One of New Jersey’s premier pizza destinations is making headlines once again—and this time it’s the pizzaiolo himself who’s in the spotlight. Dan Richer of Razza in Jersey City was just named the No. 10 pizza maker in the entire world.
The Best Chef Awards released their annual Best Pizza Awards list of the world’s greatest pizza chefs—Richer landed comfortably near the top at No. 10, surrounded by pizza greats such as Anthony Mangieri, Yuki Motokura, and Francesco Martucci, who took the No. 1 spot on the list.
“Widely regarded as one of America’s most obsessive and visionary pizzaioli, Dan Richer is the chef and owner of Razza in Jersey City, NJ—the only pizzeria in the United States to earn an illustrious three-star review from The New York Times,” the organization said of Richer.
Razza—and Richer specifically—is no stranger to accolades. The established pizzaiolo has been repeatedly nominated for James Beard Awards, most recently being named a finalist in 2025. Earlier this year, Razza was named the No. 3 pizzeria in the nation by 50 Top Pizza, who also placed the Jersey City wood-fired pizza among the top 100 in the world.
Regarding the Best Pizza Awards, Richer was named No. 8 in 2023, No. 16 in 2024, and No. 22 in 2025 before climbing back to No. 10 this year. Razza is continuously lauded for its inventive, albeit simple, wood-fired pizzas. A long fermentation process garners a dough that is both structured and flavorful—the edges crisp and bubble, while the base remains thin with enough body to house sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Razza’s best pizzas are the ones that let the ingredients and technique do the talking. We love the Yellow Margherita, which comes with yellow tomato passata, Jersey-made mozzarella, and basil. During peak season, the corn pie is a house favorite.
Richer’s pizza lives in the simple details. His pursuit of perfection has taken him to an alluring corner of the pizza world—one that looks to do a lot with a little. And like the other pizza makers he shares company with in the Best Pizza Awards, that’s where greatness lives.
We named Razza one of New Jersey’s best pizzerias this year. You can read the full top 75 list here:
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
