What kind of pizza person are you? Do you like heavy sauce pizza, greasy after drinks pizza, or boujee pizza? Luckily for you, Louisville has a mix of all the best kinds of pizza. And we’re not ashamed to admit we’ve tried just about all of them.. three or four times.. a piece. But only because we love our readers and wanted to give an accurate ranking of the best pizza in Louisville.
As true pizza aficionados, we’re not snobby about our pizzeria choices. We’re just two people who love the tangy burst of tomato sauce, the salty deliciousness of sausage, and the briny glorious texture of cheeses like mozzarella, pecorino, and Parmigiano.
- P.S. Get our guide to over 100 Fun Things To Do In Louisville all year round.
If you’re not a pizza person, you’re not going to get it and we understand. (**Cough cough**…No we don’t but in these P.C. times… we digress.) So even if you’re not a pizza lover, you should still read this article. Mostly because everyone else in your life probably loves pizza and you should know where to take them.
The second most important reason is that pizza is subjective, and in this foodie city where pizzerias and fresh ingredients abound – there is no reason not to find your spot.
How Do We Rank Pizza?
This is a complex set of answers and we’re going to go through how we judge and a few categories of awards here.
- Date Night Pizza – Best Pizza In Louisville Category #1
- After Drinks Pizza – Best Pizza In Louisville Category #2
- Weeknight Pizza – Best Pizza In Louisville Category #3
We have to break it down into subcategories because there are so many different kinds of pizza. It wouldn’t even be fair to try and have one winner for the title of the best pizza in Louisville!
Here are some things we judge on:
- Freshness – As in does the pizza come out hot and crisp? Any good pizza will still be good within a 25 minute drive home for takeout pizza!
- Greasiness – Do the ingredients just leak grease? Remember back in gradeschool when we all used to blot our pizza with napkins ebcuase we could see our reflections in the pools of grease puddled in the pepperoni? Fun times. Just for the record – greasiness isn;t always a bad thing – but we have our limits.
- Ingredients – You can tell when a pizza shop uses frozen sausage etc. on their pizza. We’re not saying that’s always a bad thing depending on the quality of the pizza! Just that the quality of the ingredints is a considering factor.
- Dough quality – Is it crispy, chewy, or flavorful?
(We realize that dough is indeed a main ingredient of pizza but the pizza crust can quite literally make or break a pizza for us!)
So what is a metric that we can all go by? For us, Dominos hand-tossed pizzas are pretty middle of the line. Not great pizza but not terrible pizza either. And if you can’t bake us a pizza as good as the megachain.. you really shouldn’t be making pizza.
Category #1: Best Date Night & Brunch Pizza In Louisville
The best pizza in Louisville’s first award category is ‘Best Date Night Pizza in Louisville’. This category is our favorite because it’s usually accompanied by delicious co*cktails, low lighting, and all-around boujee vibes. (If you don’t know what boujee AKA boujie means – we created a slide to help clarify.)
Now, when we talk about boujee pizza, we mean the places that charge the most for pizza and claim their dough is hand-tossed by cherubs before being put into ovens at precisely 564 degrees for peak crispy perfection. Let us just say, some of these places absolutely live up to the hype.
#1 Pizza Lupo
During the pandemic was the first time we ever got to have Pizza Lupo and we have to say that it was pretty incredible. What we love most is the creativity in their ingredients, and how Pizza Lupo aspires to bring the flavors of Italy to life.
Our favorite pizza is the Pizza Fiore. Shaped like a star, the crust is stuffed with ricotta. Almost like a pizza and a calzone all in one – there isn’t another like it in Louisville! Pizza Lupo is also home to hand-made pasta and a natural wine selection. (Great for anyone not looking to get that morning after wine headache!)
- Gluten free pizza crusts? No.
What lands this pizzeria as the winner for the best pizza in Louisville for date nights is a quaint and cozy atmosphere combined with its proximity to other fun venues downtown Louisville. You’re close to enough to breweries, the YUM center, and many other places, without feeling the downtown crush.
