It is truly the golden age of pizza in Ulster County. There are over 100 pizzerias here. I’ve tried over 70 of them at last count. I am on a mission to eat every slice in the county, and I’m here to share my findings.
The quest started with a self-produced YouTube video (“We eat every slice in Kingston, NY”) which received over 10,000 views. Subsequently, dozens of people have asked me where the best pizza is. It’s a hard question to answer because taste is so subjective. Online restaurant reviews are often uselessly polarized between lovers and haters. But the public demands to know, and who am I to deny them. Allow me to be your pizza guidance counselor, setting you on a path to experience the best slices our area has to offer.
A few more caveats before we begin: My picks are Kingston-centric not just because that’s where I live – Kingston has the highest concentration of awesome pizza joints in the county. Additionally, my metric for a great slice is Luigi’s Pizza in Brooklyn (Park Slope). About twenty years ago, I was lucky to live two blocks away. For myself and many others, it’s the platonic ideal of pizza. Anyone who understands the term “New York slice” will know what I’m talking about: Thin, crispy crust (“good undercarriage, low flop” as reigning pizza review king Dave Portnoy would say), a flavorful sauce with a whisper of oregano, and high-quality, melty mozzarella with just the right amount of grease to make the flavors explode on your tastebuds.
This isn’t a definitive or scientific list of the best pizza in the area. Your favorite place was very likely left out, as I could only get to my seven top picks, but there are dozens of pizzerias in our area that fall firmly between a four- and five-star rating. Interestingly, in my research I discovered that people’s pizza preference has as much to do with what pizza joint they live closest to as the quality of the slice. Some folks loved what I would consider sub-par pizza just because it was the pizzeria closest to them. As they say, there’s no such thing as bad pizza, and while I’ve definitely had some nasty local slices – crusts embedded with burnt oven scraps, watered down spaghetti sauce and congealing cheese – I still finished every slice.
This is simply a certified pizza freak’s list of the local pizza joints I would want on my desert island, designed to open your tastebuds to the finest food on the planet, presented by the finest pizzerias our area has to offer.
“The Classic New York Slice”
Vincenzo’s (Kingston, NY)
There’s something special about this slice. The joint is run by hard-working veterans of the pizza world, and you can taste the difference. To my palate, this is the slice that comes closest to the classic flavor profile of a New York slice as described above. It is always consistent. The crust is crunchy and airy at the handle (am I allowed to call that part of the crust a “handle”?) and denser but beautifully medium-thin as you head down the length of the triangle. Classic sauce with the perfect oregano balance is a bed for delicious, top-quality cheese that stretches desirably when chewed. The addition of the perfect amount of salt to the dough not only makes this a real flavor bomb, but it actually helps create a denser gluten net for improved texture. This is my go-to choice for grabbing one or two slices on the go.
“The Special Occasion”
Ollie’s (High Falls, NY)
Even though the New York slice is the undisputed king of pizza, it seems like all the rage right now are these artisanal, Italian-style pies fired to a char in super-hot ovens with bespoke dough using only the best imported flour, impeccable farm-to-table ingredients, and a level of craftsmanship on par with fine art. Ollie’s perfected it.
Ollie’s in High Falls is my birthday pizza. Jeez, I just sounded like an eight-year-old. But that’s how much I love these pies. For a quick fix, Ollie’s has a slice shop in Kingston, but you can’t actually get their signature pies there, only New York and grandma slices. The High Falls location not only boasts the best gourmet pie in the county, the atmosphere is phenomenal. Whether you eat inside in the classy, European-inspired dining room or (in warmer weather) outside on one of the many picnic tables, the ambience does not disappoint. And even though we’re focused on pizza, you should know that everything on the menu is mouth-wateringly good and the operation is run by long-time locals.
What makes Ollie’s pizza worth paying $15-$20 per 14” thin crust pie or $24-$28 for the bigger, tray-baked grandma pie? Even when the prices don’t include toppings, which are $1.50 to $6 each? It’s because everything about this pie and this restaurant is a ten out of ten, it really is worth its weight in greasy gold. Forget Ulster County – this is one of the best pizzas in the state.
Now, this style may not be for everyone. The charred crust in particular is something that I didn’t think would work, but it absolutely works, it’s kind of a revelation that makes you wonder why more pizza places don’t do it. The savoriness of these slices is off the charts. The ingredients are simply luxurious. You don’t feel weighed down after polishing off a 14” pie, you feel stronger and ready to do battle. Ollie’s is magic.
“The Delivery All-Star”
440 Pizza (Kingston, NY)
There are so many pizza joints to choose from. Even the tinier towns and hamlets have one or two slice shops. Many pizza heads have a fierce alliance to their favorite slice slinger, and will happily opine on why their opinion is most reflective of objective fact. This is especially true where pizza places are more dense, like in Kingston, Saugerties and New Paltz.
My Kingston alliance has shifted over the years. I started as a devotee of Savona’s Plaza Pizza, one of the original Kingston pizza proprietors, founded in 1972 and still kicking with some great slices (especially their grandma pie). For a few years I was on the Picnic Pizza train, another authentic, thin-crust New York slice with a cornmeal-dusted undercarriage.
But when the flour dust settled, I had formed a strong allegiance – dare I say, codependence – on 440 Pizza.
