Seattle slices take top spot in tastiest food study; Gee, Ursula weigh in

When people think of Seattle cuisine they probably picture fresh seafood or pho and especially, coffee, but the food category Seattle was named number one in might surprise you.

A study by Mandoe Media, a software company based in Australia, ranked Seattle as America’s top pizza city.

“Seattle’s rise in the pizza world stems from its thriving food culture and focus on locally sourced ingredients,” the company stated on its website. “The city’s culinary scene has influenced its pizzerias, where you’ll find unique topping combinations and well-crafted crusts. From wood-fired Neapolitan-style pies to fusion pizzas, Seattle offers a diverse and high-quality pizza experience that stands up to any traditional pizza capital.”

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Mandeo Media looked at the average rating for pizza places across online review sites and then gathered the percentage of them that were rated as “excellent.” It also looked at the number of pizza places each city had to offer and the number of Google searches for pizza per 100,000 or population.

Therefore cities were ranked on ratings, excellence, choice and interest in pizza. Rating was weighted as 25 points, excellence as 15 points, choice as five points and interest as 10 points. The company said Seattle ranked highly in both ratings and quality.

“This Pacific Northwest hub has quietly developed into a paradise for pizza enthusiasts, performing well across all metrics in our study,” Mandeo Media stated on its website.

As for second place, Boston took the title, claiming the top spot in quality and second-best overall rating.

“While the city is more famous for its clam chowder and baked beans, Boston’s strong showing suggests a thriving pizza culture that deserves more recognition,” Mandeo Media stated. “This high ranking in quality indicates that Boston’s pizzerias are consistently delivering top-notch pies, even if they might be fewer in number compared to other cities.”

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Closer to home, coming in at third place was Portland. Fourth place was New York and fifth place was San Diego.

KIRO Newsradio hosts weigh in on Seattle Pizza and more

Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, touched on the uniqueness of Chicago pizza, which came in at ninth place.

“The reason why I am giving the nod to Chicago is because when you have deep dish in Chicago, you cannot duplicate that anywhere else because of the old school ovens, the brick ovens that were made in the old days,” he said. “And you go to some local bars in Chicago, a lot of these places still have the original, and so you can’t get that taste outside of Chicago.”

But Andrew Lanier, producer for “Gee and Ursula,” added that Seattle has good pizza.

“I think that there’s amazing pizza all over the country, including Seattle,” he said.

To hear co-host Ursula Reutin’s take, and more from Scott and Lanier, listen to the podcast clip below:

Also, head to the Gee and Ursula Facebook page to weigh in on what the best pizza place in Seattle is and where the best pizza in the U.S. can be found.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.