Address: 1540 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville Kentucky, 40206
Hours: Monday through Sunday 5PM – 10PM
Driving through Louisville and staying the night? After getting Pizza Lupo, get our guide for all the fun road trip stops off of Interstate-65!
#2 Emmy Squared: NULU
Not a chain per se – but truly one of the best pizza joints in Louisville. Located inside the oh-so-fun and new NULU Marketplace, we’re genuinely surprised at the overall quality of this Louisville pizza shop. Baked in one size, their pizzas come big enough for 3-4 to share. Not exactly deep dish, but not exactly regular pizza either, every bite will just leave you wanting more.
- Gluten free pizza crusts? Yes.
- If you decide you’re in the mood for brucnh over pizza (which by the way.. no one ever said you can’t have pizza bfor brunch), make sure you try one of their delicious Aperol Spritz co*cktails! Aperol Spritz co*cktails are basiclaly the European version of what they drink at brunch. We have to tell you – they’re absolutely delcious and you won’t miss mimosas at all.
P.S. Get our guide to exploring the entire NULU neighborhood! Tons of cute shops, a place to make your own bath bombs, and a brewery are all within walking distance.
Address: 825 E Market Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40206
Hours: Sunday 12PM – 9PM, Monday – Closed, Tuesday 4PM – 9PM, Wednesday through Thursday 12PM – 9PM, Friday through Saturday 12PM-11PM
#3 Sarino
Here’s what we love about Sarino, it has the feel of a New York Style eatery combined with food you can tell was made with love. The gorgeous tree-canopied patio and soft interior lighting make for perfect date nights across the board and we’ve never had a bad experience. With half-priced bottles of wine on Wednesdays and their delicious Tuna Crudo appetizer – Shelbs also loves this place for girls’ nights!!
- So what do we order? Aside from their heavenly fluffy crust pizzas that land them on the best pizza in Louisville list, we also love their Zabaione & Berries dessert. The chef whips of fresh chatilly cream every day, and it’s poured over fresh berries and sweet marsala custard. As the simplest recipes always are: It’s. To. Die. For.
- Gluten free pizza crusts? Yes.
P.S. The service is always top-notch, and the staff are knowledgeable about the food. The fact that the staff care about the food too makes it even more enjoyable if you’re a fooide like us!
Address: 1030 Goss Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40217
Hours: Sunday 5PM – 9PM, Monday – Closed, Tuesday through Thursday 5PM – 9PM, Friday through Saturday 5PM – 10PM.
#4 Grassa Gramma
As with all places that opened around the time the pandemic started, and we were at first only able to do a carryout order from Grassa Gramma. Even so – the pizza was pretty spectacular! (It’s kind of hard to get wood-fired pizza to-go, in our opinion, because it tends to get soggy. Grassa Gramma, however, does an excellent job with their carryout system so much so that Chik-fil-A would even be proud!)
- Gluten free pizza crust? No.
What customers love now is the fun interior design with a deep inset dining room. As you walk in, you look over a balcony to the floor below where a bubbling fountain adds ambiance to your dinner date.
- What We Order: The Fig + Pig Pizza, The Verde Pizza, and Petty Cash Pizza. All are on a Neopolitan style woof-fired pizza crust that’s light and airy – which we love because we can drink a little wine with dinner and not be too full.
Address: 2210 Holiday Manor Shopping Center
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 5PM – 9PM, Friday through Saturday 5PM – 10PM
#5 Parlour on Frankfort
Last but not least on the best pizza in Louisville list for date nights is The Parlour on Frankfort. The first time we had Parlour it was at their location in Jeffersonville Indiana across the river. We loved the atmosphere and pizza of Indiana’s location so much we used to skip over others and drive across the river.
Now that it’s only 13 minutes from our house (and yes…we’ve clocked it) – we go here.. let’s say a lot. For a minute there when we were both recovering from some major life things early in 2021, we got it at least once a week for three weeks in a row.
- What We Order: Tropical habanero smoked wings, artichoke pesto pizza, meatball pizza
- Gluten free pizza crust: Cauliflower crust available – and delish!
