Oakwood Pizza Box

After 20 years in the Triangle area, my wife and I have tried countless pizza places searching for something that reminds us of home (Long Island and NYC/Bayside, NY respectively). Oakwood Pizza Box delivers exactly what we’ve been looking for. The fundamentals are executed flawlessly - crispy crust with the right chew (no drooping), sauce that avoids the overly sweet trap many local places fall into, and genuinely high-quality cheese. The pepperoni stands out particularly; it’s clearly premium quality, not the cheap stuff you find elsewhere. What impressed us most is the balance. Too many pizza places here get one element right but miss on the others. Oakwood nails the complete package - crust, sauce, and toppings working together the way they should. For anyone with New York pizza standards, this is your spot. And that’s saying something after two decades of searching.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ P.S. The fresh basil is to die for.

The pizza reminds us of back home in CT at Pepi’s … fantastic bite of pizza.. we have been unable to find anything better. Small & cozy downtown location, near other restaurants, ice cream and bakeries. Slices available, square pie or round, fresh basil topped and the tastiest mozzarella! Menu is perfectly simple! Ordered a pie in and one to go!! Our fave!!

The employee we interacted with was friendly. But I have to be honest, the pizza was just okay. We were visiting from Chicago, and we saw a few people in the reviews here mention that this was their favorite pizza in Raleigh. I eat pizza at least once every week, all different types/styles, so I was excited to try this place. Again, it was okay. Nothing to write home over. There was nothing about it that stood out. It was not above average for us. And it was expensive, pretty sure we spent $36 for the square pizza with 3 toppings. I think they should offer a smaller size pizza as an option. We like to eat different things everyday when we travel, so having to buy a huge pizza that we’re not going to finish is a deterrent. I also didn’t like having to wait outside in the hot sun for my pizza to be ready.

Finally!! Since relocating to Raleigh area from Northeast, been searching for our go to pizza place. Heard about Oakwood Pizza Box from several people. A true pizza parlor that focus on what they do best…making awesome pizza. Our experience began with getting there 10 minutes before opening (they fill up fast)! The staff say us waiting outside and told us to come on in. First impressions are everything and the staff were so welcoming/friendly. We sat at a high top that gave us a good view of the passion of the pizza making and the restaurant. And yes, the place filled up fast! With a recommendation from our server, we started out with a great Italian red wine. Next up was a perfect house salad, lightly dressed with a generous topping of FRESHLY grated cheese! We orders a half/half pie…half cheese and half white. It was fabulous. Crust was thin and perfect. Neither my wife nor I could choose which half we liked better…both sides were fantastic. Just an amazing experience led by a staff that truly cared and full of passion. When a little boy sat at the counter with his father, the pizza chef moved some boxes so the boy could watch him make the pizza. The boy had a huge smile as the chef talked to him as he made the pizza. Each pizza made with a smile and a passion of a staff that will keep this boy coming back into his adulthood as well as my wife and I already planning our next visit.

I have had to be gluten-free for 15 years and have not experienced delicious pizza until now. My husband and I try to go as much as possible. My husband says the regular pizza is delicious but the gluten-free pizza tastes just as good and he can’t tell the difference. Below is the gluten-free white pizza with mushrooms, garlic, and basil. And their house wine is also delicious. The staff and owner are always friendly. They really seem to enjoy their job.

I found a copy of the Raleigh Magazine at another restaurant titled "The 12 Best Burgers" excited to find a new burger joint when a picture of a white pizza in an article titled "Oakwood Unboxed" about Oakwood Pizza Box caught my eye. We don't live in or near Raleigh and were in town for a show at Goodnights. We wanted dinner before the show and I remembered the article. Bonus that it's just an 8 min drive from the comedy club. We were fortunate enough to get two seats at the bar with nearly no wait. I think we were just lucky with our timing though. I love that the menu is short. Options are pizza, salads, and cannolis. It's perfect. We ordered a white pizza with mushrooms and jalapenos. It was the perfect NY-style pizza away from NYC. We love to eat at Joe's Pizza in NYC as soon as we arrive and this was a close comparison. So good! Cannolis were delicious too. The server was friendly and attentive. There was a guy expoing to-go orders; he was also friendly. Also love the countertop seats. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend!

The best pizza I have had in Raleigh. The staff is very nice and helpful. There is a parking lot about a block up the road so don't freak out if you can't park in front of the building.

I would say this is by far one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. Pizza is nice and crispy with a great undercarriage, no flop at all. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you ever are in the Raleigh area.

