating back generations, and promises pizza made with precision, where flavor never falters. Dough Bros offers whole or by-the-slice selections, with pizza options ranging from the Sicilian round or square and white pizza, to the veggie lovers, Buffalo chicken, cauliflower and margarita pizzas. 2250 S. Nova Road, South Daytona; 386-777-0707, doughbrositalian.com.
Pagano’s Pizzeria: A true taste of up north, Pagano’s Pizzeria is a South Daytona crowd-pleaser known for its New Jersey-style pizza. The casual, themed eatery mirrors the very ones I, like many, frequented on Ocean City, Wildwood and other Jersey Shores’ boardwalks. The eatery offers keto, personal, medium, large and extra-large thin-crust pizzas with homemade options ranging from the Philly, veggie, and cheese lovers pizzas, to the New Jersey Boardwalk pizza, meat lovers- or veggie-stuffed pizza and Jersey plum tomato pizza. 1945 S. Ridgewood Ave., South Daytona; 386-767-3635, paganospizzerias.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Vote now for best pizza in Daytona Beach, Flagler, Ormond, NSB, more
