Gabe Barker (son of Triangle restaurant legends Ben and Karen Barker), came back to his hometown of Carrboro from San Francisco in 2016 and opened this brick-oven, Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria to local and national acclaim. With pies that utilize the bounty from the nearby Carrboro Farmers’ Market while staying true to Italian roots, Barker has turned Mercato into a destination pizzeria. Favorites include the salami (with hot honey, of course), the funghi, and the puttanesca, but to get an idea of just how good the pizzas are, opt for the classic margherita and be wowed. 

Chef Teddy Diggs (formerly of Il Palio Ristorante in Chapel Hill’s Siena Hotel) operates what he claims to be the first Roman-style pizzeria in the South. Roman-style dough is rolled very thin, with low-moisture and the addition of olive oil for an almost cracker-like crunch. Pizzas are served European-style (read: unsliced) and hew to traditional Italian flavors like the marinara, funghi, or rossa (raw crushed tomato sauce, provolone and mozzarella, Sicilian oregano, shaved soppressata, Taggiasca olives and pickled hot peppers). Roman pan pizza is also on offer, as is a Sunday-Thursday family special that includes three pizzas, one Coronato chopped salad, six suppli Romana (crispy rice croquettes), and six Sicilian cannoli for $65. 

Wood-fired Neapolitan pies are the name of the game at this Triangle micro-chain. Locations in the Durham Food Hall, Carrboro, and Hillsborough offer up a variety of traditional and non-traditional pizzas. Stick with a classic like the Parma (prosciutto di parma, arugula, and grana padano cheese) or opt for something a bit more avante garde like the Haw River Funghi with Haw River Mushrooms. All three locations also offer house made gelato, and the Carrboro spot offers frozen pizzas as well.

If Pizzeria Toro is the sophisticate of the Durham pizza scene, then Pie Pushers is the OG who keeps it real with what they call “Durham-style” pizza (think New York-style with Midwestern sensibilities). Owners Becky Cascio and Mike Hacker went from food truck to brick and mortar, all while developing a cult-following as downtown Durham’s go-to pizza. By the slice or by the pie, it’s hard to beat the classic pepperoni pizza, but also branch out and try the State of Nirvana (pesto, roasted chicken, spinach, caramelized red onion, and bleu cheese) or the 1234 (salami, caramelized red onion, bell peppers, pistachios, and smoked gouda).

The first Triangle outpost of the celebrated Greensboro-based pizzeria opened in Durham’s Golden Belt campus in 2021. The small chain (Durham is the fourth location) started with cousins Jospeh Ozbey, Yilmaz Guver, and Adam Aksoy (Cugino Forno = Cousin’s Oven) is all about true Neapolitan-style pizzas, with dough made from imported Italian 00 flour and given a 48-hour rise, and pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven for about 90 seconds each. Classic variations like margherita, funghi, bianca, and Napoletana share the menu with hearty salads, cannoli, gelato, and more.

Locally milled flour from Boulted Bread in Raleigh is combined with imported flour from Italy’s Piedmont region to make the craveable dough that forms the base of Pizzeria Faulisi’s wood-fired pies. Innovation doesn’t just stop at the crust, though. Creations like the Red, White, & Blue (sour cherry, blue cheese, and chilies) and the Sweater Weather (ricotta, butternut squash puree, and crumbled Amaretto cookies) put Faulisi squarely at the intersection of tradition and innovation. It’s also one of the few spots open for lunch during the pandemic, so check out the $10 pizza happy hour between noon and 3pm. 

Is there a better combination than pizza and beer? Raleigh’s award-winning Trophy Brewing started offering pizza at its West Morgan Street brewpub a few years ago and never looked back. Specialty pies include the Low ‘n Slow (with barbacoa, chipotle barbecue sauce, and avocado salsa), the Most Loyal (roasted chicken, basil pesto, and honey), or the Farmers’ Market (curried cauliflower puree, mushrooms, shaved Brussels sprouts, grilled onions, and jerk sauce). For fans of heat, take a bite of the Daredevil, a spicy red sauce pie with ghost pepper salami, jalapeno, and Sriracha in addition to mozzarella and caramelized onions. Those in the know, though, show up on Mondays or Tuesdays for the not-so-secret special Detroit-style pizza, a square pan pizza with a loyal following. Whichever pie customers go for, they will have the full range of Trophy’s beers available to wash it all down. 

Located right next to Raleigh institution Poole’s Diner (hence the Poole’side moniker), this wood-fired pizza join is the latest addition to Ashley Chistensen’s AC Restaurants group with Neapolitan-inspired pizzas, small plates, homemade pastas, and more. On the pizza end of the things there are classics like margherita but also a merguez (with spiced lamb sausage, feta, parmesan bechamel, pickled red onion, and herbs) and sausage alla vodka (with vodka cream, pork fennel sausage, basil, parmesan). A fun addition to the menu are the pizza dipping sauces — buttermilk basil dressing, chile garlic crunch oil, or Bianco DiNapoli tomato sauce.