Newark keeps most of its best rooms off any highway billboard: pizza houses with forty-year regulars, a Greek counter that turns gyros fast, a taco spot with more personality than square footage. This list skips the chains and sticks to the storefronts locals actually return to, week after week.
№ 01
Elliot's Wood Fired Kitchen & Tap
Newark $$
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The goat cheese red pepper pizza is the order here, a wood-fired pie that pulls in regulars alongside the margherita. The patio runs the show on a good night, with live music kept low enough for conversation and a beer list deep enough to satisfy a critical drinker. Parking and seating both ease up on weeknights, making it a reliable choice before a Friday crowd builds.
What to ordergoat cheese red pepper pizza, margherita pizza, wood-fired pizza
№ 02
Skorpios Gyros
Newark $$
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Gyros and souvlaki move fast at this counter, with spanakopita rounding out a menu built for quick family dinners. Staff get consistent credit for speed and friendliness, the kind of service that makes a weeknight stop painless. The gyro meat draws some pointed criticism from purists who want the traditional cone-carved cut, so expectations should be set accordingly.
What to ordergyros, spanakopita, souvlaki
№ 03
Bummie's On Main
Newark
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A pepper jack burger with fries anchors the menu at this Main Street stop, where the wait for a table is part of the deal on busy nights. The room does not dress itself up, and the staff does not pretend otherwise, but the burger consistently gets called the best in town. A solid beer selection backs up the food for a longer sit.
What to orderburger with pepper jack, fries, burger
№ 04
Tequilaville
Newark $$
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Lunch specials under ten dollars keep this Mexican kitchen busy, with the chicken fajita salad and a numbered combination plate both earning repeat orders. Chips and salsa set the tone before the meal even arrives. The room stays clean and the service moves quickly, which makes it a dependable stop for a weekday lunch that does not strain a budget.
What to orderchicken fajita salad, chips and salsa, combination plate
№ 05
Moe's Original BBQ
Newark $$
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Smoked turkey and catfish are the two dishes worth crossing town for at this counter-service barbecue room, with brisket rounding out the smoker's output. Wall art gives the space some personality despite the quick-service format. Service reports split sharply, from warm and engaged to a lecture over ordering, so first-timers should walk in ready to ask questions.
What to ordersmoked turkey, catfish, brisket
№ 06
MNCHS Kitchen
Newark
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Grilled shrimp tacos and a fresh house-made salsa carry real heat at this small taco and burger counter, alongside carne asada for a more traditional order. The room is tiny and unpolished, built for quick counter service rather than a long sit. Staff get consistent praise for speed and warmth, making it an easy stop for a fast, unfussy meal.
What to ordergrilled shrimp tacos, house-made salsa, carne asada tacos
№ 07
Christy’s Pizza
Newark $$
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Pizza cut into squares, in the regional style, comes with garlic bread and a salad that reviewers single out as genuinely fresh. Crust runs thin and crunchy rather than cracker-style, a middle ground that satisfies most but not everyone looking for a classic pie slice. Service is steady and the room stays clean, with a wait that can stretch on a busy night.
What to orderpizza, salad, garlic bread
№ 08
Don & Sue's Pizza Plus
Newark $
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Pepperoni and banana pepper pizza built on a distinctive sauce is the draw at this neighborhood shop, which also turns out calzones, subs, burgers, and salads. The atmosphere stays low-key and the service gets consistent praise. It is a dependable choice for a group that cannot agree on one thing, since the menu covers more ground than most pizza-only counters.
What to orderpepperoni and banana pepper pizza, calzone, sub
№ 09
Plaza Pizza - Newark
Newark $
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Cheese and pepperoni pizzas from a long-running recipe have made this a weekly habit for generations of Newark families, some of whom still drive back from Columbus for it. Specialty pizzas round out the menu at a counter built for quick pickup. Recent app-order experiences have drawn complaints about slow turnaround and curt service, a gap worth knowing about before ordering ahead.
What to ordercheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, specialty pizza
№ 10
Debra's Pizza
Newark $
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Pizza with garlic bread and salad on the side makes this a reliable weeknight pickup, with fresh ingredients and a distinct sauce keeping loyalists coming back. Staff move quickly and stay friendly at the counter. Some longtime customers who remember the shop's earlier recipe under a previous name note the sauce and toppings have shifted, a change not everyone has embraced.
What to orderpizza, garlic bread, salad
№ 11
Bavellie's Pizzeria
Newark
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A Supreme pizza with a notably good crust anchors the menu, backed by Buffalo wings and a Chicken Parm sub for those who want something besides pie. DoorDash orders keep the Johnstown location busy with repeat weekly customers. Wing orders have drawn some complaints over portion consistency, so a call ahead to confirm the cut is worth the minute it takes.
What to orderSupreme pizza, Buffalo wings, Chicken Parm sub
№ 12
Dirko's Pizza
Newark
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Stromboli and mac n' cheese bites feed a hungry group fast, and the Kitchen Sink Pizza lives up to its name with a box heavy enough to notice on the walk to the car. Pasta and family meal options extend the menu beyond pizza. It is a solid choice for a group meal or a late arrival into town with a serious appetite.
What to orderstromboli, Kitchen Sink Pizza, mac n' cheese bites
Frequently asked
What is the best pizza in Newark, Ohio?
Newark supports several strong pizza counters rather than one clear winner. Christy's Pizza and Plaza Pizza carry long local reputations, Don & Sue's Pizza Plus and Debra's Pizza have loyal weekly regulars, and Elliot's Wood Fired Kitchen & Tap offers a wood-fired style that stands apart from the rest. Each restaurant's Insider Score reflects its own review record, and no restaurant pays to be listed here.
Are there good casual restaurants near me in Newark for a family dinner?
Yes. Skorpios Gyros, Tequilaville, and Dirko's Pizza are all built for family dinners with quick service and menus that work for kids and adults alike. Bummie's On Main is a solid pick too, though it can involve a short wait on busy nights. Check each entry's Insider Score for the current standing.
Which Newark restaurants are good for a quick lunch?
Tequilaville's lunch specials come in under ten dollars with fast, friendly service, and MNCHS Kitchen and Skorpios Gyros both move orders quickly at the counter. All three work well for a lunch break that needs to stay short. None of these placements are paid; they reflect each restaurant's Insider Score.
What should I order at Moe's Original BBQ in Newark?
The smoked turkey gets the strongest and most consistent praise, with the catfish close behind as a standout that is easy to overlook on a barbecue menu built around brisket. Service reports vary more than the food does, so it helps to know that going in. The Insider Score reflects the full review record, and Moe's has not paid for this placement.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Amina Warsame
Staff Writer · Top of Columbus
Amina Warsame is a Staff Writer at Top of Columbus. Born in Mogadishu and raised in Northland, she grew up between her mother's kitchen and the grocery-cafes of the Somali malls. She writes the guides, sweeps the whole Outerbelt, and covers the Somali and East African tables as the beat she knows best.
