Finally stopped by with great anticipation of wonderful western new york pizza. Owners were out of town on vacation. I ordered a simple cheese and pepperoni.Pie. For the average person in Nevada, that's never really had Western New York Pizza. It's okay, but for somebody that grew up in Buffalo, can Niagara? Falls, this is not a true Representation of new york pizza. First thing I noticed upon going in the pizzeria was no real aroma of basil or reagano or garlic. When I put the pizza in my car again, no aroma of the set ingredients. Again, this is just okay Pizza for Nevada, but it definitely isn't Buffalo. Style bache club or buzzys in the falls. I hope they make it and good luck to them read more

This place is amazing!! How it is #1 on yelp is beyond me. We went all in, garlic knots to start, New York pizza and sweet knots to finish. The food was fantastic!! The service is 5 star And the attention the staff pays to the customer from start to finish is equivalent to an expensive steakhouse We will definitely be here again and recommend this place to everyone! read more

If you're not in a hurry, don't mind waiting over 30 minutes for a simple cheese pizza, & don't mind a "skeleton cheese" pizza with barely any cheese on it, then by all means, give this place a try. But if you're like me & value your time, expect good communication, & want a pizza that actually has a generous amount of cheese, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. I truly regret stopping here when I did. I only came in to ask if they sold pizza by the slice. They do, but no one informed me that the slices still needed 10-12 minutes before they could be served. They were sitting in the display case looking ready, so I naturally assumed they were available. Had I known about the wait, I would have made a different decision because I had a teen & a toddler waiting for me in the car. While waiting, I went next door to the dry cleaner for about 10 minutes. When I returned, I still had to wait another 5 minutes just for the 2 slices to finish heating. At that point, I decided to order a whole pizza instead, thinking it would be quicker since I was the 1st customer in line. I was told it would take 15-20 minutes. I went back to my car, waited 25 minutes, & returned to find my pizza still wasn't ready. Meanwhile, the group of 4 customers who ordered after me was already sitting at a table enjoying their pizza. I then watched another pizza being cut, assuming it was finally mine, but it was for that same group. I waited another 5 minutes before the employee simply said, "Sorry, yours is almost done." By this point, my "15-20 minute" wait had turned into about 35 minutes while my children sat waiting for me in a hot car. I let the employee know how unreasonable that was for a to-go order. Orders should be prepared in the sequence they're received, especially when someone has already been waiting that long. To make matters worse, when I finally got back to my car & opened the box, I was shocked. This was my 1st time ordering here, & the pizza had barely any cheese on it. After waiting 35 minutes, I expected a fresh, quality pizza, not one that looked like they were trying to save every last bit of cheese. The lack of communication, the excessive wait, & the disappointing quality made this a very frustrating experience. Unfortunately, I won't be returning. Since I was in a hurry to leave out of town, I did not bother to take pictures of the pizza with just tomato sauce lol I owe you all this pic. Until next review. read more

Food: pizza was freshly made, not floppy, and sauce was delicious. Service & Ambiance: Classic pizza vibes inside with helpful staff. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - New 16" Classic NY - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

I've read that this place was the best pizza in Reno. Well what everyone is says is right. The place is an old school pizza parlor. And if you're a Buffalo Bills fan you will definitely enjoy the decor. It has numerous memorable throughout. I went in there at lunch time. They had just opened and there was just a couple seated. I went to the counter and was greeted. I saw only a 16" pizza available but I was told they sold slices too that were a quarter the size so I ordered a slice of pepperoni and jalapeños. They had premade cheese pizzas and just added the pepperoni and jalapeños then reheating the slice. I also ordered a small Caesar salad, a cannoli and a can of Pepsi. It always reasonably priced The Caesar salad being small was a good size. The lettuce was fresh and crunchy. The Caesar dressing was creamy, thick and was quite tasty. The pizza slice was actually two slices. The sauce was spread well and had a nice tangy taste. The pepperoni was the cup style with a good amount and the jalapeños were well spread out too. The "under carriage", as they say, of the crust was nicely toasted and it had a good crunch to it. The cannoli was a medium size about 4". They have premade cannoli shells. The filling was filled in front of me. The filling was fresh, sweet and creamy. You can taste the ricotta cheese. It was as good as the ones I've had on the east coast. Overall this is a great place. All of the food was excellent, reasonably priced and a with and an old school pizza parlor vibe to it. I will definitely come back and try other things on their menu. You have to try place if you love pizza. You will definitely leave with a Smile! read more

