Unearth The Voyage
Idaho may not be famous for pizza, but its local pizzerias are well worth discovering. From wood-fired Neapolitan pies and classic New York-style slices to creative specialty pizzas, the state is home to restaurants that have earned loyal followings through quality ingredients and great craftsmanship.
Whether you’re exploring Boise, a mountain town, or a small local community, these 15 pizza spots offer something for every taste. Each has built a strong reputation and is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
1. Casanova Pizzeria, Boise, Idaho
Food and Wine magazine named Casanova the top pizza place in Idaho in 2021, and regulars in Boise will tell you that distinction was long overdue.
Owner Dan Guild grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, a city that takes pizza very seriously, and that background shows in every pie that comes out of his 700-degree oven. The crust lands somewhere between crisp and chewy, with edges that can range from golden brown to satisfyingly charred depending on placement.
The menu goes beyond pizza with hot and cold sandwiches, four styles of salad, and pagniotelli, which is essentially puffed pizza bread that deserves its own fan club. The Comet pizza, topped with pepperoni, garlic, and tomatoes, has become a signature order. Casanova sits at 2431 Fairview Ave, west of downtown Boise.
2. The Wylder, Boise, Idaho
Reader’s Digest once called The Wylder the best pizza in Idaho, a claim that becomes easier to believe once you learn the sourdough starter used for every crust is 57 years old.
The dough ferments for 48 hours before it ever sees the oven, producing a pan-style crust that manages to be both crisp and genuinely airy. Toppings rotate with the seasons, and the menu includes standout options like the Honey Badger, which combines sausage, spicy honey, and goat cheese, and the Gem State of Mind, built around potato.
Beyond pizza, The Wylder offers Italian meatballs, harissa wings, housemade ricotta, and a Butterscotch Budino for dessert. The dining room at 501 West Broad Street has the kind of open, modern layout that works for a quick lunch or a longer evening out.
3. Flying Pie Pizzaria, Boise, Idaho
There is a particular type of pizza lover who believes toppings should cover every square centimeter of the pie, and Flying Pie Pizzaria was built for exactly that person.
With multiple locations spread across the Treasure Valley, this place has become a reliable fixture for family dinners, birthday parties, and group celebrations where everyone at the table has a different opinion about what should go on the pizza. The slightly quirky, colorful atmosphere gives it the energy of a classic neighborhood joint rather than a polished restaurant chain.
Flying Pie has maintained a devoted local following for years, and that loyalty is not accidental. The pies arrive generously loaded, the service keeps things moving, and the casual setting means nobody feels rushed. For groups who want quantity and quality in the same box, this is a natural first call.
4. Red Bench Pizza, Boise, Idaho
Red Bench Pizza occupies a space on S. Vista Ave that has a bit of history attached to it, as the address previously housed Casanova Pizzeria before Red Bench made it their own.
The menu takes a Neapolitan-inspired approach to pizza, with pies designed to be eaten fresh from the oven rather than boxed up and transported across town. Italian flavors run through the entire menu, which extends to handmade pasta, sandwiches, and cannoli that round out the experience nicely.
The dining room strikes a balance between polished and relaxed, making it equally comfortable for a quick solo lunch or a proper sit-down dinner. Red Bench is the kind of place where the food is clearly taken seriously without the atmosphere becoming stiff or overly formal. It earns its regulars through consistency and genuine quality.
5. Guido’s Original New York Style Pizza, Boise, Idaho
Guido’s has been making the case for New York-style pizza in downtown Boise for long enough that stopping in for a hot slice has become a genuine local ritual.
The formula is straightforward and unapologetic: large slices, thin crusts that fold cleanly down the middle, and enough bubbling cheese to satisfy anyone who arrived genuinely hungry. Whole pies are on the menu for those who prefer to sit down with a full order, but the walk-in slice experience remains what most people come for.
The downtown location makes it convenient before or after other errands, and the casual setting does not ask anything complicated of its customers. Guido’s is not trying to reinvent pizza or impress food critics with unusual toppings. It is simply serving reliable, well-executed New York-style pizza to people who know exactly what they want when they walk through the door.
6. Americana Pizza, Boise, Idaho
Americana Pizza makes its fresh mozzarella in-house, which already puts it ahead of most pizza conversations before the oven even enters the picture.
The menu runs from classic cheese pies to fully customizable options in 12-inch and 18-inch sizes, and the vegan choices here are more thoughtful than most. Vegan sausage, vegan chorizo, and vegan cheese are all available, and the red sauce and white olive oil base pizzas can both be ordered fully plant-based. The white sauce version features an olive oil base, mozzarella, ricotta, and a sesame crust that sets it apart from standard offerings.
Two Boise locations make pickup convenient, with one near Rhodes Skatepark at 304 S Americana Blvd and another at 1504 S Vista Ave. The laid-back neighborhood personality of both spots makes Americana an easy choice for a relaxed evening meal.
7. Wiseguy Pizza Pie, Boise, Idaho
Wiseguy Pizza Pie sources its whole-milk mozzarella from Jerome, Idaho, and its flour from Pendleton Power Flour, which draws from farms near Pocatello, making this a New York-style pizza with a quietly Idaho backbone.
Dough and sauce are prepared fresh every day, and each pie is hand-tossed before going into a stone-deck oven that produces the kind of crust that holds a slice without going limp. Non-dairy mozzarella is available for customers who need it, which keeps the menu accessible without compromising the main product.
Three Boise-area locations means Wiseguy is rarely out of reach, and the late-night slice service has made it a popular last stop for people wrapping up an evening downtown. Sandwiches, salads, and calzones fill out the menu for anyone not in a pizza mood, though that situation seems unlikely given the output.
