The SATURDAY SIX Ranks the BEST PIZZA at Universal Orlando

This week’s SATURDAY SIX continues our look the best (and sometimes, worst) food that you can find at the Orlando theme parks. We’ve done in-depth investigations on theme park’s most over-the-top burgers, Outrageous Eats like the Kitchen Sink Cake at the Hard Rock Hotel, and even a years long scientific study ranking the best chicken sandwiches at Disney Springs.

This week our crack investigative team is once again ready to head straight into a food coma as we look dive into the controversial subject others blogs don’t dare to touch… definitively ranking the best pizza at Universal Orlando.

Note: Most Universal Orlando dining locations have gluten free pizza crust options. This is listed on online menus or just ask!

So pop in those Tums, grab a napkin to soak up some grease, and let’s kick off our ranking with a look at…

# 6 – Louie’s Italian Restaurant

In theory, Louie’s Italian Restaurant in Universal Studios Florida should be serving the best pizza at the resort. Unfortunately that is *not* the case. Louie’s slices can certainly be considered above average (when compared to other theme park pizza), but they are a far cry from what a typical “New York Slice” should be.

The dining area inside Louie’s is surprisingly huge, and taking a break in the cool air conditioning while enjoying a slice can certainly hit the spot. It’s hard to screw up pizza (despite Animal Kingdom’s Pizzafari’s best attempts.)

My recommendation for Louie’s is to take a page from the menus of thousands of pizza places across the country and have a variety of slices ready to “grab and go” outside of the traditional pepperoni and cheese. Universal has shown in the past they can do it, such as offering slices of Bandeira pizza for an Annual Passholder appreciation events and seasonal offerings like Con Carne and Veggie Bianca that are currently on the menu.

We’d love to see Universal offer a true “NY Slice” with slightly longer cooked pie with less cheese for a cheap price, stiff enough to fold, cheesy enough to hit the spot.

# 5 – Cabana Bay and the Value Resorts

Whenever you say “pizza” to a fan of Cabana Bay they’ll exclaim “DELIZIOSO!” while using this hand gesture 🤌🏻. This sounds bonkers till you get your first delivery in your room and then you understand.

In the “details go the extra distance” sorta way, everyone fell in love with these custom pizza boxes when the resort opened in 2014. Back then many of the disposable items (like napkins, cups, and boxes) went from having custom themed designs to generic after the 2008 recession and tourism retraction. So we were so happy to see The Wizarding World bring back custom cups and napkins, and then just a few years later we get The Box That Launched A Million Photos.

Delizioso is unique in the theme park pizza world in that it’s room service ONLY from noon to midnight. Don’t worry Horror Nights fans, during the event you’ll find Delizioso open to 2:30 am. This means you’ll order using your room phone and be charged to your room for one of these delicious pizzas (and salads, desserts, and beverages).

But how’s the pizza? Well, if you’ve painted HHN red all night it’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten. But otherwise it’s still a solid pizza choice: everything is fresh, the cheese is whole milk mozzarella so it gets those good leopard spots on the cheese, and the dough has a great flavor. No pillow pizza here!

Delizioso isn’t the only pizza option at the resort, oh no. Bayliner Diner, the main quick service dining location at the resort, has several pizza options including a daily changing pizza in addition to your classics. The pizzas are slightly smaller than the Delizioso ones but still offers a great pizza, like their breakfast option:

More pizzas can be found all around the resort hotels, such as the Hawaiian Moon pizza at Terra Luna.

Over at Aventura not only does the restaurant have pizza, it has authentic pizza ovens where you can choose your own toppings or order a pre-selected option. All pizzas are cooked fresh to order.

# 4 – Volcano Bay

What is a pizza? What is a flat bread? These are questions that have puzzled our smartest minds for at least a few minutes. The fact is the lines between the two options have basically been blurred so much that flatbread is just a mini-pizza in American parlance. Over in Volcano Bay we have some of our favorite flatbread pizzas around with their iconic longboard look!

Originally the pizzas came on wooden plates, but eventually they went to cardboard plates. Still this is a nicer paper plate than the ones that replaced the plates at Connections Eatery. The pizzas are huge and delicious and offered in unique options like a BBQ chicken option.

