As far as Yelpers are concerned, Bryan Tyler runs the best pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio. A large Facebook group of local pizza lovers see it differently—they’re Team Joe Hartnett all the way. But, hey, the city has so many amazing pizzerias, it’s not surprising that no one can agree.

Opened in 2011, Tyler’s Pizzeria and Bakery is known for its charred, wood-fired pies—including the Sunny Side Up (shredded mozzarella, Black Forest ham, shredded potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon and sunny side eggs) and the Pigskin Pie (pepperoni, sausage and Black Forest ham, plus the customer’s choice of one veggie)—along with strombolis, rustic breads, brownies, croissants and Danishes.

But not everyone in Columbus thinks Tyler’s is the city’s No. 1 pizzeria. In October 2023, a Facebook group called the Pizza Connoisseurs of Columbus (PCC) polled its members, and they came up with a very different ranking of favorites. Topping their list was JT’s Pizza, Pub & Patio.

Pizza Power Report: The 25 most critically acclaimed pizzerias in the U.S.

Hartnett, owner of JT’s, is known for serving up mouthwatering monthly specials, such as the Crab Rangoon, featuring a chili base, crab with herbed cream cheese, scallions and crushed wontons. Not surprisingly, JT’s is so popular, Hartnett plans to open a second store in 2024. “The hardest thing we’re going to do is this second location, so it has to be so right,” he recently told Columbus Underground.

PCC claims a membership of 61,806. Each year, the group’s admin polls members on their favorite pizza shops. “Even though I started the group for selfish reasons, now my goal is to put Columbus-style pizza on the map so we can be up with the New York [and] Chicago styles of the world,” Nakimba Mullins, the Facebook group’s founder, told 614Now.com.

How did other pizzerias rate on the two competing best-of lists? Per Yelp reviewers, the top 10 best pizzerias in Columbus are:

1. Tyler’s Pizzeria and Bakery
2. Pie of the Tiger
3. Bazemore Pizza
4. Terita’s Pizza
5. Fibonacci’s Pizza
6. East Coast Pizzeria
7. Bridge Street Pizza
8. Dante’s Pizza
9. Paulie Gee’s
10. The O on Lane

Members of the PCC went in their own direction. There is very little overlap here—no Tyler’s, no Pie of the Tiger or Bazemore. But, like the Yelpers, they did place Terita’s in their top 5. Terita’s also won the top spot in 2022, 2019 and 2018. Here’s the PCC’s top 10 list:

1. JT’s Pizza, Pub & Patio
2. Pizza House
3. Terita’s
4. Pizza Crossing
5. Classic Pizza
6. Stadz Pizzeria
7. Hounddog’s
8. Tommy’s Pizza (Upper Arlington)
9. Benny’s Pizza
10. Sexton’s Pizza

Pizza News