Food note: Restaurant menus, hours, reservation rules, and ingredients can change. If you avoid pork, need halal options, or have allergies, confirm directly with the restaurant before ordering.
How to use this guide
- Use this as a short list, not a giant food directory.
- Check hours and reservation rules before going, especially during World Cup crowds.
- If you do not eat pork, ask about beef pepperoni, substitutions, or holding pork toppings.
- For sightseeing around the trip, pair this with the Outdoor & Travel New York guide.
After four years of waiting, the World Cup is back in North America, and New York/New Jersey will be at the center of the celebration. Fans will come for the match, but they will also need places to eat. In New York, that means pizza has to be part of the conversation.
I am originally from Chicago, so I do not take pizza claims lightly. Chicago stands strong on its own pizza pride. But when New York and nearby New Haven are done right, you are not going to be disappointed.
New York pizza stops to research first
- L'industrie Pizzeria
104 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014 and 254 S 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Best for: the modern New York slice experience.
Order idea: burrata slice, fig jam slice, or a simple cheese slice to judge the dough and sauce. - John's of Bleecker Street
278 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
Best for: a sit-down, historic, coal-oven whole-pie experience.
Order idea: a classic whole pie. They are known for whole pies, not quick slices. - Lucali
575 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Best for: a destination pizza night in Brooklyn if you are willing to work around wait times and table rules.
Order idea: a large pie with basil, plus a calzone if your group is hungry. - Joe's Pizza
7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014 and several NYC locations
Best for: the classic late-night New York slice.
Order idea: plain cheese slice or pepperoni if it fits your diet. - Pizza Loves Sauce
127 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
Best for: a halal-friendly beef pepperoni option downtown.
Order idea: halal beef pepperoni slice or full pie, with a side sauce if available.
A note for pork-free and halal-conscious eaters
I personally avoid pork products and look for similar flavor profiles made from beef, like beef bacon or beef pepperoni. If you are the same way, New York can still work beautifully. Just ask questions before ordering. At many places, the easy move is to choose cheese, burrata, mushroom, veggie, or ask whether they offer beef pepperoni or can hold pork toppings.
Pizza Loves Sauce is the specific spot I would research first for halal beef pepperoni. For the other places, treat the order as a conversation: confirm ingredients, ask what is cooked separately, and do not assume based on the menu name alone.
The New Haven pizza side trip
If you have a rental car or a flexible travel day, New Haven, Connecticut is a serious pizza side quest. Before anyone gets judgmental about clam pizza, I will say it plainly: try it. The white clam pie at Frank Pepe's opened my eyes.
- Modern Apizza
874 State St, New Haven, CT 06511
Try: cheese pizza first, then branch out if you are with a group. Modern gives you that New Haven char with a balanced, reliable bake. - Sally's Apizza
237 Wooster St, New Haven, CT 06511
Try: tomato sauce pie with mozzarella, cheese pizza, or the original clam pie if you are feeling adventurous. Sally's is about char, simplicity, and tradition. - Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
157 Wooster St, New Haven, CT 06511
Try: the white clam pizza with freshly shucked clams, garlic, olive oil, and grated cheese. If you eat bacon, some people add it, but the clam pie stands on its own.
Hours and reservations
World Cup weeks can change normal patterns. Some restaurants may extend hours, tighten reservations, sell out earlier, or close unexpectedly for private events. Before you go, confirm the current hours on the restaurant's official website, reservation page, or phone listing. For popular places like Lucali, John's, Sally's, and Pepe's, build in wait time and have a backup option.
For a World Cup trip, do not leave pizza to chance. Pick one must-try place, one backup, and one quick slice option near where you are staying.
Make it a full NYC trip
Pizza is only one part of the visit. If you want skyline views, rooftop dinner ideas, bagels, coffee, and a calmer travel structure, read the companion New York World Cup travel guide. If you are traveling with kids or a mixed-age group, the Family & Fun guide covers LEGO, Nintendo, Central Park, museums, and adult-friendly options.