Best Places in Northern NJ for a Killer Slice
May 2023
Kelly Brennan
Imagine a Friday night with good times and memories attached to it… I’m pretty sure there was pizza there, wasn’t there? Pizza is a comfort food that brings people together to share a social experience.
No wonder why northern New Jersey has so many amazing pizzerias. Don’t know where to start for your next slice? Keep reading to find out the top three places in North Jersey where you can get a killer slice (in one girl’s opinion).
#1 Kinchley’s Tavern - Ramsey, NJ
Coming in at number one will always be Kinchley’s for me. My parents’ parents grew up eating here, and so did my parents, and so did I a whole two generations later. You want to go to Kinchley’s not only for the delicious food, which we’ll get to in a minute, but the atmosphere is all about nostalgia and familiarity. Adorned with red checkered tables, old creaky booths, and original wood floors and paneling, you’re going to feel cozy and comfortable at a booth or table.
The atmosphere helps add to the experience, but what you’re really going to Kinchley’s for is their thin crust pizza. Nobody does it like them. The crust is thin and crispy, the cheese is bubbling, and the toppings are endless. You could throw pretty much anything on a pizza at Kinchley’s and I guarantee it would be delicious. They also have fra diavlo sauce for those who like to live life on the spicy side and I highly recommend it. My recommendation? Large Bacon Fra Diavlo Pizza with a glass of Birch Beer. Try it and you’ll become a Kinchley’s fan for life.
#2 Vesuvios - West Milford, NJ
A little house converted to a pizzeria in the middle of the woods? Sounds like it would be awful, but Vesuvios is a hidden gem in Northern New Jersey. Maybe I’m biased because it’s located in my hometown, but even after moving an hour away I still drive to get pizza there because it’s so good. Vesuvios has a regular pizza crust that’s doughy at the top and crisp on the bottom. Their marinara sauce is delicious - a real stand-out. I hate a pizza sauce that has too many flavors in it with herbs and spices. I like my sauce to be sweet and fresh and taste like actual tomatoes. Vesuvios satisfies that need.
Not only do they make a killer pizza, but they make phenomenal Italian dinners as well. The eggplant parm dinner with penne is a fan favorite in my family. But, we’re talking about pizza here. Their pizza is worth the drive into the woods. My recommendation? A large pie with sausage, pepperoni, and ham. It’s my take on a meat lover's pie. It’s spicy and sweet and satisfies a craving every time. If you don’t eat meat though, their cheese pizza is absolutely delicious. A plain pie with a cup of marinara sauce on the side to dip in (trust me) is my second favorite.
#3 Parsippany’s Best Pizza - Parsippany, NJ
Sometimes strip mall pizza is the best pizza. Coming in at number three is P-Best. This is THE place to go if you want a specialty pie. They make mac and cheese and hot Cheeto pizza for God’s sake. You want something interesting on your pizza? Come here. They make any kind of pizza you can imagine: caesar salad pizza, taco pizza, barbecue pizza, and so many more options.
My recommendation? A buffalo chicken bacon ranch pie. Their crust is much doughier than anywhere else and has a light amount of seasoning on it. But this buffalo chicken bacon ranch pie is delicious. They use breaded chicken tenders, a hot buffalo sauce, cheese, bacon bits, and scallions and then heat it up in the oven and drizzle chilled ranch on top. Listen, it’s not for everyone, and it’s definitely not for all the time, but this pizza will leave you wanting to come back for more.
Pizza is beloved and treasured by most people in this country, and in New Jersey that’s especially true. We have hundreds (if not thousands) of pizza parlors in the state that are highly recommended. Of course, these are my top three places to go for a killer slice, but Jersey has it all.
Have you been to any of these locations? I would love to hear about it.
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