The Belmar Beachcomber is on a tour of the best pizza restaurants in our region of the Jersey Shore – and, boy, do we have a lot of ground to cover! Our tour starts with Pizza Heaven in downtown Belmar, which is owned by the Riano brothers, Rigoberto and Manny.
Rigoberto perfected his pizza-making skills during his 12-year stint at Porta in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where he worked prior to opening Pizza Heaven in April 2022 with his brother.
The wood-fired, thin-crust pies at Pizza Heaven are created in the Neapolitan style using specially milled flour imported from Italy. The superfine 00 pizza flour yields a stretchy and elastic dough – and a tender, crispy crust after a short time in the hot oven.
You’ll find 12 styles of 13-inch Neapolitan-style pizza on the menu at Pizza Heaven in Belmar NJ. In addition to classic margherita pizza, your choices include arugula pizza; a white pie with fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmigiano Reggiano; and several selections of specialty pies. Specialty pizza toppings include sliced meatballs, Italian sausage, long hot peppers, fresh garlic, cherry tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and hot Italian salami. The penne vodka pie is a decadent combination if you love pasta on your pizza.
View the Pizza Heaven Belmar NJ menu >>
You can taste the quality of ingredients not only in the light and airy crust at Pizza Heaven, but also in the pizza sauce and toppings. The brothers use fresh house-made mozzarella cheese, fine extra-virgin olive oil, and imported San Marzano tomatoes on all their pies. “The margherita pizza was delicious as was the Orolanda,” wrote one customer in a Google review. “Our favorite was the wood-fired Brussels sprouts…my kids were eating them like candy! I’ve been twice this summer since new owners took over and I now plan my beach days around stopping here for dinner before we head home. Food is amazing, service is fantastic and you can’t beat the prices.”
For appetizers, you can’t go wrong with an order of fried calamari (pictured below) or wings from Pizza Heaven in Belmar. If you’re watching your carb intake, or following a vegan/vegetarian diet, Pizza Heaven has a selection of fresh artisan salads and à la carte vegetable sides, such as sautéed broccoli rabe and wood-fired brussels sprouts or mushrooms.
My go-to salad at Pizza Heaven is the Fresca (pictured below, center), which is a generous serving of arugula, radicchio, grape tomatoes, sliced pears, roasted almonds, and champagne vinaigrette — big enough for sharing, but you may want to keep the salad all to yourself once you dig in.
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Another Google reviewer wrote, “That crust!! 😍 What more can I say!? I love the Fresca salad as well as the pasta pomodoro. My sister still can’t stop talking about the meatball pie. Every pizza we have ordered, whether takeout, delivery or dine in, has been mouthwatering. The place itself is low-key, perfect for catching up and chatting, and the owner/chef and his family are so warm. We had a chance to talk a bit, and he was trained by a line of world-famous pizzaiolas.”
If you’re hungry for something a little heartier, Pizza Heaven also serves entrées (seared salmon, chicken Parmesan, chicken Francese, and chicken marsala), as well as burgers, cheesesteaks, grilled and fried chicken sandwiches, and meatball subs. There’s also a children’s menu for the little ones.
For dessert at Pizza Heaven, your options include tiramisu, New York cheesecake, Nutella pizza, and three flavors of ice cream.
Pizza Heaven in Belmar is BYOB. They have large dining room, as well as a party room that can be rented for private events. There’s also a catering menu with half- and full-tray options. You can order online for delivery via DoorDash.
Pizza Heaven is one pizza restaurant that really lives up to its name! Highly recommend!!
Pizza Heaven
507 Main Street Belmar, New Jersey 07719 732-556-6062
Story and photos © copyright by Christine Cardellino, owner of www.VacationInBelmar.com and publisher of the award-winning Belmar Beachcomber Blog, a travel and tourism guide for the Belmar region of the Jersey Shore. Do not copy any content (including images) without our permission. All rights reserved.
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