What’s the best pizza shop in Palm Beach County? Vote now. Polls close 6 p.m. Thursday 3/14

Liz Balmaseda, Eddie Ritz and Laura Lordi, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·4 min read

First-round votes have been counted in The Post’s “Best Pizza” championship, and the field has been narrowed to eight contenders.

Readers have spoken decisively, eliminating neighborhood favorites such as Venezia in North Palm Beach, Rossanos in Delray Beach and even Yelp-fave How Ya Dough’n in Boca Raton. Those terrific pizza makers are in good company as the original 16 contenders included local and national pizza stars.

Three weeks of voting are left in the race. Throughout March, the voting window opens every Monday at 7 a.m. and closes the following Thursday at 6 p.m., with the final votes cast on March 28.

Palm Beach County’s “Best Pizza” Champ will be announced April 2.

Who will be the champ? Your vote helps decide!

Death by Pizza vs. Pizzaioli

Koby Wexler, the originator of Death by Pizza in Delray Beach, slices into one of his freshly baked Detroit-style pies.
Koby Wexler, the originator of Death by Pizza in Delray Beach, slices into one of his freshly baked Detroit-style pies.

The second round pits the race’s top vote-getter Death by Pizza against one of the county’s top sourdough pizza shops, Pizzaioli.

Delray Beach’s Death by Pizza, which gained a cult following in its pop-up days during the early months of the pandemic, is now a brick-and-mortar business specializing in thick, square-edge, Detroit-style pizza.

In West Palm Beach, Pizzaioli had a following before it made its debut in March 2023. That’s because its pizza maker and owner is the sourdough master behind the popular Aioli bakery, located just steps away from Pizzaioli. Chef Michael Hackman’s pizza begins with well-rested, naturally leavened sourdough. His shop offers creatively topped, 14-inch pies (such as one he tops with roasted corn, fermented poblano, cotija crumble, black beans and corn-infused cream).

Death by Pizza: 528 NE 2nd St., Delray Beach, 561-666-9111, DeathbyPizzaDelray.com

Pizzaioli: 7402 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, 561-508-6958, PizzaioliWPB.com

Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.

Mister O1 vs. Lynora’s

Miami's Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza opened a location in Boca Raton.
Miami's Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza opened a location in Boca Raton.

The national pizzeria chain with a name inspired by the O-1 category of U.S. visa granted to its founder for his “extraordinary ability” and distinction in pizza-making, Mister O1 faces West Palm Beach-founded Lynora’s mini-chain in Round 2.

With locations in Florida, Texas and Saudi Arabia, the Miami Beach-born Mister O1 specializes in thin-crust pizza that begins with dough that’s rested for 72 hours. Its signature pies are star-shaped and boast pockets of ricotta within each star point.

Lynora’s pizza menu is beautifully simple: Its pies are wood-fired and topped with fresh, classic ingredients that will transport you to southern Italy

Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza: 555 N. Federal Hwy, Suite 5, Boca Raton, 786-677-2903, MisterO1.com

Lynora’s: The West Palm Beach-based chain has five locations in Palm Beach County. For info, visit Lynoras.com.

Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.

Nico’s vs Camilli’s

Nico’s, a longtime favorite late-night/wee-hour pizzeria popular in downtown West Palm, faces Lake Park’s 56-year-old, family-owned Camilli’s pizza shop in Round 2.

A downtown staple, Nico's has graced Clematis Street, cranking pie after pie, for nearly two decades. How many pies? This family-owned and operated restaurant averages around 300 pizzas per day. With dough made fresh each day, top-quality ingredients and a tasty marinara sauce, they feature 16 signature versions of their thin-crust New York-style pizzas.

Founded in 1968, Camilli's Pizza definitely takes the prize as the "O.G." of pizzerias on our list. The Lake Park restaurant is still family-owned and operated. With a thin crispy crust, not too much sauce, plenty of cheese and always cut into squares, not slices, the pizza has earned a loyal following for decades.

Nico's Pizza: 301 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. 561-296-5400; nicospizza.com

Camilli's Pizza: 927 Park Ave., Lake Park. 561-844-3424; facebook.com/camillispizza

Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.

Mario the Baker vs. Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza

A North Miami-founded pizzeria now located in Royal Palm Beach, Mario the Baker faces Fort Lauderdale-founded Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Round 2.

Opened in Royal Palm Beach in 2001, Mario the Baker is still family-owned and operated. One of the restaurant's top-selling pizzas is named after the hometown in Italy of founder Mario Scinicariello, who died in 2016. It's called Pizza Gaeta and is made with fresh mozzarella, basil, sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Founded in Fort Lauderdale in 2002, the Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza chain has more than 60 locations nationwide, including six in Palm Beach County. Anthony's pizza is baked in a 900-degree, coal-fired oven. The crust comes out crispy, bubbling and slightly charred around the edges. One of Anthony’s favorites: the specialty Paulie’s Pie, topped with homemade baby meatballs, Italian sausage, ricotta cheese and a choice of hot or sweet peppers.

Mario the Baker: 1007 State Road 7, Royal Palm Beach. 561-798-4030, theoriginalmariothebaker.com

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza: For location and menu information, visit ACFP.com 

Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.

Liz Balmaseda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. She covers the local food and dining beat. Follow her on Instagram and Post on Food Facebook. She can be reached by email at lbalmaseda@pbpost.com. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Pizza championship poll: Vote best restaurant in Palm Beach County