It all comes down to this: Vote between these 2 as we seek the Triangle’s top pizza
.png "Which Triangle pizza joint will come out on top?")
The semifinals were blowouts — not buzzer-beaters — in the Triangle Pizza Bracket.
Nearly 20,000 votes were cast in Round 3, as Triangle pizza fans overwhelmingly picked Trophy Brewing and Frank’s Pizza as the two top local pizzerias. Both Trophy and Frank’s collected more than 8,000 votes each, setting up a delicious final round of pizza action.
The exquisite pizzas from Oakwood Pizza Box and the endless good vibes of Italian Pizzeria III (IP3) fell short of this slice of pizza glory, but neither shop is hurting for local love.
Now it’s a classic showdown of old school versus young upstart, with the nearly 50-year-old tradition of Frank’s pitted against the creative pies and house brewed beer from Trophy.
Here’s what’s going on:
In the great pizza spectrum, stretching from upscale wood-fired pies with blistered crusts to three-tiered gas-powered ovens warming up a plain cheese slice, every pizza has its place of perfection.
But in all that great pizza, the News & Observer Triangle Pizza Bracket is trying to find out which pizzeria does it best.
The Triangle Pizza Bracket started with 16 of the best and most popular pizzerias.
In this final round, pizza lovers can vote for their favorite pizza shop, with voting ending at noon on Friday, March 11. The winner will be unveiled Wednesday, March 16.
Check out the original 16 shops:
Benchwarmers Bagels
500 E. Davie St., Suite 107, Raleigh. benchwarmersbagels.com
Anyone who stops by Transfer Co. Food Hall on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights knows this full-time bagel shop and part-time pizzeria bakes a one-of-a-kind pizza. Cooked in the same wood-fired oven as the bagels, these rectangular odes to Detroit-style always offer pepperoni and cheese slices and a weekly special.
Capital Creations Gourmet Pizza
1842 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh. 919-836-8000 or capitalcreations.com
A short drive from downtown Raleigh, this pizzeria is a neighborhood takeout favorite. Capital Creations bakes an ideal pizza party pie and takes special care with vegetarian toppings and a pizza menu of more than two dozen, well, creations.
Frank’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant
2030 New Bern Ave., Raleigh. 919-231-8990 or frankspizzainraleigh.com
Many pizza lovers think Frank’s is their best-kept secret, but everyone knows about these perfect pizzas. For nearly 50 years, Frank’s has been a Raleigh favorite, sidestepping pizza trends and delivering timeless pies fresh out of the oven.
Hutchins Garage
402 W. Geer St., Durham. 984-219-6578 or facebook.com/hutchins-garage
Initially billed as a bar with pizza on the side, Hutchins Garage exploded on the Triangle pizza scene in 2018, offering a deep lineup of traditional round pies and a simple but satisfying rectangular grandma pie. The spicy vodka pizza has become a Durham icon as Hutchins quickly grew into the neighborhood shop that feels like it’s always been there.
Italian Pizzeria III
508 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-968-4671 or italianpizzeria3.com
This Franklin Street icon could blanket Chapel Hill with its daily output of pizzas. Beloved with UNC students and Chapel Hill residents, this New York style pizzeria is one of the busiest restaurants in the Triangle and on game days there’s no warmer place to be than a booth at IP3.
Lilly’s Pizza
1813 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh. 919-833-0226 or lillyspizza.com
This Five Points icon has been a Raleigh pizza favorite for more than 20 years. The pies bake up with a thick crust and creative toppings, and the restaurant is always a bustling pizza parlor.
Milton’s Pizza & Pasta
14520 New Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh. 919-570-9099 or miltonspizza.com
8853 Six Forks Road, Raleigh. 919-847-0604
Milton’s is a North Raleigh beacon for pizza lovers, serving Greek-style pies for more than 30 years.
Napoli Pizzeria
105 E. Main St., Carrboro. napolicarrboro.com
530 Foster St., Durham in the Durham Food Hall. 919-448-8638
230 S. Nash St., Hillsborough. 919-245-8566
Beginning as a food truck with a 1,000-degree oven, this trio of pizzerias offers true Neapolitan-style pizza, where pies are cooked in a few seconds and best eaten in the moment, while the cheese is still bubbling and the crusts are filled with warm air.
Oakwood Pizza Box
610 N. Person St., Raleigh. 919-594-1605 or oakwoodpizzabox.com
Though it looks simple, everything that’s fun and beloved about pizza is on the menu at Oakwood. From a basic gas oven, the pies start as red sauce or garlicky white pizza, and then build from there, with curled pepperoni, top quality olives, sauteed mushrooms, you name it.
Pie Pushers
117A W. Main St., Durham. 919-294-8408 or piepushers.com
What started as a festival and farmer’s market food truck favorite grew into a downtown Durham pizza parlor, with Pie Pusshers serving by-the-slice options that venture beyond pepperoni and cheese, including the iconic breakfast slice.
Pizzeria Faulisi
215 E. Chatham St., Cary. 919-377-8244 or pizzeriafaulisi.com
This wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzeria helped launch the idea of downtown Cary. Faulisi bakes at the top of the pizza craft, with chewy, airy crusts and bright, flavorful toppings. This soulful dough also led to Big Dom’s Bagels, a sister shop across the parking lot.
Pizzeria Mercato
408 W. Weaver St., Carrboro. 919-967-2277 or pizzeriamercatonc.com
Helmed by Gabe Barker, named one of the country’s top young chefs a few years ago by Eater, Mercato explores the seasonal side of pizza with endlessly creative pies, but never turns its back on the classics. The bright Margherita is a year-round mainstay and as good as they come, but in the summer look out for corn to end up on the pizza menu.
Pizzeria Toro
105 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham. 919-908-6936 or pizzeriatoro.com
This downtown Durham pizzeria is built around a wood-fired oven. Toro has been around for nearly a decade yet always feels fresh, where the top pies include spicy lamb meatball, a clam pizza and a straightforward Margherita.
Poole’side Pies
428 S. McDowell St., Raleigh. 919-803-8660 or ac-restaurants.com/pooleside
Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen opened this wood-fired pizzeria next-door to her iconic restaurant, Poole’s Diner, hence the name. A gigantic, tiled pizza oven was lifted through the roof and into the kitchen when Poole’side opened in 2019, unveiling a mix of pizza classics and creations.
Randy’s Pizza
Eight locations in the Triangle. randyspizza.com
To walk through a door with a stack of Randy’s pizzas is to become the hero of any room. This Triangle chain offers tried and true party-worthy pizzas, as well as the largest pizza you’re likely to find, at 30 inches wide.
Trophy Brewing & Pizza
827 W. Morgan St., Raleigh. 919-803-4849 or trophybrewing.com/brewing-pizza-menu
One of Raleigh’s top breweries is also one of the city’s most popular pizzerias. Trophy boasts one of the Triangle’s most creative pizza menus and was a pioneer in Detroit-style pies that are now all the rage.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 2:12 PM.
