Buffalo-style pizza is a thick, chewy crust pizza dish with a heavy layer of mozzarella cheese and sweet tomato sauce that originated in Buffalo, New York.
Buffalo-style pizza emerged in the mid-20th century, roughly during the 1940s and 1950s, as Italian-American pizzerias in Western New York adapted traditional Sicilian and New York pizza styles into something heartier and more shareable. Its signature traits—thicker crust, sweeter sauce, cup-and-char pepperoni, and square-cut slices—became especially popular after World War II as neighborhood pizza shops spread throughout Buffalo and nearby towns. There is no single inventor officially credited with creating Buffalo-style pizza, since it evolved gradually through local pizzerias rather than being introduced by one restaurant alone.
The reception of Buffalo-style pizza in Buffalo has been strongly tied to local identity and pride, where it is considered a signature comfort food alongside Buffalo wings and beef on weck.