16 Best Pizza & Italian Restaurants in Utah Valley (2026)

Food & Drink June 11, 2026 12 min read ✓ Updated June 11, 2026

Derek Giordano Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Provo.com

Utah Valley has quietly become a real pizza-and-Italian town. The wood-fired Neapolitan scene is genuinely good, Detroit-style and creative pies have multiplied, and — the bigger surprise — a handful of authentic, scratch-made Italian kitchens have opened in unassuming strip malls, several run by chefs with actual roots in Italy. You no longer have to settle for a chain.

This is the valley-wide guide, organized by what you're craving: wood-fired and Neapolitan pizza, casual slice-and-local pizza, and sit-down Italian. (For Provo and Orem specifically, we also have a dedicated best pizza in Provo & Orem guide that goes deeper on the central valley.)

Wood-fired & Neapolitan pizza

The valley's strongest pizza category — blistered crusts, quality ingredients, often with house pastas alongside.

1. Pizzeria 712

Neapolitan / Farm-to-Table · $$$ · Orem

The valley's critical darling for years. Pizzeria 712 takes a farm-to-table approach to Neapolitan pizza and seasonal Italian small plates — wood-fired pies with thoughtful, local ingredients and a rotating menu. The most acclaimed pizza kitchen in Utah Valley.

Best for: A serious, ingredient-driven pizza dinner.

2. Mozz Artisan Pizza

Neapolitan · $$ · Provo

Provo's wood-fired standout — blistered Neapolitan crust, simple high-quality toppings, a cozy room. The date-night and sit-down pizza upgrade in central Provo.

Best for: A relaxed Provo pizza date.

3. The Place Pizza

Wood-Fired Sourdough · $$ · Saratoga Springs

The west side's pizza gem. The Place bakes artisan sourdough pies in a cherry wood-fired oven on Redwood Road, with a devoted local following that calls it among the best in the county. Dedicated vegan and gluten-free options, too.

Best for: West-valley wood-fired sourdough; families in Saratoga and Eagle Mountain.

4. Via 313 Pizza

Detroit-Style · $$ · Lehi & valley-wide

The Austin-born Detroit-style chain brought thick, crispy-edged, pan-baked pies to the valley, and they caught on fast. A different texture from the Neapolitan spots — caramelized cheese to the edge.

Best for: Detroit-style pan pizza fans.

Slice shops & casual local pizza

The everyday, student, and grab-a-slice end of the spectrum.

5. Slab Pizza

Slice Shop · $ · Provo (near BYU)

The BYU classic. Slab's giant slab-sized slices — creative toppings like pulled pork, pesto, and mac & cheese — are a meal and a half, steps from campus and cheap. A Provo rite of passage.

Best for: A massive, affordable slice near BYU.

6. Brick Oven

Pizza & Pasta · $$ · Provo

A Provo institution for decades, beloved by BYU students for pizzas, pastas, and house-made root beer in a family-friendly room. Student discounts make it a go-to for groups.

Best for: Classic family and student pizza-and-pasta dinners.

7. Slackwater (Riverwoods)

Creative Pizza / Gastropub · $$$ · Orem

The valley's favorite creative-pizza patio. Slackwater's pies (Philly cheesesteak, plus inventive specials) come with one of the best string-lit outdoor settings in the valley at the Riverwoods.

Best for: Creative pizza and a great patio evening.

8. Nicolitalia Pizzeria

New York–Style · $$ · Provo

A Provo favorite for East Coast–style pies — thin, foldable, classic. A dependable, no-frills NY-style option.

Best for: Straightforward New York–style slices and pies.

Sit-down Italian

Pasta, subs, and full Italian menus — the part of the scene that's grown the most.

9. Mastra Italian Bakery & Bistro

Authentic Italian · $$ · American Fork

The valley's authentic-Italian standout. Run by Jonathan Cagnacci, a Genova-born chef and baker, Mastra makes pasta from scratch in-house — on a machine imported from Italy — with regional family recipes (carbonara, cacio e pepe, lasagna al pesto) and flour from Lehi Mills. Bright, casual, and unpretentious, in a strip-mall location that belies the quality.

Best for: Genuine, scratch-made Italian without the white tablecloth.

10. The Italian Place

Italian Subs · $ · Spanish Fork

A south-valley legend. The Italian Place draws people from across the valley for its Philly-style and Italian subs — fast, generous, and consistently excellent. A Spanish Fork institution.

Best for: The best Italian subs in the valley.

11. PoPIE 1929

Handmade Pasta & Pizza · $$ · American Fork

A popular American Fork spot known for perfectly cooked, made-from-scratch pasta and pizza — a creative, modern take that regulars say they'd return to "a hundred times." A newer favorite on the north end.

Best for: Fresh handmade pasta in American Fork.

12. Bona Vita Italian Bistro

Italian Bistro · $$ · Lehi / Saratoga Springs

An independent Italian bistro serving classic pastas and Italian mains to the north and west valley — a sit-down, full-menu alternative to the chains for Lehi and Saratoga Springs families.

