Restaurant in New Haven, United States
New Haven apizza that earns repeat visits.
Modern Apizza holds a national OAD Cheap Eats ranking and a 4.6 Google rating for a reason: it's technically consistent New Haven apizza at an accessible price, away from the Wooster Street tourist lines. Worth booking for pizza-focused visits; eat in the room rather than taking it to go for the best result.
If you've been to Modern Apizza once, you already know it holds its own in a city where pizza arguments never end. What you might not have figured out yet is when to go, whether takeout is worth it, and how it actually stacks up against the competition on a second, more deliberate visit. The short answer: it earns its place on our full New Haven restaurants guide, and the Opinionated About Dining recognition — ranked #267 on their Cheap Eats in North America list for 2025, up from #300 in 2024 , confirms this isn't a fluke. Modern Apizza is a consistent, improving operator in a tough category.
Modern Apizza sits on State Street, away from the tourist cluster that forms around Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and Sally's Apizza on Wooster Street. The room runs warm and lively on weekend evenings , expect a buzzy, neighbourhood-restaurant energy rather than a hushed dining experience. Noise levels rise with the crowd after 7 PM, so if conversation matters, aim for a weekday early sitting. The Google rating of 4.6 across nearly 6,000 reviews signals broad, sustained satisfaction rather than a niche fanbase, which means the room tends to be full and confident in what it's doing.
New Haven-style apizza has a thinner, char-edged crust that holds structure better than a soft Neapolitan slice but still benefits from being eaten quickly. Takeout from Modern Apizza is a practical option , the pizza leaves the oven with enough structural integrity to survive a short drive , but the crust loses its crispness within 15 to 20 minutes. If you're ordering to take back to a hotel room or apartment, eat it immediately or plan to reheat on a rack in a hot oven, not a microwave. For the full experience, eating in the room is the better call; the heat retention in the crust is noticeably better fresh at the counter than out of a box. Compared to BAR, which skews toward a thicker, brewery-adjacent pie that survives transit a bit better, Modern's crust rewards immediacy. If you're planning a group night in rather than a sit-down meal, Atticus Market is a more forgiving takeout format for mixed groups.
If your first visit leaned on familiar toppings, the second visit is where you test the fundamentals , the tomato sauce balance, the char on the crust edge, the mozzarella pull. Modern Apizza's OAD Cheap Eats ranking places it in a tier where technical consistency matters as much as creativity; this is a place being evaluated against serious pizza programs nationally, including Ken's Artisan Pizza in Portland and 11th Street Pizza in Miami. It holds that company. On a return visit, go lighter on toppings rather than heavier , the crust and sauce are the argument here, not the build.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10:30 AM–10 PM; Sunday 3–10 PM; closed Monday. Reservations: Easy to book; walk-ins are generally manageable on weeknights, but weekend evenings fill up , arrive early or plan ahead. Booking difficulty: Low. Dress: Casual, no expectations. Budget: Cheap Eats tier per OAD , this is an accessible price point; plan accordingly for a pizza-and-drink dinner without financial stress. Getting there: State Street location means it's walkable from much of central New Haven, and easier to park near than the Wooster Street strip. Check our New Haven hotels guide if you're staying overnight. Good for: Solo diners, pairs, small groups; less ideal for large parties expecting a full-service restaurant format. Explore more: New Haven bars, New Haven wineries, and New Haven experiences if you're planning a full day.
New Haven-style apizza is different from what most visitors expect: thinner crust, more char, less sauce than New York pizza. Modern Apizza is on State Street, not Wooster Street, which means shorter lines than Frank Pepe or Sally's on most visits. It's a Cheap Eats-tier venue by price, but it's nationally ranked by OAD , you're getting serious pizza at an accessible price. Go hungry, order simply, and eat it in the room rather than taking it to go.
No specific menu items are confirmed in our data, so we won't fabricate dish names. What the OAD ranking and Google consensus tell you is that the core pizza program is the draw , not appetisers or sides. Order the pizza. On a return visit, lean toward simpler builds to taste the crust and sauce on their own terms.
Lunch (Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 AM) is the lower-pressure option: shorter waits, quieter room, easier parking on State Street. Dinner service fills up by 7 PM on weekends. If you want the full lively atmosphere, go Friday or Saturday evening , but arrive by 6 PM or be prepared to wait. For a solo visit or a focused eating-without-the-noise experience, weekday lunch is the better call.
