32 Best Pizza Restaurants near Old Lyme

“07.26.25 *WRITTEN REVIEW Big Al’s Reel Reviews – EP.143 Sapore Pizzeria Town of Old Lyme, CT This morning, I dropped a post asking if any restaurants wanted to invite Big Al’s Reel Reviews to their spot—and guess who hit me up? Sapore Pizzeria in Old Lyme. So I pulled up—and let me tell you right now… this one felt special the minute I walked through that door. The welcome? Warm. The vibe? Bustling. The atmosphere? Absolutely amazing—families dining, good conversation, and a team that made me feel like I’d been coming there for years. My server, Sarah, was top notch—attentive, kind, and on point from the jump. The owners were there as well, and you could feel the pride in the place. Turns out, the owner is originally from Naples, Italy and used to work for Illiano’s before opening this place six years ago. That Naples-to-Old-Lyme pizza lineage is real. And then something beautiful happened… A true B.A.R.R.fan—Troy Gaston—saw I was at Sapore and drove over just to show love. So I invited him to sit down and have dinner with me. That’s what this is all about: community, connection, and real support from real people. Troy’s a solid dude and a subscriber, and I appreciated him being part of this experience. Here’s what I ordered: 1. Meatballs in Vodka Sauce – $11 Served with toasted ciabatta. These were tender and flavorful, and the vodka sauce was creamy and smooth. A perfect starter. 💣 2. New York-Style Cheese Pizza (17”) – $20.50 This right here was the star of the show. Thin, crispy, cheesy, and cooked just right. I gave this a DOUBLE 💣💣 — one of the best I’ve had on the shoreline. 3. Chicken Parmigiana Bolognese – $24 Served over penne pasta with rich, meaty bolognese. This was another 💣. Classic flavor, hearty sauce, and that perfect comfort-food bite. And then… out came a complimentary tiramisu—a gift from the kitchen. That kind of gesture speaks volumes. The tiramisu was absolutely delicious, a smooth and sweet way to end an already dope meal. The food was fire. The service was flawless. The atmosphere was family-friendly and full of good energy. And the fact that they reached out and invited me in? That means something. Especially after what happened yesterday. Sapore didn’t just pass the test— They’re officially a Big Al’s 💎 Gem Spot. It’s worth checking out—and if you go, make sure you tell ‘em, Big Al sent you! ☝🏾❤️ - Big Al Mayo “See you on the Rebound, Peace✌🏾out”“

“fantastic food!! fantastic staff, and owners. it is the best place to stop for great food in a mom & pop restaurant Thank You guys 😎“

“Hi everyone! 🍕 I recently had a delightful experience at a local brick oven pizza place named PRIVATEERS and just had to share it with you all! The chicken capris is absolutely delicious, and the staff there, especially our server, was incredibly kind and welcoming. It’s wonderful to support our local businesses, and this place truly deserves a shoutout for their amazing food and service. Highly recommend giving them a try if you haven’t yet! 🌟“

“Fantastic pizza! I'm pretty picky with pizza..I was impressed. service was great too! 👍🏼“

“By far one of our favorite places to grab a pizza. Always fresh and tasty. Have also had the wings and other dishes. All have been amazing. If you have not gone - GO!“

“This restaurant is take out or delivery only. Probably one of the better tasting pizza in the area. The pan pizza has a nice crisp on the crust, which is also very light and airy. Hamburger topping appears to be processed meat. Would order from here again.“

“Very clean and friendly staff“

“Our group of 7 was seated & treated well, food was delicious, fast & hot & service was great!
The Clam strips & calamari were delicious, as was the cheese pizza, calzone, club sandwich, genoa grinder and spaghetti with meatballs. Onion rings were a very generous serving.“

“SO SO SO SO GOOD. We couldn’t decide so we got 3- a margherita, a classic and a mashed potato. The sauce is incredibly, and every pie was perfectly balanced with ingredients and an insane crust that was both chewy and crunchy. 🤌🏻 perfecto!“

“My wife & I have been enjoying MANY weekday meals at TJ'S for more than several years. And I can honestly say that we have, not only enjoyed the food we ordered, but, more importantly, the caring and attentive staff that we have dealt with over those years. We could more highly recommend this restaurant as a place for you to enjoy a good meal!!“

“Excellent meal , perfect flavor and presentation, and generous portions“

“Black point pizza is always my go to when I want an absolutely amazing pizza. for me I have the cooks keep it in the oven a bit longer so it stands up when you pick it up to eat. the sauce is to die for also. if you like your pizza a little more firm just ask and the cooks are happy to make your food exactly as you like. minor the owner is a stand up guy and really did good with this recipe. the salads and his homemade balsamic dressing is the best I've had from anywhere. if you have not come out to black point you are really missing out. I promise you won't be disappointed 🍕 #gettotheoint #Blackpoint #thebestpizza #soooyummy #greatcustometservice“