Best for: A classic sit-down Italian dinner on the north/west side.

13. Three Vines Bistro

New York Italian · $$ · Saratoga Springs

A cozy Saratoga Springs bistro doing New York–style Italian — wood-fired pizzas, pastas, and a signature lineup of gourmet meatballs (including a bean-based vegetarian version). Accommodating to large groups.

Best for: A warm, NY-style Italian meal on the west side.

14. Maxwell's

Italian-American · $$ · Provo

A downtown Provo standby for Italian-American comfort — pizzas, pastas, and a sports-friendly room. A reliable, casual central-valley pick.

Best for: Casual Italian-American in downtown Provo.

15. Communal

Farm-to-Table (house pasta) · $$$ · Provo

Not an Italian restaurant per se, but Communal's seasonal farm-to-table menu regularly features standout house-made pasta — worth knowing if it's fresh pasta you're after in a more refined setting.

Best for: House-made pasta in a special-occasion setting.

16. Olive Garden & the reliable chains

Italian-American Chain · $$ · Orem, AF, Spanish Fork

Sometimes you just want unlimited breadsticks with a crowd. The valley's Olive Gardens and similar chains are everywhere and do exactly what they promise — an easy, kid-proof fallback for a big group.

Best for: A no-stress, crowd-pleasing family chain meal.

Tips for pizza & Italian in Utah Valley

Wood-fired is the strength. If you want the valley at its best, start with Pizzeria 712, Mozz, or The Place Pizza.
Don't judge by the strip mall. Some of the most authentic Italian (Mastra especially) hides in unassuming retail centers.
Pizza spots double as group spots. Most of these do shareable pies and pastas — good for families and mixed groups.
Slices near BYU. Slab and Brick Oven are the student-budget anchors close to campus.

Explore by city

For each city's full dining picture, see our city-by-city guides:

Planning more? Browse our guides to the best Mexican restaurants in Utah Valley, the best date-night restaurants in Utah Valley, the best brunch in Utah Valley, the best restaurants with a view in Utah Valley, and the best group & family restaurants in Utah Valley, the best Asian & sushi in Utah Valley, and the best burgers in Utah Valley, explore things to do in Utah Valley, and keep the Provo.com events calendar handy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best pizza in Utah Valley?

For wood-fired Neapolitan, Pizzeria 712 in Orem is the longtime critical favorite, with Mozz Artisan Pizza in Provo close behind. For Detroit-style, Via 313 has locations in the valley. For a beloved local slice, Slab Pizza near BYU is the student classic, and Slackwater at the Riverwoods does excellent creative pies. On the west side, The Place Pizza in Saratoga Springs (cherry wood-fired sourdough) has a devoted following. The 'best' depends on whether you want Neapolitan, Detroit, a slab slice, or a creative pie.

Where is the best Italian food in Utah Valley?

For authentic scratch-made Italian, Mastra in American Fork — run by a Genova-born baker making fresh pasta from regional family recipes — is the valley's standout. The Italian Place in Spanish Fork is legendary for its Philly-style subs, Bona Vita brings Italian bistro fare to the north and west valley, and Three Vines Bistro in Saratoga Springs does New York–style Italian with wood-fired pizza and pasta. PoPIE 1929 in American Fork is a popular handmade-pasta spot as well.

Where can I find wood-fired pizza in Utah Valley?

Wood-fired is the valley's strength. Pizzeria 712 (Orem) and Mozz (Provo) lead on the Neapolitan side; The Place Pizza in Saratoga Springs bakes cherry wood-fired sourdough pies; and several spots around Lehi and American Fork run wood ovens. Three Vines Bistro (Saratoga Springs) also does wood-fired. Most pair the pizza with house pastas and salads, so they work for a mixed group.

What's the best pizza near BYU?

Slab Pizza is the BYU classic — giant, creative slices that are more than a meal on their own, within walking distance of campus. Brick Oven, a Provo institution for decades, is the other student favorite, with pizzas, pastas, and house root beer, plus student discounts. For a sit-down date pie, Mozz Artisan Pizza in Provo is the upgrade pick.

Are there authentic Italian restaurants in Utah Valley, not just chains?

Yes — the valley has moved well past Olive Garden. Mastra in American Fork makes pasta from scratch in-house using a machine imported from Italy and flour from Lehi Mills. Pizzeria 712 in Orem is a farm-to-table-minded Neapolitan kitchen. The Italian Place in Spanish Fork is a beloved independent, and Bona Vita and Three Vines Bistro round out genuine, independent Italian across the valley. Several are tucked into strip malls — don't let that fool you.

Derek Giordano

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Derek Giordano is the founder and editor-in-chief of Provo.com. A business marketing graduate who has lived in and around Utah Valley for over a decade, Derek built Provo.com to be the comprehensive, honest local resource he wished existed when he first moved to the area. When he's not writing about Provo's food scene or neighborhood culture, he's hiking the Wasatch trails or exploring the latest restaurant openings on Center Street.