Two of the best pizza spots in the U.S. are in Miami, Yelp says. Both are in Kendall
Kendall is crushing it at pizza.
Yelp has compiled its annual list of the top 100 restaurants for pizza in the country for 2023, and two Miami spots — both of which lie in the census-designated paradise of Kendall — rank among the top 10 pizza joints in the U.S.
The restaurants in question are unpretentious, unassuming, unbothered by the demands of trend and glamour, places where you can wear your old Dwyane Wade jersey and not worry that your flabby arms will elicit horrified stares from other patrons. Nobody is looking at you. They just want pizza.
Acqua E Farina (No. 7), owned by Ciro Esposito, operates out of a truck on a small patch of grass next to a warehouse on 131st Avenue. The menu is small, but Esposito will customize a pizza if you so desire (and if he has the ingredients handy). Sit outdoors at a picnic table under the twinkling lights and enjoy your pie straight out of the oven.
Napoli 1800 Cucina & Pizzeria (No. 10) sits somewhat more comfortably in the corner of the same Hammocks strip mall that’s home to the second location of FreshCo Fish Market & Grill, which was named the best seafood restaurant in Florida by Eat This, Not That in 2022.
Both restaurants serve Neapolitan-style pizza, which is made with specific Italian ingredients (like San Marzano tomatoes) and boasts a chewy crust as well as a deliciously drippy, messy, cheesy center.
Tim Dimas, co-owner of Napoli 1800 with business partner Giovanni Colantuono, said he was excited about the ranking. He has been a fan of Neapolitan pizza ever since he first visited Naples. Coming from a Greek-Albanian family, he said he turned into a “real New Yorker” when he got to Rome, unshakable in his belief that New York pies were best.
“The pizza was terrible in Rome,” he remembers.
Then, he headed south to Naples and tried a Margherita pizza.
“The hairs rose on my body,” he says. “I felt so happy eating it. I thought, ‘This is it!’ “
Dimas and Colantuono moved to Miami in 2018 with plans to open Napoli 1800 in 2019, but their plans were delayed so long that when the restaurant did finally open, it had to close about five months later due to the COVID pandemic. Like many local restaurateurs, they had to pivot to a takeout model. Dimas says he wanted to build a clientele that would respect and follow the restaurant (and not be put off by their New York background).
“We wanted to immerse ourselves in this new community,” he says. “The best way is to give back to the families that needed help.”
They created a $10 pizza night and $10 pasta night, hoping the low price would lure locals feeling the sting of the economic downturn. Now, on Tuesdays, Napoli 1800 still offers pizzas for $10 for those on a budget (or those who are just plain thrifty).
“The most amazing thing you can do with food is feeding people on a daily basis,” Dimas says. “That sense of community happiness I can bring is the most rewarding thing. Money is essential — you’ve got to pay that mortgage! — but you really can enjoy every aspect that comes with your work, too.”
The restaurant also serves pasta but stays away from chicken, fish or steak dishes. A smaller menu works best, Dimas says.
“We invest in really good pasta,” he explains. “We’re not South Beach. We’re in Kendall. We can’t compete with South Beach. But you can still go right down the block and have a great meal.”
Yelp ranked Sapori Di 786 Degrees in Pasadena, California, as the best pizza spot in the country. Several other Florida pizza restaurants also made the list: Mangia & Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana in Cocoa Beach (21); First Love Brewing, Fernandina Beach (23); and Bella Amici Pizzeria & Restaurante in Boca Raton (93).
To choose the top restaurants, Yelp ranked restaurants based on total volume of reviews and ratings.
Yelp’s best pizza restaurants in Miami
Acqua E Farina: 12070 SW 131st Ave., Miami; 786-603-8321
Napoli 1800 Cucina & Pizzeria: 11510 SW 147th Ave., #2, Miami; napoli1800kendall.com; 786-558-4700
This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 4:30 AM.