There are so many things to love about New Jersey—beaches, quaint main streets, mountains and rivers. But when it comes to planning drives around the state, I always jump to, “What are we going to eat?” And since I have young kids, it’s most likely, “Where are we stopping for pizza?”
The pizza tour is a natural extension of that idea. It doesn’t hurt that New Jersey is, arguably, the pizza capital of the world. All styles of pies can be found here, from wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas to only-in-Jersey pies slicked with mustard, not to mention perhaps the most iconic Jersey style of all: the bar pie.
I chose three counties where some of my favorite pizzerias are located, and which have other points of interest as well. Heading to the Great Swamp or points farther west? Swing through Morris County. If a visit to Grounds for Sculpture or Princeton is on your agenda (and it should be), Mercer County has great pizza. Or if you’re hitting the northern part of the Shore, Monmouth County has top options.
Or just go on a pizza tour without any other agenda. No judgment!
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Retro Road Trips to Take Through New Jersey
MORRIS COUNTY
Coniglio’s Old Fashioned, Morristown
A lot has been said about Nino Coniglio, the Jersey native who opened a bunch of pizzerias in New York City before coming home in 2022. He is very particular about flour—what he uses in his naturally leavened dough is from a few New Jersey producers or Italy. He is also a true pizzaiolo, having won numerous awards. Besides adoring pizza, Coniglio loves life here. “Morristown checks all the boxes,” he says.
11 South Street
Reservoir Tavern, Boonton
Open since 1936, this delightfully old-school restaurant serves Italian classics with some creative twists, but the bar-style, thin-crust pizza is renowned. I like to keep it simple, but you can’t go wrong with hot cherry peppers and sausage.
92 Parsippany Boulevard
Columbia Inn, Montville
For ultra-thin crust, hit up Columbia Inn. This stuff practically shatters like a cracker, yet it’s stable enough to support any toppings you like.
29 Main Road
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MERCER COUNTY
Papa’s Tomato Pies, Robbinsville
Papa’s was established in 1912 in Trenton and is the oldest continuously family-owned pizza restaurant in the country. (It moved to its current location in 2013.) It’s also famous for tomato pies (sauce on top) and for the mustard pie, which is just what it sounds like: Mustard is smeared on the dough, followed by cheese and sauce on top. As OG pizza fans know, it’s downright tasty.
19 Robbinsville Allentown Road
DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies, Robbinsville
Like Papa’s, DeLorenzo’s is a tomato-pie spot with a mustard pie on the menu and roots in Trenton. It’s been open since 1947.
2350 Route 33
Conte’s Pizza, Princeton
A constant in an ever-shifting college town, Conte’s has been selling pizza since 1950. (It was Witherspoon Bar first, which opened in 1936.) Be prepared for thin-crust bar pies, real toppings and zesty sauce. Perfect.
339 Witherspoon Street
MONMOUTH COUNTY
Brooklyn Square, Manalapan
Peter Grippo makes upside-down pizza Sicilian style (square, cheese under the sauce), similar to the way they do it at the famous L&B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn, which coincidentally is near where he was raised. At Brooklyn Square, that’s the pie to try. Note: The flagship is in Jackson.
73 Wilson Avenue
Talula’s, Asbury Park
Neapolitan-style pies with farm-to-table toppings can be found at this spot—one of NJM’s favorite eateries in Asbury Park!—with decidedly cool vibes and sourdough-fermented dough. The Sausage Party, topped with fennel sausage, miso-creamed kale and pickled cherry peppers, is delicious.
550 Cookman Avenue, #108
Vic’s, Bradley Beach
Old-school, bar-style, New Jersey cred up the wazoo. Need I say more? Get a classic pizza, and eat it hot. Vic’s has been doing this since 1947.
60 Main Street
Rosie’s, Middletown (coming soon)
The original Rosie’s is just over the Ocean County border in Point Pleasant, but a Monmouth County location will open soon in Middletown. I love their blistered-to-perfection pies, made with natural sourdough. “When you’ve eaten a slice down to the end, and all you have left is that folded piece of crust with no sauce or cheese left…you should want to finish it because that last bite of crust tastes so damn good,” says owner Mike Mercuro.
Georgia Kral is a professor of journalism and communications at Saint Peter’s University.
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