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So I really wanted pizza I love pizza but to be honest the pizza here was to hard for me I have veneers and the pizza was to hard I had to pick it apart sadly. The reason I gave this such a good rating was not the food I also did not like the garlic knots the garlic seemed out of a Jar maybe I am wrong but It tasted like that to me. Everyone says its like NY but I have to be honest NY has thin Crust usually this was so thick it was hard to eat so I did not I ate the toppings. Anyways the people were super nice and that is why I gave it 3 starts instead of 1 star. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Way to hard to eat - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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This is THE BEST NY style pizza in the Reno/Carson/Tahoe area bar none. You are always greeted with kindness and a smile. BUT!!! The Pizza???? I'd give this pizza parlor SIX STARS if I could. This pizza is so good, I've emailed Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to get Dave here to try this Pizza. The BEST NY style pizza in a 100 mile radius. As you can see, my wife can Never wait for me to take a photo. ‍ I absolutely love this place!! read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Cheese Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Love the pizza here! I like how it's made fresh and it's not too oily. The dining area is so cozy too, reminds me of an Italian family's house. Would definitely come back and try other toppings! read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Basil, pepperoni pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

I saw this place featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and decided to stop in and give it a try. We ordered our go-to specialty pizza--pepperoni, pineapple, and jalapeño on a Sicilian-style crust. It was outstanding. The crust had the perfect texture and the sauce really tied everything together. We also tried a cookie and a cannoli cookie cup for dessert. My wife absolutely loved her cookie, which is saying something since she's pretty particular about cookies. I had the cannoli cookie cup, and it was delicious, a great finish to the meal. Overall, I'll definitely be returning and highly recommend checking this place out. read more

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I have been wanting to try this place for a very long time now. The last few times I tried the wait was either too long (a good sign of the quality) or they closed earlier than I had expected. In any case it was worth the wait!! Growing up on the east coast, I have to say, pizza doesn't quite hit out here. But I was really impressed with this pie!! You could taste the quality of ingredients, and the crust was solid. The staff were very friendly, mostly young kids on a Saturday. It has the feel of a NY pizza joint, adorned with Buffalo Bills memorabilia. I can't wait to go back, and next time I want to try a cannoli! read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Half peppers and onions, half mushrooms and onions - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Service was outstanding and for a great cause. Pizza was just ok in my opinion. We had the NY style. Would try Sicilian next. It's nice they have the little pepperonis. read more

Great pizza maybe the best in Reno. Staff are really nice and friendly and the restaurant is kept clean and with a great atmosphere.

Love the local, authentic vibe of this place. Can see why it's been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Tables all together in a smallish square space, but clean and with a NY-themed decor. Probably gets full quickly on a busy night. Fun that you can see them making the hand-tossed crust. Had a make-your-own veggie thin crust pizza, and the ingredients were fresh and delicious with a good variety of options. Garlic knots were crispy (I prefer a bit more chewy) with sauce to dip. Service was friendly but a lot of personal chatter going on, which carries in a small place like this. Great local option for those nearby. Things to come back and try: Sicilian and cauliflower crusts and cannoli cookie cup! read more

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We came here for the first time and loved it. On the corner of the building. Small inside with maybe 8-9 tables with the red and white checkered table cloths. Space itself is small and cozy, but we could see how during very busy times it can be cramped in there. The ordering line is directly ahead when you walk in. Not much wiggle room. The staff are all very friendly. The pizza was perfect. Reminded me of east coast pizza, folding it in half and taking a big bite. Delicious. The homemade sausage was so good. We also tried their garlic knots which were pretty good too. We'd definitely come back again to try the Sicilian and some desserts. They have small to-go pizza boxes for leftovers. There is a single restroom available for customers too. Overall we enjoyed it. read more

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Easily one of the very best places to get a pizza in Reno. They are always busy, so it is best to order takeout or reserve a time for a table if dining in well ahead of time. The customer service is always great and you can tell the staff enjoys working there. The pies are simple but amazing and one of the closest you're going to get to a true NY slice. read more

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I was in the mood for a good pizza, originally by the slice before my boyfriend convinced me otherwise. This was my first time dining at Smiling and I was pleasantly surprised with how homey and close-knit it felt upon entering. The walls are decorated with Bills memorabilia and traditional NY Italian family memories, with the tables adorned with the classic red and white checkered tablecloths. The menu is rather small, instead of preselected pizza options, it's a build-your-own style with dessert and drink options. Everything seemed reasonably priced and came out in time. This scratched my pizza itch. One thing that really piqued my interest while eating in was the amount of regulars who came in and were warmly greeted. It is a very good sign when dining somewhere local to see how much of the community comes in and pay patronage. Compared to other pizza joints in town, I rate this one highly for its family feel and good pies. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Pepperoni, black olives, and green pepper pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Probably some of the best pizza in Reno. That said still lacking.... Restaurant is cool... old school set up. Clean and exuding a pizza place vibe Pizza: thin crust cheese. Was great but the cheese to sauce ratio was way off... hardly had any cheese. Maybe this is their jam? Will be back and ask for some extra cheese. read more