Hands down the best gluten free pizza crust I've ever had in my entire life. They make it in house, it's not one of those cheap crappy frozen pre-made crusts that places like Mellow Mushroom serve you. Only thing I could complain about is they won't share the recipe! But I don't blame them since it's such a winner. We paid $22 for a gluten free pizza with three additional toppings aside from cheese so it's a very fair price...and did I mention how good it is?? The regular size house salad is delicious and enough for two people, especially if you're sharing a pizza. I can't imagine how big the large salad would be. It's also gluten free and they have dedicated gluten free cooking areas so no crossover contamination! The menu is small but it's all you need. You do one thing and you do it well, you don't need a 28 page menu. It's downtown so parking is a bit tough but if you are lucky you can snag a street parking spot right in front. It's a bit of small space so not a lot of seating but we've never had to wait long to get a table. If it wasn't so far from Fuquay I'd get it as take out...maybe they would consider opening one in Fuquay or Holly Springs? Great vibe inside and really good service.

When we walked by on a Friday night, this place was crawling with people. A restaurant snafu the following night luckily left me with the opportunity to try Oakwood for dinner. While they don't open until 5PM, I placed the order online midafternoon for a 5:30PM pickup. When I arrived a few minutes before 5:30, people were waiting outside and I asked a kind gentleman what the order of operations was. He advised me to let them know I was there in case my food was ready. It was and I very happily walked with my massive pizza box to the car. There a small park a block away and my husband and I sat on a bend with our pizza. We cheese pizza with meatball. It was delicious, though k would have liked a little more cheese. The dough was crisp and so good. They gave me basil leaves to put on the slices. I can see why this place is a neighborhood favorite! As we were eating a woman walking her dog asked if we were eating Oakwood. When we said it was our first time, she asked if we got the white pizza-when we said no-she said we had to try it next time. So take note, if you're going for the first time, you can get a half and half pizza.

The caesar salad is so good!!!! We also love that they put fresh basil on all the pizzas, we build our own square with sausage onion and jalapeño and it was good, definitely on the pricier end for pizza. Menu is limited but has all the key toppings and of course cannolis for dessert. You can also get a bottle of wine to drink which is a nice addition to their menu drinks

Delicious pizza! The crust is perfect and I love their pepperoni. It gets like and crispy on the edges. Also love the fact that they put fresh basil leaves on their pizzas. Not much indoor seating so if you come, only come with one or two other people. Definitely difficult to seat larger parties

This place is amazing! We did have a long wait, but there were seven of us for dinner on a Saturday night and they have a smaller space with possibly no more than 10 to 12 tables so we were thrilled that they could accommodate us...we spent our waiting time walking around the adorable historic neighborhood. The wait was well worth it. Salad and pizzas were so good...even the gluten-free pizza was delicious! We will definitely come back again...cannolis and service were great too!

Super solid pizza. I like that the cheese pizza comes with basil, although I like a cheesier pizza- this felt almost like a margarita with the amount of cheese. Sauce had a nice acidity too it as well. The Caesar can only be ordered to go as a large and it's the type that comes as whole romaine hearts which I very much enjoyed!

An hour wait for a burnt to go pizza for $30. Not impressed with the quality of this pizza.

I've been here about 1/2 dozen times and it never disappoints. Pizza is consistently good and salads are excellent. If you like your pizza well done then you're going to love it. If you're a more of a medium done person than it may not be to your liking. Personally this is by far the best pie in Raleigh and I have visited over a dozen places. It's a small place but be patient and you'll get a table in a short time.

Giving this a 3.5/5 because these slices did not wow me. Maybe I didn't order the correct thing on the menu, but I feel like the pizza could've been a bit better! Heads up! They only offer slices on the weekend before 3pm and they only have three flavors.. cheese, pepperoni, and white sauce. I was bummed that they didn't offer any other unique flavors as slices. I wish the pizza was more flavorful. This was just an average plain pizza. Escape from New York Pizza has better slices. This would've been a 5 star if the crust was softer and less chewy, more added flavor like making these pizza saucier... alsoooo adding hot honey on their menu as a size sauce. Most importantly they forgot my ranch :(.

