Where’s the best pizza in the Twin Cities? A local Facebook group can help you find it

Minnesota hasn’t always been known for its pizza — but that’s been changing over the years. These days, you certainly don’t have to look far to find a good slice.

One local Facebook group of 19,000 people is a testament to that, sharing photos and reviews of mom-and-pop places throughout the Twin Cities. It’s called Twin City Pie Chasers.

Minneapolis resident Dan Gougé created the group back in 2019. He talked with MPR News host Tom Crann about the Twin Cities pizza scene.

Below is a transcript of their conversation, edited for time and clarity. Press play above to listen.

So how did you come to love pizza? I understand this goes back to childhood for you.

Friday evening with my father after his weekly bowling night, we would stop at Dulono’s Pizza in Uptown for special Friday night pizza with the family.

And so what made you want to create this Facebook group?

Well, I worked in retail, so I would get sent all over the metro, from Plymouth to Apple Valley to Blaine to Champlin. And it was always kind of one of my questions with co-workers: What’s a good little local shop? And surprisingly, the popular answer is always the big companies, and I’m like, you got to have somewhere small around here, right?

So how do you define a good pizza for yourself?

It all depends on mood, but definitely that crust has to be solid all the way through.

The crust is the key, huh? And then when it comes to the group, I know you’re dealing with 19,000 people, but what seems to be popular these days? What style of pizza?

Oh, the Neapolitan, the wood-fire. I’ve watched a couple of places start out pretty small and move into either a brick-and-mortar or move up to having a couple different food trucks. And that’s fun to watch.

What’s the best slice you’ve had recently that just surprised you?

You know, there’s a little place that just popped up over northeast Minneapolis, Farina Rossa, out of Fair State Brewing. Chef John Michael Lynch does some really good stuff, and he’s not afraid to take some chances. I had one this summer that was peaches and vinegar. It probably one of the best pizzas I’ve had in a long time.

So it sounds like, to you, it can have an unusual twist.

You know, that’s the great thing about this group. It has taken me out of my wheelhouse of just trying just those basic pizzas. And I’ve met a few owners that have been really good. I met one in Waconia. He made a pizza named after the group. It’s got pulled pork on it, jalapenos and one of my controversial favorites, the pineapple.

This Facebook group has become an actual group at least once before, and you have plans in the works for another.

We did an event last January, Turtle’s Bar and Grill in Shakopee. And we did a fundraiser last year with it, where we help get some canned goods to the local Shakopee food shelf.

You have another one planned for May.

I do. We have a big brewery, and we’re gonna line up five pizza trucks and a dessert truck for everybody that wants a little something besides the pizza. We got some really big ones. OG Zaza. We got Bear Paw Pizza, which is a very small place, and I love them. They’re great, and I think they need some more attention. Pizza Karma, Red Rocket, which is one of my favorites, and one of the biggest draws around in the state is the Brick Oven Bus. And T-Rex Cookies is going to bring her truck out, too.