The thing you have to understand about 440 is they’ve been making pizza for decades in Kingston, and they are busy and popular for a reason. It’s not just the amazing location, situated near Kingston High School, Kingston Hospital and City Hall. This pizza packs a punch of flavor, the consistency is formidable, the prices are reasonable, the staff is dedicated and hard-working, topping selection and other menu options are diverse, and perhaps best of all, delivery is done directly by 440, so your money’s bypassing the faceless, out-of-state tech company and exploited gig worker and giving your delivery tip directly to a paid employee. This ain’t Domino’s (thank God), and delivery can take a while during busy times, but they always come through and handle rushes like pros.
The slices at 440 are classic New York style, approaching what some might call a “football pizza” that’s more juicy than average (some might say ‘slightly greasy’, but it’s not greasy, it’s juicy, trust me). The crust is super-airy and light but still savory, the sauce is balanced, the cheese is pillowy and delicious.
Is 440 the best pizza in Kingston? It’s definitely in the conversation.
“Thin Lover’s Slice”
Slices (Saugerties, NY)
My pick for best Saugerties slice is Slices, but it should be said: the other options in town each have their merits, and Saugerties is definitely a “pizza town” with at least ten spots to choose from (honorable mention to Exchange Hotel, one of the county’s best dive bars that features surprisingly decent pizza on select nights, and occasional celebrity sightings).
The Slices storefront is clean and well-lit with a beautiful, colorful array of cheesy options on display. There’s great variety here, and everything is good – the grandma pies truly shine with the thinner crust direction. Their standard slice is one of the thinnest-crust New York style slices available in the county, and to me, super-thin is a huge plus. Pizza is so much about the balance of ingredients, and one thing that instantly tanks a slice’s rating is too much dough, a common mistake. Here, the slices look immaculate, produced with great ingredients to demanding levels of consistency.
Slices also boasts fast delivery and a prime center-of-town location, so the next time you’re in friendly Saugerties, give them a shot.
“The College Classic”
Best Pizza (New Paltz, NY)
New Paltz pizza lovers have lots of options, and again, each has their merits. Apizza is inventive and leans gourmet, with a charred crust and more Neapolitan angle. Rino’s has tray-baked pies that land somewhere between grandma and New York style. For my mozzarella money, Best Pizza is the standout here.
First off, their menu is extremely streamlined. Besides pizza, there’s only two heroes, three styles of wings, a couple salads and three sides. You’d hope that means they get everything right, which is absolutely the case. It’s also amazingly consistent thanks to the high-tech ovens they’re operating. The space is large, fun, funky, sunny, and conveniently located at the busiest intersection in town.
What’s appealing about Best Pizza is it sort of hits the sweet spot between all the classic styles of pizza our state is known for – it’s got a formidably thin and crispy crust, sauce with a nice kick of oregano, generous foldable slice diameter, the right amount of cheese, slight char to the crust and every type of pie here is kicked up a notch. The cheese pie includes grana padano as well as fresh basil, the white pizza features caramelized onions and a sesame seed crust, and these mavericks are throwing anchovies on their grandma (sorry, not that adventurous, but mad respect).
Being in college is 10% eating pizza, so it’s good to know there’s a pie for every type of palate in town. Best Pizza would be my go-to if I ever decide to finish my Associate’s Degree.
“Wood-Fired Fantasy”
La Florentina (Kingston, NY)
La Florentina is a Kingston institution, known the city over for its massive stone wood-fired oven that makes the whole place smell subtly (and pleasantly) like camping. Though it’s under new ownership as of a few years ago, the recipes haven’t really changed and the preparation is still faithful to what made their food popular with locals in the know.
Their pizza is Italian-style but leaning slightly New York, gourmet without being pretentious. Selections start with a classic cheese pie or a more European margherita. But that’s just the tip of the doughberg – there are a whopping 24 styles of pizza here, each kissed with wood-fired char, each delicious in their own unique way. The Melanzane has fresh tomatoes, fried non-breaded eggplant, onions, black olives, mozzarella, roasted red peppers and tahini sesame sauce. Or try the Puttanesca with tomato sauce, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, black olives, capers and pimentos. There are even “stuffed pizzas”, sort of the love child of a calzone and a pizza (they have to-die-for calzones too). And not for nothing, but the whole menu is fire, especially the pastas and sauces. Huge variety of novel options, great ingredients, expertly prepared – La Florentina has been crushing the pizza game in Kingston for decades.
“The Summer Hang Slice”
Kingston Standard (Kingston, NY)
If sourdough is your style and microbrews are your perfect accompaniment (truly a match made in heaven), Kingston Standard will knock your socks off. Though it’s more a microbrewery than a pizzeria, their thin-crust sourdough pies are surprisingly sumptuous, fired in tiny, super-hot ovens for a healthy amount of char and the perfect cheese melt. You can’t go wrong with a margherita or pepperoni pie, but there’s usually a couple specialty pizzas on the menu that feature more adventurous ingredients. For example, the Compost Pizza has crushed tomato, dollops of pesto, parmesan and red onion, and is topped with fresh arugula. A salad and a slice all in one!
Where Kingston Standard really shines is during the warmer months, when their outdoor tables are bustling, kids and dogs are running around, and you’re tucked in a part of Kingston that feels like a small neighborhood unto itself. The vibe becomes almost magical.
In addition to the pies, there are several styles of house-brewed beer to try here, all of them perfectly easy-drinking and smooth for an unforgettable summer night of suds and slices.
Join the family! 
