The Washington Post · 2023
Best New York Pizza in Illinois
A national newspaper analysed 7.5 million Yelp reviews to find the best pizza of every style in every state. In Illinois, New York-style came back to a strip-mall shop on Wehrli Road in Naperville.
In September 2023, The Washington Post published a state-by-state map of the best pizza in America, broken down by regional style. For New York-style pizza in Illinois, the top result was Little Pops NY Pizzeria in Naperville.
How it was decided
The Post analysed 7.5 million Yelp reviews and built a formula to rank pizzerias by style within each state, rather than lumping every kind of pizza into one list. That distinction matters in Illinois, where deep dish and tavern style dominate the conversation and a thin, foldable New York slice is the outsider.
The result was reported locally by NCTV17 on 13 September 2023. The original interactive map is at washingtonpost.com.
Who else placed in Illinois
| 1 | Little Pops NY Pizzeria | Naperville |
| 2 | Zazas Pizzeria | Chicago |
| 3 | Jimmy's Pizza Café | Chicago |
What “New York-style” actually means
If you grew up here, pizza probably means deep dish or tavern style. New York-style is a different thing entirely, and the difference is mostly in the dough.
| Style | What it is | |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Thin, hand-tossed, foldable. Crisp underneath, chewy at the rim. Sold by the slice. | What we make |
| Chicago deep dish | Tall buttery crust in a pan, cheese under the sauce. Eaten with a knife and fork. | The local default |
| Tavern style | Cracker-thin, cut into squares. The everyday Chicago bar pizza. | Also common here |
A proper New York pie starts with a high-gluten dough, hand-stretched thin and baked hot so the bottom crisps while the rim stays chewy. Fold a slice lengthways and it should hold — that fold is the test. There is more on this in what makes New York-style pizza different.
Where to get it
The award attaches to our original Naperville shop, but the same dough, sauce and recipes run at all four locations.