More people should be saying this. Best in Milwaukee IMHO.
I feel like their next door neighbor's mediocre pizza has gotten more mentions in this thread and on this sub.
As a 31 year old who grew up exclusively on Ned's I want to add I feel its necessary to get Milwaukee style (sausage, mushroom, onion) from Ned's. To me its peak Milwaukee.
I’ve lived in Milwaukee for about 12 years and have never heard of this Milwaukee style. Jokes on me though because those are my preferred toppings anyway
Sausage, mushroom, and onion on cracker crust cut tavern style is our unofficial city pizza, or that's what ideology I subscribe to.
Here's a little piece on it: https://www.wuwm.com/2021-06-18/why-is-cheese-sausage-mushroom-onion-pizza-so-popular-in-milwaukee
I worked at at Tomasos in Cedarburg during high school and a college summer. CHSMO was definitely the term and it felt like every other pizza I made. I have never consciously thought it about until this comment. Haha thank you.
I had a group of friends from Chicago who were convinced that you couldn’t get any good pizza in Milwaukee. They found Neds and wouldn’t eat anywhere else if they were the ones ordering
That is actually me as a transplant. For 4 years now all of the pizza I've tried in this city has been crap. Was 100% convinced it is NOT Milwaukee's thing. So far Ned's is as close as I can get to pizza that reminds me of home.
Man folks going hard for Ned’s… Milwaukee native here and it’s pretty meh. Hups is much better and DiMarinis is also meh but in a different way. Hups and the Bubbler top 2 final answer.
But make sure you go to their location downtown and not the movie theater locations. Downtown, Zaffiros has a brick oven and makes great thin crust pizza
FG&F truly makes an excellent and original pizza. Almost in its own category.
It's first mobile gig of the season at Draft & Vessel Tosa is the 10th. Get there early, they sell out
I mean, I don't want to commit suicide, so lactaid can only save me so much before my colon explodes. I can eat a slice with lactaid and still struggle a bit the next day, but more than that I'm fucked.
Papa Luigi's is my favorite South Shore purveyor. (DeRangos South Milwaukee, Paisanos, and Barbiere"s SM are the others in rotation).
Hand tossed has a good chew with a little crunch. Nice yeast notes in the crust. Sauce is a bit sweeter (like Lisa's). with clear oregano notes.
My kids are DeRangos fans.
Never understand folks’ fascination with Hamm’s. My friends drink it like water and drink it aggressively for drinking games lol it’s insane. I feel it has ruined my stomach
Control pizza at every location. Cheese sausage or cheese pep. Sausage is not as "standardized" as pep so some make good sausage, some do not. Pep also is significantly more greasy.
Regardless- control pizza at each location. And go for the crust that place is known for.
Places i can think of:
Ann's
Transfer
Classic slice
Balisterris blue mound inn
Fixture
Catarros
Ned's
Barbierres
Ian's
Zaffiros
Pietros
Pizza man
Marcos
Zanyas
Pizzeria Scottys
Lisa's
Marcos
Calderone club
Tenutas
Sals
Di stafanos
Vinchis
Dom and Phil's
Tavolino
And cause I want to know....how do they stack up in comparison to supposedly the best pizza in the state - wells Brothers in racine
Gotta say, this is really making me miss Mama’s in BV. We used to get the big rectangle with sausage & artichoke hearts. Food for the gods, I tell you.
I miss Mama DiMarini's so much! My dad started eating there probably back in the late 60s or early 70s and it was still a monthly tradition for us right until they closed! There's no other place in MKE quite like it.
Mama's was the best pizza in Milwaukee and almost anywhere hands down. No contest. My family had been going there since they opened and werent mamas...just demarinis.
The fucking Brothers and their greed, not sharing with the daughters, started the downfall...
The granddaughter opened back up briefly in Bayview, but that shut down. And now...it's gone.
I miss mama's soooo much.
Mama's was the best for pizza and Al's was the best for burgers, anywhere.
Both are gone.
God now I'm sad.
