While Memphis may be only around three hundred miles south of St Louis, and many of the city's first Italian migrants originated from there, Memphis isn't known for St Louis-style pizza. The pizza chefs who disembarked the paddle boats there back in the day decided to stay a little more traditional in their baking ways. For that reason, Memphis is known for thick crust pizza. Thick crust pies are favored by pretty much most of the pizzerias in Memphis and it's a type of pizza they make exceptionally well. Not all finish them in the same way though. Some pizza chefs in Memphis will leave the thick, crusty edge bare of ingredients while others don't. Some will cut their pies into wedges and others follow the St Louis trait of slicing their pizza into squares. The one thing they all have in common though is that they taste absolutely great.

Best delivery pizza in Memphis, Tennessee>

There are a hundred and one pizzerias in Memphis that make deliveries, but for the best delivery pizza in Memphis, try one from Dodo's Pizza. Not only do they bake a fantastic thick crust pie, they cook them in a coal-fired oven for extra taste. It does mean that the bubbles on the outer crust can be slightly charred, but that just makes the pizza a touch more traditional than you might expect.

Dodo's Pizza is housed in a modern premises in a shopping mall on the city's Poplar Avenue. The glass-fronted pizzeria is clean, well-organized and uncluttered. Inside the furnishings are of a minimalist style with tables and chairs of laminated wood and lamps of stainless steel. There's nothing minimalist about the way Dodo's prepare a pizza though, so be prepared for a feast no matter what you order. They're generous to a fault when it comes to topping dough.

Best takeout pizza in Memphis, Tennessee

It's not always easy to find somewhere convenient to get a takeout pizza in Memphis. Parking can often be a problem and so can pie quality. To get the best take-out pizza in Memphis without giving yourself an attack of stress induced gut-ache, head down Plaza Avenue to Cici's Pizza. Cici's premises are fronted by a spacious parking lot, so you can practically drive right up to their door. Inside, Cici's is as spacious as the lot and there's so much room between the tables there's no chance of accidentally overhearing another customer's conversation. Clients wanting a take-out are served from a lengthy curved counter that takes up over half the pizzeria and over which you can see the open-plan kitchen. You'll be able to watch the pizza chefs work their culinary magic as they prepare your pie. That's almost as good as going to the theater and getting a seat in the front row for free.

Best pizza near Memphis, Tennessee

Southaven

Drive directly south from Memphis for around ten miles and you'll not only find a city called Southaven, you'll have crossed over the state border with Mississippi. Southaven's one claim to fame is that it was the home of the prolific author John Grisham. Once you're there, you'll soon realise why he wrote so much. If you don't want to go straight back to Memphis have a pie at Milano's NY Pizza on Airways Boulevard to help pass the time.

Fisherville

You may find yourself passing through Fisherville, a community twenty-five miles west of Memphis, for a couple of reasons. One – you're lost. Two – you're taking a scenic rural route to somewhere else. Best thing to do is to either make a quick u-turn and head back to Memphis or make a short detour to pick up a pie from Milano's Pizza on the US 64 just outside of Eads.

Germantown

Fans of historic railways will enjoy making the twenty mile trip from Memphis east to the city of Germantown. At the very heart of Germantown is the Memphis and Charleston Railroad Depot. It's just one of several historic buildings remaining in the area. Once you've had a stroll around those, shunt off to the Memphis Pizza Cafe on West Farmington Boulevard. You'll be right on track for a great pie.