Downtown Indianapolis pizza spots to check out during NBA All-Star Weekend

Editor's note: This story originally published in January 2022. We are republishing an updated version for the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Pizza. It’s America’s comfort food, delighting grade-schoolers, college students and, with the right combo of housemade sausage and premium toppings, foodies alike. It's a question that can bring a lot of debate: Who has the best pizza in downtown Indianapolis?

Downtown Indianapolis doesn't have a ton of pizza shops, but there are some goodies here.

Whether looking for a slice or a pie, here are the best places to satiate your cravings.

Abbiocco Pizzeria

906 Carrollton Ave., abbioccopizzeria.com

Abbiocco slings full pies and single slices from the Garage Food Hall on Mass Ave. You can go simple with plain cheese ($3.75) or a single topping ($4.25), but Abbiocco also offers meat lover's, barbecue and white sauce slices.

Bazbeaux Pizza

333 Massachusetts Ave., 317-636-7662, bazbeaux.com

A favorite here is the Pizza Alla Quattro Formaggio with layers of Romano, cheddar, ricotta, mozzarella and provolone and bacon and mushroom. The Colossus lives up to its name, topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, mushroom, red onion, green pepper and black olive.

Other toppings include andouille sausage and albacore tuna, premium items include Cajun shrimp and Indiana farm-raised chicken.

Futuro

19 Cruse St., Indianapolis, 317- 360-4725, futuroindy.com

A perfect choice for the group that can’t decide between Chicago-style deep dish, wafer-thin tavern-style or Detroit-style pizza. This spot serves all three made with house-made sauces. Build your own from toppings that include vegan mozzarella, pepperoni and sausage made in house. Or go with a specialty, the likes of the Spotted Pig, a creation of applewood smoked bacon, jalapenos, goat cheese, ricotta red sauce and a hot honey drizzle.

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Giordano’s

43 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis, 317-288-3415, giordanos.com

The Chicago-style stuffed pizza made at this chain has evolved from a 200-year-old recipe started in Torino, Italy. Pies are available in small, medium, large and 6-inch personal sizes.

Goodfellas Pizzeria

545 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis, 317-602-3401, goodfellaspizzeria.com

New York-style pizza is the name of the game here, where slices, whole pies and super long soft breadsticks are served.

Guests also can order pizza at the attached Wiseguy Lounge, which offers more than 400 bourbons, hand-crafted cocktails and beer on tap.

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Greek’s Pizzeria

630 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis, 317-520-3500, greekspizzeria.com

Greek’s partners with 1205 Distillery at this Fountain Square location, allowing guests to order the hand-tossed pizzas, pastas, wings and French-style bread sandwiches with a craft cocktail such as The Spirit of Radio made with bourbon, rhubarb liqueur, pomegranate simple syrup and lime.

Harry & Izzy’s

153 S. Illinois St, Indianapolis, 317-635-9594, harryandizzys.com

All right, so not a pizza place, but the upscale eatery has our attention with four thin-crust pies, including the St. Elmo Prime Rib pizza with horseradish ricotta, mushrooms and an onion marmalade.

HotBox

30 E. Georgia St., Indianapolis, 317-656-6000, hotboxpizza.com

The crust is light and crispy at this Hoosier favorite known for specialty and seasonal pizzas. Its Ballsagna has meatballs, green peppers, banana peppers, ricotta and red sauce.

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Iaria's Italian Restaurant

317 S. College Ave., irariasrestaurant.com

For a more gourmet pie, Iaria's offers a short but varied pizza menu including the All Around the World (salami, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms for $15) and Mimo's Maximus (sausage, pepperoni, salami, olives, mushroom, green pepper, onion, garlic and pepperoncini for $17.)

King Dough

452 N. Highland Ave., Indianapolis,  317- 602-7960, kingdoughpizzas.com

The wood-fired pizzeria offers 8-inch, 14-inch and New York-style pizzas along with house-made meatballs, wings and appetizers like fried calamari battered with pieces of banana peppers and olives. Plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are on the menu.

Pearl Street Pizzeria & Pub

65 E. Pearl St., Indianapolis, 317-638-3110,  pearlstreetpizzeria.com

This back-alley restaurant serves crispy, hand-tossed pan pies with crusts flavored with butter herb, sandwiches and salads. Specialty pies include one with Bartlett pears and gorgonzola, olive oil and balsamic glaze. Guests also can enjoy cocktails, wine and bottled beer with plenty of screens for viewing whatever game is showing.

Pronta Pizzeria

325 W. Washington St., prontapizzeriamenu.com

Thick, doughy crusts and heavy toppings are the modus operandi at Pronta. The signature Pronta features sautéed steak, while the Mexican pizza is a colorful hodgepodge of chorizo, jalape?os and cilantro. Purists can stick to the plain cheese or Margherita.IndyStar reporter Bradley Hohulin contributed to this report.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at [email protected] or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter: @cherylvjackson.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA All-Star Weekend: Best downtown pizza spots