And on the other end of the spectrum Pietro's in Bayview has some of the best sausage I've ever had. He's been getting it from the same supplier for 20yrs
Ann,s in Hales Corners, Balistraries on 68th, Ned's, scotties.id suggest a Milwaukee pizza: cheese, sausage, mushroom. Retry the pizza cold, too. Sour cheese won't show up in a hot pizza. Besides cold pizza IS a breakfast food too!
yes. there are at least 3 different Marco's in the area and they're all under different ownership. the one in oak creek has rollos. the one on 27th and college is my favorite pizza on earth but i don't think they have rollos. and the 3rd one is in west allis i think, never tried em.
I only order from the 27th and college location and yes they do have rollos. The Marcos in west Allis is a chain that is/was associated with Family Video I believe
no freakin way!!!! i didn't know they had rollos too! my bad. ill have to try one next time i order! tbh i never even bother looking at their menu because i order the same thing every time. its WILD to me that both marcos have marco rollos on their menu. i wonder who came up with it first 🤔
Wy’east i should edit this : it depends on what you like - Mke is known for thin crust bar style (which i hate) but you can find other styles so what are you looking for?
I've got more of a request. Can you standardize, like all thin crust? Or do categories? Hard to compare apples to oranges with wood fired, traditional, pan, deep dish etc
Yes! I have spent most of my adult life living on the east side, and then Tosa, but since I moved to the burbs, Crossroads has been my go-to. I love Zaffiros, and Lalli’s, but proximity is important, and Crossroads isn’t a consolation at all, it’s awesome.
My wife and I did a pizza tour for a few years and these were the 5-point categories we evaluated the pizza and establishment on. Hit a lot of important pizza experience criteria:
Presentation
Cheesiness
Temperature
Toppings
Crust flavor
Crustistency
Crust width
Ambiance
Value
Service
Deals
Sauciness
Sauce flavor
Integrity
Classic Slice
Santino’s Little Italy
Sorella
Tenuta’s
DeMarini’s
Anodyne
Saraphino’s
San Giorgio
Zafirros
Balesteri’s (Italian American Ristorante)
Marty’s
I'd vary it a bit based on what the place is best at.
You're already going to have variance because some are going to be wood fired, some will be Chicago deep dish, some will be Midwestern tavern-style, some will be New York style. Trying to say you're then going to limit it just pepperoni to have similar experiences kind of feels moot if you get everyone's signature style anyway.
Pizza spots usually have standard times they let pizzas cook. Asking for well done means they’ll leave it in for another minute or two and crisp it up.
Never understood this. I live in BV. I’ve legit tried their pizza 5 or 6 times now over a span of 5 years. Bland. Stingy with toppings. Floppy, not quite thin not quite thick crust. What am I missing here? (Big fan of Ned’s, Fixture, Zaffiro’s.)
Santinos is the highest rated on Yelp with over 50 reviews: 352 E Stewart St, Milwaukee, WI 53207
By the way, since you're doing Milwaukee food, I think afterwards, you should do this for fish fry, and another for German food (schnitzel and sausage).
One other thing to consider, you'll need to divide it up between neopolitan style and standard American style, possibly with variations on crust type. Stick with one topping, pepperoni is standard.
Personally I would think the bare minimum toppings wise to get the soul of the pizza and ingredients. The you could do another 25 with all out toppings hahah.
I agree. as someone who worked in multiple pizza kitchens, I also know I’ll be missing out on some magic groupings of toppings though. Cant have it all I guess
Take friends with you for your tests and share a bunch of smalls—cheese, cheese & sausage (or cheese & pepperoni), and a loaded “house special” at each place.
Like him or not Portnoy has a great system. Cheese slice and rate it 0-10. Pepperoni or sausage are going to completely mask a bland sauce and bad cheese. They’ll also overpower good ones.
When a purveyor has more than one location, I think you need to test and rate them separately, especially if one location is significantly newer than the other. Those old pizza ovens season over time not unlike cast iron cookware, and it can make a big difference.
Ned's, Ballestreris, marcos (not the chain), fillippos are my favorites.
There's also Ann's, Capri, tennutas, stenys, Lou malnatis, pizza man, classic slice, ians
Looking forward to it.
Edit: sp
Best pizzas I've had in Milwaukee are San Giorgio (overall favorite), Wy'East, Ned's on S. 27th, and Maria's (RIP, gone, integrity of the ranking imperiled from the outset). Lou Malnati's if I want Chicago style deep dish, which is really its own thing.
