We moved here from Pennsylvania in 2023.
While temporarily living in the West Village in Greenville, we discovered Belladina’s on North Washington Street. To our surprise, the pizza was phenomenal. We were told when we moved here that finding quality pizza would be at best nearly impossible, but their pizza is as good, if not better, than up north anywhere in the mid-Atlantic states. After moving into our home in suburban Greenville County, our first foray into testing local pizza was “Frank’s House of Pizza.” It was bar-none, the absolute worst we had ever eaten. We bought two pies, plain and sausage and peppers, and it was so bad that my wife and I had a piece each, tried another, and literally threw away the rest. Cardboard with government cheese would be the best comparison I can think of. And from that point forward, it became a search for the best suburban pizza outside city limits.
South Carolina isn’t what would be considered a mecca for pizza lovers. However, there are many pizza joints that are serving up top-notch pies as good or in some cases better than what you might expect.
Many search endlessly for pizza as close to what they remember from where they originated and wind up frustrated when they find a pizza that isn’t what they had hoped for. The crust is bad, the flavor is off, the sauce is bland, the cheese ain’t “cheesin.”
The Upstate Pizza Finder is essentially a directory of many of the specialty pizza restaurants around upstate South Carolina. This directory does not include chain restaurants like Papa John’s, Little Caesars, Pizza Hut etc. The directory is designed for pizza connoisseurs, the ones who love pizza the most, to find the pizza they want and need.
Speaking of connoisseurs, the entire idea is thanks to Ken Tishenkel and his Facebook group “Pizza Connoisseurs of Upstate SC”. Without this group, this site wouldn’t have ever come to fruition.
