Delaware County doesn’t agree on much when it comes to pizza, and that’s exactly the point.
Some locals want an old-school pie with a little nostalgia baked into the crust.
Others search for crispy Detroit-style corners, square slices, sauce-on-top pies, or Neapolitan dough that can sell out before the dinner rush ends.
This isn’t an attempt to crown a single winner. It’s a pizza trail through nine Delaware County spots that prove just how many ways Delco does a pie.
Imperial Pizza, Secane
Imperial is one of the founding names in Delco pizza.
The Secane shop has called itself family-owned and operated since 1969, turning out pizza, steaks, and meatball sandwiches at affordable prices.
The crust is part of their claim to fame.
Regulars call it the “sand” or “sandy bottom,” a cornmeal finish that gives the pie its signature grit, and longtime customers order it by that name without thinking twice.
This is a no-frills neighborhood shop in the best sense, built on consistency and a crust people grew up on.
Paul Revere Pizza House, Lansdowne
Paul Revere Pizza House offers another dose of staying power.
The Lansdowne shop says it’s been serving pizza since 1966, and the reputation comes with receipts. It touts pizza voted best in Delaware County four years running.
The vibe is classic local pizza house: familiar, unhurried, and built for regulars who place their order before they reach the counter.
1010 Pizza, Media
In Media, 1010 Pizza built its name on square pizza and a signature upside-down pie, with the sauce layered over the cheese.
The shop’s motto makes the case in five words: “We don’t cut corners, square is fair.”
The family-owned business has expanded over more than 30 years, but the draw stays simple. It’s a dependable pizza-and-grill spot for families, takeout nights, and anyone who believes sauce-on-top deserves its own fan club.
Ravanesi Pizzeria Napoletana, Glen Mills
Ravanesi is one of the top destinations on this list, and for good reason.
Founder David Ravanesi traces his love of Neapolitan pizza to a trip to Napoli, and the Glen Mills shop has built a devoted following on traditional pies and a call-ahead dough-reservation system.
The oven runs around 810 degrees, the kitchen makes only a set number of doughs each day, and reservations are often booked two to three weeks out.
The shop is also BYOB, which keeps the spotlight on the food.
Start with the Margherita, the kind of bare-bones pie that leaves you satisfied, then graduate to the Bianca, the white pizza that has earned cult status.
Crust Pizzeria, Havertown
Crust brought Detroit-style pizza to Havertown, with thick rectangular pies, crispy cheese edges, and Wisconsin brick cheese.
Owner Nick Haselidis finishes each pie with stripes of sauce he calls “racing stripes,” baked in blue steel pans modeled after the trays Detroit auto factories once used for parts.
He opened the shop next to Havertown Grille, giving Delco something well outside the usual slice-counter routine.
The Detroit 1946 is the go-to order for first-timers.
Leandro’s Pizza House, Upper Darby
Leandro’s runs on pure 69th Street energy: busy, casual, and stitched into the neighborhood.
The Upper Darby shop carries family ownership and deep community ties, and its 18-inch beef pepperoni pizza is one of the standout orders.
This is a place built for loyal regulars and big, shareable pies.
Malatesta’s Italian American Pizza, Newtown Square
Malatesta’s leans into family-recipe pizza with a modern neighborhood-shop feel in Newtown Square.
The pies come straight from the owner’s grandmother’s recipe, and the Original Red Pie, with mozzarella underneath, sauce on top, and Pecorino Romano to finish, is the natural first move.
The white pie with rosemary and thinly sliced red bliss potatoes has fans who reportedly drive in from South Philly.
Grandma pies, bar pies, long hot pies, and cup-and-char pepperoni fill out the rest of the menu.
Piazza Napoli Pizza, Glenolden
Piazza Napoli is the reliable neighborhood takeout pick.
The Glenolden shop runs the kind of deep menu that can feed a full household, from pizza and strombolis to wings, breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, and pasta, with pies fired in a rotating deck oven.
Check out their delicious Supreme Napoli Special Pizza, loaded with classic toppings.
Paola’s, Wayne
Paola’s brings a Main Line Italian counter-restaurant feel to the trail.
Paola Coppola’s food story runs through Brooklyn pizzerias before the family settled in Wayne, where Bravo Pizza opened in 1997 and later became Paola’s.
The cheese pizza is a tasty first order, though the chicken cutlet and cheesesteak have their own loyal following.
Small touches set the tone, like slices served on china plates.
There’s no single definition of a perfect pie in Delaware County, and that is the fun of it.
From Secane nostalgia to Glen Mills Neapolitan dough to Havertown Detroit-style crunch, Delco gives locals plenty to argue about over the next slice.
_______