As a Registered Pizza Enthusiast (RPE), I seek out the best local pizza places before I travel anywhere that I've never been before. While my wife and I prepared for our trip to Reno/Lake Tahoe, I spent a good amount of time researching just about every pizza place in the Reno and greater Lake Tahoe area. Smiling with Hope looked to have all the makings of a hidden gem - small, locally (and Veteran) owned, community-minded, sports themed, family style pizzeria. We were greeted by the friendly staff as soon as we walked in. We ordered one New York style and one Sicilian style pizza. They were both fantastic but the New York style stole the show! The Garlic Knots were also very good, smothered in garlic and parmesan. While we were eating, the manager(?) came by to see how we were enjoying everything, which I alway appreciate. We had plenty of leftover pizza to snack on the next day or two of our trip. Who doesn't love a cold slice the next day? I feel like my research paid off and we found the best pizzeria in the area. I will gladly recommend Smiling with Hope Pizza to anyone I know that is visiting the area, and we will definitely be back some day. read more

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My kids took me to Smiling with hope pizza for father's day's , we had a great pizza the sauce was delicious crust was also amazing I really liked the sausage on my Sicilian slice! The staff was excellent and attentive definitely have to come back again! read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - 16" Classic NY pie with pepperoni - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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So the wife I heard about this place. So we were not far from this place and gave it a try. So glad we did when you go in the place it smells amazing. The guy that helped us was super friendly and nice. The pizza was so good and good size. I got a single piece and it was huge. My wife's pizza with the cauliflower crust was yummy. Pizza came out fast this is a must try pizza place! Highly recommend this place! Cheers read more

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Fast and friendly service. Pizza was excellent--one of the best thin crust pizzas in town without a doubt. The seasoned ricotta was a fantastic addition to the pizza. We went on a weeknight and it wasn't too busy, but there aren't a ton of tables so I can see this place getting busy fast, especially on a weekend. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

We tried this place on a recommendation from someone that is originally from NJ. We were told it was very good, and we were not disappointed. The pizza was delicious and the cannolis looked amazing, although we didn't have any. It's a small restaurant, maybe 10 tables and a few outside as well. You can make reservations, which I would suggest for a Friday. Service was excellent and we will definitely return. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Half pepperoni and half pepperoni and mushroom - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

This was our first time visiting SWHP. My expectations were high based on online reviews and we were not disappointed. This is epic pizza. We ate outside under the tree with a nice breeze despite the 92F temperature. That crust! All ingredients are fresh and the cheese and sauce are outstanding. Highly recommend this place on their community vision and their outstanding food! Cannoli tonight! Love the tribute public service patches on the wall! Even a Dolphin fan can respect the Buffalo roots and Jim Kelly signed jersey! read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Service Patches from near and far - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

I LOVE their pizzas! Thin crust, choose your toppings, enjoy! They employ challenged individuals to do support jobs and it's wonderful to see them succeed as employees. Great community support and a great philosophy. read more

One of my top 5 favorite pizza spots in Reno. The pizza is delicious. We usually get pepperoni, pep with pineapple or jalapeños. IMO the pizza is a bit oily and the pep is a touch spicy, but VERY good flavor and thin. If you are ordering Friday or Sat night the wait times are usually 1h. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Half pepperoni and pepperoni with jalapeños/pineapple - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

This was my first visit to Smiling With Hope. Popped in at noon for a couple of slices. They may be the best NY style pizza in Reno! Crust was flaky with a hint of a wheat taste. The sauce was a tinge on the acidic side but the mozzarella was spot on. Slices were big and made for a prefect lunch. I'll go for a whole pie next time! Staff was friendly and advised of the Veteran/First responder discount! Definitely a go-to spot in Reno! read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - 2 cheese slices - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

1/10/2026 first time coming here. Ordered a deep dish with pepperoni, sausage olives, and extra cheese. It was delicious. Crispy outer edge crust, tasty pepperoni. I think it's a family owned business. Everyone there was no nice, the place was very clean with a lot of sports memorabilia. Seems like they are Huge Buffalo Bills fans. They give discounts for military,teachers or first responders. Definitely will be back and recommend to others to come try read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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5/10/25- It's been a while since my out of town had this pizza. Lucked out and called one in on the way back. Of course I had to try one while drove.. Delish! Also picked up the salad dressing.. Got the New York with half cheese and half sausage. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Visited Smiling With Hope Pizza on Wednesday July 23 2025. We planned on serving some Great pizza for Poker Night and wanted to test this establishment's product. We ordered a half homemade sausage and half peperoni and a couple of sodas. THIS is truly one of the best pizzas you will ever experience! The crust, the sauce, the fresh ingredients made such a wonderful combination of flavors, there is no doubt that Smiling With Hope pizza is what is on the menu this Poker Night. The restaurant is clean, comfortable, bright and cheerful, well decorated with interesting art, and the employees are friendly, caring and enthusiastic. Andrew answered all of our questions about ordering and serving a Poker Game pizza menu, so we will DEFINITELY be back! read more