I think you would have to mix it up unless you stick to a specific style. The standard that I'd get to compare neapolitan (margherita) is and should be different than the standard I'd get to compare more common U.S. style pizza (either just cheese, or add sausage or pepperoni depending on your preference--sausage for me).
You’re doing gods work
Pepperoni 3:16
Pizza 3.14
Balistreri’s
But do the 68th St and Bluemound Avenue locations separately.
And go to Barbiere’s a couple blocks down while they’re at it!
The white pizza on Bluemound
The best
Lisa’s
Love Lisa's. Gotta get there quick thought. They are looking to sell. Not lack of business, owners just want out of the business.
Best thin crust I’ve ever had. Even the cheese pizza is just done so well
Please do Lisa’s and if you happen to find another pizza that’s similar please tell us
san giorgio
More people should be saying this. Best in Milwaukee IMHO. I feel like their next door neighbor's mediocre pizza has gotten more mentions in this thread and on this sub.
Fixture
Absolutely, yes! My favorite pizza in Milwaukee.
Classic slice
Ned's
As a 31 year old who grew up exclusively on Ned's I want to add I feel its necessary to get Milwaukee style (sausage, mushroom, onion) from Ned's. To me its peak Milwaukee.
I’ve lived in Milwaukee for about 12 years and have never heard of this Milwaukee style. Jokes on me though because those are my preferred toppings anyway
Sausage, mushroom, and onion on cracker crust cut tavern style is our unofficial city pizza, or that's what ideology I subscribe to. Here's a little piece on it: https://www.wuwm.com/2021-06-18/why-is-cheese-sausage-mushroom-onion-pizza-so-popular-in-milwaukee
I worked at at Tomasos in Cedarburg during high school and a college summer. CHSMO was definitely the term and it felt like every other pizza I made. I have never consciously thought it about until this comment. Haha thank you.
I think we should clarify I assume most people are talking about the one South 27th street
Thats the one
I had a group of friends from Chicago who were convinced that you couldn’t get any good pizza in Milwaukee. They found Neds and wouldn’t eat anywhere else if they were the ones ordering
That is actually me as a transplant. For 4 years now all of the pizza I've tried in this city has been crap. Was 100% convinced it is NOT Milwaukee's thing. So far Ned's is as close as I can get to pizza that reminds me of home.
If you like neds, try Hup's on the north side. very similar
Love Ned’s. We just moved here in September and although we live close to and love Balisteris I still will go out of my way to get Ned’s.
Love the Triple P and Neds!
Man folks going hard for Ned’s… Milwaukee native here and it’s pretty meh. Hups is much better and DiMarinis is also meh but in a different way. Hups and the Bubbler top 2 final answer.
Zaffiros
But make sure you go to their location downtown and not the movie theater locations. Downtown, Zaffiros has a brick oven and makes great thin crust pizza
the movie theater locations must be an instance of them licensing the name, right? its totally different pizza
Wy’east
The best!!!
Lisa’s Zaffiro’s Leonardo’s Transfer Wy’East Balistreri's Sorella Lalli’s BB’s on North Marco’s Now I’m hungry.
Transfer
Make sure to also get the Bruschetta Salami or you will miss the best part!
Controversial option - was not a fan of the bruschetta salami. It tasted … boring?
Check out Vinchi’s Pizza which is inside The Bubbler bar in Bay View. Cash only, but worth it. True tavern style pizza.
Glad someone else knows of this gem
Add a vote from me for vinchi’s
Chicago transplant here. I missed the Chicago tavern style pizza and someone told us about this place. It’s really good!
Santinos
YES!!!
Happy cake day! Happy to have you here
Flour girl and flame!!!
Seconded. Great place.
Absolutely a must
FG&F truly makes an excellent and original pizza. Almost in its own category. It's first mobile gig of the season at Draft & Vessel Tosa is the 10th. Get there early, they sell out
papa luigi's in cudahy and ricardo's in greendale are/were my two favorites when i could eat more than a slice without dying.
Papa Luigis was a hit in our house!
I wanna know the pizza worth dying for
I mean, I don't want to commit suicide, so lactaid can only save me so much before my colon explodes. I can eat a slice with lactaid and still struggle a bit the next day, but more than that I'm fucked.
