Lombardi’s Pizza
“Lombardi's crust is a tad bit crispier and generally tends to capture the smoky flavors from the coal oven.”
“We've tried all the big ones: John's, Grimaldi's, Patsy's and Totonno's…and this one rules.”
“now I am NOT a New Yorker so this review may not have as much meaning as someone that lives there and eats it regularly.”
Lombardi’s Pizza
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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My friend, Sabrina Q., insisted that Bryan W. and I visit Lombardi's Pizza while in NYC since it was the first pizzeria in the USA, founded in 1905. Four of us stopped in around 3:00pm on a Saturday and were seated immediately at a booth in the back room. Lots of pictures of celebrities visiting Lombardi's adorn the walls, and I will say I liked the exposed brick. Ambiance and atmosphere, as predicted, is very casual. So casual, in fact, that you eat off paper plates, which do to the high volume of business, I suppose makes sense.
Prices are high, even by NYC standards, and it's cash only, although there is an ATM onsite if needed. Drink options are pretty minimal-standard soda options, a few wine choices, and a few beers. Bryan W. and I opted for wine, and at $8/glass, I was decently satisfied with the semi-generous pour. One of our dining mates ordered a Stella, pricy even by NYC standards at $8. The four of us decided to split a large pizza-half with meatballs and pepperoni and the other half with pancetta and ricotta. Was this the best pizza I've ever had? No, but it was quite satisfying nonetheless and it did really hit the spot after a long day at the 9/11 museum. I can only speak for the half Bryan W. and I chose, the pancetta and ricotta,-the pancetta was crisp, the ricotta was creamy and balanced out the saltiness of the pancetta, and the fresh basil was a nice addition. Both the pancetta and ricotta were distributed evenly and in abundance on our half of the pie. The sauce on the pizza was quite light; I would have preferred a slightly greater amount. The coal fired crust was perfect-crisp without being burnt. The other half of the pizza was quickly eaten, and both diners said it was delicious.
My biggest qualm regarding Lombardi's is the price. When all was said and done, the aforementioned pizza was a $40 pie. 8 slices=$5 slice=not worth it. The pizza was tasty, yes, but frankly, I don't believe it was worth its cost. Another small irritation was that the checks are handwritten and there were no descriptions on what cost how much. We figured out she divided it into drinks and then the pizza, but when we were trying to split the pizza cost by what we ordered, not exactly in half (some of the toppings were more expensive than others), it proved difficult because nothing was itemized.
I would definitely recommend visiting Lombardi's once to have the experience of dining in the first pizzeria, however, I'd say after that first experience, you should venture up to Brooklyn where there are a ton of great pizzerias where a pie doesn't cost $40.
I visited Lombardi's once many years ago. My experience was wonderful. The long lines are a definite deterrent though and I have never made it back. However, CG and I are on a sort of on/off pizza tour and he had never been. Well, this past Friday, we braved it around 4:30 and was met with no wait. Woohoo!
We ordered a large half white/half margherita pie, with mushrooms. This grand pie was served to us in about 15 minutes.
So the pizza is definitely solid, but not as great as I remembered. We both agreed that the tomato sauce on the margherita was too runny. Though the sauce was good, it was just sliding off with each bite–plate, fingers, lap–taking all the other ingredients with it. Too messy. The white pizza was friggin' awesome though. There was so much going on but it tasted so fresh and clean. I loved the abundant spread of ricotta and the stringy mozz.
Expensive, yes. Touristy, yes. But, I'll come back for the white.
Ok, so let me start off by saying that New York pizza can be a very personal obsession for some. Admittedly, I am one of those people. Of course I am cognizant of the fact that Lombardi's kicked the entire Pizza revolution off in America and I am eternally grateful and respectful of that tradition. Also, some say this is authentic pizza similar to what one would find in Italy–I don't doubt it. Plus, many born and bred New Yorkers swear by Lombardi's. That being said, Coal Oven is just not my favorite type of New York style pizza and what I grew up on and subsequently LOVE (and have to eat whenever I'm back in the city).
Perhaps Lombardi's is worth trying at least once to make your own determination–it is a legendary place after all! Now, my brother is the one who had a craving for Lombardi's today, so I found myself there on the 4th of July, otherwise I would not have been. The restaurant is nice and spacious, and was crowded with apparent satisfied customers. Maybe I'm just not cool and cultured enough with my pizza palette to love Lombardi's, I don't even like it. I prefer a crispy crust (that can be folded), simple flavorful cheese (perfectly proportioned, not greasy or falling off the slice) and slightly sweet, delicious sauce. Also, "sold by the slice" is my type of place, ideally. Unfortunately, nearly the opposite of Lombardi's.
We ordered the White Pizza. Sadly, it just did not have enough flavor for me and the dough was way to soft for my liking. While the ingredients tasted fresh, I just couldn't get past one slice and was only able to finish it by dipping in sauce. Just completely underwhelming, sigh! Drinks were expensive, no refills and I just don't think the overall prices are justified–this place is pricey and Cash Only! $43 for a large pizza and 3 sodas??? On the positive side, my brother really enjoyed the White Pizza and prefers this style of pizza in general. Well, as they say…to each his own LOL! Personally, I will be going up the street for my perfect slice :-). Happy Eating!
Great place for pizza. One of the best in NYC. Can get pretty full but they are huge, and wait usually isn't too bad. Servers are grumpy so ding a star. Bathrooms have lines, and are scattered. Look to the basement for maybe a shorter line. 4 people can share a large pie (8 slices with two toppings) for about $40. You might still be hungry after so get gelato nearby, or go to a bar and drink.
Things seem to have gone a bit downhill since our last visit. Slow service, server forgot our waters, watery sauce. Maybe an off night, but was nothing I remembered. So many other pizza places to try.
Late posting….my first time to ny..my friends took me here for lunch…ordered a raspberry italian soda..yumm! Pizza, i let my friends decide what to get…basically everything on it lol..delicious! Good food n service!
The legendary Lombardi's. First pizza joint in America and always featured on food TV.
Depending when you go, the lines can be really long. I've walked by a few times and see lines out the door.
Inside has a good amount of seating for a NY restaurant. Service was good. Food comes out quick.
Margherita w/ Pepperoni & Kalamatta Olives, small – $18.50 + $4 + $3 – Dough was good but not crispy like it should have been. The sauce was good, clean and simple. Nothing beats fresh mozzarella. Pepperonis and olives were pretty standard toppings.
Pizza quality was decent, but for almost $30 bucks, I wanted to be blown away. More of a tourist trap with tourist prices.
Good pizza? Of course! But I couldn't get over the feeling this place is trying to nickel and dime every customer who walks through the doors. Some examples…they don't accept cards, but they have their own ATM (with service charge of course). Soda starts at $3. No refills. A basic pizza is over $20. They use paper plates and plastic cups. If I'm going to eat pizza off a paper plate, I shouldn't pay a premium for it.
This place is cashing in on its touristy status. Stay out of Little Italy – honestly there were so many other pizza places if you just walk to another neighborhood.