UPDATED: Vote now for best pizza restaurant in Sarasota, Bradenton.
UPDATED 2 P.M. MARCH 7: We have a tie!
While all the results from our Sweet 16 voting will not be revealed until Monday (March 11), we must announce that when polls closed at 2 p.m. today (March 7), we had a tie between Origin and Joey D's with 398 votes each. To determine a winner, the poll for this matchup only has been reopened until 9 a.m. Friday (March 8). Please scroll down to Origin vs. Joey D's and vote ASAP!
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We received plenty of passionate feedback from our list of best restaurants for pizza in Sarasota and Manatee counties published in February.
Based on that list, your emails and comments, and customer Google reviews, the top 16 pizzerias in Sarasota and Manatee counties have been seeded and placed on the bracket for round-by-round, head-to-head matchups.
Now, it’s time for you to decide which pizzeria is No. 1.
Voting on the first round of matchups begins today, with the polls closing at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 7. The voting will restart weekly each Monday through Thursday concluding with The Finals taking place March 25-28. The champion will be announced Monday, April 1, and we promise, no foolin’!
Choose the local pizzeria you've loved visiting since childhood, one you've recently discovered or just pick the name you like best, just like you do when filling out your March Madness basketball brackets. No judgment here. Let's have some fun!
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Sweet 16 voting guide
Voting begins today and ends at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 7. Elite voting will begin on Monday, March 11, featuring winners from the previous round.
Best Pizza championships dates
Sweet 16: March 4-7
Elite 8: March 11-14
Final Four: March 18-21
THE FINALS: March 25-28
Winner announced Monday, April 1
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RomanSQ vs. Il Panificio
RomanSQ, the humble Gulf Gate eatery known for its authentic Roman-style pizza with a thick but airy crust that's served by the rectangular slice or tray and boasts a perfect 5 out of 5 star rating on Google, was one of my top picks from 2023, and earned our No. 1 seed for 2024. It faces off against local legend Il Panificio, which serves thin crust pizza that's somehow at once crisp and chewy. Il Panificio's downtown Sarasota location dates back to 1991 and they also operate a pizzeria in Siesta Key Village.
Capo Pazzo vs. Cafe Epicure
A cozy spot opened last year in a Sarasota strip mall, Capo Pazzo has built an ardent following (and accrued a 4.9 out of 5 star Google rating) with its New York-style pizzas featuring high-quality ingredients and a crispy crust with a slight char. The popular newbie battles downtown Sarasota landmark Cafe Epicure, which has been serving genuine, Neapolitan-style pizzas from its handsome wood-fired oven for more than two decades.
Pizza Social vs. Osteria 500
Pizza Social is a cute, counter-service operation on Anna Maria Island centered around a big, turquoise-colored brick oven imported from Italy. It competes against the much larger Osteria 500 that opened last year in the Waterside Place neighborhood of Lakewood Ranch and serves pizza from a wood-burning oven built atop a Fiat 500.
Atmosphere vs. Bavaro’s
Atmosphere serves Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven inside a little Italian restaurant tucked away in the old Sarasota Commons strip mall. It must compete against Bavaro's, which serves equally authentic Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-fired brick oven located inside a renovated, nearly-century-old building just east of 301 in downtown Sarasota.
Lucile vs. Oak & Stone
Lucile, opened in 2020 by the owners of the acclaimed Lila, is an intimate and upscale pizzeria and wine bar in downtown Sarasota serving Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-fired oven found at the center of its open kitchen. Its opponent is Oak & Stone, the hugely successful regional chain that started in Sarasota and offers a self-serve craft beer wall to go with its thin-crust artisan pizzas.
Origin vs. Joey D's
Founded in Sarasota's Southside Village neighborhood in 2016, Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe now serves its creative, globe-trotting pizza pies at four locations across Sarasota County. It faces off against Joey D's, which was founded in Bradenton in 1994 and also has four locations in the area. They all serve Chicago deep dish pies, as well as the kind of tavern-style, thin-crust pizza that is also adored by Windy City residents.
Fav's vs. Agrigento
Fav's Italian Cucina is where siblings Michael Favasuli and Maria Favasuli-Wagner have been making fresh dough daily with a secret family recipe and serving hand-tossed pizzas such as their famed "Favarita" (an inspired take on the margherita) in downtown Bradenton for the past 24 years. This Friendly City battle finds them matched up against Agrigento Pizzeria Caffe. Agrigento opened several years ago in the Fairway Center on Manatee Avenue West and serves New York-style pizza as well as specialty pies like the primavera, which reflects the owners' Italian as well as Venezuelan roots.
Loaded Barrel Tavern vs. Boo's Ice House
The Loaded Barrel Tavern in downtown Bradenton serves wild specialty pizzas, such as one that mimics a Big Mac, that are revealed every Monday afternoon on social media. The Barrel must do battle against Boo's Ice House & Dog Bar. The canine-friendly hangout with a full-liquor bar opened last year in Sarasota's Rosemary District and serves wood-fired pizzas with adorable names like the NeoPAWlitan.
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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best pizza Sarasota Bradenton