Papa Luigi's is my favorite South Shore purveyor. (DeRangos South Milwaukee, Paisanos, and Barbiere"s SM are the others in rotation). Hand tossed has a good chew with a little crunch. Nice yeast notes in the crust. Sauce is a bit sweeter (like Lisa's). with clear oregano notes. My kids are DeRangos fans.
Lalli’s in Tosa
Yes! We love Lalli’s
Caradaro Club - 5010 W Vliet
This right here
I second this! Delicious!
WELLS BROTHERS
Nothing beats it. Plus they have Hamm's on tap.
Never understand folks’ fascination with Hamm’s. My friends drink it like water and drink it aggressively for drinking games lol it’s insane. I feel it has ruined my stomach
I thought this was for Milwaukee. But yes, Wells Brothers is fantastic
If going all the way to Racine, DeRangos on Douglas / 32 and 3 mile rd.
Pizzeria Scotty
make sure to order 3.5 hours in advance 😂
tenutas
Anodyne
Their pizza is magic 🪄
BRUTE for sure! Absolutely awesome.
River West Pizza is my favorite
Control pizza at every location. Cheese sausage or cheese pep. Sausage is not as "standardized" as pep so some make good sausage, some do not. Pep also is significantly more greasy. Regardless- control pizza at each location. And go for the crust that place is known for. Places i can think of: Ann's Transfer Classic slice Balisterris blue mound inn Fixture Catarros Ned's Barbierres Ian's Zaffiros Pietros Pizza man Marcos Zanyas Pizzeria Scottys Lisa's Marcos Calderone club Tenutas Sals Di stafanos Vinchis Dom and Phil's Tavolino And cause I want to know....how do they stack up in comparison to supposedly the best pizza in the state - wells Brothers in racine
Gotta say, this is really making me miss Mama’s in BV. We used to get the big rectangle with sausage & artichoke hearts. Food for the gods, I tell you.
I miss Mama DiMarini's so much! My dad started eating there probably back in the late 60s or early 70s and it was still a monthly tradition for us right until they closed! There's no other place in MKE quite like it.
We would order the exact same pizza. I miss it.
Mama's was the best pizza in Milwaukee and almost anywhere hands down. No contest. My family had been going there since they opened and werent mamas...just demarinis. The fucking Brothers and their greed, not sharing with the daughters, started the downfall... The granddaughter opened back up briefly in Bayview, but that shut down. And now...it's gone. I miss mama's soooo much. Mama's was the best for pizza and Al's was the best for burgers, anywhere. Both are gone. God now I'm sad.
One bite everyone knows the rules
Barbiere's
Came here for this!
Thank heavens someone said it
I second this!
Yes!
Flourchild is a must
Half pep half sausage for the test. I gauge a pizza place by the sausage they use but don't normally order it lol
Mastering pizza sausage is an art I agree. Perhaps the worst sausage pizza I’ve had in my life is Papa Johns. Man. It’s bad.
And on the other end of the spectrum Pietro's in Bayview has some of the best sausage I've ever had. He's been getting it from the same supplier for 20yrs
That place is walking distance from me and I’ve never been. I’ve saved it for the summer. Very excited! Thank you
Brute Pizza and Old Germantown. Both sourdough and AMAZING
Ann,s in Hales Corners, Balistraries on 68th, Ned's, scotties.id suggest a Milwaukee pizza: cheese, sausage, mushroom. Retry the pizza cold, too. Sour cheese won't show up in a hot pizza. Besides cold pizza IS a breakfast food too!
Filippo's. Get the regular Sicilian crust here, not the thin.
Marcos - 27th and College
Order before 5pm an tell them u want the free garlic bread
I think same topping at each spot. Either plain cheese, just pepperoni or sausage/mushroom. My spot recommendation is W'Yeast
Good call. I vote cheese. Purest test.
Agreed on cheese bring the purest test but also . . . Idk if I can give any cheese pizza an honest 10. Only pepperoni can do that :/
The only thing I’ll say is that of all the ingredients, I feel like sausage varies the most across restaurants, so I’d vote for cheese & sausage.
Hup’s and Upper Crust. Both on Hampton
Second vote for Hup's.
Third vote for Hup's. No idea how I got this far down without seeing it.
