After a first round of March Madness-style voting based on our Sweet 16 bracket, Sarasota pizza lovers have spoken.
The field of contenders in our 2026 competition has been sliced down. Now, it’s time for Round 2, where your votes will determine which spots advance toward the ultimate local pizza title.
Did your favorite Sarasota pizza restaurant make the cut? Check out the Round 1 winners below and cast your vote to keep them in the running!
Voting for Round 2 is open now through 2 p.m. Thursday, March 26, so let’s keep the pizza passion going — vote for your favorite now!
Voting restarts weekly, each Monday through Thursday, concluding with championship voting from March 31 to April 3.
Elite 8 voting guide
Voting begins today and ends at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 26. Final voting begins Monday, March 30, featuring winners from the previous round.
Best Pizza Championship dates
Bella Napoli vs. Tralia
We have an early rematch between last year’s top two contenders. The winner of our 2025 best pizza poll, Trattoria Bella Napoli on Main Street in downtown Sarasota features Chef Cesare Di Iorio (formerly of Osteria 500), who crafts Neapolitan pizzas in a wood-fired oven. Expect a chewy, airy crust, fresh mozzarella, vibrant tomato sauce, and aromatic basil. Last year’s runner-up in our best pizza poll, Tralia began as a popular pop-up and now serves its distinctive sourdough-based Detroit-style square pizzas — as well as equally impressive thin-crust rounds — at its brick-and-mortar location at 6566 Gateway Ave. in Gulf Gate.
Capo Pazzo vs. Napulé/15 South
Capo Pazzo Pizzeria + Kitchen is a cozy spot nestled in a Sarasota strip mall, serving New York-style pizzas featuring high-quality ingredients and a crispy crust with just the right amount of char. An excellent purveyor of Neapolitan pizza, Napulé, located on South Tamiami Trail, recently opened its sister restaurant, 15 South by Napulé, on St. Armands Circle.
Shaner’s vs. Il Panificio
Shaner’s Pizza in Gulf Gate was opened in 1991 by retired Major League Baseball pitcher and Wisconsin native Shane Rawley, and serves tavern-style pies tailored to Midwestern tastes. Il Panificio, known for its New Jersey-style thin-crust pizza that’s somehow simultaneously crisp and chewy, has operated its downtown Sarasota location since 1991 — where Dave Portnoy visited for a “One Bite Pizza Review.” They also have a pizzeria in Siesta Key Village.
Origin vs. Solorzano’s
Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe, which has grown from its original Southside Village shop to multiple Sarasota-Manatee locations, serves thin crust, globe-trotting pizza pies with standouts such as The Za’atar featuring oregano, thyme, marjoram, sesame seeds, coriander, and Mediterranean relish. Solorzano’s Pizza on Webber Street was recently announced as the Sarasota Community’s Choice Award winner for Best Pizza — can it replicate that success here? It beat Bavaro’s in a close race in the first round.
Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best pizza restaurant in Sarasota? Vote now in Round 2
Reporting by Jimmy Geurts and Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
