Philadelphia has always been a sandwich town. You know the drill—cheesesteaks, roast pork with broccoli rabe, and hoagies that could double as blunt force weapons. But something weird happened over the last few years. While everyone was arguing about Pat's versus Geno's, a quiet revolution started bubbling in the deck ovens of North Philly and the sourdough starters of West Philly. People started calling it "New Style," but honestly, it’s just Philly finally finding its own pizza identity.
For decades, we were trapped. You either got a "Boardwalk" slice that tasted like Wildwood in July, or you got a traditional Neapolitan pie that was soggy in the middle and gone in three bites. New style pizzeria Philadelphia spots have killed that binary. These places aren't trying to be Naples. They aren't trying to be New York. They are crunchy, sourdough-heavy, naturally leavened, and often topped with stuff you’d usually find at a high-end farmers market.
The Death of the Floppy Slice
If you pick up a slice and it folds like a wet napkin, you aren't at a new style spot. The hallmark of this movement is structural integrity. Take Beddia, for example. Joe Beddia famously worked alone for years, making only 40 pies a night in a tiny room in Fishtown. He didn't use a wood-fired oven. He used a gas deck oven because he wanted a specific kind of crunch—a "shatter" when you bite into it.
That’s the core of the new style. It’s about the "crumb."
When you go to Pizzeria Salvy at the Comcast Technology Center, Marc Vetri is doing something similar. It’s a 12-inch pie that looks like a cloud but eats like a cracker. The hydration levels in the dough are way higher than what your neighborhood grease-trap shop is using. We're talking 70% to 80% hydration. This makes the dough harder to handle—it’s sticky and temperamental—but when it hits the heat, the water evaporates instantly, leaving behind these massive air pockets.
It’s basically bread-making techniques applied to pizza. It’s nerdy. It’s precise. And yeah, it’s usually more expensive.
Why Sourdough Changed Everything
Natural leavening is the secret sauce. Or, well, the secret dough. Most old-school shops use commercial yeast because it’s predictable. You put it in, the dough rises in two hours, you bake it, you move on.
👉 See also: Clothes hampers with lids: Why your laundry room setup is probably failing you
New style pizzerias in Philly, like Pizza Richmond or Eeva, are playing a longer game. They use "starters"—living cultures of wild yeast. This gives the crust a slight tang, a fermented flavor that cuts through the fat of the cheese. It also makes it easier to digest. You ever eat four slices of cheap pizza and feel like you swallowed a brick? That’s because the yeast is still doing its thing in your gut. With a long-fermented sourdough pie, the enzymes have already broken down much of the gluten.
- Pizzeria Beddia: The pioneer. No toppings like pepperoni; he uses cantabrian anchovies and shaved old gold cheese.
- Circles + Squares: Square pies that aren't quite Detroit style but have that "frico" (burnt cheese) edge that people lose their minds over.
- Alice: Located at 15th and Locust, they do "Al Taglio" style, which is long rectangular trays sold by weight.
It’s a different vibe. You’re not just ordering a "large plain." You’re asking about the flour source. You’re looking at the char marks, which aficionados call "leopard spotting," and realizing it’s not burnt—it’s flavor.
The Topping Revolution: Beyond Pepperoni
Honestly, the toppings at a new style pizzeria Philadelphia can get a little wild. We aren't just talking about mushrooms and peppers anymore.
I recently saw a pie with pickled long sweets, honey, and spicy nduja (that spreadable pork salame from Calabria). It sounds like a mess. It tastes like a masterpiece. The new style relies on "post-bake" additions. Instead of throwing everything into a 600-degree oven and hoping for the best, these chefs are layering flavors after the crust is finished.
Think:
- Fresh burrata plopped onto a hot pie so it melts slowly as it reaches your table.
- Shaved lemon zest over top of ricotta to brighten the whole thing up.
- High-quality olive oil drizzled on at the very last second.
This isn't just "pizza." This is a composed dish that just happens to have a flatbread as a vessel.