“Please look at dates of comments. delivery is available at all open hours ( but you have to order that online through Facebook or kennyspizzaos.com) Same owner, remodeled in 2022. Same great food. Give them a try!“

“We've been going to Sal's Pizza since it was in the Westbrook Cumberland farms building & now their beautiful restaurant!! ANN & Staff thank you for making our Daughter's Birthday Special, Memories are a Lifetime, Kindly Brandy, Tommy & Family

Vegetarian options: They're accommodating just ask politely

Parking: PLENTY OF SPACE

Kid-friendliness: ABOVE KIND, PROFESIONAL & THOUGHTFUL

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes“

“What a great place, fantastic food and prices are awesome!! on a getaway trip with the hubby and we've been here twice already!!! service is A++++“

“Big shout out to Da Vinci's from the Valley Volleyball team - thanks for bringing free pizzas to feed the girls at their car wash yesterday! Hot and delicious, as always!“

“Very good food, every time. House special pizza is great! Very good salads. Reasonable prices.“

“Five professional motor cycle riders who eat in a lot of food at different stops were very satisfied. Great prices/ great quality/ good quantity/fast service/ great waitress/ clean modern seating and restrooms/ ample free parking. Its now on our favorite list. Thank you for serving us so well!!“

“Delicious beautiful place“

“amazing salad bar and the pizza was cooked to perfection we where very impressed with freshness of the food! highly recommend stopping in“

“I have ordered delivery from Boardwalk many, many times. I have always placed my order quickly and had friendly service. Not today! I ordered 2 dinners with appetizers and spoke with someone who seemed new. They wouldn't make one of the dinners I ordered, so I chose something else. When asked if I was paying cash or card, I said card. After some discussion with his " boss", I was told I couldn't use a credit card, cash. What?? Always use my card. Something very shady going on over there. Never again“

“Great food pleasant staff. My favorite pizza Hawaiian“

“One of the best pizzas I’ve had in southeast ct. In a high traffic area they could’ve slacked on quality- this isn’t the case at all. You can tell they take pride in the pizza.“

“Great food. We were 4 and ordered: Penne ala Vodka GREAT Carbonara GREAT Special Burger GREAT Meat Lovers Pizza PERFECT CRUST“

“? GET A BURRITO ?Alright, here’s the deal. I’m a gigantic shill for DRP, all my friends know it. Something about their pizza does it for me, favorite style, super well done for that particular style, and it’s relatively affordable.I also love their subs, all of them. Shout out to the steak bomb and the TKO (chicken bacon ranch, honey mustard, mozzarella).They’re quick, the people are always SUPER SUPER SUPER friendly, and food comes out hot.But here’s the deal… they need a rebrand.I’ve seen burritos on the menu there for years and never thought to get one. With that said, nothing about this place screams “Greek” to me besides the font on the menu and the Ακρόπολις on the logo (alright maybe a few of the specialty pizzas - moussaka and town hall, I see you. Gyros, ολα εν ταξη, relax.)Tonight I finally did it, I got the carne asada burrito that they had on special and it blew my socks off. For $12 (market rate for the area IMO) you get a huge burrito, wrapped and easy to eat, no dripping, they grilled it, tons of steak and avocado. Man oh man, it hit the spot and I’m just so happy I could cry.Deep River Pizza Mexican. I don’t know if anyone that works there is Mexican, I don’t know if burritos are inherently Mexican, I don’t know what I don’t know and I want to be better.What I do know is that people need to know about this.Chester, Deep River, Essex is grossly devoid of a Mexican spot that’s open late BUT this is at least maybe Mexican adjacent and open late enough for me (9 pm weekdays, 10pm weekends).Get down to Deep River Pizza (Mexican?) and get yourself a burrito. You’re going to be mad that nobody told you to do it before.I am thrilled.?

Parking: Learn to parallel park in beautiful Deep River!

Kid-friendliness: Bring your kids, it’s a casual pizza place.

Wheelchair accessibility: Once you get on the sidewalk, which is accessible, the door is flush.“

“Love it so very much. Food is excellent“

“Best penne alla vodka I’ve ever had. Gluten free option too! Great service as well. ❤️“

“Ate here a few days ago! Everything was excellent! The Pomodoro Caprese Salad was good and the Veal Parmesan was excellent! Would definitely order it again! Raspberry Sorbet was amazing!!!! Staff is very friendly and wonderful! Definitely will eat here again! Great first time experience! ❤️❤️❤️“

“Love this place!! The best people“

“Highly recommend!! Best Italian food around! Waitstaff is amazing as well, which makes for an even better dining experience! You won’t be disappointed!!“

“Great food; relax atmosphere“

“Our family loves going to celebrate after games, report cards, etc and our son usually picks The Plum Tomato, East Lyme. Great pizza by the slice - old school pizza shop with limited dine-in seating.

Kid-friendliness: Great place for kids! Small birthday party location too“