Beyond having incredible pizza, wings, and an extensive list of rotating local craft beers – The Parlour on Frankfort also has a
Address: 2636 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40206
Hours: Sunday 10AM – 10PM, Monday through Thursday 11AM – 10PM, Friday 11AM – 11PM, Saturday 10AM-11PM
Best After Drinks Pizza In Louisville
Award Category number two is for the pizza that you must have after you have drinks. Not just day drinks – but also late night after you’ve been out with friends or perhaps after a UofL game? It’s the pizza you drink beer over and continue your night with!
Or in our case – crawl into bed with a gigantic pizza box after a few spritzers on a Friday evening…. because we’re exciting like that.
#1 The Post
Something that should always go with good pizza is the ability to make good meatball subs. It doesn’t always happen this way and that’s a true tragedy! The Post, however, wins the award for ‘The Best After Drinks Pizza’ because they accomplish both pizzas by the slice, awesome meatball subs, and ice-cold-non-foamy beer flawlessly.
Many of our date night pizzerias in Louisville were all about the Neopolitan-style super fluffy crust pizza. The Post and the others on our late-night pizza list are New York Style pizza. This means very large pizzas that are hand-tossed with large slices perfect for folding. (If you’ve never folded a pizza – you just haven’t lived our friend!)
Located in Louisville’s up-and-coming Germantown neighborhood, you might not realize that there are a ton of great restaurants around every corner. The Post is no exception! (Sarino’s is right up the road.)
- What We Order: Meatball subs (obviously), The Victory Garden (Shelbs will eat any pizza with broccolo on it), the chicken dinner (buffalo style)
- Gluten Free Pizza: yes
Address: 1045 Goss Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40217
Hours: Sunday 11AM – 12AM, Monday through Thursday 4PM – 12AM, Friday through Saturday 11AM – 2AM
#2 Mac’s at Milewide Brewery
Interestingly enough, not only is Mac’s at Milewide great pizza, but it’s also one of our favorite breweries to bring people from out of town. Naturally, we all end up eating wings and pizza – and no one ever leaves Louisville without raving about Mac’s pizza.
The other great thing about Milewide is that the place is massive with a great patio to match. People come from all over the city to sit in what we affectionately refer to as ‘the beer hall’, where you can see all of the distillery operations through large glass windows and wait for a text about your pizza being ready.
Now – what makes Mac’s great? They have a great herbal-from-the-earth taste to their pizzas. WE really can’t explain it – but the Potatoe Rosemary pizza is insane!
- Gluten free crust? Cauliflower crusts available.
Address: 636 Barret Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40204
Hours: Sunday 12PM – 8PM, Monday – Closed, Tuesday through Thursday 4PM – 9PM, Friday 2PM – 10PM, Saturday 12PM – 10PM
#3 Saints Pizza and Pub
Ahhh, Saints. Located in one of THE priciest business districts in Louisville, (St.Matthews), Saint’s Pizza and Pub is where all the old-timers go. It’s that place that if smoking was still allowed inside would be full-on hazy ya know? Nowadays, the dark-paneled interiors gleam with the promise of delicious pizza and excellent service.
- What We Order: Chicken Ranch Pizza
- Gluten Free Crust Available: Cauliflower Gluten Free Crusts av
Address: 131 Breckenridge Lane, Louisville, Kentucky 40207
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11AM – 12 AM, Friday through Saturday 11AM – 2AM
#4 Diorios Pizza & Pub
When we first met, we were always out having a good time listening to live music and just generally enjoying ourselves. Most of the time we ended up out late and Diorio’s was our go-to spot sooo many times. With an incredible Philly-cheesesteak pizza and sometimes fried oreos – we were HOOKED.
- TO-GO QUALITY: Perfection. Every. Time.
- Gluten free crust? Yes
It should totally make sense now why they have two locations around town! The one we loved the most for after a night out eats was the St.Matthews location. Close to a few popular bars like Gerstles, Tin Roof, Diamonds, The Ainsworth, and Molly Malones – they stay open until 4 AM Saturday and Sunday!
