The 9 Best Coal Oven Pizza Joints In South Florida
***** The 9 Best Coal Oven Pizza Joints In South Florida *****
Over the past few weeks, a number of you guys…asked me to name my favorite South Florida coal-oven pizza joint. It was a “tough call”…
Here’s a list for you…by the way, you may find a wood-fired or a brick-oven joint thrown into the mix. In descending order…with only PIZZA being rated.
1. Carolina’s Coal Fired Pizza & Pasta (Delray Beach) (5/27/08)
2. Mona Lisa Coal Oven Pizza (Deerfield Beach) (4/24/09)
3. Tucci’s Fire N Coal Pizza (Boca Raton) (5/15/09)
4. Andiamo! (Miami) (8/29/08-brick oven)
5. Pieducks (Miami) (11/28/08-brick oven)
6. Giovanni’s Coal Fired Pizza (Parkland) (3/9/08).
7. Sicilan Oven (Lighthouse Point) (3/14/09-wood fired)
8. Scarfone’s Coal Fired Pizza (Coral Springs) (6/6/08)
9. Bella Cucina Wood Fire Pizza (Palm Beach Gardens) (1/13/09-wood fired)
Now, you may or may not be asking…How come Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza which has locations all over South Florida, isn’t on the list? Answer…the above 9 joints are better.
If you check my writeups, you will find other… very good coal oven/wood fired/brick oven pizza joints…it was a close call, but these are my 9 favorites.
One of these days, when I am feeling super ambitious, I’ll get you a list of my 9 favorite “regular” pizza joints.
Kind of surprised that Vic & Angelo’s, Coal Mine Pizza and Steve’s Wood Fire isn’t on your list.
Thanks,from the crew @ Tucci’s
Not bad. You’re not a big fan of Anthony’s, are you? 😛
Hi, jeffeats.com – da best. Keep it going!
Thank you
AlexAxe
Living in PBC, I’m a big fan of 3 mentioned by Joe F (especially Vic & Angelos’ because there are so many good appetizers to order along with the pizza!
Joe F.: Just had a chance to read your post.
I have yet to try Vic & Angelo’s, but it is on my “to try”list. As for Coal Mine, not one of my favorite joints. On Steve’s Wood Fire, you are correct, it really is good…but I only had room for 9.
Thanks for reading…
Nick: Just had a chance to read your post.
Anthony’s was the original coal oven pizza/chicken wing joint in S. Florida. The food is good…but when compared with many of the newer players, Anthony’s is no match. That’s the story.
Thanks for reading…
hey jeff, enough with these coal joints. how about a taste of the best regular slice places?
i.s.: Just had a chance to read your post. On your “regular slice” request…just off the top of my head in no particular order…Nino’s (Boca Raton & Delray Beach), Brooklyn Boys (Boca Raton),Primanti Bros.(Oakland Park & Sunrise), Famous Frankie’s (Miami).
Thanks for reading…
I am a big pizza lover but personally I am not a huge fan of the coal fired stuff. I dont think its a huge deal. With that being said I might suggest steves wood fired pizza in boca. They are super prciye. Individual pizza for one are like 10-12.00 or so. They are pretty good. I have eaten at lombardis in NY coal fired -first pizza place in the US. Its ok. Busy more for historican reasons that the greatest pie ever.
Your missing Steve’s Pizza in North Miami, on Biscayne.
Honestly I like Bambino’s in South Beach too, reminds me of being in Queens or Brooklyn!
Food Of Miami: Just had a chance to read your post.
Nice site you got there. Good luck with it.
On Steve’s…the above review talks about coal oven pizza joints, Steve’s is a “regular” pizza joint. By the way, if you check 10/30/08 you will find a review for Steve’s.
Thanks for reading…
robert in coco creek: Just had a chance to read your post. On your Steve’s Wood Fire comments…take a look at Jeff Eats’ Steve’s Wood Fire Pizza 12/19/07 review.
