Speedy Romeo
“As for the pizza, we got the White Album– It was delicious: super cheesy and rich.”
“Also had the Kale Apple Salad; absolutely wonderful, and I'm stealing the idea of roasted freekeh to add some crunch to my salads at home.”
“We had the Paul's Boutique pizza and the King Brother pizza, both of which also had great flavor on fantastic dough.”
Speedy Romeo
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Amazing food, atmosphere, and service! Cannot recommend this place highly enough!
All the pizzas are delicious, but the Dangerfield and Saint Louie are particularly exceptional. Perfect crust to cheese to toppings ratio!
The desserts are also divine. The chocolate cake with marshmallow is a must order, no matter how full of pizza you are!
I just finished eating at Speedy Romeo, and it's definitely worth a try, though not for everyone!
There were lots of positives about this spot:
+ The food was filling and flavorful. Most of their food, like their pizzas, are meant for multiple people but I'm glad got the meatball sandwich, which is for one person. This came with pork and veal meatballs, toasted bread and leafy greens with a well spiced dressing. The thyme-limeade soda was a personal hit too, since it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet and the thyme flavor was distinct.
+ The space is small and cozy: it fits 30-40 people at most, and being able to see the other folks eating here gives this spot an intimate yet low-key feel.
+ The server who greeted me as I walked through the entrance, and another who didn't serve me but were around, were really courteous.
Now for the growth areas (my phrase for what folks would call "negatives"):
+ The atmosphere is more divey / hipster, which isn't really for me. Everyone has different tastes or preferences in this area though, so if this is your deal, this is your spot!
+ The bartender-server could've been friendlier and more vocal with me: I'm not sure if it's just her personality but she gave off a colder vibe. When I thanked her when she refilled my water glass, she didn't say anything and gave me a nod.
I experienced a strange moment when, while I was chewing my food, I caught her looking at me and she asked me quietly, "Good?" to which I responded emphatically, "Yeah!" She struck me as the type of person who does what she needs to, but isn't likely to go the extra mile to ask you how you are, how everything is, etc.
+ This space is best for groups, I successfully ate here solo but something about this space caused me to feel self conscious about doing so. There are eateries and cafes that I know are great for going solo & others that aren't, and Speedy Romeo falls into the latter.
Overall, I'm glad I gave this spot a try, it's worth going to if you want a hearty & filling meal to eat!
Great pizza, nice environment.
Three friends and I stopped by with a reservation on a weekday evening, and we split 12 wings and the grilled octopus as apps, both of which were solid and were well prepared. We had the Paul's Boutique pizza and the King Brother pizza, both of which also had great flavor on fantastic dough. I would definitely come back to try the other pizzas.
There's a reason Speedy Romeo's is getting Michelin attention. The attention to detail is meticulous and the flavor profiles are spot on. There's an absolute decadence when dining here. You need to not be counting calories but instead get ready to have your inner fat kid jump for joy!
So when asked where I wanted to have my birthday meal it was an easy decision that it would be Speedy Romeo. The tougher question was location. There's the Clinton Hill/Bed Stuy (new recent neighborhood) versus the LES spot. I made the right choice since the chef was at LES on my birthday!
The octopus was a must and chef, Justin Bazdarich recommended! (*Like he literally told me to order it a week ago) I'm pescatarian and octopus is one of my favorites! My co worker suggested I get the beet salad. Best salad she ever had! I wanted to try the branzino but how could I not order pizza. So many of the pizzas looked great. I was lured by the mushrooms and the egg pizza, "The Kind Brother".
I'm a sucker for rose so we got a bottle. We didn't have a reservation so we did end up sitting at the bar. I recommend a reservation. On this night I didn't mind so much since our bartender, Jim was a sweetheart! He also gave me a Bandito No.1 to sample. The cocktail is mezcal, honey, chartreuse and lime. I love the smokey and savory cocktail. Thanks Jim! You rocked it!
The salad and octopus arrived first. The octopus was perfectly cooked! The hazelnuts were the cherry on top of the beet salad. And I thought the celery was subtle but also added something special to the octopus. The pizza came next and it was decadent, perfectly crispy, and gooey! I know it's doesn't sound achievable but somehow it happened and it works.
Unfortunately I did not get the chocolate cake that I have lusted over for more than a month now. But it is even more reason for another visit and another feast and this time I won't be getting a year older!
Thanks for making my birthday so special!
*check out my Weather Up review
really cool spot for some gourmet pizza and some great appetizers. we came on a wednesday and the menu special was chicken wings, and these were absolutely incredible! perfectly grilled, slathered with homemade bbq sauce and covered in thinly sliced celeries, i was blown away that a pizza place did chicken wings so perfectly. not sure if these are on the regular menu, but definitely try these.
for the pizza, we had the hawaiian (can't remember the menu name) which was really great for the first few bites, but then it began to taste super salty. the next day for leftovers, the salt twice was overwhelming and i couldn't finish it. id recommend trying someone else slice of this rather than getting a whole pie. i'll definitely be back to try other pizza options since they all looked great, and i really enjoyed the atmosphere.
Cool and small spot turning out great flavors. Caesar salad to start is a well executed take on a classic. Pizza reputation that they're known for is well deserved. The Paul's boutique topped with Katz's pastrami is a must. And the burger topped with a mushroom aioli and red onion captures the essence of the best steak tartare placed between a bun.
KenScale: 8.0/10
Pizza, an import from Italy, has become such an iconic part of American cuisine that you see all kinds of variations with different styles and regional influences in this country. Speedy Romeo, which had long been a hit in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, has been known for churning out St. Louis-inspired pies. I'm not much of an expert when it comes to different pizza styles; it seems like St. Louis style is known for a thin crust with the addition of Provel processed cheese, but I honestly don't recall visiting a pizza restaurant with this distinctive style. Anyways, when the original spot decided to open a second location in the booming LES neighborhood in Manhattan, I knew I had to try this new place. The verdict: the pizzas at Speedy Romeo that I sampled were generally excellent. The surprise: Speedy Romeo is not just about pizzas.
If you look at the menus at Speedy Romeo, you wonder whether this is really just a pizza restaurant, as the pizza section is just one of several that shows things like salad, steaks and other oven-cooked items. My initial dilemma once I realized it was whether to go all-in for pizzas or diversify my dishes. I decided to go for the latter and it turned out to be a great choice. You may see Caesar salad everywhere in the city, but the one at Speedy Romeo was certainly above-average and had the nice flavor from anchovy while the romaine itself was quite fresh. I had no complaint on Kansas City strip steak that came with crispy potatoes, salsa verde, garlic chips, black pepper and sea salt. The meat was more or less perfectly cooked medium rare with the right amount of fat in it. My only warning is to be modest when it comes to adding salsa verde and sea salt. One time I put in too much of these and the juicy tender meat turned out to be overpowered by the strong flavor. What about the pizzas? The kitchen was certainly not playing safe with their pies, often to great effect. One secret that the server alerted to my party when we, a group of three including myself, were debating how many pies to order. Speedy Romeo offers half-pie options! This meant that my dining companions and I were able to sample two pizzas in half-pie portions so as not to overwhelm ourselves. The classic St. Louie with Provel cheese, Italian sausage, pepperoni and pickled chilies had the rich, hearty feel to it, but the one that I was more impressed with was the Paul's Boutique that had the famed Manhattan Katz's pastrami along with 1000 island dressing and everything bagel crust for pure decadence. I don't have a ranking of the best pizzas in the city, but I do feel strongly this one deserves to be mentioned among the top choices. I really liked the fact that the pies came with thin crusts so while enjoying the pure richness of each piece, we weren't killing ourselves. For dessert, white chocolate mousse with rhubarb compote, balsamic and rose sugar turned out to be a nice antidote to counterbalance all the richness of the pizzas and steak.
The restaurant accepts reservations; the space is relatively small, though, so I highly recommend booking in advance. I liked the interesting vibe (a combination of hipster and 90's retro) of the dining space that is quite fitting in the LES neighborhood and ideal for a casual gathering with friends for serious dinners or quite bites and drinks before heading off for a night out. There is full bar, and my vote is to go with cocktail or beer options. Speedy Romeo is another welcome addition to the growing LES dining scene; unlike what it has been known for, it is so much more than just a pizzeria. Make sure to shed some pounds at a gym before or after you indulge in a satisfying meal at this place.
Really great not your standard type of pizza spot that comes at a premium. At around $20-22 per personal pie, Speedy Romeo's is definitely worth an experience, especially the Paul's Boutique, which features Katz's pastrami on an everything bagel crust. Yes, it's as magical and delicious as it sounds. The combination of all the ingredients work so well together – also helps that the person preparing the pie dispersed all the ingredients evenly that you're able to enjoy the magnitude of flavors with each bite. My friend and I also shared the King Salami, featuring soppressata – they give you LOTS of soppressata that it basically falls off the slice. Yummy saltiness. The real kicker and highlight of Speedy Romeo hands down is their house made jar of peppers. Omg, just add this to every bite; it literally makes the pizza!
Just a warning – 2 pies for 2 people was more than plenty. I saw that you're able to order half a pie, so do that, so you're not overly stuffed!