Slice of Summer
02 Jul 2025
Local pizzerias serving seasonal Flavor
July-Aug 2025
Written By: By Pamela Jouan
Craving a perfect slice this summer? Whether you're wrangling kids post-beach, planning a casual date night or chasing that next-level Neapolitan pie, the Lowcountry has you covered. From laid-back joints for family fun to sleek spots serving wood-fired masterpieces with natural wine pairings or local beers, these five pizzerias run the gamut. Loosen up, lean in and get ready to explore the Holy City’s hottest pies.
Woodhaven Pizza
1701 Shoremeade Rd, Suite 620, Mount Pleasant
Craig and Sonia Sodano’s mission with Woodhaven Pizza is to bring that New York-style nostalgic, high-quality, community-driven experience to the Lowcountry. Under the guidance of Chef/Partner Vincent Barcelona — whose roots stretch back to his family’s pizzeria in 1933 — they’re doing just that.
Ingredients speak for themselves, from the LaValle tomatoes sourced from a family (now friends) in the San Marzano region of Italy, to Wisconsin’s Grande cheese. But the real backbone is the dough. Cold-fermented for 48 hours, it’s a crispy, chewy ode to tradition.
You will find all the staple “pies”, as they say up north, with intentional innovation. “Today’s generation allows us to get out of our comfort zone and take some chances,” Craig Sodano grinned.” Take the Calabrian chili-honey-drizzled Devil’s Kiss with pepperoni and fresh ricotta, a special so good it’s now in regular rotation.
More than a restaurant, Woodhaven is a gathering place, whether it’s game day, date night or family dinner. With a new location just opened in Nexton, the team, now joined by restaurant veterans Juan and Lina Acevedo, is just getting started.
Iggys Pizza Shop
1220 Ben Sawyer Blvd., Mount Pleasant
When Erinn and Brian Kessler opened Iggy’s Pizza Shop in 2021, they set out to create the kind of place they’d want to eat at with their own family. Named after Brian Kessler’s fiery grandfather Ignatius “Iggy” Gill, the Mount Pleasant pizzeria is a tribute to family, flavor and fun. Iggy’s has become a cozy neighborhood favorite where regulars — many of them friends, neighbors and even the Kessler kids — keep the place humming. As Erinn Kessler put it, “The Iggy’s staff felt like a family from day one, and we are insanely grateful for that.”
Brian Kessler is a chef first and pizzaiolo second, meaning he strives to balance flavorwith texture, versus overloading a pizza with a bunch of toppings. He blends wood-fired passion with old-school northeast techniques to create Iggy’s signature style: crisp, airy, chewy and always craveable. “We definitely get the most comments about our crust,” said Erinn Kessler. “Most commonly said is, ‘Your pizza is amazing, but that crust!’”
The names of the menu items are full of inside jokes, local nods and seasonal magic. For instance, the Georgia On My Mind is a summer beauty with peach preserves, spinach, capicola and fresh basil. With outdoor seating, card games on the tables, and “Cell phone waiting area” baskets, Iggy’s invites everyone to relax and connect over great pizza.
Paisanos
1246 Camp Rd., Charleston
1798 Ashley River Rd., West Ashley
1151 Queensborough Blvd., Mt. Pleasant
At Paisano’s, pizza isn’t just dinner; it’s a throwback to the kind of neighborhood pizzeria co-owner Nick Skover grew up with up north. It’s a place packed with post-game kids in jerseys, parents sipping pitchers and walls lined with plaques from years of community memories. “After moving to Charleston for college, I searched for that kind of spot and couldn’t find it,” said Skover. “So, we built it ourselves.”
Skover and co-owner Mark Slater opened their first Paisano’s in 2008, scrappy and determined. “We took over an existing pizza place, worked open to close, paid ourselves next to nothing and rebuilt everything from the dough up,” Skover recalled. That relentless recipe testing led to their signature pies, where every crust, sauce and salad dressing is made fresh daily. Local produce is delivered six days a week.
But Paisano’s isn’t just serving slices—it’s fostering connections. Skover and Slater speak at local schools and churches about entrepreneurship and pizza, they run in local 5K, they sponsor a basketball team that their employees play in. And, they credit their beloved staff for their success.
With three locations, Paisano’s remains grounded in the community. Staff create menu items, locals name their favorites and everyone feels like family. “We love that pizza has no demographic,” spoke Skover. “Everyone can find something they love. We love that we are a place for everyone, all the time.”
Renzo
384 Huger St. #4126, Charleston
At Renzo, pizza is both an anchor and a canvas. Co-owners Nayda Hutson and her architect and contractor husband Erik have crafted a sophisticated yet welcoming space located in a historic Charleston storefront. There, wood-fired pies are elevated by thoughtful techniques and a natural wine list that feels curated but never pretentious. “We wanted a place that was casual yet intentional,” Hutson said. “Pizza and natural wine just felt like a natural pairing to express that.”
Opened in 2018, Renzo quickly became known for its creative combinations and uniquely named pies. “Our chef will workshop a pizza in secret, then suddenly it’s on the menu, and I’m scrambling for the right name,” Hutson laughed. “I try to avoid puns and think about how the ingredients work together for inspiration.”
Chef Colin Marcelli has evolved the dough over time, drawing on Neapolitan techniques while forging his own path. “Our dough takes roughly three days, from start to finish,” Hutson explained. “It’s a moving target to predict demand, but we’re committed to that level of quality — even if it means selling out.”
A neighborhood vibe underpins the whole experience. Roughly a third of the space is reserved for walk-ins, a rare gift in Charleston’s crowded dining scene. Whether you’re on a first date or gathering around one of the tiny marble tables with friends, Renzo makes every bite feel both effortless and refined. This summer, try pairing the Wrath of Khan pizza with a chilled red.
EVO
1075 Easst Montague Ave, N. Charleston
Since firing up its brick-and-mortar oven in 2007, EVO (Extra Virgin Oven) Pizza has become a cornerstone of the Park Circle community, crafting wood-fired pies that celebrate local ingredients and the farmers behind them.
General Manager Nia Papadis credits EVO’s long-standing relationships with local purveyors for shaping the ever-evolving menu. “Our farmers are our inspiration. We create weekly specials based on what they grow,” she said. She also recognizes how great those ingredients taste. “Split Creek Farm’s fromage blanc is the star of EVO’s signature pistachio pesto pizza — a dish that simply wouldn’t taste the same without it.” Likewise, Kurios Farms in Moncks Corner supplies hydroponic cucumbers, bibb and red leaf lettuce for their strawberry poppyseed salad. Additionally, EVO makes their sausage blend in-house and pulls their own mozzarella.
Beyond the plate, EVO supports neighborhood breweries like Holy City, Coast and backyard favorite, Commonhouse Aleworks. A summer pairing that nods to their all-local ethos is the Pork Trifecta with a Park Circle Pale Ale from Commonhouse.
Nearly two decades in, EVO remains a fixture in the community it helped build. It’s secret? “Maintaining the high standards we’ve come to be known for, keeping it fresh, seasonal, and fun,” Papadis said.
