Who had the Midlands’ favorite pizza in The State’s poll? Meet the 2025 winner
They’ve been delighting customers in a busy area of Lexington for nearly two decades. Now they’ve risen to the top of a poll of newspaper readers.
Clara & Ray’s Ristorante Italiano, located at 5140 Sunset Blvd. in Lexington, across the street from the Target shopping center, recently won The State’s 2025 Pizza Poll. There were 32 pizza places from across the Midlands listed in the poll, which ran on the paper’s website Sept. 22-28.
More than 24,000 votes were cast in this year’s pizza poll and when the smoke cleared Clara & Ray’s finished first, with 11,603 votes. Columbia mainstay Dano’s was second with 7,212 votes, while longtime Fort Jackson Boulevard staple La Brascas was third with 3,794 votes.
Clara & Ray’s co-owner John Immerso was grateful that people took the time to vote in the poll.
“It’s very special to know that people in the community and in the area have faith in us and faith in our product and in our food,” Immerso said.
Clara & Ray’s — which is named in honor of Immerso’s parents — has been part of the Lexington restaurant scene for more than 17 years. The Italian restaurant initially started in one storefront in the Palmetto Plaza shopping center, but expanded its space into a neighboring storefront several years ago.
The restaurant offers a host of Italian favorites, including spaghetti, ravioli, calzones, stromboli and hero sandwiches. But the spot is perhaps best known for its New York-style pizza. That includes the popular Monstro pizza, which is a giant pie that measures two feet by two feet.
“That one is very big,” Immerso said of the Monstro. “It barely fits through the door. If someone has it in a box, they have to turn it a little bit to get through the door.”
While they wouldn’t divulge all of their secrets, owners at Clara & Ray’s said there are a few things that help make their pizzas particularly tasty.
“I think one of the things that makes our pizza stand out is the fact that we use unbleached flour that is very high quality,” co-owner Brian Clancy said. The pizzas are cooked in a stone deck oven, and the restaurant makes its dough fresh every day. The owners keep a close eye on their ingredients, and have used the same tomato supplier from California for years.
Aside from traditional New York pizzas, Clara & Ray’s also offers a deep dish Sicilian-style pie that is quite popular, Immerso noted.
Clara & Ray’s is a true family business. Immerso’s wife, Tracey, also is a co-owner, and both John Immerso and Clancy say she is the “soul of the restaurant.” There are 10 children between the Immerso and Clancy families, and all of them have worked at Clara & Ray’s at one point or another.
Clara & Ray’s is open from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. They are closed on Sunday.
This story was originally published October 3, 2025 at 10:44 AM.