Address: 310 Wallace Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40207
Hours: Sunday 11AM-11PM, Monday through Thursday 11AM-12AM, Friday through Saturday 11AM-4AM
P.S. Want to find the giant pizza monkey mural? Get our guide to 100 Louisville Murals here!
Category #2 Best Through-the-Week Pizza in Louisville
Have you been running late after work and just needed to grab a pizza? That’s why we created the best pizza in the Louisville category for ‘Weeknight Pizza’. It’s the pizza that’s fast, easy to grab, and takes very minimal effort to eat and love.
#1 Coals Artisan Pizza
There are two locations around Louisville, but the one that we always go to is the Middletown location on Shelbyville Road. Its not far from our house making it an easy weeknight staple. The quality of their pizzas are awesome. With big puffy crusts baked to perfect in their coal-fired ovens, there’s no denying that the crusts make these pizzas.
- We also love the Coal fired wings. Both the buffalo and the Rosemary Permesian are bked to perfection everytime. We almost always start out with an order of one or the otehr!!
TO GO QUALITY: Because it’s a coal-fired pizza – it steams quickly in the box. This means it’s not a great option to go – but it’s REALLY good to sit in and grab a beer. We often see large groups there after work during the week, and the food comes out fast.
Coals could definitely also fall under the date night category! They have a huge on-tap beer selection, a full wine list, and plenty of space for large groups if you’re having a party.
Middletown Location:
Address: 11615 Shelbyville Rd #106, Middletown, KY 40243
Hours: Sunday 12PM – 8:30PM, Monday through Thursday 4PM-8:30PM, Friday through Saturday 11:30AM-10:30PM
Menu: https://www.coalsartisanpizza.com
#2 MozzaPi
The cutest of cute pizza joints in Louisville, we had to include MozzaPi on the list for the best weekday pizza in Louisville. With an Alice-In-Wonderland-themed interior decor with oversized chairs, lights, and doors – the place has a magical feel that transcends into their pizza.
As a passion project started by the owner, the menu is limited to a few creations at a time. The owners are committed to quality, “We are certain that every item on our menu will fulfill and exceed your wildest expectations.” With no preservatives or additives ever – the best part about MozzaPi is that they mill all of their own flours from ancient grains!
- Gluten Free Crust? No.
The pizza Shelb’s loves the most is the ‘Sweet Onion Marmalade’, which is exactly what it sounds like combined with the perfect tang of blue cheese crumbles.
P.S. If you’re reading this MozzaPi, the rotating menu used to include these incredible breakfast sammiches? There was nothing better than walking our dog to the Anchorage location on a Saturday morning to go get coffee and breakfast!
Anchorage Location:
Address: 12102 La Grange Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40223
Hours: Monday – Closed, Tuesday through Friday 11AM – 8PM, Saturday 8AM- 8PM, Sunday 8AM-2PM
#3 Pizzaville
No indoor seating. Nothing fancy. Just darn good pizza.
Pizzaville rightly earns its place on the best pizza in Louisville list for a weekday because it’s truly just GOOD pizza. It’s fresh every time. You order, they let you know when it’s coming out and they’ll even bring it to your car if you’re there too early.
What we love about Pizzaville is the sauce to toppings ratio. It doesn’t have that perfectly bubbly Italian crust – but we love that we never have to ask for crispy crusts. They just know.
- Gluten free crust: yes
Address: 2901 Goose Creek Road, Unit 103, Louisville, Kentucky 40241
Hours: Sunday 12PM – 9PM, Monday 11AM – 10PM, Tuesday – Closed, Wednesday through Thursday 11AM – 10PM, Friday through Saturday 11AM – 11PM
#4 Jake & Elwoods
The only true Chicago deep dish place in town is Jake & Elwoods. Make sure you call ahead if you’re ordering one of these delicious pies! They can take up to 45 minutes to make.
Being on the list for the best pizza in Louisville means more than just having good pizza. It also means having a little bit of that ‘keep Louisville weird spirit‘? So when we found out that Jake and Elwoods were also fond of the phrase ‘sammich’? Anyone who says that instead ‘sandwich’ are already a winner in our book!
