Pinocchio has one of the best pizzas in Guadalajara

Top 11 Best Pizzas in Guadalajara 2024

ByPaul Hudson Posted on Updated on

Are you looking for the best pizzas in Guadalajara?

Then you are in luck. Guadalajara is full of great pizza joints of all different styles. Guadalajara may be better known for traditional Mexican food than it is for pizza, but that is a superficial understanding of the local food culture. Guadalajara is one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan cities in Mexico with a good deal of Italian immigration.

The range of pizzas available is impressive. There are fancy Italian restaurants with top-of-the-line, imported pizza ovens and expensive ingredients. There are neighborhood favorites that sell inexpensive pizza by the slice. You can find regional styles of pizza from Neapolitan to New York and even a distinctly local Guadalajara style of pizza.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Guadalajara Metropolitan Region is a really big place. I have lived in Guadalajara since 2009 and this list is focused on pizza places that are centrally located.

Here is a rundown of the top spots in the area, spanning many different genres of dough, sauce cheese, and toppings.

Best Pizzas In Guadalajara Overview

Anyway you slice it, Guadalajara is a great pizza town. You can’t go far without running into a pizza joint.

Many of the best pizzas in Guadalajara are located in and around the Colonia Americana. The area has always been a home to immigrants from both Italy and the United States.

Some of the more established restaurant groups are in Providencia but you can still find a great pizza in every part of the city.

1. Il Diavolo López Cotilla

Il Diavolo is a special restaurant. When I first moved to Guadalajara this was my home away from home. I got to know Guadalajara and the nightlife in the Colonia Americana with the people that worked here. I even met my wife here.

Without a doubt, the food, and especially the pizza is excellent at Il Diavilo. There are a number of locations in both Guadalajara and Querétaro but the López Cotilla location is the best. The operating partner has been here since day one and has never sacrificed the quality of his food.

Il Diavolo uses some of the best imported Italian ingredients in all of its food. The Italian parmesan cheese is simply better than the stuff imported from Uruguay. From the cured meats to the herbs and even the wines, they have the best products in Guadalajara.

The menu has grown a lot over the years and the pizza has gotten better. Originally, they served a thin-crust disc that was pre-cooked. A couple of years back they got a new Neapolitan recipe that was meticulously tested by some of the best chefs in Central Mexico.

Il Diavilo López Cotilla is a classic. It is a restaurant that needs to be on your list of the best pizzas in Guadalajara.

2. Mammut Pizza Terán

3. Local Pizza

The best pizza in Guadalajara at local pizza

An absolute gem of a pizza joint on the coolest culinary stretch of Chapalita. Local Pizza is a hole-in-the-wall that does mostly to-go food. They have a small bar and six stools to eat there but the platform drivers arrive non-stop to pick up delivery orders.

The entire pizza experience is delicious but the dough is out of this world. Everybody finishes the crust and leaves nothing on the plate. There is a mild fermentation process and they call their dough masa madre.

The best way to judge a new pizza place is by ordering a pepperoni pizza. You can tell a lot about the quality of ingredients by their pepperoni. The flavor from the pepperoni should melt into the rest of the pizza.

Something of a local secret is the pizza de pastor. Local Pizza is in the same strip mall as the Tacos Los Alteños, which has one of the best tacos de pastor in Guadalajara. The pizza is served with a massive portion of pastor meat, onions, cilantro, and a flower of pineapple in the center. I had no idea I was going to enjoy the pizza as much as I did.

Every month they have a new pizza special. In September, they did a pizza en nogada with all the typical ingredients from traditional chile en nogada.

I highly recommend checking out Local Pizza. The pizzas are excellent, the prices are the most affordable in the neighborhood, and the atmosphere is fun. There are always a lot of people in the area.

4. Pinocchio

Pinocchio uses the best quality ingredients. Their pizza dough has such a rich flavor that the crust is the best part of the pizza.

I was blown away by the whole experience at Pinocchio. The restaurant is a new concept by the Chapultepec Restaurant Group that is more famous for bars than they are for formal restaurants.

Pinocchio keeps a literary theme by serving the menu in a book, a copy of Pinocchio. The decoration is inspired by the novel but they really want to show off the fancy Italian imports that are used to make your food. The wheat flour, tomato sauce, and pasta will not be found at the local supermarket.

There is a great bar with plenty of spritz cocktails and Italian wines. I love that pizza places sell liter carafe of house wine.

The whole experience is very family-friendly and I think that is a big part of an Italian restaurant. My kids loved this place and ate everything that was on the table

5. Estridente Pizzería

Estridente came highly recommended by the owner of Tenango Cafe which is right down the block. He worked at two excellent pizza restaurants before opening his own business.

The concept is geared to the Colonia Americana neighborhood. It is hipster pizza, served by the slice and ready to go. They have a yerba mate soda and some excellent flavored lemonades.

It was nice to mix and match four different slices of pizza. The margarita and pepperoni are very good but that would be selling them short. I was blown away that my four-year-old chose the pizza bianca and ate the whole slice. The pizza bianca is served with goat cheese and artichoke.

I had never tasted anything like the Quebecois before which is a white pizza with bacon, red onion, and maple syrup. The Diavola uses a spicy tomato sauce, Polish sausage, ground beef, and bacon.

The place is just plain fun and they have great pizza. Parking is a bit of a challenge in this part of the Colonia Americana but if you happen to be in the area, make sure to swing by for a slice. You won’t regret it.

6. Nápoles

Napoles has one of the best pizzas in Guadalajara

As the name would suggest, Napoles is serving Neapolitan-style food. The pizzas get all the attention for good reason but the whole menu is excellent.

