Ready for some ooey, gooey yummy pie in the sky Paradise Found pizza?  Look no further than South Walton’s Scenic County Highway 30A.

From flat breads to thick crusts to New York-style pies we have THE hot spot finds on 30A for inventive standards, newfangled gourmet, and classic Neapolitan pizzas, as voted by thousands of fans and experts.

Winner: Grace Pizza and Shakes 30A

Adjacent to The Shops of Grayton and conveniently across from the Grayton Beach Park and Ride lot lies the diminutive Grace Pizza and Shakes. To get the party started begin with an order of Wagyu Beef & Pork Meatballs served with whipped ricotta.  Keep it healthy by adding on a salad then you can get down to serious business. Selections such as the classic Margarita are available with Grace’s twist of adding garlic and cherry tomatoes.  The BBQ Yard Bird with roasted corn, cilantro, chicken, and bbq sauce is sure to please. For those looking to reduce their carb intake, there’s even a cauliflower crust pizza with mouthwatering feta, spinach, roasted peppers, and a sweet balsamic glaze. But oh the shakes. The menu describes all shakes as “Guaranteed Over the Top” and they ain’t joking with selections crammed full of goodies like vanilla or chocolate ice cream, white or chocolate cake, sprinkles, buttercream rim, and whipped cream and that’s all in ONE shake! You might get a toothache just from reading the menu. But that brain freeze once you indulge will be so worth it.

Runner-up: Pizza by the Sea

Pizza by the Sea consistently garners the love of tourists and locals alike. With locations across 30A in Seacrest, Watercolor, Gulf Place as well as Sandestin, this family-friendly fan favorite offers build-your-own options as well as restaurant favorites like Chicken Parmesan, Billy Goat’s YUM with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and tangy goat cheese, and the aptly named Quadruple Bypass adorned with Italian sausage, ground beef, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon. Also offering starter carb loaders like cheesy bread, pepperoni rolls, and chipotle bread to really spice things up. For the lighter side, there’s a smattering of salads and sandwiches. To cap it all off there are even cookies, cupcakes, Rice Krispie Treats, and, of course, ice cream.

3rd Place: Bruno’s Pizza

Located in the iconic blue arched entrance to Watersound Beach, Bruno’s Pizza is a worthy hot spot for pizza magic.  From the front of the menu it’s obvious they are serious about quality, clearly boasting they make their own dough and sauce daily as well as roast their own chicken and smoke their own pork butts and beef briskets. These items along with a laundry list of additional meats, vegetables, and cheeses are available to design your own masterpiece. Can’t decide? Bruno’s has some cleaver specialty pizzas each named for a different community along 30A.  Lunch time you can feed your masses at their Pizza Bar, all-you-can-eat 11 am-2 pm, 7 days a week.  They even offer delivery from Highway 283 in Grayton Beach all the way to Carillon Beach on Highway 98.

More Pizza Nominees:

While not among the rarified air of the top 3, these establishments have no shame in their game.  Locations run the gamut from Inlet Beach all the way to Grand Boulevard and spots in between allowing residents and tourist to never be far from pizza pie nirvana.

Amici Italian Kitchen

Within the shopping and dining mecca of 30Avenue is Amici Italian Kitchen.  Sharing an outdoor corridor with its sister restaurant Amigos, this breezy indoor/outdoor mainstay is a popular departure from nearby 30A.  Before venturing to the main event one should never miss an opportunity to indulge in amy’s “famous” amici 30A meatballs.  These tender, glorious circular delights are delectably drowning in a pool of red sauce.  With only 3 to an order, you may want to consider selfishness.  Salad may not be on your mind at a pizza place but don’t overlook amy’s chop salad.  Unlike the meatballs, this hefty mix of lettuce, fennel, chickpeas, salami and other yummies should be shared.  Pizza is the true smash hit here with over ten signature Neapolitan pies plus create your own pizzas.  The funghi is a real favorite but with so much on offer you can’t go wrong.

Brozinni’s Pizzeria

Brozinni’s location in Seagrove Beach makes it accessible to most eastern and central 30A communities.  Featuring  Big Apple’s signature crust this pizzeria brings a taste of New York to the Florida Gulf Coast.  Appetizers run the gamut between tuna dip, wings, bread sticks, chicken fingers along with a few Italian favorites.  Pasta is available in single servings or a “Feed a Family” with spaghetti with meatballs, alfredo, and chicken Parmesan.  While pizzas are of course the obvious choice, their calzones are delicious burly collections with many of the same mouthwatering ingredients as the pies.  Why not top off your meal with a family size banana pudding because you know everyone saved room for dessert.

Angelina’s Pizzeria & Pasta

Another Seagrove standard, Angelina’s automatically gives diners the build their own alternative rather than dictating specialty pies.  But before the pies are pasted around the delectable appetizers of baked clams, zesty shrimp or stuffed mushrooms should not be missed.  It’s not just pizza in the restaurant name and diners should consider one of the many enticing pasta choices to share alongside the pizza.  Manicotti; chicken marsala; lobster ravioli! How can you resist?

Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar + Trattoria

Beachside in Seaside brings with it a wide variety of tasty treats with Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar being a notable standout. Start off with brussel sprouts and some wood-fired olives to whet your appetite. Now the tough decision of a white or red wood-fired pie. Well, why not both? Wash it down with a craft cocktail. All that’s left is to sit back, digest and watch the crowds stroll by. Maybe another libation is in order.

Lost Pizza Co.

Further afield of 30A, there’s Lost Pizza in Miramar Beach.  A funky joint with a fun decor this straight from the delta franchise brings Mississippi tamales all the way to Florida.  Haven’t tried this Deep South treat?  You’ve been missing out.  As unanticipated as tamales might be, their various and inventive pizzas are an unexpected alternative to the usual suspects at most pizza joints.  Taco pie or bacon cheeseburger pizzas definitely have their place:  in your belly.

Pazzo Italiano

Tucked in a shopping center on Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach, Pazzo Italiano is a surprising opportunity for a more sophisticated pizza treat. Decorated with rustic brick and wood, the real eye-catcher is the gorgeous domed wood-fired oven on a full dining room display. Light, crisp, and ethereal focaccia should be your first foray from the depths of the fire.  An impressive array of salads should not be overlooked, especially the fire-roasted vegetable salad.  If there’s still room before your entree, peruse and order an antipasti. Either the pasta or the pizzas would be gratifying but the firewood pizza is the specialty. Curated house specialita del pizzaiolo is just too scrumptious to pass up.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria

There’s just something about a coal brick-oven pizza and Grimaldi’s has been doing it right, since 1990 starting under the Brooklyn Bridge.  Luckily Panhandle visitors and locals need only drive to Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach to taste a slice of history.  Whether it’s a garlic, pesto, classic margarita or the Brooklyn Bridge pizza you’re sure to realize why this institution has spread far and wide from it’s humble beginnings in its original New York borough.

For a complete list of this year’s 30A Hot Spots Award winners, dig-in to www.30A.com/2023-hot-spot-winners.