Over the past month, readers voted in a series of head-to-head matchups to determine which local pizzerias would advance in The News-Journal’s 2026 Best Pizza Competition. While some contenders cruised to decisive wins, others came down to the wire.
Now, after four weeks of voting, this year’s readers’ pick for the best pizza in the Daytona Beach area has been decided — all thanks to your votes.
The final round took place last week, April 6 – 10, with Bronx House Pizza and Sky’s Pies Pizza facing off for the title.
When polls closed Friday afternoon, Bronx House Pizza edged ahead by just three votes to claim the 2026 crown.
“What a privilege and what an honor, honestly,” said owner Bruno DiFabio, who co-founded Bronx House Pizza in 2019 with longtime friend Michael Bennici.
“There’s so many people that are definitely deserving of this — so many people that have gotten accolades,” he continued. “You see a lot of people getting great, great reviews and having a really good fellowship, so that’s awesome just to be considered with some of these guys.”
While the Bronx House Pizza team promoted the competition on Facebook, DiFabio says its was primarily word of mouth and the unwavering loyalty of their customers that earned them this win, with many guests dropping in to proudly share news that they had voted.
What is Bronx House Pizza?
Since the launch of its first restaurant in Ormond Beach, the “obsessively authentic,” independent pizza brand has gone on to expand with more than a dozen locations across Northeast and Central Florida.
“We’ve been so lucky. We’ve picked great locations, and we really feel a kinship with our customers, you know? We feel like we know them,” DiFabio said. “… And the tremendous outreach that we do in the community, we feel that that’s also a big part of our success,” from community food drives in partnership with local elementary schools, to annual fundraisers and more.
Bronx House opened its first Daytona Beach eatery last month, marking its fifth restaurant within the Volusia-Flagler region — one already living up to the reputation set by its other outposts.
“This really boosted business, I swear,” DiFabio said, of the annual competition. “The first couple of days, we just unlocked the door and the place maybe filled up halfway, but man, when we started moving up (in the competition), it was like all of a sudden, the place was jammed — a line out the door. There was a lot of buzz about it.”
What’s on the menu at Bronx House Pizza?
With nearly seven years under its belt, the brand continues to uphold the highest standards behind its pies — from using whole-milk mozzarella boasting a five-star rating from the milk and dairy board to Modesto, California-sourced tomatoes and homemade sauce prepared using fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil.
“We really follow the food and beverage supply chain meticulously, and we’ve learned how to work with these ingredients using the most optimal techniques,” DiFabio said, noting the brand sells at least 5,000 pizzas a day in Florida.
Bronx House Pizza makes its dough on-site from scratch and offers a substantial menu of gourmet, hand-tossed pies known for their crispy, golden-baked crust — the result of a multi-step, 48-hour fermentation process, according to its website.
The brand prides itself on serving true New York, rather than New York-style, pies, each baked in a 550-degree, gas-fired, flat top, brick oven, its website notes.
Menu options range from the bestselling Beast of Burden, Buffalo chicken and Big Al pizza — my personal favorite — to square-cut deep-dish pizzas; build-your-own-style pizzas and gluten-free cauliflower pies.
Bronx House Pizza celebrates the win
Looking ahead, DiFabio said the win will continue “to be a big point of pride” for the brand — one he looks forward to celebrating with his Bronx House Pizza team.
“To come out on top, I can’t tell you what an honor it is,” he said. “… I’m humbled by the whole experience. I’m very appreciative, and I just have a lot of gratitude, you know? We’re gonna ride this momentum.”
For information, visit bronxhousepizza.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: The votes are in! Readers choose best pizza in Daytona Beach area
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