Did we mention how great the Volcano Bay cabins are? Beyond receiving a dedicated area to crash with your party with waters and towels, the cabins includes food and drink service so you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your lounger for a fresh pizza. Nothing quite like sending the kids to spend a half hour in the lazy river only for them to come back to pizza!

And if you’re one to proselytize in the Magic Kingdom, there’s also a pizza for you:

# 3 – Red Oven Pizza Bakery

Starting in 2013, Universal Orlando began the CityWalk 2.0 redevelopment project. Gone were many of the original tenants of 1999 like the Rainforest Store and Pastamore, replaced was a whole new selection of restaurants, shops, and bars. In came the new Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, NBC Sports Grill & Brew sports bar, and the iconic Cowfish. Two other of those new additions were Red Oven Pizza Bakery and Vivo Italian Kitchen, located to your left as you enter CityWalk near the Universal Studios Store.

Red Oven specializes in one thing: fresh Neapolitan pizzas. These pies are incredible: thin crispy crust with a chewy cornicione (the outer part) with fresh toppings. The pies are 10″ in size, perfect to split with someone over a glass of wine and a salad.

Red Oven has two types of pies: “pizza rosa” with red sauce and “pizza blanca”, pizzas made with other types of light sauce like olive oil. We’re particularly fond the blanca pizzas, you just don’t find these types many places in the theme parks. Like, how many places can you find a pizza with arugula, prosciutto, whole milk mozzarella, and a lemon-thyme vinaigrette? Eat your heart our Pizzerizzo.

Or maybe you’re the kind of person who takes a bite out of the side of a Bubba Yuba gum tape.

Beyond the classic pepperoni, mushroom, and sausage toppings are more unique pies like the Stagione. This one is covered in ground beef, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, a garlic aioli, all atop a red sauce base.

 

Red Oven’s indoor and outdoor seating is nice, but why not grab a pie WHEREVER you’re sitting in CityWalk? Mobile delivery is offered at many tables and bars located throughout CityWalk for a quick bite. This is brilliant and I wish Disney offered this at Disney Springs.

Heading back to your hotel on the bus or driving home? Pick up a pie to go! Mobile Express pick up is available at Red Oven too.

Not to be left out is Vivo Italian Kitchen located right next door. This full service dining restaurant also serves some amazing pies along with amazing pastas and some delicious glasses of wine. It’s hard to beat Vivo if you want a slow, relaxing meal in CityWalk on a patio.

# 2 – Pizza Moon

I mean, what else could it be? When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie you must be at Pizza Moon looking at the sign.

Pizza Moon is a whimsical take on a counter service pizza place that eschews the rats, rockets, and reptiles for vintage 1900s illustrations and the movie Le Voyage dans la Lune. Inside the restaurant we find our rocket to the Pizza Moon has crashed (oh no!) but its now our pizza oven (phew)! Swinging characters and animated displays hang from the star covered sky while the back of the restaurant has a majestic display of  pizza creation. It’s all kinda incredible to see even if you don’t buy anything there.

But enough about the decor, let’s talk about the most important thing: the pizza box.

My god it’s glorious.

Ok seriously, let’s talk pizzas. All pies are 12″ in diameter and have eight slices, enough for two people easily (and priced as such). The most talked about one is the Pizza Lunare, a pie made with roasted garlic béchamel, fromage de lune, pancetta, garlic confit, all served on a unique purple ube crust.

Sure you have pepperoni, cheese, mushroom, and other standard styles, but what about a pizza with BBQ potato chips on it? Epic Universe, more like Epic Stoned, am I right? The Space Cowboy has BBQ sauce, the special Pizza Moon cheese, rotisserie chicken, olives, and BBQ potato chips.

New over the past few months is a new Pizza Moon Pick-Up cart that serves grab-and-go pizzas for taking home or eating while watching Celestial Goodnight. All the pizzas are available for pick up here plus the giant brownie dessert.

# 1 – Sal’s Market Deli

Ok confession time: Joe has been helping Derek write this article due to his Normally Scheduled Vacation in August, AND I (Joe) haven’t been to Sal’s. Despite staying at Portofino TWICE I’ve never eaten at this quick service establishment (I somehow always find myself at the Thirsty Fish or Trattoria del Porto). So we sent our trusty reviewer to do a taste test. Their text to Derek?

