The Best Pizza in Boulder

The wood-fired oven is the organizing principle here, turning out pizzas, proteins, and vegetables with the kind of low-key confidence that comes from caring about the grain in your dough. This is a cozy neighborhood restaurant from Kelly Whitaker, who took home a James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2024. Oysters and chicken-liver mousse start things off; a bottle of Lambrusco keeps things moving. It's the kind of room where nobody's trying too hard, which takes more effort than it looks.

1. James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · Outstanding Restaurateur · Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST
2. Westword 2025 · Best Wood-Fired Pizza (and Bread, and Lasagna…) · Best of Denver
3. James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Matt Husted, Erika Whitaker, and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST Hospitality Group

Neapolitan-style pizzeria next door to the famously pricey Frasca, which tells you something about the neighborhood and also about the price gap. The pies have that crusty-chewy pull that Naples devotees argue about endlessly, and the butterscotch budino has built a quiet cult of its own. The wine list leans Southern Italy, the salads are more elegant than a pizza place has any business offering, and the garlic knots make a strong case for skipping the entree entirely.

1. Eater The Best Restaurants in Boulder