- What We Order: The Little Italy, The MAG Mile Pizza
- Gluten free crust: No
Address: 2230 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40206
Hours: Sunday 12PM – 8PM, Monday – Closed, Tuesday through Thursday 4PM – 9PM, Friday 4PM – 10PM, Saturday 11AM – 10PM
#5 Fat Jimmy’s
Shelb’s grew up eating Fat Jimmy’s pizza with her family in the Highlands. Many a weekend after a soccer game they could be found huddled in one of the well-loved leather booths laughing over two or three pizzas. (Most likely three with Shelb’s brother eating as all growing boys do!)
- What We Order: Traditional pizzas, buffalo chicken pizza, and cheese calzones
- Gluten free crust? Yes
Address: (Shelbyville Location) 12216 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40243
Hours: Sunday 12PM – 8PM, Monday through Saturday 11AM – 9PM
Honorable Mention Best Pizza In Louisville
Just because they didn’t make it into our top 5 in each category, doesn’t mean they aren’t great in their own right. Louisville is a city built on a tremendous amount of history, which also means a tremendous amount of nostalgia.
There are many long-standing institutions around Louisville that have been doing the same thing for 30-40 years and people love them! We haven’t always lived here so the extent of our nostalgia is based on the last three to four years.
- Old School NY Pizza
- Imepllezzaries
- Derby City Pizza
- Wick’s Pizza
- Spinelli’s Pizza
- Bearno’s: Won the LEO Weekly Best Pizza Award twice.
Places We Haven’t Tried
While we’ve tried quite a few – there are still some spots we haven’t had a chance to get to yet. (Plus a few of the above were just incredible pizza joints that we couldn’t help but go back.)
The Best Pizza In Louisville List will be ever-evolving as long as we live here so make sure to check back from time to time to see if we recommend anywhere new.
- Pizza Donisi
- Square Cut
Further Reading
Since Louisville is our home, we’ve been running through all of the best restaurants for a while now. There is nothing we love more than trying new restaurants and savoring each and every experience of a new dish.
Combined with Louisville’s highly underrated craft co*cktail scene, a perfect night out in Louisville can have us eating any cuisine you can imagine. Greek, Vietnamese, and upscale Southern cuisine are all available with short drives! Ready to dive into a few more Louisville foodie posts?
- Where To Find the Best Tacos in Louisville
- 40 Best Heated Patios, Rooftop Bars and Outdoor Dining in Louisville
- The Best Seafood in Louisville
And after you’ve eaten your way through Louisville, here are a few guides on what to do in the area! Hopefully hiking or walking off the massive amount of carbs we’re all dreaming of ingesting after reading this post!!
- To immediately beat the inevitable need for a nap after the carb load, head to one the Best Parks In Louisville for a walk with your furry friend!
- Hike the Tioga Falls, Emmert Falls (AKA Buttermilk Falls), and Saunders Springs loop (45 minutes from Louisville.)
- Hike Louisville’s Hidden Fairmount Falls
- If you’re in the mood for a little road-trippin’, grab our guide to 12 Perfect Kentucky Summer Hikes scattered throughout the state.
Looking to getaway in the South? We also have guides for Brasstown Bald in Georgia, a 14-Day Alabama Road Trip, and Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.
We’re thinking of creating a guide for all of our favorite brunch places, dinner date restaurants, and even the best coffee shops in Louisville! Get on the list and we’ll send you monthly updates on our recent Louisville & Kentucky guides.
Are you hungry yet? Not only do we want to see the Louisville foodie scene thrive.. but we also feel like it’s well deserved. Our city has too long been an underdog in the foodie scene and we deserve the recognition. Whether it’s #502pizzaweek or just a plain old Tuesday, make sure to share your favorites!
After a long day of work, there is just nothing like a glass of wine and a perfectly crisp slice of baked heaven.
Have any more pizza spots we have to try? If so – let us know in the comments below!!
Make sure to subscribe to our blog, snag all of your road trip basics (below), get your travel insurance, and have fun jamming to a new playlist!
Until next time friends,
