Like most years, I’ve eaten a lot of pizza so far in 2026. Some of it good, some of it not so good, and some of it exceptional.
Let’s focus on the exceptional stuff.
Since we’re halfway through the year, I wanted to take a look back at the best pizzas I’ve eaten so far in 2026. Some of it came from NEPA institutions. One particularly memorable pie came from a new pizza kid on the block in the Philadelphia suburbs. And one of my favorites was actually an old Trenton, New Jersey, staple served on the Pa. side of the Delaware River.
These are the best pizzas I’ve had so far this year. Hopefully, there are many more to come.
Affinito Pizza Parlor and Cafe, Emmaus
When it comes to pizza in the Lehigh Valley, you’re not going to get much better than the well-done, thin-crust pies at Affinito. I ordered two pies: a classic red and a white (the DiParma) with roasted red peppers, prosciutto, and shaved parmesan. The classic red was beautiful in its simplicity: whole milk mozzarella beneath crushed plum tomatoes on a crispy crust. The white pie was equally incredible, with a perfect balance of smokiness from the prosciutto, sharpness from the parm, and sweetness from the red peppers.
Angelo’s Pizzeria, Wilkes-Barre
I’m not telling the good people of The Diamond City anything they don’t already know: Angelo’s Pizzeria rules. I dropped by the unassuming shop on a weekday afternoon (several Pizzavania readers cautioned me about 2-3 hour wait times on Fridays and Saturdays), and walked out with my large pepperoni 20 minutes later. First impression: they do not skimp on the pepperoni. I could barely see the sauce and cheese for all the pepperoni coins covering the pie. Angelo’s does a sauce-on-top pie, and said sauce was spectacular, sweet with a bit of heat. The crust was chewy and flavorful, foldable, with a bit of crunch.
Apizzeria 888 by Sebastian, Elkins Park
Owner Sebastian Besiso describes his one-man operation as a “pizza lab,” and his dedication to dough prep suggests as much. Sebastian employs a six-week dough fermentation process (most pizzerias do 72 hours at most). I tried Besiso’s Pizza Alla Romana (a blend of mozzarella and Romano cheeses with dabs of a sweet tomato-basil sauce, topped with sharp shredded parm on a breakaway crunchy crust) and Pizza Honey Roni (all of the above along with beef pepperoni, hot honey, and ricotta). Both were stellar, with flavor and snap in each bite. His thin and crispy crust is so light, you have to double-check to make sure there’s a pie inside when he hands you the box.
CJ & D’s Trenton Tomato Pies, Philadelphia
Husband and wife Trenton-area natives Daria Silvestro and Chris Volk serve amazing Trenton-style tomato pies at CJ & D’s Trenton Tomato Pies in South Philly. What’s a Trenton style tomato pie, you ask? It’s a pizza, just assembled slightly out of order—cheese on bottom, sauce on top—and baked to well-done, thin and crispy perfection. They specialize in an even deeper Trenton pizza cut: the mustard pie. Sure, it sounds weird, but trust me, it’s amazing. It starts with a spiral of Gulden’s spicy brown mustard on the dough, followed by the garlic, cheese, and sauce on top. The end result is a delightfully tangy collision of flavors that’s not unlike eating a hot dog with ketchup and mustard.
Ferri’s, Moscow
Ferri’s in Lackawanna County is a go-to spot in NEPA for those looking to get their potato pizza fix during Lent, when many pizzerias in the region make pizzas based on pagach (or pagash). Do not sleep on their regular pizzas, however, which they serve NEPA tray-style, with 12 cuts. I got one topped with pepperoni (sliced and ground) and sweet peppers that was fantastic. It had a serious crunch, while the sweetness of the peppers really popped on top of a sauce that was somewhere between sweet and savory.
Moonlight Pizza, Pen Argyl
Moonlight’s pies are charred and chewy, firm but foldable, with great texture to the crust. The white “greens” pie I ordered blew me away. It had assorted greens baked into a blend of fresh mozzarella, fontina, ricotta cream, aged parm, pecorino romano, and asiago, with roasted garlic, olive oil, lemon, thyme, and black pepper. The lemon/thyme/garlic/ricotta combo absolutely popped, delivering a blend of sweet and savory in every bite.
Sabatini’s, Exeter
I drove two-plus hours in the snow to try the pickle pizza at NEPA institution Sabatini’s and it was well worth it. For a first-timer, the pickle pie can take a moment to process. But after a few bites, the crunchy, tangy diced dills paired with the sweetness of the sauce—applied with a hose over cheese that runs right to the edge of Sabatini’s light, cracker-like crust—start to make perfect pizza sense. The same goes for another Sabatini’s signature: diced pepperoni instead of traditional slices. It delivers spicy, smoky flavor in every bite.
Verona Pizza, Maple Glen
Since it opened in 2023, Verona Pizza has become a destination spot in the Philly suburbs for cheesesteak and pizza enthusiasts. Even the governor loves it. It’s not uncommon to see lines out the door of this Montco strip mall spot on the weekends, which is what I encountered; and I can confirm that this is pizza worth waiting in line for. I got the O.G., which features two kinds of mozzarella, swirls of San Marzano tomato sauce that had a little heat, basil, and a dusting of Grana Padano cheese on top of a beautifully charred and blistered crust. Some have compared Verona’s pies to South Philly’s beloved Angelo’s Pizzeria. It’s a fair reference point, and I may even rate Verona a tick higher.
