In honor of National Pizza Day (February 9), we asked Instagram influencer @ThePizzaHulk, aka Stephen Winters, a true pizza aficionado with his finger on the pulse of New Jersey’s pizza scene, to tell us about his must-try spots across the Garden State. Dig in!
Vinnie’s Pan Pizza, Millburn
“My top spot in the state. Vinnie’s Pizza is the ultimate combo of thin and crispy with cheese to the edge that forms a tiny cheese crust, but their pizza still feels like a regular pizza, not a thin cracker style. Get the meatballs and ricotta pizza or the shredded roni. It’s the only spot I know offering either style.”
Instagram: @vinniespanpizza
Squares & Fares, Somers Point
“The NJ pizza pop-up king known for hidden Instagram stories with calendar dates finally gets a brick-and-mortar spot. After slinging pies in his kitchen, he’s finally bringing his top secret mind-blowing square pies to the public opening in the spring…ish.”
Instagram: @squaresandfare
Song’ E Napule, Rutherford
“Want to take a trip to Italy but low on funds? Take a quick trip to Rutherford, NJ, and have your mind blown. The NYC location made the top 50 Pizzas to try in America! And there is no falloff in New Jersey. The sauce and cheese float on a cloud of dough that I’ve yet to experience anywhere else.”
Instagram: @songennapulenyc
Bagels by Jarrett, West Orange
“The bagel madman — in the nicest possible way — or genius is way more than just bagels. Most people don’t even go for the bagels. Pasta, CHECK…world-class tacos…CHECK, pizza, oh yea. His bar pie, which explodes with flavor, can hang with any pizzeria in the state.”
Instagram: @bagelsbyjarrett
The Galley, Asbury Park
“One of the best pizza spots. Most nights they run out of dough. The square, regular round, bar pie, and Detroit styles are all an absolute must-try. I don’t know how you can do all four styles perfectly, but the Galley does! It’s a Jersey Shore destination. Closed Monday and Tuesday so plan that beach trip accordingly.”
Instagram: @thegalleyap
Casa D Pizza, Denville
“Every list needs a hidden gem! Tucked away in a small, off-beat shopping center in Denville lies Casa D Pizza. The pizza is started in a conventional oven and finished in the wood-burning stove, which gives an unparalleled crust. It’s also home to my top white slice. The ricotta bombs — dollops — and garlic spread set it apart.”
Instagram:@casadpizza
Coniglio’s, Morristown
“Nino Coniglio is a walking pizza encyclopedia who takes all that knowledge and makes magic! The Brooklyn Pizza King finally took his talents over the bridge to NJ and made his Morristown pizza joint a must-try NJ pizza destination.” Instagram:@coniglios
John’s Boy Pizza, Glen Rock
“No pizza list is complete without your local slice shop. John’s Boy was mine growing up. I developed my love of pizza by coming here every single day. It’s an amazing local spot that has some top-tier slices. It’s on my list as one of the top grab-and-go slice shops in the state!”
Instagram:@johnsboypizza
Pizza Town USA, Elmwood Park
“New owners, same pizza, but now with smiles. What NJ pizza list would be complete without a mention of Pizza Town USA? A NJ pizza institution slinging out plain slices and zeppoles, the NY-style plain slices are always smoking hot. Grab a slice while you wait for your pizza. That’s what I do every time!”
Instagram:@pizzatownusa1958
Star Tavern, Orange
“If you don’t already know you’re supposed to go to the world-famous Star Tavern then you’re not a NJ pizza fan. Star Tavern is the epitome of NJ Pizza. As a state, we can’t all agree on Taylor Ham vs pork roll or the existence of Central Jersey, but we can agree that a bar pie and a well-done Star Pizza is the standard!”
Instagram:@star_tavern
About the author:
The Pizza Hulk, aka Stephen Winters, a self-proclaimed “locally famous pizza analyst,” created his Instagram page to pass the time during Covid. It quickly snowballed into more than he could have ever dreamed. He travels around NJ eating pizza, mostly in his car and jokingly talks about it. He calls himself a “sneaker head” and says that’s usually how he gets noticed at pizza shops.
He has traveled to six other states for pizza trips to places that now have “PizzaHulk” stickers on their business doors. He has a new pizza podcast, @smashingslicespod, to highlight the entire pizza industry. Beyond the businesses, he would like to focus on the pizza pop-up, home-baking scene! “I love thin crust PLAIN pizza, meatballs are my topping of choice, a white pizza is me branching out.”
