The Most Popular Pizza Style And Topping In The US Prove Classics Stand The Test Of Time

Someone is always trying to make a better pizza. Chicago tried with its deep-dish pizza. New Haven thought it had it made with its thin-crusted, coal-fired version. Long Island gave us the rectangular grandma pie. Detroit also went with the rectangle but added the cheese to the dough before the tomato sauce. And California decided to add everything from chicken to artichoke hearts to peanut sauce on its pie. But, according to Pizza Today's 2025 Pizza Industry Trends Report, New York style pizza was the No. 1 pizza style in the United States, topping the list for the third year in a row. All the better, if it's loaded with pepperoni, which also held its title as the No. 1 topping on the list.

Whether you're making New York style pizza at home or seeking it at Di Fara, Anthony Bourdain's favorite pizza place in New York City, it's helpful to know what distinguishes the Big Apple's pizza from all others. New York pizza is large (with pies measuring 16 to 20 inches), thin but not too thin, and crisp but pliable (New Yorkers do like to fold their pizza, after all). It has a no-frills tomato sauce with a hint of sweetness and is layered with low-moisture mozzarella cheese that won't slide off a slice. The dough is hand-tossed and the pie is often coal-fired.

If you're having trouble deciding among all the different types of pizza, you're not alone. Despite all the love, New York style pizza does have a rival chomping at its heels: Detroit, the top trending pizza style, followed by Sicilian and grandma styles. And, not surprisingly, New York style pizza isn't the favorite in the Midwest, where, in 2024, it was bested by traditional American style pizza.

Pepperoni's popularity as a topping was also confirmed in a 2024 survey conducted by Black+Decker, maker of the vera Pizza Oven. Another perennial favorite is sausage, which was the No. 2 topping in both surveys. Still, the toppings may get a run for their money from trending hot honey and microgreens. You should also expect to see a combination of grains used in pizza dough. Other trends include upgraded classics like premium olive oils, limited-time-only creative pizzas, ingredients made in-house, and international influences from regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.