✨ Don't miss: Christmas Treat Bag Ideas That Actually Look Good (And Won't Break Your Budget)
The Neighborhood Impact
You can tell where a neighborhood is heading by the type of pizza it serves. Look at Kensington. Ten years ago, you weren't going there for artisan dough. Now, you have places like Enswell and nearby Pizza Shackamaxon (which actually took over the original Beddia space). These spots act as anchors. They bring foot traffic. They create a "destination" culture where people will drive 45 minutes from the suburbs and stand on a sidewalk for an hour just to get a slice of tomato pie with hand-shaved grana padano.
Is it pretentious? Maybe a little.
But it beats the hell out of the cardboard stuff we were eating in the 90s.
The "New Style" isn't just about the food; it's about the space. These aren't fluorescent-lit shops with dusty soda coolers. They are minimalist. They have natural wine lists. They play indie vinyl. It’s a lifestyle choice. You’re not just eating dinner; you’re participating in a scene.
Common Misconceptions About Philly’s New Pizza
One big mistake people make is thinking "New Style" means "Thin Crust." That’s not always true. Pizza Richmond makes a pie that has some heft to it, but it’s airy.
Another myth: It has to be wood-fired.
Actually, many of the best new style spots in the city prefer electric or gas deck ovens. Why? Control. Wood fire is romantic, sure, but it’s inconsistent. If you want that perfect, even crunch across the entire bottom of the pie (the "under-carriage"), you need the steady, radiating heat of a modern deck oven.
🔗 Read more: Charlie Gunn Lynnville Indiana: What Really Happened at the Family Restaurant
Also, don't ask for ranch. Just... don't. These chefs spend three days fermenting this dough. If you drown it in hidden valley, you’re missing the point of the fermented grain flavor.
How to Actually Secure a Pie
The "New Style" comes with new rules. You can't always just call up and expect a delivery in 30 minutes.
Many of these places have weird hours. Some are "until sold out." Pizza Shackamaxon famously has lines down the block, and when the dough is gone, the gate goes down. Beddia now takes reservations, which was unheard of in his early days.
If you're hunting for the best new style pizzeria Philadelphia experience, you have to be tactical.
- Go early. Especially on Thursdays and Fridays.
- Check Instagram. This is where these shops post their daily specials or announce if they've run out of dough.
- Don't skip the "Red Pie." In Philly, we have a history of tomato pie. The new style spots have perfected this. A pie with just high-quality sauce, garlic, and herbs—no cheese—is the ultimate test of a baker's skill. If the dough is good, you won't miss the mozzarella.
The Future of the Philly Slice
We are moving toward a world where the "corner slice" and the "artisan pie" are blurring. You’re starting to see neighborhood shops upgrade their flour. They’re starting to source better tomatoes (look for Alta Cucina or Bianco DiNapoli on the cans stacked in the back).
Philly has finally stopped trying to imitate New York. We’ve realized that our strength lies in our baking tradition. We are a city of incredible bread—Sarcone’s, Amoroso’s, Lost Bread Co. It only makes sense that our pizza would eventually become an extension of that bakery excellence.
The "New Style" is here to stay because it’s fundamentally better. It uses better ingredients, it’s easier on the stomach, and it tastes like the specific place it was made. You can’t mass-produce this stuff. It requires a human being watching the dough rise and adjusting the oven temperature based on the humidity in the air that day.
Actionable Steps for Your Pizza Tour:
- Start at Pizza Shackamaxon: Order whatever the "special" is. It’s usually something seasonal that will challenge your idea of what belongs on a pizza.
- Compare the Crunch: Visit Circles + Squares for their square pie and then hit Beddia for a round pie. Notice the difference in how the bottom of the crust feels.
- Analyze the Hydration: Look at the "bubbles" in the crust (the cornicione). Large, translucent bubbles mean high hydration and long fermentation.
- Drink Local: Most of these spots pair their pies with local PA beers or natural wines. Use the beverage to cut through the richness of the oils.
- Look for the Flour: Ask the staff what flour they use. If they say "Central Milling" or a local mill like "Castle Valley," you know they are serious about the new style.