The New York Times names 22 best pizza restaurants in the U.S., including a Charlotte icon
The secret to Charlotte’s best pizza is not only out, it’s now nationally known: The New York Times’ new list of the country’s best pizzerias have just dropped like a hot — well, pizza pie, of course.
Great pizza restaurants are all over the country, the Times wrote, from small towns to big cities. On that tight list (only 22 restaurants!) includes the cozy, tucked away spot that Charlotteans know and love: Bird Pizzeria.
Of course, CharlotteFive’s Kristen Kornbluth discovered Bird Pizzeria way back when it was operating as a pop-up at local breweries after starting as an at-home popup for friends in 2020. In August 2021, they wrote: “Imagine a round, chewy crust that’s not shy on the browning. It’s cooked over an open flame and has a bit more structure than your classic Neapolitan.”
Kornbluth has followed Bird’s journey to opening, then expanding its small restaurant with a pickup window in Charlotte’s Optimist Park neighborhood. After opening in its brick-and-mortar space, it quickly became known as the best pizza in Charlotte.
Why is it among the best pizzerias in the country?
Here’s what the Times had to say about the Charlotte icon: “The American craft-pizza boom was fueled by small Neapolitan pies fired in wood-burning ovens. Kerrel Thompson is among the pizzaiolos who responded to the resulting demand for better quality by trying to perfect a different kind of pizza,” wrote Brett Anderson of The New York Times.
“In Mr. Thompson’s case, it’s a New York style reminiscent of what he grew up eating in Cleveland. At Bird, operated by Mr. Thompson and his wife, Nkem, the pizzas are of a shareable size, featuring browned, caramelized crusts, and available with seasonal toppings like dandelion pesto and local mushrooms,” Anderson wrote.
The New York Times isn’t the only large publication to have discovered Bird Pizzeria: Southern Living also named it among the best new restaurants in 2023.
Bird pizza is a local favorite
All these rankings are solid — in fact, I named it as the best meal I had in 2022. Chef Sam Hart, whose taste buds I trust even more than my own, included it as one of the pizzerias they visited when they ate pizza for 24 days straight.
As to what to order? The menu is simple, yet it’s so good it still can be a tough choice. I oscillate between:
Red (tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil) pizza
White (fresh mozzarella, ricotta butter garlic, olive oil, basil)
PRO TIP: Plan ahead when placing your pickup order at the restaurant — in fact, to be safe, you might want to plan even days ahead.
Bird Pizzeria
Location: 510 E. 15th Street, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28206
Cuisine: Pizza
Instagram: @birdpizzeria