Yes. A pizza-focused casual venue at the Cheap Eats price tier is one of the better solo dining formats in any city. You can order a personal-size pie, eat at your own pace, and not feel awkward at a table for one. New Haven also has enough walkable context around State Street that a solo lunch at Modern fits naturally into a broader afternoon. Pair it with a walk to Atticus Market or a drink at one of the local bars if you're making a day of it.
For pizza specifically: Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is the name-recognition option with longer waits and a more tourist-facing experience. Sally's Apizza is the loyalist alternative with a similarly serious reputation. BAR is the leading choice if you want pizza alongside craft beer in a brewery setting. For a complete format change: Barcelona Wine Bar New Haven is the go-to if someone in your group wants wine and tapas rather than another slice.
It depends on what kind of occasion. A birthday dinner with close friends who take pizza seriously , yes, Modern Apizza works well and the OAD ranking gives it credibility as a deliberate choice. A romantic anniversary dinner or a work celebration requiring full-service formality , no. This is a casual pizzeria, priced accordingly. For special occasions needing a more complete dining experience in New Haven, look at Barcelona Wine Bar or check our full New Haven restaurants guide for broader options.
Booking difficulty is low. For weeknight visits, same-day planning is typically fine. For Friday or Saturday evening, booking a few days ahead is sensible. Walk-ins are possible but weekend dinner service fills quickly , the combination of a strong Google rating (4.6 across nearly 6,000 reviews) and national OAD recognition means this place is not undiscovered. Don't leave it to chance on a Saturday night.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Modern Apizza | — | |
| Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana | — | |
| Louis Lunch | — | |
| Union League Cafe | — | |
| Atticus Market | — | |
| BAR | — |
Comparing your options in New Haven for this tier.
Modern Apizza sits on State Street, away from the Wooster Street crowd that queues for Pepe's and Sally's — which means shorter waits and a less tourist-heavy room. It holds a Pearl Recommended rating (2025) and has ranked on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America two years running, so the quality is documented. Walk-ins on weeknights are generally manageable, and the kitchen runs Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 AM. Come with an appetite for New Haven-style apizza: thin, charred crust, restrained sauce, and coal-fired heat.
Focus on the fundamentals: the tomato sauce balance and crust char are the real test of any New Haven apizza, and Modern earns its OAD ranking on those two things. On a second visit, push past familiar toppings and test the kitchen on its core build. The venue database does not include a specific menu, so check current offerings on arrival — but if you're debating a white pie versus a red, New Haven-style coal-fired apizza is traditionally built around the red.
Lunch (from 10:30 AM Tuesday through Saturday) is the lower-friction option — shorter waits, easier walk-in. Dinner runs later and draws more competition for tables, particularly on weekends. Sunday hours are dinner-only, starting at 3 PM. If your priority is getting in without a long hold, a weekday lunch is the practical call.
Yes. A counter or small table at a casual pizzeria is straightforward for one person, and the walk-in culture here is more forgiving than at Pepe's or Sally's, where queues can be punishing for a solo diner. A single order of apizza is a complete meal. Pearl Recommended status means the quality holds up whether you're a party of one or four.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is the most direct comparison — coal-fired apizza, Wooster Street address, and longer waits; go if the white clam pie is your benchmark. Sally's Apizza (also Wooster Street) is the other legacy option, with a more devoted local following and a harder table. BAR on Crown Street is worth considering if you want pizza alongside craft beer in a larger, louder space. For something entirely different, Union League Cafe handles French-accented dining, and Atticus Market covers the cafe-and-bookshop format.
Not the obvious choice. Modern Apizza is a casual pizzeria, and the experience is built around the food rather than the room or service. For a milestone dinner in New Haven, Union League Cafe is better suited. That said, if the occasion is specifically about eating the best apizza New Haven has to offer, Modern's OAD ranking and Pearl Recommended status make it a defensible centrepiece for a food-focused celebration.
Walk-ins are generally manageable on weeknights, so advance booking is not critical for a party of two on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Weekends and Friday evenings are busier — booking a day or two ahead is a reasonable precaution. Same-day is often possible mid-week. The venue is closed Mondays, so plan around Tuesday through Sunday hours.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
