Pizza Destinations

Pizza. I don't have to spend much time explaining its importance, because anyone who doesn't already know, clearly isn't human.

Living in both Chicago and Bergen County has given me ongoing easy access to the best variations of pizza in the country, making my first glance at Maryland dining hall pizza all the more terrifying. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I wanted to shine some light on some of the best pizza joints in Bergen County, because with so many to choose from, we all need some direction.

Keep in mind that this is just a running list of my favorite spots, and by no means have I been to all of the best ones...yet!

Nellie's Place

Waldwick, NJ

First up, we have the absolute best spot for thin crust. But saying that alone does not do Nellie's justice. It is also debatably the best spot in general. Every time I come here I impress/disgust myself with how much more pizza I'm able to consume than the last time.

Nellie's thin crust varies from your classic Chicago-style thin crust most obviously because Nellie's is round and not square, but the crust itself has a different taste to it and crispier, crunchier edges that are oh-so satisfying. As much as I love Nellie's toppings (garlic has become my new favorite), there's still nothing as impressive as their plain cheese pie. The only way you can go wrong here is by not ordering yourself your own pie; trust me, you'll need it.

Not only do I have a deep love for Nellie's pizza, but the restaurant itself. It's just an atmosphere that you can't help but love eating in. It's always busy without being obnoxiously loud, and who doesn't love a high-top table booth seating? Also, I am by no means a wings person, but Nellie's Elkin wings are off the charts fantastic. If for some strange reason you find yourself here not in the mood for pizza, get these wings and an order of mozzarella sticks and you'll be all set.

Puzo's

Ridgewood, NJ

When I'm looking for a plain cheese slice (and by that I mean entire pie) of New York style pizza, this is my go-to. The crust is soft, the sauce is on point, and the cheese is nice and bubbly, just the way I like it. There's not much else to it. Keep doin' you, Puzo's.

Best of Everything

Ridgewood, NJ

I would call this my runner-up spot for thin crust, but I don't know if it even classifies as thin crust. This pizza is thin to the point of easily being able to shove an entire slice of it in your mouth at once, not that I would ever do that...

I know I always say that I eat entire pizzas myself, and I mean it, but if you're getting this pizza it's an absolute necessity to get your own unless you're getting other food with it because it really is that thin and easy to scarf down. The best thing about it is definitely the sauce and how much of it there is. If you're not looking to have your stomach suffer from a cheese OD, this is the way to go.

Best of Everything definitely isn't my favorite place to eat in because they're in need of some renovations, but I will say that this pizza is one of my favorites. One other thing that they're doing right is their vodka sauce. It always tastes the best when they already have it cooked up and with penne in-store, BUT, even if they don't have that, you can buy a quart or pint of it to-go and receive a complimentary bag of pasta. This sauce is unreal and my absolute favorite vodka sauce in existence, and that's saying a lot.

A mano

Ridgewood, NJ

Ah, Neapolitan pizza. God bless the Italians.

One of the reasons A mano is a standout for me amongst all the other Neapolitan pizza restaurants popping up in Jersey is because they actually put enough sauce on their pizzas. Are you noticing a trend here? I really care about sauce.

Aside from that, you can really taste the quality of the ingredients, in everything from the cheese, to the crust, to the basil. It's all good and not incredibly heavy so you can still feel like a decent human after finishing it.

Uncle Guiseppe's Supermarket

Ramsey, NJ

Let me just start off by saying that these photos do NOT do Uncle Guiseppe's pizza justice. I'm always too excited to start eating here to pay much attention to the photos.

Without going into too much detail of my obsession with Uncle Guiseppe's, just know that they ain't playin' around with their pizza. This stuff is legit.

Their pizza station offers a selection of pies and calzones that you can take home to heat up yourself, or have heated for you there to eat in the stores seated area, and trust me once you see this pizza, you won't be capable of waiting to eat it at home. The slices themselves are massive, as poorly portrayed in my garbage photo, and the options are everything you could possibly want and more.

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I've tried the eggplant rollatini, chicken parm, and white slices , which are all pretty equally fantastic, with the eggplant rollatini being the standout. This one is topped with mozzarella, marinara, fried eggplant, and huge dollops of creamy ricotta. I usually go for two to three slices per visit, but be warned that these are monster slices, so most normal humans probably want to stick with one, maybe two, slices.

Brother Bruno's Pizza, Deli, and Bagels

Wayne, NJ

Although Brother Bruno's is known for their outrageous stuffed pizzas and dessert pizzas, their more traditional pizzas are actually really tasty. They have a pretty good selection of slices, and I've gotten a chance to try the white spinach slice (pictured above with a BBQ chicken slice) and the baked ziti slice (pictured below).

This pizza definitely isn't something to go out of your way for if you're trying to save room for one of their specialty items or dessert pizzas (which I will discuss another time), but both slices I had were solid and I would definitely get them again.