The News-Journal’s annual pizza competition kicked off last week, featuring 16 of the Daytona Beach area’s most raved over restaurants to grab a slice.
Hundreds of votes piled in throughout the week, and the Sweet Sixteen competition results are now in. Did your favorite restaurant make the cut? The first round of voting ended Friday, signaling the start of the Elite Eight — another round of head-to-head matchups.
Voting starts now with the polls closing at noon on March 27. Weekly voting restarts each Monday through Friday and will conclude with finals taking place April 6 – 10. The winner will be announced the following Monday.
Elite Eight voting guide
Best pizzeria championships dates
JoJo’s Tastes of Chicago vs. Sky’s Pies Pizza
JoJo’s Tastes of Chicago: JoJo’s Tastes of Chicago has been slinging pies for just over a year at 201 Commonwealth Blvd., where restaurateur Joey Kielbasa opened shop in 2024 and has earned a 4.5-star online rating for his made-to-order Chicago-style eats. JoJo’s offers deep-dish selections, as well as Chicago-style cracker-crust pizza, delivering a satisfying crunch with each bite. 201 Commonwealth Blvd., Port Orange; 386-675-6033, jojostastesofchicago.com.
Sky’s Pies Pizza: Sky’s Pies Pizza came out on top as The News-Journal’s 2025 pizza bracket champion under owner Skylor Mayer, who opened the Daytona pizzeria in 2024. Sky’s Pies is known for its “real New York-style” pizza, from its classic pepperoni to the bruschetta pie, meat lovers and margherita. The restaurant boasts a 4.8-star online rating and offers pickup and delivery. 1112 Derbyshire Road, Daytona Beach; 386-944-9655, skyspiespizza.com
Can’t see the poll? Click here to cast your vote!
Genovese’s Italian Café vs. Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza
Genovese’s Italian Café: For more than 40 years, Genovese’s Italian Café has been serving the Daytona Beach area its New York-style pizzas, prepared with “the freshest ingredients,” hand-tossed dough, and sauces passed down through generations. Both locations hold at least a 4.5-star rating with more than 3,000 combined reviews, and serve a vast pizza menu with 10-, 13- or 16-inch selections, as well as Sicilian deep-dish and low-fat options. 183 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach; 386-677-3222, genovesesitaliancafe.com | 116 Dunlawton Blvd., Daytona Beach; 386-767-4151, genovesesitaliancafe.com.
Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza: Crowned The News-Journal’s 2024 pizza bracket champion, Giuseppe’s has had a local presence since 1982 and maintains a 4.3-star online rating, drawing the attention of several social media stars who’ve paid the pizzeria a visit in recent years. The family-owned eatery is known for its variety of signature wood-fired and hand-tossed, brick oven-baked pizzas. The eatery’s wood-fired pizzas feature a thinner, more charred crust as compared to the doughier texture of the brick-oven-baked pies, like the popular Steel City Slayer or Spicy Piggy pizza. 3658 S. Nova Road, Port Orange; 386-761-4717, giuseppessteelcitypizza.com.
Can’t see the poll? Click here to cast your vote!
Corleone’s Famous New York Pizza & Gyros vs. Prima
Corleone’s Famous New York Pizza & Gyros: The Pizza Don, also known as Alex Fotiadis, is the name behind Corleone’s New York Pizza & Gyros in Daytona Beach. The New York-style pizza brand is rated 4.5 stars and has had a local presence for more than 20 years in the Daytona area. Try the Bianca pizza with ricotta and “paper thin garlic;” The Brooklyn with Grande and fresh mozzarella; or the Ah-Beetz pizza, a New Haven-style pie, boasting a crisp, charred crust, and my choice of cup and char pepperoni. 505 White St., Daytona Beach; 386-333-9996, corleonesny.com.
Prima: Sister restaurant to the popular Bar Leona, Prima sits within New Smyrna Beach’s historic district and offers a robust menu of creative pizzas, pastas, and more — not to mention a generous beer and wine display. With a 4.8-star rating, the restaurant’s menu ranges from the honey gorgonzola pizza with crisp bacon to the the sausage-, goat cheese- and vodka sauce-coated Flying Pig. 112 Sams Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-847-8556, primansb.com.
Can’t see the poll? Click here to cast your vote!
Alberto’s Pizza Shop vs. Bronx House Pizza
Alberto’s Pizza Shop: Alberto’s Pizza Shop is a popular Port Orange restaurant with a 4.4-star online rating, known for its spaghetti bread, Greek salads and, of course, pizza. The local shop offers everything from your classic, thin-crust New York-style pizza to Sicilian round, garlic knot crust pies, white, and Western pizzas. All dough is made fresh daily at the restaurant, where pizzas are hand-tossed and prepared with real mozzarella and homemade sauce. Alberto’s offers 14-, 16- and 18-inch pizzas like the pickle, taco and veggie pies. 4036 S. Nova Road, Port Orange; 386-238-9261, albertospizzashop.com.
Bronx House Pizza: With four locations across the Volusia-Flagler region — and another coming soon — this “obsessively authentic” local chain is known for bringing “the perfect New York slice” right to Floridians’ dinner tables. The award-winning brand makes all doughs, sauces and dressings from scratch on-site and offers a substantial menu of gourmet, hand-tossed pies known for their light, crispy, golden-baked crust. Try the Hot 97 with jalapeno and hot honey, the Big Al, or popular Beast of Burden pizza. Multiple locations; bronxhousepizza.com.
Can’t see the poll? Click here to cast your vote!
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Elite Eight. Vote now for the best pizza place in Daytona Beach area
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
