The Best Pizza in San Jose, California

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.

The highly rated Pizza Antica adheres to the Italian pizza-making tradition and enriches it with the finest Californian ingredients from local farmers and ranchers. In a restaurant with a classic black-and-white decor, Chef Bradley Ceynowa serves up authentic thin-crust pizzas with inventive flavors, like heirloom potato with caramelized onions and white truffle oil. You can also create your own or modify their existing pizzas with a host of quality toppings, including artichokes, fennel sausage, and anchovies. Salads, pastas, refreshing homemade lemonade, and a varied wine list round off a complete dining experience.

Billed as the Pizza with the Secret, family-run Cicero’s Pizza has been a local favorite since 1968. Perhaps the secret lies in their fried crust, a twist on the classic Italian-style pizza. Whatever it may be, customers flock to Cicero’s for a helping of their pizza of choice, whether it’s the Baker’s Pride (mushrooms, sausage, onions, and bell peppers), spicy vegetarian (jalapeños, bell peppers, onions, and fresh tomatoes), or the almighty Belly Buster (olives, mushrooms, bell peppers, salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and onions).

Tony Brierly, proprietor of Pizza California and a fifth-generation Californian, likes to stay true to his roots. The ingredients used here are sourced from across the state, including heirloom garlic from Gilroy, sourdough from San Francisco, and red tomatoes from Modesto. Their sourdough crust is a defining characteristic of the pizzas here and is used in all of Brierly’s recipes from the classic quattro formaggio and Hawaiian to original creations like the thick-crust bacon cheeseburger pizza, loaded with seasoned ground beef, bacon, red onions, chopped tomatoes, pickles, and burger sauce.

Authenticity is paramount here at Pizza Bocca Lupo. Owner Ronald de Vries, born and trained in Naples, Italy, has brought his expertise, his doppio zero flour, and a wood-burning oven with him from his hometown in order to create the best possible Neapolitan pizza here in California. The Bianca is one piece of evidence of its authenticity, being made of prosciutto, arugula tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette, mozzarella, parmesan, and extra virgin olive oil. They also make seasonal pizzas here, like the Oktoberfest (mozzarella, parmesan, bratwurst, honey mustard drizzle, and caramelized onions) that showcase their creativity.

Part sports bar and part restaurant, 4th Street Pizza Co. provides 25 TVs to gaze at while dining on wings, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and, of course, pizza. Their specialty combines creamy garlic white sauce and mesquite grilled chicken with red onions, bell peppers, and parmesan, but they also have a load of other original offerings. They serve their pizza by the slice for patrons on the go, and for those wanting something a little lighter, try their Downtown, which has a healthy mix of pesto sauce, black olives, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan.