Lillian Pizzeria
“I did go recently, and had my usual Sicilian slice(fantastic and crunchy), and added in some broccoli pinwheels.”
“I always get the meatball and garlic which is Ray Romano's favorite food (he grew up nearby).”
“I always go with the classics- a regular slice which is great, and a sicilian as well as garlic knots (both BOMB and my favorite in all of NYC).”
Lillian Pizzeria
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This place seems like a hidden gem, no wonder it has so many stars. I got the tomato slice and cheese pizza and it was pretty good. The garlic knots are probably the best I've ever had at a pizza place. YUM!
Oh my goodness!! Best pizza I've ever had in Queens! (And definitely one of the top 10 pizzerias in all of nyc, in my opinion.) Tucked away on an unassuming street in the quaint Forest Hills Gardens neighborhood, this mom and pop pizzeria turns pizza-making into an art form!
I ordered a slice of their garlic/tomato and plain pizzas while my bf ordered a calzone. The calzone was only ok, but man, those slices of pizza were scrumptious! I like to make sure a pizzeria serves a solid plain slice before trying their other slices, because no pizzeria deserves praise unless they can master the basics, right? Let me tell you, Lillian serves a mean plain pizza! Perfect crust to sauce to cheese ratio, fresh and flavorful ingredients, cheese that melts and strings with each delectable bite, crispy crust with just enough pillowy doughy goodness to delight your senses… Ahh, pure pizza heaven!
After stuffing my face with the plain pizza, I dove into the garlic/tomato pizza with twice as much fervor cause now I knew that Lillian's pizza meant business! My tastebuds practically sang with joy with each bite. Perfect balance of garlic and tomato flavor and, again, super fresh ingredients (in fact, the tomato was so freshly sliced, it was still crisp and sweet, not wilted and soggy like the tomato slices you get on most pizzas).
You know how you know that I'm not lying when I say that this was the best pizza I've ever had in Queens (and arguably all of nyc)? I was satisfactorily full after the two slices but I still went back for one more! They had three pizzas available when I was ordering and after finish those two slices of heaven, I just couldn't resist trying the third: Salad pizza! Man… I'm salivating just thinking about that third slice. As full as I already was, I ravenously stuffed my face with the third. It was that good. Like a high-end, flavor-packed salad atop an expertly baked pizza crust, the salad pizza represented the best of both worlds: soft mozzarella mixed with a hint of tangy ranch dressing, gently enveloping crisply fresh cucumber slices, crunchy lettuce, and tender sweet tomatoes, all over one of the best pizza crusts you'll ever have the joy of eating.
If you are lucky enough to be in the neighborhood, definitely make the trek to Lillian and definitely try all the pizza on display. Skip the calzone. I've heard good things about their garlic knots but other than that, stick to the pizza. This is a pizzeria for a reason!
**Also, REMEMBER TO BRING CASH!
Food: 5/5 — Amazing. Simply amazing.
Service: 4/5 — Friendly and quick.
Atmosphere: 3/5 — Clean and spacious, just your typical pizzeria. It's in a cute part of town though.
Overall: 5/5 — Best damn pizza I've ever had in Queens!
Lillian's may be one of the most adorable pizzerias I've been to. Between being nestled in a beautiful section of Forest Hills, to the Tudor-ish outside, to the old couple that runs the place, there's a lot of cute shit here. The place itself is pretty bare bones insides, but as you could expect the proprietors are extremely friendly. As one photo on this page attests, Ray Romano is fond of the place (he grew up in Forest Hills) so that's one wa the place gets press. Otherwise Lillian's is a solid neighborhood slice joint, and a very worthwhile one at that.
I got a regular slice which was very good. The crust was crisp with a nice amount of bready character. The tomato sauce was good but it was very lightly applied. The cheese was a little oily but was good quality otherwise. Overall the well above-average crust carried the slice and made it better than it would've been otherwise. My friend got the garlic knots which I didn't care for; they seemed to have been baked in the oven and then brushed with only a light amount of garlicky oil, which may be more health conscious but not nearly satisfying enough for a Jew like me. Regardless I would grab a slice here on a regular basis if I lived nearby. If nearby I'd definitely stop by again to try other stuff!
I don't understand all the hype about this place. I ordered a slice of the meatball garlic and the pizza tasted pretty basic to me. They are also cash only and pretty pricey at $4 for my slice. One extra star because the broccoli pinwheel was pretty good.
This is exactly what New York pizza is supposed be without any bells or whistles.
They do not deliver. They do not have specials. They do not experiment with new creative toppings. They just make pizzas, strombolis, calzones and subs. Same recipe since I was a little hooligan. Family owned with wonderful yet simple service.
It's so hard to nail down the "Best Slice of Pizza" in NYC. There are so many (although the proper ones are slowly becoming extinct). So I say to anyone who states they have the number one slice around, the truth is it's actually unqualifiable. I believe the remedy is to have a handful spots in your mental Rolodex, preferably at least one in every borough and have your goto spot wherever you might be. This concept might only be rational to hardened New Yorkers, I admit.
Even you don't think Lilliana's is great you will not be disappointed, I promise.
I was in the mood for a slice and checked YELP for a pizzeria that I haven't tried before. I found Lillian's and was excited to try to this spot based on the great reviews. I wasn't familiar with this area in Forest Hills because it's more residential and if you don't live over there or visit family/friends there isn't a need to be there.
The pizzeria is on the corner and it definitely had that old school vibe. It was very clean and the staff was friendly. I was surprised to see the famous Lillian serving behind the counter. I read the two articles they had posted in the pizzeria about the owners and the establishment being in the community for decades. Now to the pizza, I had one plain slice and it was pretty good. Before I order slices with additions toppings I like to see if the plain is worth it and it was. It's the best I've tasted in Forest Hills so far. I wouldn't hesitate visiting this spot for some additional slices and extra toppings when I get the pizza fix.
I want to love Lillian, but alas I can only like it.
I went to Lillian's hoping that this would be my new pizza spot. I've had Gino's on Yellowstone, I've had Michael's on Yellowstone, and now it was time for Lillian–the pizza that was suppose to be the best around. In my humble opinion, Lillian's was just ok, better than Gino's, about the same as Michael's, but not the best I've ever had.
I called Lillian's to order a pie to pick up for dinner. When I got there, I noticed that parking was a little tough. I found a spot quickly enough due to someone else pulling. Not a big deal and def not a deal breaker for future visits. There is a liquor store next to Lillian's, so I thought I'd stop in, I had never been in there and like to frequent local businesses. The liquor store manager was friendly and helpful. I ended up buying a couple bottles of wine for me and my girlfriend. Enough time had past that I figured the pie might be done. I walked over hungry and eager.
Lillian's is located conveniently on the corner, hard to miss. Inside is your typical old style pizza joint. I can't say there's anything remarkable about it, but you don't really need anything remarkable, it's a pizza place. I go to the counter and ask for a pie that I had ordered over the phone. The woman is friendly and brings it over. Here's the rub though, cash only. Cash only is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to transactions. There are so many non-cash solutions for business that there's no real excuse to not make it as easy as possible for customers to choose their preferred form of payment. Still, not the biggest deal in the world that they are cash only. Here's where things get worse though; they do not have an ATM in the place. Why? I get it, if you want to run a cash business, ok no problem, but at least have an ATM in the place to alleviate that pain point. I asked the woman at the counter where was the closest ATM, expecting her to say down the block or something. She says over on Yellowstone. I found that hard to believe that there's a place running a cash-only business with the closest ATM being a 10min walk from them, which makes it 20min round-trip, not counting the walk back to the apt. Fortunately I had the car, but def something to keep in mind if you're walking local. She suggested I go get money from the liquor store. Mind you, they don't have an ATM. She wanted me to ask the guy at the liquor store to swipe my card and give me cash.
I went to the ATM on Yellowstone and came back for the pie. She seemed sorry that I had to go to all that trouble and again suggested that I could have gotten money from the liquor store guy. I conveyed, in a gentle way, that I was not comfortable with that. It's not about the fact that I could have gotten money from him, but rather that it wasn't his responsibility to provide cash for her business. I would have considered it rude if I were in his shoes.
I got home and the gf and I start in on the pizza. It was good, but not the best I've ever had. Pizza comes in all forms. It's a gentle balance, a harmony of ingredients. The best pizza has the cheese, sauce, and dough work together in perfect harmony. Good pizza will highlight one or two ingredients. Bad pizza is a complete imbalance of flavor and texture. Lillian's was a good pizza, but highlighted the dough too much for my preference. The sauce was ok, and the cheese was ok, but it was just dough on dough when in the mouth. My friend Kevin would have loved it, but that's just not my preference.
Things to note here:
-Lillian's is cash only!
-If you like dough-y pizza, this is def for you.
-Parking might be difficult, but shouldn't be a deal breaker
I've been eating here for over 20 years! Best plain slices paired with a broccoli pinwheel or two~