My husband and I went for the first time the other night, and we sat in. We were so excited to the white pizza because we are suckers for ricottaaaaaaa. Our waitress was nice, and the wait time to get a table was a bit long (40 mins for 2), but waiting for the pizza to get to our table wasn't too long. Sadly, it didn't meet our expectations. I think next time we'll try the regular (red sauce) pizza (there were lotttttts of people ordering takeout). To our surprise, the leftover pizza slices actually tasted BETTER on the car ride home after it had sat to steam in the cardboard box for a few minutes. It wasn't as dry and jaw-tiringly chewy as it was in the restaurant. So next time we will be doing takeout the white pizza itself was just so thin, sauceless, and crunchy. I am a sauce girl, and a dollops-of-cheese- kind of girl. There weren't dollops of cheese, it was more just a lot of shredded cheeses melted over the crust. We agreed it'll be a while before we come back, but we will eventually. We will have to find a different place for white pizza, though. Nonetheless, the neighborhood this is in is super cute, and we enjoyed walking around and going to Krispy Kreme while we waited for a table.

Love the vibe of this place, the service was great! I did like the pizza although it wasn't the best white pie I've ever had, with that being said I will definitely come back.

I've been meaning to try this place for years and we finally did it. Wow! It's everything I grew up on back in the northeast. We got the square pizza (without any arguments about the 12x18 dimensions). We did half pepperoni and half pepper & onion. It was amazing! Great crust, fantastic flavors, and perfect overall balance. The only flaw, and it was acceptable given everything else, is that the crust was a bit soggy in the middle. I accept that to get the sauce level and other toppings it provides though I think it could benefit from a Roman style double bake approach. Still, one of the best pizzas I've had in NC. We'll be back!

Don't go there! ... because I don't want to wait in line. It's the best food, not just pizza, best food in Raleigh. On par with best pizza I've ever had. Absurd when anyone argues there's another pizza place to go to in the triangle like c'mon. - exNYer

Ordered takeout from here and was very impressed with the pizza. We ordered the 50/50 with olives, mushrooms, and pepperoni. The toppings were very high quality (the olives were entire olives!), and it came with a small bag of basil as well. The crust is thin and features just enough char not to overwhelm the rest of the pizza. Personally, I liked the red half of the pizza significantly more than the white half, but both tasted good. Since we did order takeout, I found that the crust was very hard after waiting too long. I'm sure that it tastes much better hot, but that's something to keep in mind for your leftovers. Overall very good pizza and will be back for more.

Hands down, my favorite pizza in Raleigh. Pizza seems authentic, with both thin crust, and the coveted square thick crust. I prefer thin, and my partner prefers square. Cool, low key, and casual vibes. The staff are down to earth and helpful with a bit of an edge encouraged of any respectable and legitimate pizza place. We usually pickup, however, it's great for an easy date night, pre-concert, game, or name your outing. The wine is great, nothing pretentious, just quality. And the pizza is something you'd expect from somewhere renowned for pizza (I dare not mention any city or else someone will throw tomatoes at me). All in all, one of our favorite places in the Triangle.

Everybody I've talked to raves about this place, and I honestly was not that impressed. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing?¿ we got the white pizza with green peppers on it. It was tasty but nothing out of this world. Plus, out waitress was not really giving us the time of day or helping us with our choices. It's also semi stressful if you're eating in because of how crowded it can get. I think I need to go back because I heard their honey jalapeño pizza is shwae.

Best pizza ever! Best in Raleigh. These guys are so good, their basic cheese is Devine, their custom pizzas are other worldly. As any pizza connoisseur knows, it's all about the crust and the sauce. And both are exquisite. And my mum's taste calorie ratio... this pizza blows it out of the water. I can contribute an extra 3 lbs to my weight just for to this pizza. My fav is a custom and a classic - sausage, mushroom, green pepper classic. But try it on their square pizza. The sausage is the best I have ever tasted. I was never a big fan of thicker crust. But the square pizza is amazing! I have tried Ashley Christianson's spot called Pie, I think. This is so much better. By the slice is only available Fri and Sat and not sure if for lunch only. Need to very that. Their salads are great too by the way. Just classic pizza parlor Italian dressing salad.! But so good. Enjoy! Enjoy!

Found out about the GF pizza and had to try it! It did not disappoint! I ordered a mushroom and onion pizza. It was delicious. The hubby loved the pepperoni pizza. 5 starts across the board!

Yum! I've been wanting to try this place for a while. The ambiance is so cozy - it's small and has limited seating, but that honestly adds to the overall feel of the place. Truly makes me feel like I'm in a city city I sat at the bar with my friend and we ordered the cheese pizza and added pepperoni to half. I LOVE that it comes with basil already on it. The pizza itself was good - crisp crust, perfect cheese to sauce ratio, and fresh tasting ingredients. Would I say it's the best pizza I've ever had? Probably not. But it's still a great option and worth a visit!

