One of my favorite pizza shops when I was a kid in Hialeah, Florida went by the name of Figaro’s. We ate there all the time. I couldn’t really tell you if it was any good or not. I mean, really. I was 10 years old. I do know that they gave me a T-shirt one day. It said, “Us Kids Love Pizza.”
Ain’t that the truth. I wore it until it had holes in it.
That may have been four-plus decades ago, but I think we’d agree the point remains the same. We kids still love pizza. Even better now is the fact that we know good pizza when we eat it.
I get asked about pizza in Savannah all the time. I know there are a ton of connoisseurs of good pies on this side of the river. But it still surprises me knowing how many of you love great pizza but have never heard of the spots I’m about to share with you. They are some of the best pizzas in the state of Georgia, never mind just this area, and if you don’t know about them, you should. Consider this time together a 2022 clip and save: three pizza spots in Savannah you should make a point of visiting sometime soon. All three are very much worth your drive over the bridge.
Pizzeria Vittoria. Led by former fine dining chef Kyle Jacovino, this is Savannah’s best Neapolitan pie. You’ve likely heard me talk about him and his shop before—probably pre-pandemic. Jacovino spent the better part of a year in Italy once upon a time, learning the nuances of the perfect Neapolitan pizza. His shop is the only brick-and-mortar spot in the Starland Yard food truck park (which features a full bar). Kyle opened two or so years ago to rave reviews. How popular is it? On a weekend night, you will likely wait 45 minutes to an hour for a pizza that takes, what? Three to four minutes to cook? Yeah, it’s that good. And a second pizza oven is on the way.
Big Bon Bodega. Stay with me here because this can get confusing. Big Bon Bodega is a breakfast and lunch homemade bagel spot on 37th and Bull Streets in Savannah, just South of Forsyth Park. Their bagels are made in a wood-fired oven. Given the fact that their oven goes unused at night, Big Bon teamed up with a pizza guru out of Buffalo, New York. Enter Jay Langfelder. He built a pizza empire in Buffalo that was regularly in the Top 10 pizzas in America. Yes, it is that good. This is more traditional NY style pizza. Their regular pizza, in fact, is called The New York. It immediately took me to Patsy’s original location on 1st Avenue in East Harlem. I absolutely love this pizza. Keep in mind, the pizza operation is only open Wednesdays to Saturdays 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. But it is outstanding.
Graffito Pizza. You’ve likely heard of the still relatively new JW Marriott Plant Riverside District in Savannah. It’s a hotel and entertainment complex along the Savannah River’s West End. There is a lot of food in that place: 13-14 venues to be exact. A lot of their food is touristy, but these pizzas are a standout and have been since day one. Twin wood-fired ovens dominate the landscape in this very colorful and family-friend pizza spot. If you get lucky and grab a table by the window, you will have an unobstructed view of the Savannah River. It’s a beautiful restaurant, but more importantly, they are doing a ton of pies on any given day, and doing them well.
Three others that deserve mention here and are worthy of your time in the greater Savannah area are: Squirrel’s Pizza, Riverboat Pizza (great pizza and homemade cheesecakes), and Ricciardi’s Pizza and Bar in Richmond Hill. They are doing the area’s best Chicago Deep Dish. Period.
Got some eats I should know about? We are always listening: tips@eatitandlikeit.com.
