Helping to put Tennyson Street on the map when it opened to instant raves a decade ago, this craft beer and pizza parlor has streamlined its menu since the pandemic began, but the selection goes beyond the norm even so. It starts with a hefty list of custom ingredients for topping thin-, thicker-, or Detroit-style crusts: Think smoked tofu, ham hock, blue cheese, and mashed potatoes. It continues with the Artisan Pie of the Month, which could feature pork belly, manchego, hoisin, kimchi, scallions, and sesame seeds or duck confit, goat cheese, bacon, dried cherries, caramelized onions, rosemary, and balsamic. And then there’s the slice of the day, which might be a play on Frito pie or a meatloaf TV dinner. Throw in an ever-rotating taplist, and the options are truly near-endless.

Chicagoans know that there’s more to the Windy City’s pizza scene than deep-dish — there’s also what this pizzeria inside RiNo market hall The Source calls “cracker crust, tavern-style.” Crispy and crunchy yet surprisingly sturdy, it makes for a fun change of pace. True to tradition, topping options are simple and meat-heavy, though the Old Comiskey features the salty, tangy Italian veggie relish called giardiniera.

Despite the name — and the Big Apple–inspired decor, and the fact that chef Justin Freeman hails from the Hudson Valley — this RiNo hot spot doesn’t do New York–style pies. What it does do, however, is fabulous, from the chewy, well-structured sourdough crust to smart topping combos like lamb meatballs in spicy sauce with honey labneh or bacon marmalade, Brussels sprouts, and Meyer lemon relish.

Operating a second branch in Congress Park, this Highlands specialist in Detroit-style pizza has won international competitions with some of its creations, baked in square steel pans that yield caramelized, cheesy edges. Among the prize pies is the Parma Italia, which features both parmesan and prosciutto from its eponymous region as well as sopressata, burrata, scamorza, and arugula.

As the dynamic duo behind beloved pasta joint Dio Mio, Alex Figura and Spencer White know a thing or three about dough, and they’re proving it at this pizzeria down the block from their flagship in RiNo (complete with an alley window for service by the slice). Natural leavening and a 72-hour fermentation process yields just the right amount of crunch, give, and tang, while toppings like aged Gouda, pickled beech mushrooms, and balsamic-roasted onions lend gourmet flash; specials of the day might involve cacio e pepe or barbecued beef rib, mustard cream, and ranch coleslaw.

For its Euro-cool vibe as well as its wood-fired pies, this dynamic duo — housed in a RiNo shipping container and the old Z Cuisine space in LoHi, respectively — has mojo to spare. In addition to crowd favorites like the namesake Cart-Driver with mozzarella, sausage, kale, and chili flakes (pictured) and the clam pie with littlenecks, pancetta, roasted garlic, and cream, it whips up specials on the regular — a recent example being the Currywurst with bratwurst, fingerling potatoes, pickled red onion, curried ketchup, and Kewpie mayo. Snappy cocktails and geeky wines add to the allure.

Just as he does at Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen next door, the owner of this Five Points walk-up joint, Joshua Pollack, engineers his water supply to give it the mineral content of that in New York — which in turn gives his dough the gluten content it needs for that streetwise crunch and chew. What more does an East Coast transplant need to cure homesickness — besides, of course, a tangy red sauce and a classic array of toppings? (But just in case the answer is “a thicker crust,” Famous J’s also offers rectangular “grandma pies.”)

Mark Dym opened the first pizzeria in Colorado to be certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the international regulatory body for proper Neapolitan methods, in the Ballpark neighborhood back in 2007. So while it also offers Sicilian and New York–style pies — including one topped with its famous limoncello-marinated chicken — first-timers should start with any of the tributes to pizza’s birthplace, graced with ingredients like mozzarella di bufala, crema di tartufo, and pistachio pesto. (For those in the DTC area, there’s a second location in Englewood.)

Everything about this newish East Colfax haunt, housed in an old muffler shop, is stylish, including its pies. Chewy at the edges, so thin yet well-structured as to defy physics at the center, the crusts are artfully layered with all the good stuff: clams in cream with parsley and lemon (pictured), say, or maitakes and shiitakes with dollops of mozzarella and black garlic.

Getting its start as a food truck before entering the confines of Atomic Cowboy, Fat Sully’s now boasts locations along a trio of high-traffic Denver corridors: Colfax, Broadway, and Tennyson. But for all its growth, this scrappy pizzeria remains a cult favorite — especially in the wee hours — for its hand-tossed, 26-inch behemoths, which yield slices big enough to fold in half, New York style.

Rich but never greasy — even though the beer-battered crust is buttered before serving — the pizza from this takeout and delivery trio is the brainchild of a Chicago native whose combos lean unapologetically all-American. The East Colfax, for instance, piles chicken, cheddar Jack cheese, green peppers, and tomatoes atop green chile, while the Cream Cheesman combines its namesake ingredient with bacon and pepperoncini. 

The fast-casual spinoff of the famous Boulder original now has four locations in Denver, all devoted to Neapolitan-style pies prepared from start to finish in minutes flat. The Mais with ham, corn, garlic, crème fraîche, and garlic oil has its own fervent following for good reason (and so, by the way, does the budino, or butterscotch pudding).

Grateful Bread Company alum Zach Parini opened this little Lakewood outlet to instant acclaim in 2017, and the buzz hasn’t died down since. A beautiful wood-burning Acunto oven from Naples turns out equally handsome, bubble-crusted pies whose toppings range from the fairly standard (including excellent pepperoni) to the highly unexpected: Take the mozzarella-based Butternut Squash, roasted with Honeycrisp apples, bacon, and pistachios plus a drizzle of spicy honey.

Living up to its billing as a garden-to-plate restaurant, this longtimer on Old South Pearl doesn’t just emphasize local sourcing, it grows some of its own produce and even has a bartering program for neighbors with green thumbs. The results sometimes resemble fresh, colorful salads on crust as much as pizza. Seasonal specials are always worth a whirl, whether topped with provolone, goat cheese, figs, pancetta, and rosemary or honey buffalo chicken, gorgonzola béchamel, red onions, and arugula, plus a side of spicy ranch. (Meanwhile, over in Berkeley, sibling Mas Kaos slings tacos as well as pies.)

Denver doesn’t have anything quite like Massachusetts-style bar pizza, but this beloved Virginia Village fixture and its Park Hill sibling have carved out a similar niche as vital purveyors of the neighborhood pub pie. Despite their relatively thin, crispy crusts, they’re solidly built for soaking up any of the 20 or so craft beers on tap (with plenty more in bottles or cans), be it the Ya Mar with sausage, salami, ham, and two types of mozzarella or fancier fare like the Bliss with aged Gouda, herb-roasted potatoes, arugula pesto, scallions, and both garlic- and white truffle–infused olive oil (pictured).

Here’s a pie that’s more than the sum of its slices. This brewery employs people with developmental disabilities to make not only its beer but its pizza on spent-grain crusts; the results — including the Big Mac Cheeseburger pie drizzled with Thousand Island dressing (pictured) — are as delightful as the mission is meaningful.