Oakwood Pizza Box: Where pizza dreams come true! My NCSU student son was spot-on - Oakwood Pizza Box has mastered pizza perfection. The crust? Pure authenticity and a satisfying crunch. And that Caesar salad? Trust me, it's a must!

Best pizza ever! I moved from West Coast back to 'home' on East Coast...Worth the wait on line.This is the REAL DEAL!

I love their pizza! We don't order it randomly - it's usually when we have people over or want a special dinner. I love how fresh it is!

Delicious thin crust pizza. Got the white pizza with pepperoni. Sat at the bar and got excellent service. Friendly atmosphere with cool architecture. Also had the cannoli's... delicious!

We decided to check out this place after it being highly recommended by the owner of NY bagels in Cary. We ordered the super crispy square pizza with olives and Calabrian chilis. We actually forgot to mention extra sauce but it already was perfectly saucy. The pizza was amazing!! There's a tiny menu so not a whole lot to choose from. This is the only reason I docked a star. I wish I was able to make a few customizations. Especially removing the meat off the salad. As a vegetarian the salads looked great, but they had meat as a default. I wish they also had additional beverage choices or at least fountain beverages. We'll definitely be back as the service was amazing. There's not much seating so maybe take out and taking it to pullen park would be a great outing idea. We'll see when the time comes. And it definitely will!

Put our names down and sipped on some cocktails at William & Company while we waited for our table. It was worth the wait!! We split a small Caesar salad and one pie between 2 people. We had the cheese pie on one half and added mushrooms and sausage to the other half. Salad was delicious and a good portion for 2 as an app. Server was gracious enough to let us know the large Caesar is very large and too much for 2. Best part, the pizza! Pizza was the best we've had in this area! My husband has high standards for pizzas thanks to his NY upbringing and by extension I've adopted some of those standards. We both thought the pizza was amazing. Crust was perfect! They know what they're doing here.

One of the best tasting pizza's I've ever had. I can think of only two places that equal it and they are in Melbourne Australia. Ambience is nice. Staff are excellent, and friendly.

Best pizza in Raleigh. Simple as that. Just get the plain 18" for $20. You don't need toppings, keep it simple. Outstanding. Been back 5 times even though we like 40 min away.

I ordered for pickup and a friend went in so not sure of ambiance. She said it was really busy (a Friday night) and it took a little longer than what the online ordering said, but the pizza was really really delicious I.

Oakwood Pizza Box is my boyfriend and I's go-to pizza spot. It's a small little pizza spot right off of Person Street in downtown Raleigh, so just in reach of a lot of other fun attractions. The staff is always so helpful. We come here often because we are treated so well and the food is just amazingly delicious. I've never had pizza better than Oakwood! The crust is perfectly crunchy, the sauce is light and yummy, and the basil is always fresh. The vibe of the restaurant is also super casual and fun, perfect for a little informal date spot! In the past, if our order had ever been lost or if we ever had to move tables, we were compensated for it through salads or cannolis. Although I say this, those mistakes have happened very rarely at Oakwood. I just thought to include that thought because they truly do care about their customers and their experience at Oakwood. We will continue to choose Oakwood Pizza Box for our pizza needs.

5 stars for sure. I would eat Oakwood Pizza so much if I lived out in Raleigh. Their staff members were all friendly and kind when we walked in at night an hour before closing. Half and half pizza (half red and half white) was the way to go. We liked both of them and would order the same in the future!

There was a wait. But, it was well worth it. We got the square pizza, pepperoni, sausage, onion and extra cheese. It is the best pizza we have ever had, across the world! We cant wait to go back. Highly recommend this place. They need more locations, like in Naples, FL!

The pizza was fantastic, the waitstaff were very helpful and left us alone the perfect amount! I didn't feel forgotten about. The area was great too! I love DT oakwood

I took 3 - 18 year old hungry boys here the other week, we bought a pepperoni and a white. We really liked the waitstaff abc the vibe of the place but all 4 of us just felt the pizza was just okay, yeah it's high stacked against your chain places but your home made pizza places the only standout point we all seemed to think made them different was the small pepperoni. Would I go back definitely, when I want pizza is this the place I'll seek out - probably not unless I'm already in the oakwood area.