I first learned about this place following Adolfo Galnares’ Instagram (Chef/owner of Allium Restaurant). That guy has the best recommendations on where to eat in Guadalajara and abroad.

So, back to Napoles. They are the neighborhood, late-night pizza place in a wealthy community. There is a great patio looking out on Ruben Dario Park. This restaurant makes me want to live in Providencia.

They do this pizza that I have never seen anywhere else. It has an enormous ball of burrata cheese on top of an arugula and pesto pizza. The burrata sits in the pizza like a basket. Those are some of my favorite flavors when it comes to Italian cooking. I like the big leaf arugula because the baby doesn’t have any flavor.

Much like all of my favorite pizzas in Guadalajara, Napoles uses exceptional ingredients and has a solid cocktail list.

Napoles is a part of the Moresca restaurant group and they have a smaller concept in Mercado Andares food court.

7. Algún Lugar Pizza

This place is a hidden gem of a pizzeria in Guadalajara. It is located on a backstreet of Chapalita just a block away from the perpetually packed Los Alteños Taco Shop. I noticed this place while looking for parking and was surprised to see so many people waiting for a table.

Algún Lugar Pizzería is the classic neighborhood pizza place that was launched with a tiny kitchen and big dreams. They took an old house and turned it into a successful business that the community loves.

The last time I went was on a hot spring day after walking around the Michin Aquarium all day. We were all hot and tired. The huge trees on the patio make the weather feel a lot cooler. I love hanging out on the patio.

8. Torino Pizza Bar

Torino Pizza Bar is little more than a parking lot with tables but the pizza is delicious. They used the old shipping container concept to fashion a kitchen.

The patio is covered but open to the street. My kids like coming here on Fridays after school and I am always surprised how much they eat.

The pizzas at Torino are larger than most of the pizzas on the list. It is a thinner crust without the Neapolitan swollen crust.

Torino is a great option for the after-school or after-work crowd looking for a good, affordable pizza. I like to take one home to have for later.

9. Rupestre Comedor Romano

Rupestre is another example of hipster pizza. The building has an industrial feel with lots of concrete and plants. They are next door to a craft beer bar in the heart of the Colonia Americana. And they like to take chances.

I use the term hipster in an affectionate way. I think these guys are pizza nerds. They live and breathe pizza using exotic ingredients and trying to push the boundaries of what is acceptable in a conservative society.

The style is Roman while almost everyone in Guadalajara serves Naepoletin pizza.

They serve both meat and vegan pizzas with some exciting ingredients. I’m not vegan but I love trying new things and that vegan cheese is unique.

10. Rugantino

Rugantino is probably the most refined pizza place on my list. They have white tablecloths and a very nice wine list. Most of the guests are there for the excellent Italian food and pizzas are just an afterthought. The arugula salad is one of the best salads I have eaten in Guadalajara in a long time. I mentioned earlier that I love the big leaf, peppery arugula.

The service is a little stuffy and I don’t think I would bring the kids next time. The entire meal I was afraid they were going to knock over the balsamic vinegar bottle. However, the food makes up for that part. Everything that we ordered; the salad, the pizza, and the tiramisu were off the charts.

One of the highlights was the garlic confit that is served with a small loaf of bread. It is the most tender and flavorful garnish for a good pizza.

I guarantee that you have driven by this place all the time. Make it a point to stop by and check them out.

11. Pastería Chapalita

I love the Pastería. I used to work here actually. Even though I haven’t been involved in the operation in years, I still think it is a beautiful restaurant with great pizza, a killer wine list, and excellent service. I helped train them and wrote the manual on wine service.

At the Pastería the pizzas are just a compliment. They sell way more pasta than pizza. However, the kitchen was specially designed with the pizza station in mind. The oven was imported from Italy and the pizza cooks are some of the best in Guadalajara. That is not an easy station to work because they put out a lot of pizzas.

Sure, they have a great Margherita and pepperoni pizza but they are famous for their specialty pizzas. There is a shrimp pizza, a prosciutto pizza, and even a sweet fig pizza. They have the best ingredients and a stellar wine list.

I love the bottle of L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo with a couple of great pizzas. You should check them out.

Best Pizza in Guadalajara FAQ

These are the most commonly asked questions that I see in the expat groups and on my blog.

What is the top-selling pizza place in Guadalajara?

Costco or Little Cesar’s. They pump out more pizzas than I can comprehend. They aren’t bad but they aren’t great either. I will admit to buying Costco pizza from time to time but it isn’t something that I am going to recommend you travel to Guadalajara to experience.

Is pizza popular in Mexico?

Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear poop in the woods? Yes, pizza is very popular in Mexico. After Mexican food, I am going to say that Italian food is the most popular ethnic food in Mexico.

Final Thoughts On The Best Pizzas In Guadalajara

I love writing these articles because I get to break out of my comfort zone and travel to new parts of the city. There are so many great pizzas in Guadalajara that I don’t suspect that I will finish any time soon.

This is just the beginning. I have a long list of pizzas that I still want to try.

I hope you found something new and are as excited as I am to get out there and eat more pizza.

Paul Hudson is a food, travel, and surf enthusiast who writes about Mexico on his blog Playas y Plazas. Originally from Southern California, Paul has lived in Guadalajara since 2009. He has a BA in Global Economics from UC Santa Cruz (Go Banana Slugs!) and speaks English and Spanish fluently. He can often be found exploring the Pacific Coast of Mexico looking for isolated beaches, fun waves, and exotic foods.