Thanks for reading…
Ahhhhh you’re back speaking my language… Looks like I have some pizza spots to check out. FYI, there is a pizza crawl in the works in Miami that you may be interested in. Link below provides some info
http://www.foodforthoughtmiami.com/2009/05/pizza-showdown.html#links
Jeff, tonight the family did salad, pizza chicken wings at Giovanni’s on Hillsboro & 441. Hadn’t been there since shortly after your review and it was excellent back then. Second outing, not too good. Pizza crust overdone yet cheese underdone, wings were undercooked, salad okay.
Jeff,
I would have to say that you have missed a couple of places here, as well as including some that don’t deserve to be here! I might have to do a http://www.worstpizza.com best as well to compare, and then you and I should go to the places we disagree on and video it and see who changes their mind! That would be fun!
Enjoyed your list. Tried Gioavann’s as we live in Parkland and it is about 3 minutes from my house. Pizza good. Wings good. The rest of the food like chick parm is lousy. Next one to try, Carolina’s this coming Friday night.
Hey Jeff, I see the guy over at http://www.worstpizza.com rated Tucci’s the best coal oven pizza in Boca. Well, you got Coal Mine and you got Anthony’s and that’s all the competition. Big deal. Now if this guy expanded the range to Delray and Pompano he would know that Carolina’s is the best of all of these places and like your list has it Mona Lisa’s is not far behind. Tucci’s is good but the other two are much better.
Tuccis is far superior to Carolinas. I mean come on
Don’t know about some of the restaurants listed but I do know that as a Delray resident that in my area Carolina’s is the best closely followed by Mona Lisa and then Tucci’s.
Like mr. Sam don’t know all the players but my favorite is SICILAN in Lighthouse Point.
jeff, no list is complete without vic & angelo’s.
Jeff jeff jeff. Just went to giovannis and boy do I have to disagree with you! This sucked!
I really like coal fired pizza. Thought that Anthony’s was the best until I ate the pizza at Carolina’s, Tucci’s and Mona Lisa. Their pizza is better. Carolina’s doesn’t have wings but Tucci’s and Mona Lisa’s are better than Anthony’s. Didn’t care for the pizza at Coal Mine or Giovanni’s. Next one on my list to try is Vic & Angelo’s in Delray. I have also eaten at Scarfone’s and thought the pizza was good but the wings were horrible.
I don’t know about the other 8 but Mona Lisa is a terrific pizza place. Check you newspaper as Mona Lisa is running a $5 off coupon ad. Don’t miss this restaurant the pizza, wings and cannolis are top notch.
OK we went for it and tried Carolina’s. You hit this one out of the ballpark. I and my husband have never eaten such delicious pizza. We also tried that fried zucchini, another grandslam.
You da man!
you got to try vic and angelo’s
Mike B. Have eaten in Carolina’s, Tucci’s, Mona Lisa’s, Anthony’s, Giovanni’s, Scarfone’s in the coal oven category. To me it is a tossup between Carolina’s and Mona Lisa’s as to which is better.
This evening my wife and I ate at Mona Lisa’s. The pizza is great. The chicken wings are great. It really is that simple.
Lapp: Just had a chance to read your comments. For those who don’t know Lapp is http://www.worstpizza.com which is a terrific site on the pizza beat. Check it out.
Just so you know, I was at Giovanni’s the other night and I have to agree with you, the pizza that I had wasn’t as…it used to be. To be perfectly honest with you, it wasn’t very good at all.
I am going to give this joint another try in a few months and see if things are back on course.
Thanks for reading…
Don’t know about all your picks but do know that Mona Lisa’s and Carolina’s makes fabulous pizza. I also love the Mona Lisa’s wings.
Carolina’s great pizza. Mona Lisa’s great pizza and wings. Giovanni’s crap,place use to be good but has really crapped out in recent months. Scarfone’s great pizza (horrendous wings) Anthony’s pizza and wings just fair. Tucci’s good pizza and wings, owner not friendly. Love love love Sicilan Oven, great pizza.
