17-03-2025
Top 8: Courier Journal Pizza Madness enters Round 2. Here's how to vote
The top eight are here! The Courier Journal's Pizza Madness, where we want you to pick between competitors to decide which is Louisville's favorite spot to get pizza, has entered round two, with eight restaurants facing off against each other.
The online bracket-style competition, which was compiled using a random match-up generator, will run over four rounds now through Friday, April 4, with the champion announced on Monday, April 7.
More: 16 restaurants, 1 winner: Help us find the best pizza in Louisville
You can vote up to eight times per day at Here's what to know:
919 Baxter Ave., 310 Wallace Ave., 7507 River Road, Hours: vary by location
DiOrios Pizza and Pub features hand-tossed New York Style pizza by the slice and more. Look for specialty pizzas including Caroline's Sweet BBQ Chicken Pizza, which features a BBQ sauce base, fresh mozzarella, grilled chicken, red onion and bacon and the This Little Piggy pie, which features Diorios' pizza sauce base, Italian sausage, spicy Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham and bacon. DiOrios is also home to The Gibbon, a pizza sauce base pilled high with pepperoni, Italian sausage, meatballs, ham, tomato, onion, green and black olives, fresh mushrooms and green peppers, which, at 30-inches, weighs 15 pounds.
3730 Frankfort Ave., 11615 Shelbyville Road, Suite 106, Hours: Monday-Tuesday, 4:30-8:45 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.
Self-proclaimed as "Louisville's Favorite Artisan Pizza," Coals specializes in unique pies. Fan favorites include the Whiskey Row, which features slow roasted bourbon brown sugar glazed pork belly, olive oil and mozzarella and finished with arugula, diced tomato and roasted garlic red onion aioli, and the Anchorage pie, which features a "healthy" portion of lobster in sherry cream sauce with mascarpone/ricotta cheese and Parmesan, finished with fresh basil and lemon. Gluten-free and cauliflower crusts are available.
multiple locations, Hours: vary by location
Bearno's has been serving Louisville-style pizza since 1977 and has been the Community Choice Award Winner four years running. Look for pies including Mama Bearno's Special, "called Louisville's #1 selling pizza." The pizza is loaded with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives, green olives, and topped with mozzarella cheese. Crusts can be customized, with thin, extra thin, thick, gluten-free and cauliflower options.
1045 Goss Ave., 1759 Bardstown Road, Hours: vary by location
The Post, a Germantown staple, is known for its New York-style pizza, with menu favorites including The New Colossus, with features a pesto base, chicken, tomato, Parmesan and balsamic drizzle and The Victory Garden, which features green peppers, red onion, mushrooms, kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, broccoli, spinach sun-dried tomato, artichoke and feta. Gluten-free crust is available, as are orders by the pie or slice. The Post is also known for its unique Pizza of the Month specials. Recent ones have included Italian Beef, Vodka Sauce and Chicken and Waffles.
multiple locations, Hours: vary by location
The Original Impellizzeri's Pizza features a variety of specialty pies, including The Sampler, with homemade Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, banana peppers, and black and green olives. This one comes with a 30-45 minute cook time, but is worth the wait. Other popular pies include a variety of thin crust specialties, including The Bianco, with garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, light mozzarella, oven roasted tomatoes, spinach, kalamata olives, roasted garlic and herbed ricotta cheese.
614 Baxter Ave., 574 S. 4th St., Hours: daily, 11 a.m. to 5 a.m.
This local pizza restaurant with two locations features a variety of pies, from Buffalo Chicken, with house-made ranch, breaded chicken, hot sauce, Fritos and mozzarella to the Korean BBQ pie, with a garlic and ginger base topped with marinated steak, sesame seeds, green onions and mozzarella. Orders can be placed by the pie or slice and there's a whole vegan section the menu, as well.
multiple locations, Hours: vary by location
Parlour features a large assortment of custom pizzas and calzone, including the Hot Honey Pepperoni, which features red sauce, pepperoni, provolone, shredded mozzarella and Mike's Hot Honey drizzle and the Chicken Alfredo, with and Alfredo sauce base topped with provolone, shredded mozzarella, fresh Parmesan, minced garlic, bacon, sliced Roma tomatoes, smoked chicken and baby spinach. Look for gluten-free and cauliflower crust options, as well.
1540 Frankfort Ave., Hours: daily, 5-10 p.m.
This spot serves up wood-fired Neapolitan Pizza and has landed at the top of Food & Dining's Best Pizza list multiple times. Pizzas are varied and feature pies including the Puttanesca, with organic milled tomatoes, soleggiati tomatoes, garlic, anchovy, capers, olives, herbs and olive oil, and the Funghi, made with a blend of local roasted mushrooms from Frondosa Farms: elm, blue, shimofuri, chestnut, phoenix oyster, lions mane, shiitake, taleggio, plus mozzarella, buttermilk ricotta, parmigiano reggiano cheeses.
The competition will include four rounds, with rounds lasting five days. Round two, involving eight matchups, will start at 5 a.m. on Monday, March 17, and end at noon on Friday, March 21. The next round will begin at 5 a.m. on Monday, March 24 and so on from there.
In each round, you will select a restaurant from each pairing. The winners advance to the next round until only one bar remains. You can vote up to eight times per day at
Each round of voting runs from 5 a.m. Monday to noon Friday. Round results will be announced on Mondays. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 7.
Round 2: Eight restaurants; Voting Monday, March 17 to Friday, March 21 at noon. Results announced on Monday, March 24
Round 3: Four restaurants; Voting Monday, March 24 to Friday, March 28. Results announced on Monday, March 31
Round 4: Two restaurants; Voting Monday, March 31 to Friday, April 4 at noon. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 7
The restaurants were selected by members of the Courier Journal newsroom and by readers of a Courier Journal post on social media based on various criteria, including taste, crust, cheese to topping ratio, flavor and more.
Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Courier Journal Pizza Madness Round 2: Matchups, how to vote