Ordered takeout on a weeknight; it takes a while, so definitely plan ahead. We got a plain, a half and half with sausage, mushrooms and peppers, a round pie with pepperoni, and a Caesar salad. The white pie was too wet and totally fell apart, but the rest was solid. The salad was actually the best thing. Would give them another shot by dining in person next time.

Every time I go to Oakwood Pizza Box I come away with a smile on my face and tastebuds poppin' in anticipation. And every time, I'm pretty much more than satisfied and wish I live closer to the source. I really like the simple options and the ingredients are balanced with interesting and unsual selections. Like, greens (think kale or collards...seasoned a bit, neighbored right up to pepperoni on the same real estate. The staff is exceptional and really friendly. They have take out and dine in options with some space close to a window so you can eat outside looking in....bar seating... I think. I might be a bit off on the arrangement. It is a small space so you won't be really comfortable eating inside if you are covid-conscious.

Great ambiance, amazing food and a large wine selection!! This place is a hidden gem! Please stop by and take in the entire experience!

2 words for this place: WORTH IT. Everything at Oakwood is simple and delightful. Grab a seat at the bar or booth, order from a super simple menu, and watch the magic happen in the open kitchen. We got the square pizza + sausage, beer and a bottled Coke. The square pizza takes a little longer but it's well worth the wait. It's more then plenty for 2 people but also didn't leave us feeling have or sluggish. Everything tastes fresh and the flavors are bright. One of the coolest things about Oakwood is watching the kitchen run like a well oiled machine; the pizzas never stop coming and everyone work so efficiently together. It also tells you that the pizza must be good! Love that it's family owned and that they keep everything simple and delicious!

Ordered a pizza for takeout dinner, going with 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 sausage. Good sauce, and we liked the pepperoni a lot. Not a big fan of the sausage. While the crust seemed crispy, it was actually very chewy. By the time we finished eating, both of us agreed our jaws got a good workout.

I never write Yelp reviews, but I was genuinely floored by the quality of the pizza here. I'm pretty picky and critical with pizza (I'm an ex-New Yorker and total pizza snob), but every element (crust, sauce, toppings) was executed exceptionally well. Best pizza I've had in the area by a long shot. Very highly recommended!

This was some of the best pizza our family has had in a long time and we try a lot of pizza places when we travel. The server, an NC State student was so nice and welcoming even before she found out our daughter was there for a college tour. It has a great cozy, local neighborhood feel.

Happened across this place while visiting family in town. What an amazing find. Pizza and salad were perfect and Anthony the owner helped us pick out a perfect bottle of wine. Wish I could wrap the place up and take it home to CLE OH. If you're in Raleigh and have a chance to get to Oakwood Pizza Box - do it. - you will not regret it.

Lived in NYC for a bit and hit all the major pizza places in Brooklyn and Manhattan reviewed by Prez and by suggestion. This is hands down authentic Manhattan style pizza and a 8.8 on my scale. Do not go anywhere else. Wait however long you need too and drive like 2 hours here. You will not regret it if you are a pizza snob like myself

Fantastic pizza! Truly amazing. The crust was great, the toppings were great, and the flavor was great. I ordered kale on mine, and I loved how it was crispy. Be ready to wait a little bit for a table, though, if you are dining in person.

Best pizza in the triangle hands down. A cool little restaurant, not many tables, but the staff is extremely friendly. It gets busy, so if you put your name in and there's a wait, don't fret as there are plenty of places to grab a drink nearby while you wait. It's definitely worth it.

The absolute best pizza I've ever eaten. The salads are delicious and their beer selections are great too.

Our new " go to " pizza place. The gramma's style pizza was EXCELLENT! The dough was crispy and the sauce was delicious! I rate it a 10 !! and a MUST HAVE !!!!

Always great pizza. Cool spot. Add this to your must have in Raleigh. Muter Construction

Great pizza. Be prepared to wait. Charming, casual vibe. Buzzing staff. There's a cozy, little bar next door with some date night feels.

I had all but lost hope that I would find amazing pizza in Raleigh. Been actively searching since 2006, sincerely, with little luck. Admittedly, I am uber fussy, growing up in a predominantly Italian community near Boston. Well, my search is over. This pizza is nothing short of incredible. Every element of their Margherita pizza was perfect. I am super particular about pizza crust, and the texture and taste of this crust is heaven. Sauce full of flavor but not overly garlicky, just the right amount of mozzarella, and big fresh basil leaves to top it off. So gooood! Just trust me on this. If you haven't had a pizza from Oakwood Pizza Box, put it on your list, pronto. Absolutely delicious.