Jeff, you got to get your a__ over to Vic & Angelo’s. Outrageous coal fired pizza.
Just wondering, what’s your opinion of Coal Mine in Boca?
As a Boca resident I have eaten in Tucci’s, Carolina’s, Anthony’s, Mona Lisa, and several others on your list. My personal favorite is Carolina’s who makes great pizza. Thanks.
Have tried 1-2-3-6-7-8 on your list.
Got to go with Mona Lisa as the best of that group.
Great pizza. Great wings. Great salad. What the others don’t even come close is the great pastries that Mona Lisa has.
One other thing, Mona Lisa’s owners are great. They greet everyone and the last time I was there the pastries were on them. They really know how to make you feel welcome and know how to get repeat business.
Recently ate at Hot Pie Pizza in W. Palm http://www.hotpiepizza.com great pizza wings. Check it out.
pizza last night at mona lisa. excellent.
Do you know if any of these pizza places make a white clam pie? It’s a Connecticut thing. Can’t seem to get it anywhere but CT. Mozz, chopped or whole clams and garlic. Dying for a fix.
Lisa Maltese: Just had a chance to read your post.
Sorry, not sure if any of the listed joints makes a white clam pie?
Why not give a call to the “list” and just ask?
Thanks for reading…
tucci’s last night.
outstanding pizza and wings.
HELLO, WE ARE BIG FUN OF COAL FIRE PIZZA, WE CAME FROM ITALY FEW YEARS AGO AND WE ARE FUN OF “PIZZA NAPOLETANA”. IT IS REALLY HARD FOR US TO FIND A GOOD PIZZERIA, THE ONLY ONE IS LIKE ITALIAN PIZZA IS IN MIAMI: FRATELLI LA BUFALA, THE PIZZA IS AMAZING(A PERSONAL $10.00. BUT WE LIVES IN BOCA RATON AND WE USED TO EAT PIZZA ONE OR TWO TIMES A WEEK. WE TRYED ANTHONY, WE DIDN’T LIKE THE MOZZARELLA, WE CALL “STECCA”, THE DOUGH IS GOOD. TUCCI IS NOT BUD BUT TOO GREASY. GIOVANNI IS THE SAME. DO YOU KNOW MAKE PIAZZA IS A ART AND WITH THE COAL FIRE OVEN YOU CAN MAKE AN AMAZING PIZZA, THE TASTE AND THE SMELL IS REALLY DIFFERENT. IMPORTANT IS THE QUALITY OF THE TOMATOES SAUCE AND OF THE MOZZARELLA. WE WILL TRY THE OTHERS PIZZERIE IN THE LIST AND WE REALLY HOPE TO FIND THE RIGHT ONE. THANK YOU
salyas, jeff’s top pick was carolina’s. like you i love coal fired pizza. give carolina’s a try, sensational pizza, best of breed.
Last night took out pizza had wings from Anthony’s in Boca Raton. Pizza which was a plain with meatballs was just not good. The sauce was too strong. the wings were decent enough, but nothing special. I have eaten in and taken out from many other like Tucci, Mona Lisa, Carolina’s and they are much better.
#6 Giovanni’s.
Went there when it first opened, excellent.
Last two time ous, the latest being last night, wings, salad, pizza not very good. This will be last time for me. Amazing how a great restaurant has fallen apart.
Tucci today. Great pizza, wings, salad. Loved it.
About a week ago I ate at Anthony’s in Delray. Pizza and wings were salty.
Yesterday tried Tucci’s and this is my new new place. Great pizza and wings.
Anthony’s you’ve lost me.
really enjoyed carolina’s pizza last sunday during the garlic festival. have also had mona lisa’s pizza and it is a tossup between the two as to who is the best they both are outrageously good.
have also eaten at tucci’s which also has really good pizza.
anthony’s stinks pizza is too heavy.
scarfone’s is also good pizza but the wings aren’t good.
giovanni’s is terrible.
Ate at Mona Lisa last night.
Can’t think of a better pizza that I have had.