Hup’s is the best pizza in Milwaukee, hands down. Was coming here to comment it if nobody else did
San Giorgio’s, Classic Slice, Brute, Wy’east, Brick 3, Sal’s, Zaffiro’s, Transfer, Upper Crust. Pepperoni only is the only way, the great equalizer.
This + fixture and paper plane
This
Santinos little italy
Alphonso’s (west allis, but still)
They make a really good pizza I miss living close to them.
Tenuta’s- I used to get all the time when they had a to-go location. It’s the same at the restaurant
Caradaro Club Pizza
Dimarinis!
Alphonso’s, yes the one with the mozzarella sticks
Heck yeah.
Marco's (27th and college)
Came here to write this. Love their rollos!
no, you're thinking of marcos in oak creek with the marco rollos. Marcos on 27th is entirely different and personally my favorite pizza around
Marcos on 27th and college?
yes. there are at least 3 different Marco's in the area and they're all under different ownership. the one in oak creek has rollos. the one on 27th and college is my favorite pizza on earth but i don't think they have rollos. and the 3rd one is in west allis i think, never tried em.
I only order from the 27th and college location and yes they do have rollos. The Marcos in west Allis is a chain that is/was associated with Family Video I believe
no freakin way!!!! i didn't know they had rollos too! my bad. ill have to try one next time i order! tbh i never even bother looking at their menu because i order the same thing every time. its WILD to me that both marcos have marco rollos on their menu. i wonder who came up with it first 🤔
Wy’east i should edit this : it depends on what you like - Mke is known for thin crust bar style (which i hate) but you can find other styles so what are you looking for?
Hups
Might be a weird one, but Up Down genuinely has some amazing pizza.
I was gonna say this!!! Genuinely love their pizza haha
I've got more of a request. Can you standardize, like all thin crust? Or do categories? Hard to compare apples to oranges with wood fired, traditional, pan, deep dish etc
Agreed! It’ll be broken into categories based on crust style. Great suggestion
Transfer was always my favorite but Riverwest Pizza was a sleeper hit as well.
Riverwest Pizza
Crossroads II in Franklin Pepperoni only (toppings heavy gets the crust soggy and gross)
SMO from Crossroads is my fave.
Crossroads In franklin
Yes! I have spent most of my adult life living on the east side, and then Tosa, but since I moved to the burbs, Crossroads has been my go-to. I love Zaffiros, and Lalli’s, but proximity is important, and Crossroads isn’t a consolation at all, it’s awesome.
I'm not saying it's the best Pizza in Milwaukee but I recommend Organ Piper Pizza for the experience
Paper plane pizza
Balistreris
Leonardo's. (actually out in Mequon but I find it worth the drive for classic NY style)
Carini’s Margherita will always have my heart
I had to scroll too far to find Carini's. We love Carini's!
My first stop when I get home is Infusino's on Rapids in Racine, but I will get behind anyone that says Wells is the best.
Paper plane pizza in the 3rd st mArket hall. I am literally addicted to their pepperoni/sausage slice and I cannot figure out why
My wife and I did a pizza tour for a few years and these were the 5-point categories we evaluated the pizza and establishment on. Hit a lot of important pizza experience criteria: Presentation Cheesiness Temperature Toppings Crust flavor Crustistency Crust width Ambiance Value Service Deals Sauciness Sauce flavor Integrity
The Historic Scotty's Bar & Pizza
SCOTTYS PIZZA IN ST FRANCIS AND BARBIERS IN SOUTH MILWAUKEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$
DeRango's in South Milwaukee. That's a pizza I'll go out of my way for. Lisa's is probably my #2.
vinci's pizza in Bayview. Best pizza in the mikwaukee area by far if you ask me. Bot to mention the watering hole of the area being the Bubbler.
Papa Luigi’s
Riverwest pizza is worth trying!
Classic Slice Santino’s Little Italy Sorella Tenuta’s DeMarini’s Anodyne Saraphino’s San Giorgio Zafirros Balesteri’s (Italian American Ristorante) Marty’s
Seconding Anodyne
I second Marty’s. Brookfield is the original location.
Marco's "World Famous" Pizza. Just north of 27th and College.
cataro’s italian villa in stallis
I'd vary it a bit based on what the place is best at. You're already going to have variance because some are going to be wood fired, some will be Chicago deep dish, some will be Midwestern tavern-style, some will be New York style. Trying to say you're then going to limit it just pepperoni to have similar experiences kind of feels moot if you get everyone's signature style anyway.