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Our first visit here and we were so pleased that it was a home run - and so close to home! Love this pick your own style of authentic NY thinner crust with any toppings you desire. They don't have Canadian bacon to note this night so we opted for the pepperoni with fresh basil and sausage on the other half. They have just one size and after reviewing the menu online, we decided to go with the thinner NY crust instead of the Sicilian. We also got a large garden salad with their balsamic dressing and the salad was a great size with a lot of fresh toppings, like mushroom, olives, onions, and peppers topped with Parmesan - a nice healthier compliment to the tasty pizza. The service was prompt & friendly, and the pizza was ready exactly when I requested it to be. We'll be back! read more

This is our favorite place when craving NY style pizza. Favorite is the thin crust style, but can't go wrong with the Sicilian style either. They keep the topping options simple, but with quality ingredients. The staff is very friendly even though they always seem to be slammed. Seating is limited so get there early if you want to dine in. I'm glad the quality didn't drop with the change of ownership. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Our go-to pizza. NY, red sauce, pepperoni and jalapeno - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

I don't usually crave pizza but when I do I go to Smiling with Hope. The pizza is always good, even when it's reheated. The staff is friendly and helpful. This is my go to place when I am craving pizza. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Pepperoni jalapeño pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

So glad we ate here on our trip to Reno! New York style Pizza was cooked perfectly and tasted great. Service was excellent with engaging staff. Love that the owner incorporates disability hiring to create opportunities and improve lives. Definitely recommend. read more

Honestly one of the best pizza places in town, a true hidden gem! This time, we came in with my dad because he wanted to check it out. Since New Yalk pizza closed a couple years back, he hasn't been able to find any thin crust pizza that he really likes. Well, he like Smiling with Hope! He says its his new favorite pizza! Everyone was so wonderful, they were super busy and apologized repeatedly for it taking so long. It is a tight little place, so make sure you get there early if you want a table! Or just take it to go and have a nice picnic! We had Hot Knots and a Pepperoni and Mushroom NY thin crust pizza, both of which were just spectacular! Looking forward to being back regularly. read more

In short, I'm a fan. Found this hidden gem tucked away in a quiet, semi-residential type of neighborhood in central Reno by searching for the Best Pizza in Reno. The name was a mouthful and threw me a bit but I decided to stop in to buy a pizza for take out. If you blink, you may miss it as they occupy a quiet, hidden corner spot in this small strip of businesses. I immediately noticed their public safety/military patch board on arrival. There is a clear mission here to support their community, support our military and public safety officials, and work with underprivileged persons in vocational training. I hadn't even seen a menu yet but they had me at their patch board and mission. The owner is from NY and knows a thing or 2 about that style of pie and the pizza was absolutely fantastic. It is a thinner crust with great texture. Crispy on some edges and a good chew in the middle. Very much a NY style pizza so if you prefer a different style, this may not be up to your standard but I'm a pretty easy to please pizza person and this hit the top marks for me in many categories. Nothing but good things to say about this shop, their mission, and their pizza. I wish there were more businesses that prioritized this type of model: Have a higher mission and get there by delivering a great product. The world would be a better place if there were more of that to go around. I highly recommend to those in the area that you check them out for your next pizza fix. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Service was friendly and the interior was relatively clean. We ordered a pepperoni pizza with herbed ricotta to go. Overall the pizza was quite good, though we may order it without the ricotta next time. We will likely return. read more

Smiling With Hope Pizza - Pepperoni pizza with ricotta - Pizza Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Great New York style, flavorful red sauce. Cooked to perfection and the veggies we chose were fresh. The Basil really was designed well for the fresh taste we were looking for. read more

Great pizza, great service! Great having the games on TV, this is like a slice shop in New York. Definitely a great mission and great food!

TheBEST...most tasty pizza I would recommend this to dave port.Noise one bite pizza reviews! (Considering we're far far away from the east coast, this is an outstanding recommendation ) read more

Super good. We've been meaning to try this place for a while. We got just a cheese pizza on the ny style thin crust and the 17x24 pepperoni pizza. The sauce is amazing! I can't decide which was my favorite because they were both so tasty. Don't get me started on their chocolate chip cannoli. Literally the best cookie! Flavor burst for sure. My only downside is the lady taking the orders over the phone was kinda rude and very short. She could have been overwhelmed as it was the beginning of the lunch hour but at least the food made up for it. I love what this business and what it stands for. read more

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