It all started with a simple question: What local restaurant makes the best pizza in Milwaukee? We pondered the options for ourselves, made a list of our favorites and came to the conclusion that Milwaukeeans should decide. Thus, the Milwaukee Magazine Pizza Bracket was born.
We started the contest with what we consider to be the upper crust, but thousands of votes narrowed it down to two finalists last week, Transfer Pizzeria and Café and Zaffiro’s.
And the winner of the best pizza in Milwaukee is [drumroll please]: Zaffiro’s!
Zaffiro’s is what our Dining Critic Ann Christenson calls “the granddaddy of Milwaukee-style pizza.” Their ‘zas are served round and “tavern-cut” into squares. The crust is extra thin, but still cracker-crisp with a thick (and not too sweet) sauce.
“I love everything on a Zaffiro’s pizza but fish (anchovies),” Christenson says about ordering from Zaffiro’s. “The liberally applied sausage and pepperoni are rich and meaty and not too greasy.”
Want to try the democratically selected best pizza in Milwaukee? Zaffiro’s is located on the East Side at 1724 N. Farwell Ave. Right now, they are doing curbside pickup and temporary delivery. You can order from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. any day of the week. The restaurant is not currently open for dining, but husband-and-wife co-owners Mike and Rose Zaffiro say they hope to open their doors very soon.
If you enjoyed this competition, you may want to check out our Burger Bracket from the fall. A truly delicious burger made its way to the top, and you’re definitely going to want to taste it, too.