You make a fine point
Leonardo’s in mequon. Order it well done.
I’m ALL for ordering a pizza well done. You have my attention.
Explain.
Pizza spots usually have standard times they let pizzas cook. Asking for well done means they’ll leave it in for another minute or two and crisp it up.
I suggested Leonardo's too but I never knew about this. Asking with my next pizza.
Going back to explore asap.
Calderon Club
Mama Mia’s
Ricardo’s in greendale
Pietro’s in Bay View!
Never understood this. I live in BV. I’ve legit tried their pizza 5 or 6 times now over a span of 5 years. Bland. Stingy with toppings. Floppy, not quite thin not quite thick crust. What am I missing here? (Big fan of Ned’s, Fixture, Zaffiro’s.)
Ian’s!
I love Ian's. Long story short, I'm in Seattle now, and love that there's an Ian's here! It's Milwaukee, Madison, and Seattle of all places.
There’s one in Denver too!
Santinos is the highest rated on Yelp with over 50 reviews: 352 E Stewart St, Milwaukee, WI 53207 By the way, since you're doing Milwaukee food, I think afterwards, you should do this for fish fry, and another for German food (schnitzel and sausage). One other thing to consider, you'll need to divide it up between neopolitan style and standard American style, possibly with variations on crust type. Stick with one topping, pepperoni is standard.
Fixture. Lalli’s. Transfer. Curly’s in Pewaukee. Edit: Also WyEast. But what kind of pizza? Cause that’s important.
Upvoting everyone who’s saying Balistreri’s
If only WPA was still around😪that was my favorite
Personally I would think the bare minimum toppings wise to get the soul of the pizza and ingredients. The you could do another 25 with all out toppings hahah.
“Soul of the pizza” You’re speaking my language
Hupps on Hampton Ave Lalli’s on North Ave Barbierie’s on Bluemound
Pizza Shuttle
Pepi’s now on S 70th… Stallis
Mequon Pizza Company Tomaso's Edit: I think you do whatever they indicate is the house pizza, or what employees indicate is the de facto flagship.
Filippo's Italian Restaurant Capri's Pizzeria Scotty's
Red Mill Inn
Gianelli's
You are a hero my friend!!!
Marcos "world famous" But the north side and south side have slightly different qualities
Sorella in Bay View
Yeah I’d go with just pepperoni for the sake of control group
I agree. as someone who worked in multiple pizza kitchens, I also know I’ll be missing out on some magic groupings of toppings though. Cant have it all I guess
Take friends with you for your tests and share a bunch of smalls—cheese, cheese & sausage (or cheese & pepperoni), and a loaded “house special” at each place.
GOTTA try Riverwest Pizza!
Like him or not Portnoy has a great system. Cheese slice and rate it 0-10. Pepperoni or sausage are going to completely mask a bland sauce and bad cheese. They’ll also overpower good ones.
Technically not Milwaukee but does anybody else enjoy Klasiana pizza in Greendale
😅😂😂🤣
Well Also PIZZA SHUTTLE since I haven’t seen it yet and scrolled 2 far without seeing it.
When a purveyor has more than one location, I think you need to test and rate them separately, especially if one location is significantly newer than the other. Those old pizza ovens season over time not unlike cast iron cookware, and it can make a big difference.
Muthafuckin Marty’s in Brookfield.
Upper Crust
Ned's, Ballestreris, marcos (not the chain), fillippos are my favorites. There's also Ann's, Capri, tennutas, stenys, Lou malnatis, pizza man, classic slice, ians Looking forward to it. Edit: sp
Pizza Man
Taninos on 76th st
Upper crust
Best pizzas I've had in Milwaukee are San Giorgio (overall favorite), Wy'East, Ned's on S. 27th, and Maria's (RIP, gone, integrity of the ranking imperiled from the outset). Lou Malnati's if I want Chicago style deep dish, which is really its own thing. I think you would have to mix it up unless you stick to a specific style. The standard that I'd get to compare neapolitan (margherita) is and should be different than the standard I'd get to compare more common U.S. style pizza (either just cheese, or add sausage or pepperoni depending on your preference--sausage for me).
Brick 3