BEST OF DAYTON: The 3 best pizza places in Dayton

Need an excuse to eat some pizza today?

When it comes to great pizza in Dayton, there are no shortage of options or places to celebrate pizza in all of its tasty forms.

How can you pick the best, really?

>>GUIDE: Where to find pizza in Dayton

But these are the top three most popular destinations for pizza in Dayton, as voted by the public during Dayton.com’s Best of Dayton 2019-20 people’s choice contest.

>> BEST OF DAYTON: Complete list of winners

🥇WINNER: Marion’s Piazza

Marion’s, famous for its square-cut, thin-crust pizza, has been a Dayton pizza institution for more than half a century.

The company was founded in 1965 by Marion Glass, and is run today by second-generation owner Roger Glass.

>> Daytonian of the Week: Roger Glass of Marion’s Piazza

Marion’s Piazza swept three big categories in this year’s Best of Dayton contest for “Best Pizza Restaurant,” “Best Square-Cut Pizza” and “Best Restaurant to Take an Out-of-Towner.” But Marion’s isn’t just famous in the Gem City. It has gotten plenty of national attention.

“Pizza Today” has repeatedly named Marion’s No. 1 (or runner-up) on its “Hot 100” list for the third consecutive year based on the chain’s sales success.

>> Marion’s named ‘No. 1’ on Pizza Today’s ‘Hot 100’ list for third year in a row

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

What is the secret to Marion’s success?

“The pizza and sandwiches one receives today are the same pizzas and sandwiches one received 53 years ago. In other words, the quality and quantity of our food products have never changed since we opened in 1965,” Roger Glass told us.

>> What to know about Marion’s Piazza’s history

WANT TO GO?

South Piazza, 711 Shroyer Road | 937-293-6991

North Piazza, 3443 N. Dixie Drive | 937-277-6553

Dayton Mall Piazza, 8991 Kingsridge Drive | 937-435-3300

Town & Country Piazza, 50 E. Stroop Road, Kettering | 937-296-1177

Centerville Piazza, 241 N. Main St., Centerville | 937-433-3993

Beavercreek Piazza, 1320 N. Fairfield Road, Beavercreek | 937-429-3393

Englewood Piazza, 404 W. National Road, Englewood | 937-832-0333

Troy Piazza, 1270 Experiment Farm Road, Troy | 937-339-2000

Website | Facebook

🥈2ND PLACE: Old Scratch Pizza

Old Scratch is a recent addition to Dayton's pizza options, with its original location on the edge of downtown Dayton that launched in 2016 and has become a hotspot for lunch and dinner, plus a freshly opened second location in Centerville.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Their specialty is Neopolitan-style pizza. It has a thin crust and cooks quickly, in about 90 seconds, in 800-degree ovens. The restaurant is unique in that it offers counter service but is not a fast-casual restaurant, with assembly-line service style similar to other fast-bake pizza chains. It also showcases unique flavor combinations. The Angry Beekeeper is one of the most popular (and voted Most Unique Pizza in Best of Dayton 2018). It features Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, spicy salami, house-made hot honey and olive oil.

Eric and Stephanie Soller of Oakwood — the husband-and-wife founders of Old Scratch Pizza who met while both were attending and later graduating from the New England Culinary Institute — created a pizzeria and beer hall that has communal seating and a casual environment.

WANT TO GO?

🥉3RD PLACE: Joe’s Pizzeria

Joe’s has been a family-owned and operated business since 1959, serving delicious, no-frills pizza made from scratch with handmade dough, delicious sauce, freshly ground sausage, and shredded cheeses.

WANT TO GO?

4313 Airway Road, Dayton | (937) 253-8154 | Website

🏆 PAST BEST OF DAYTON BEST PIZZA WINNERS

2018

WINNER: Marion’s Piazza

2nd Place: Old Scratch Pizza

3rd Place: Dewey’s Pizza

2017

WINNER: Old Scratch Pizza

2nd Place: Kramer’s

3rd Place: Joe’s Pizzeria

2016