You found it. Throw all the other pizzas away. This is easily the best pizza at Universal.

Well, ok then! You heard them! Ignore the rest of the article.

Sal’s Market Deli is the quick service dining location at Portofino Bay Hotel. Inspired by the crazy Italian markets I visited as a child with Grandma in Cleveland, Sal’s has a sort of rustic family feel that wouldn’t be out of place at a city market. Plus a Coke Freestyle machine, because as we know, Coke Freestyle is Universal.

Let’s get back to our reviewer as they know more than me. To me, this looks like a classic pan pizza, similar but elevated from the Pizza Hut variety. But no! You get one of the freshest made pies around with dough straight out of the old country. Thin, crispy, and delicious.

It took 20 min but it was made fresh with such care. He said the pizza crust was made from Italian sources. It was so fluffy and springy and crispy.

Behind the scenes talk: I (Joe) have been writing this over a week on a work trip and when writing this section I had to have a pizza while writing it. I mean, look at this pizza!

Are you wondering if you can split toppings on a pizza? YES YOU CAN!

Pro Tip: Time your pizza experience with the opera singers.

Yes, opera singers. Every night around 7:30 pm a live Opera singer will come out and perform above Sal’s on the patio for Bice.

Seriously, how cool is this?

Eat your heart out jugglers on the Boardwalk (just kidding we love you guys!)

Don’t skip the desserts either!

Since i was waiting  I ordered an Oreo cheesecake thing from the quick refrigerator. I mentioned I was going to take a picture and he insisted it get put on a plate with strawberries how they serve it. 😅 It was incredibly smooth and rich and creamy. 1000% would order it again.

Honorable Mention – Pizza Fries and Tots

I firmly believe Pizza is a State of Mind. Nowhere else is this clear than with Pizza Fries. This HHN staple puts a serving of crinkle fries over a bed of pasta sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, crumbled sausage, and pepperoni. If you haven’t had pizza fries, you should.

Year round Pizza Fries are found in Seuss Landing in Islands of Adventure at Green Eggs and Ham as the Pizza Tots!

I’m not very enthusiastic about this choice, but people enjoyed the FNAF “Why Not Have Both Pizza & Pasta” pizza, a pepperoni pizza baked with spaghetti and meatballs on top. It’s a choice.

One of the coolest pizza ideas was the Pizza Skull, a pepperoni pizza stuff pastry formed into the shape of a skull. It was delicious and amazing and is often available around the parks in other shapes. Keep an eye out, you’ll never know where it’ll pop up.

DISHONORABLE MENTION – Pizza Dog

When Derek texted me (Joe) this photo my response was “this is terrorism”. Universal debuted a pizza dog, think a stuffed crust pizza but remove the mozzarella in the crust and replace with a hot dog.

It was a choice. Now in the year of our lord 2026 the Pizza Dog has returned like a horse of the apocalypse but this time in Marvel Super Hero Island.

The pizza dog is not good. The pizza is poor, the hot dog is bad, putting the hot dog in the curst is a bad idea, and I think it also ran over my dog? Just saying you take your own risks when ordering this. Now this new version does switch it up by baking the hot dog int he calzone, but it still looks pretty offensive.

So there you have it: Ranking Universal Orlando Pizza! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out the THEME PARK ENJOYMENT INDEX, giving a monthly recap of all the theme park news you need to know (and a lot more you don’t need to know, but we’re gonna tell you anyway). You can also follow Your Humble Author on BlueSky (@derekburgan).

Next time on The Saturday Six…

More pizza boxes!?!?!??!

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Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, Digital Maestro Scott Walker, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, Ace Photographer Diservations, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, artist @SonderQuest, the mighty maven of merchandise Hedgehog’s Corner, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope “Wants an Ooni Oven” Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, the permit princess Alicia Stella, master cartographer Tommy Hawkins, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Thickey for their invaluable assistance with this article. Absolutely no help was added by Lightning Lane Influencer Professor Leisure. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHide.