Ten delicious spots to grab some pizza in honour of YYC Pizza Fest kicking off this weekend

Let’s be honest — there’s nothing better than a fresh slice of pizza! Luckily for us, Calgary is filled with iconic pizza parlours and eateries serving up their own renditions of cheesy, doughy goodness. From the crispiness of the crust to the taste of the cheese to the creative combination of toppings, it’s safe to say Calgarians know and love their pizza. With YYC Pizza Fest starting on Friday and running until Oct. 2, we decided to share some of our favourite spots and our readers shared some of their go-to joints, too.

Krista Sylvester’s top three pizza places 

Inglewood Pizza 

Located in the heart of historic Inglewood, this pizza joint has been serving its cheesy slices to the community since 1994. The shop’s many accolades include best gluten-free dough and an award-winning rendition of pineapple and ham pizza. It now has a second location in Killarney. Even though I live far south, I make the drive when I’m in the mood for a mushroom, black olive, and spinach delight! 

Windsor Pizza 

Hailing all the way from Windsor, Ont., the owners brought Windsor-style pizza (it’s a thing!) to the city’s southeast industrial area — and we love them for it. What makes a Windsor pizza different from your average slice of ‘za? The toppings are cooked over the cheese and the crust is cooked to a crispy perfection. My family is from Windsor so this is like a slice of nostalgia. My recommendation is the Windsor Special, naturally. 

Blaze Pizza 

With three locations to choose from, Blaze Pizza only uses house-made dough and offers five specialty crusts with more than 40 toppings to choose from. Then, this pie is fast-fired at extreme heat in the oven. Yum! And though everyone might not agree that pineapple belongs on pizza, my go-to choice here is the Hawaiian. 

Leanne Murray’s top three pizza places 

LDV Pizza Bar

LDV stands for La Dolce Vita, which is Italian for “the sweet life”. And a sweet life it will be when you’re eating at LDV Pizza Bar. Located in Calgary’s Bridgeland neighbourhood, LDV features thin-crust pizza baked in an imported wood-burning oven. I recommend the Pizza Jeremiah with a side of Italian fries.

Posto Pizzeria & Bar

This pizzeria is located downtown and has a very cool atmosphere. Posto’s motto is that life is too short to eat ordinary pizza. Posto uses locally sourced ingredients for its tasty ‘za creations. My personal favourite is topped with mortadella, caramelized onion, pistachio, basil, and balsamic.

Freshslice Pizza

When I just want a quick slice of pizza, Freshslice is my go-to. There are two locations downtown and one just outside of Calgary in CrossIron Mills. I like to grab a slice of pepperoni on its signature multigrain dough from the 1 Street SW location and take a wander through nearby Lindsay Park.

Here is what our readers had to say: 

Noble Pie Pizza 

Greg says it’s all about the crust with this simple, real Brooklyn-style pizza. While he misses the old location in 88’ Brewing, he says Noble’s Beltline location is just as awesome and makes a great date night, but he encourages you to get there early as it gets busy. 

A Pizza Plus 

Kathi says this family-owned pizza shop has been tucked away in a little strip mall off Bow Trail for years. She says it’s very busy due to word of mouth. She loves that it’s thick with extra toppings, and while she has been to many places, she always comes back to A Pizza Plus. 

Matador Pizza & Steakhouse 

Wes says his go-to pizza joint is Matador, located off Shaganappi Trail in the city’s northwest.  He says all of the ingredients are incredibly fresh and the crust is perfect every time. As a self-proclaimed pizza aficionado, Matador holds a special place in his heart. 

Atlas Pizza & Sportsbar 

Carrie says Atlas is a friendly neighbourhood pub in the city’s northeast that is one of Calgary’s longest-serving since it opened in 1975. She loves the thick toppings and cheese layer and says it’s worth driving across the city.