In the South, pizza doesn’t adhere to one set of rules. You’ll find places slinging Chicago- and Detroit-style pies, but the best ones lean into the region’s long growing season. What makes a pizza “Southern” is the cornucopia of ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers. Here are seven restaurants crafting pizzas with a sense of place.
Osteria Olio
Athens, Georgia
A newcomer to this food-forward college town, Osteria Olio serves Italian fare in a bright, modern-industrial setting. Though pizza is only one component of the dinner and brunch menus, the pies stand out for their creative and produce-heavy combinations (smoked mozzarella, fontina, arugula, and sunflower seed pesto, for one). One pizza currently on the menu—the pomodoro antico—celebrates summer with locally grown heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto, dill, green garlic, and whipped ricotta.
Meatball’s Pizzeria
Sylva, North Carolina
Co-owner and sommelier Crystal Pace worked at her stepmother’s restaurant, Meatballs, as a child in Sylva. The original restaurant space now houses Ilda, which Pace owns with her husband, chef Santiago Guzzetti, but the couple opened Meatballs 2.0 just down the street. The menu is divided into two sections: 1983, featuring retro pies like the Hawaiian, and 2023, which offers fresher takes, including a fungi pizza starring roasted mushrooms from Dream Big Farms in Western North Carolina, truffle ricotta, garlic confit, and nutmeg.
Luminosa
Asheville, North Carolina
Luminosa, located in the Flat Iron Hotel, blends Appalachian ingredients and Italian flavors—think agnolotti with ham hock and creamer peas. Their wood-fired pizzas follow suit; there’s a breakfast pizza topped with eggs from Day Ridge Farm and sausage from Apple Brandy Beef (both located in North Carolina) and a mortadella featuring Southern-grown peaches, smoked mozzarella, and pickled red onion.
Staplehouse
Atlanta, Georgia
Set in a former general store in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, Staplehouse earned a Michelin star for its innovative, seasonally driven menu. Though it’s best known for the tasting menu served on the upper floor, the restaurant takes a casual, counter-service approach in the ground-floor cafe. They make four pizzas, each on a sourdough crust, in combinations like corn, clam, chorizo, burrata, squash, and ramps. True to Staplehouse’s ethos, many of the toppings come from regional farms, whether it’s locally foraged chantarelles or Sea Island peas.
Pizzeria at Frankies
Nashville, Tennessee
This laid-back, family-friendly spot in East Nashville serves as a casual counterpart to its sibling, Frankies 925 Spuntino. There are classic topping combos on standby, like the supreme with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives, but it’s hard to beat the seasonal summer pizza loaded with zephyr squash from nearby RC Farms, mozzarella, and pesto.
The Obstinate Daughter
Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
Located across the street from the beach, the Obstinate Daughter sets a breezy tone with reclaimed wood walls and soft blue accents, and its wood-fired pizzas embrace the coastal setting. The Five Fathom Hole 3.0 showcases clams sourced from nearby McClellanville, plus rapini, mozzarella, garlic, and lemon, while the Just Peachy lets South Carolina’s prized fruit shine alongside red onion jam, gorgonzola, prosciutto, and vin cotto (a syrup akin to balsamic vinegar).
Pizza Bones
Richmond, Virginia
At Pizza Bones, the naturally leavened dough uses grains milled by nearby Sub Rosa Bakery, giving the crust something like a terroir. The toppings are local, too, and include sausage from nearby Mayor Meats and produce from area farmers. Their seasonal pies change often, but recent patrons could have ordered a red sauce, mozzarella, and garlic rapini combo or a white pizza made with summer squash, ricotta, and garlic scapes.