8. Messenger Pizza, Nampa, Idaho
Messenger Pizza operates somewhere between a traditional pizzeria and an art gallery that happens to serve excellent food, and Nampa residents seem perfectly happy with that arrangement.
The interior features local artwork throughout, giving the space a character that most pizza places do not bother to develop. Customers can order individual slices or go all-in on an oversized whole pie, and the relaxed atmosphere makes either option feel equally comfortable. There is no pressure to rush through a meal here.
Messenger has built its reputation as a downtown institution through consistency and a genuine sense of community identity. The eclectic setting attracts a broad mix of regulars, from students and young professionals to families who appreciate a dining room that feels like it actually belongs to the neighborhood. In a city where chain restaurants dominate many corners, Messenger stands out by being deliberately and confidently itself.
9. Fire Artisan Pizza, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
At the center of Fire Artisan Pizza’s kitchen sits a handmade brick oven fueled by locally sourced maple and hickory wood, and every Neapolitan-style pie that comes out of it carries that distinction.
The downtown Coeur d’Alene location gives the restaurant a strong anchor in a city that draws both locals and visitors year-round. The open flame is visible from the dining room, which adds an element of theater without turning dinner into a performance. The warm interior keeps the experience grounded in neighborhood comfort rather than spectacle.
Fire Artisan Pizza works well as a destination on its own or as part of a broader evening in downtown Coeur d’Alene. The combination of a carefully built oven, quality ingredients, and an accessible setting has made it a reliable favorite for residents who want a proper artisan pie without traveling far to find one.
10. Embers by the Lake, Hauser, Idaho
Money magazine named Embers by the Lake the best pizza joint in Idaho in 2018, which is a remarkable achievement for a family-run restaurant beside a quiet northern Idaho lake.
Owners Rob and Allison Burnett have been making every pizza by hand since they took over in 2017, using their own recipes and ingredients they stand behind. The menu also includes pizza salads and gelato, keeping things simple and focused rather than sprawling. Outdoor gathering areas, a fire pit, and lake views make the setting genuinely hard to leave once you have settled in.
Large windows frame the water from inside, and an outdoor patio extends the dining space during warmer months. Embers positions itself as an affordable, family-friendly venue, and that mission shows in the welcoming atmosphere and the straightforward pricing. This is a place where the surroundings are half the reason people keep returning.
11. Second Avenue Pizza, Sandpoint, Idaho
The Juke Box Special at Second Avenue Pizza reportedly weighs around seven pounds, which is either a warning or a personal challenge depending on the size of your group.
The menu at this Sandpoint institution goes well beyond its famous oversized pies. Calzones can be customized with fillings like a meat combo of sausage, beef, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, bell peppers, and mushrooms, or a veggie version built around broccoli, olives, onions, and peppers. All pizzas use 100% natural cheese, and vegan soy cheese is available for custom orders.
The garlic bread here deserves a mention too: hand-tossed pizza dough covered in cheese and garlic, served with pizza sauce on the side. Located at 215 S Second Avenue, the restaurant’s old-school atmosphere fits naturally into downtown Sandpoint, where the pace is relaxed and a heavy meal feels entirely appropriate after a day outdoors.
12. Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana, Moscow, Idaho
Maialina’s kitchen staff trained at one of only three Vera Pizza Napoletana certified schools in the world, which gives this Moscow, Idaho restaurant a level of technical credibility that most pizza places cannot match.
The centerpiece is an imported Italian brick oven built from refractory cotto brick, reaching 850 to 900 degrees daily and fueled by Washington-grown cherry and apple wood. Mozzarella is stretched by hand in-house, and the dough uses Italian Caputo 00 flour with a starter that dates back to the restaurant’s opening day.
Local eggs, pork, beef, and produce come from Moscow-area family farms, and the menu extends to handmade pasta, antipasti, in-house gelato, and a seasonal piazza-style patio planted with basil, tomatoes, and herbs. The reclaimed brickwork throughout the dining room gives the space a texture that feels earned rather than designed. A gluten-free pizza option using Caputo’s Fiore Glut flour is also available.
13. Lucy’s New York Style Pizzeria, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Lucy’s has earned its regional following the old-fashioned way: by making the dough fresh, hand-tossing every crust, and keeping the menu honest and approachable for all ages.
The thin New York-style pies are the main event, but the supporting cast is worth noting. Calzones, subs, salads, and breadsticks give the menu enough range to satisfy a table where not everyone agrees on what they want for dinner, which is most tables. The family-friendly dining environment makes it a comfortable choice for parents who would rather not negotiate with a complicated menu.
Lucy’s has grown into a recognizable name in Idaho Falls without losing the straightforward quality that built its reputation in the first place. It is the kind of restaurant that does not need a dramatic concept or a trendy interior to keep people coming back. Consistent, well-made pizza tends to do that work on its own.
14. Papa Tom’s Pizza, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Papa Tom’s has the comfortable, familiar energy of a restaurant that has been feeding the same community for long enough to become part of its routine.
The menu covers the fundamentals without overcomplicating things: combination pies, breadsticks, wings, and a solid lineup of classic toppings that covers the preferences of most tables without requiring a lengthy decision-making process. Generously sized pizzas make it a practical choice for families, sports teams, and anyone who needs to feed a group without breaking the budget.
15. Growler’s Pizza Grill, McCall, Idaho
McCall sits at the edge of Payette Lake surrounded by mountains, and after a day of hiking, skiing, or boating, Growler’s Pizza Grill has positioned itself as a very reasonable answer to the question of where to eat.
The menu is broader than a typical pizzeria, pulling together homemade pizza crusts, freshly baked focaccia, burgers, sandwiches, and a large salad bar under one rustic roof. That variety makes it useful for groups where pizza enthusiasm is not universally shared, which is a practical advantage in a tourist town with diverse tastes.
