Tom Brady could have signed with just about any team in the NFL. Ultimately, he passed up the bright lights of Los Angeles, the blinding lights of Las Vegas, and many more possibilities to go to Tampa.
Why Tampa? Some say he was drawn by the Buccaneers’ treasure trove of offensive talent and a fully-guaranteed $50 million deal. Sure, those things are nice, but we all know the real reason why TB was drawn to TB.
“If I’m craving bacon, I have a piece. Same with pizza,” Brady told reporters prior to his last season with the Patriots. “What’s changed as I’ve gotten older is now if I want pizza, I want the best pizza. I don’t eat a slice that tastes like (expletive), and then wonder, ‘Why am I eating (expletive) pizza?’”
Listen to Tom. While you’re cooped up in Tampa, you might as well eat like a champion.
Here are just some of our favorite pizzerias offering delivery and contact-free delivery in Tampa:
Tampa Pizza Company prides itself on pizza that is good and good for you. They’ve got just about every diet accounted for here, with vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free, and soy-free offerings that could rival any other “regular” pie in the area. You’d do well to order any one of their house favorites, including the Prosciutto Pizza with creamy goat cheese and a fig jam base.
Eddie And Sam’s N.Y. Pizza
They might not be importing their water from New York at the moment, but they’re still firing up some tasty pies at Eddie & Sam’s.
At Gourmet Pizza Co., founder and lead pizzaiolo Kristina Lima is firing up some of Tampa’s most inventive pies with a focus on healthier ingredients. Lima, who is gluten-intolerant, has succeeded in her mission to create GF, vegan, and cauliflower crust pizzas that are just as delicious as the “real thing.” The New Mellow Yellow – topped with infused garlic oil, capers, chickpeas, sweet red grapes, cauliflower, and house-made peanut butter sauce – is one of our faves.
Start spreading the news. Here, you can get the Mayor Guiliani, Yankees Favorite, Bada Bing, and any of their other odes to the NY/NJ area in anything ranging from a 12-inch personal sized pie all the way to the 18″ extra large.
When you’re in the mood for thin crust pizza, ordering from Hawkeye’s is a no-brainer. The only tough part is deciding whether to get the large, extra large, or giant sized pie. They’re not kidding either – at 25” in diameter, it can feed six or more pizza lovers. Or, if you’re really hungry and determined, it could feed a party of two.
Magdalena’s, opened in 2017 by Filipino chefs, offers up one of the most diverse pizzeria menus you’ll find in all of Tampa. They’ve got the usual suspects – Hawaiian pies, pizzas loaded with buffalo chicken, and an especially tasty Meat Lovers, but they’ve got some killer lumpia, too, so you better save room for that. Oh, ditto for the desserts, because no one wants to miss out on Cannoli Poppers.
Located in Town ‘n’ Country, Tomato Joe’s does not skimp on anything. The pies – including the Chicken Bacon Ranchero finished with a mesmerizing swirl of the good stuff – are almost too massive to fit inside of the delivery box. Meanwhile, the calzones are over a foot long, baked to golden perfection, and positively packed with your choice of three toppings.
With portions like these, you could go splitsies, but you’ll want to be stocked up for everything in your Netflix queue. There’s also might be a re-watch of Tiger King in your near future and you can’t get to the bottom of a murder mystery on an empty stomach.
It’s only fitting that South Florida has a proper Cuban Pizza. Topped with pork, salami, ham, pickles, mayo, and mustard, it’s guaranteed to be unlike any other pie you’ve tried. A note for ABC: If you ever decide to test out a Medianoche-inspired version on egg dough, we’re 100% down to help guinea pig it. (pickup only)
Grimaldi’s
The Tampa location of Grimaldi’s, predictably, has been a smash hit. Pro tip: Make sure you’ve got at least one of their quality calzones ordered along with your pies.
Fabrica Pizza
The Margherita pizza is the move here, but you can’t really go wrong with any of the wood-fired pies at this Neapolitan-influenced “modern eatery” in Tampa.
Due Amici
Ybor City’s Due Amici is a hotspot in Cigar City for a house-made sauce so good that it’s sold in stores. If you’re feeling more than just a pie, opt for Lora’s Pasta, which is lovingly covered in Due Amici’s spicy Arrabiata.
When you can’t get to New York, bring New York to you. Slice Masters offers up solid NY-style pies plus doughy deliciousness with their authentic garlic knots. Also, a fun fact: They were doing bake-at-home pizzas before they were cool.
Westshore slices their veggies fresh every morning and makes their dough twice daily to deliver some of Tampa’s best pizzas. Their passion for produce shows in the Vegetarian Pizza (duh), but also in less traditional offerings like the Philly Deluxe, which brings an entire cheesesteak’s worth of goodness to your pizza, complete with peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
With multiple Florida locations on Slice, that deliciousness is never too far from your doorstep.
Speaking of cheesesteaks – Chubby’s offers up Philly’s most notorious hoagie in Tampa, plus enough cheese-covered pizzas to satisfy every player on the Eagles and Bucs.
Anthony’s New York Style Pizza
Can’t decide between pizza and wings tonight? Why choose? Anthony’s has both in one convenient combo.
Their well-baked thin-crust stands up surprisingly well to lots of delicious toppings. Our fave is the Mediterranean featuring black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and feta cheese, but it’s hard to go wrong with any of them. Get yours with the standard or gluten-free crust and save room for the oven baked subs.
Pizza Famiglia serves up ultra-cheesy pizzas atop dense crust, a big hit for fans of doughier pies in the Tampa area. Among their more popular pizzas – a Gyro Pizza with ample meat, mushrooms, onions, and a well-paired white sauce.
Not every outpost of Blackjack has Detroit-style pizza (known here as “all corner”), but this one does. Crunch into those perfect edges with any mix of toppings you’d like and catch a well-deserved food nap afterwards.
Personal favorites:
Wood Fired Pizza on Bearss
900 Degrees — Shoppes at Wiregrass
Pomodoro Pizza on rt 56, Wesley Chapel
Pizza Mania Wesley Chapel
La Prima Pizza Wesley Chapel