Yankee J-Z Pizza
“The beef patties with cheese, pepperoni, and coco bread are good too.”
“I've recently started buying the garlic knots to eat with my Italian dinner.”
Yankee J-Z Pizza
Take-out: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
2 reviews
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My least fave non-chain pizza in NYC. Any pizza named after Daddy Yankee will be bad because well, have you listened to Daddy Yankee's music? Right. And any pizza named after Jay-Z is bound to be bad. I mean the guy is busy making rap records, and he's not even remotely Italian, so how can he possibly make good slices?
It's overloaded with cheese, and has very little taste. I could only eat a few bites. It was like Artichoke Basile's Pizza in Manhattan, but didn't taste anywhere near as good. Not that I like AB's, but it has its plus points. YJZ is totally not my thing. But if you love cheese, you might love it, so give it a try. I only give it a 3 because I never rate family-owned places lower than 3.
Yeah, unfortunately, Yankee Jay-Z pizza has 99 problems, and a very overrated Pizza is 98 of them.
The giant slice is something thats fairly common in the Bronx. Basically, its a street slice from an abnormally large pie (~24"). We can debate its origins, but since it primarily hails from the Bronx, my hypothesis is that it developed in order to help feed the lower income locals as the Bronx became impoverished in the 60's/70's. Two of these, usually priced the same as a normal slice, are definitely a hearty meal that could be described as "meaty" (JIM KIM TM) even if there is no meat. But one common factor is that these slices are usually mediocre if nothing downright awful. Here's the only exception to that rule that I've found thus far.
First off, don't be fooled by the other Yankee Pizza one block down. I think that one was Yankee CK Pizza or something (the JZ and CK are printed in reaaaallly small letters on the awnings, should be interesting to learn why that is). The difference is JZ has an old school awning and looks much more raw and old inside. The other is much more modern (by Bronx standards), and has a big "best pizza in the Bronx" banner. In the real one, there is no bathroom, no air conditioning, but there is a Marvel vs. Capcom video game and some rat traps, so I guess thats all you need. Because of the size difference, a full pie here needs a bit longer to cook, and it came out piping hot.
It needed a second to sit, because the cheese they use can slide off easily if you don't. The crust is far above average. Because of its size, it is a bit doughy and can give your jaw a workout, but the flavor is there. The outer rim is nice and soft, the underside is nice and crisp; this is a combo that most pizza makers in the city strive for and fail. It has a slighly odd taste to it that I couldn't place, but that isn't a bad thing. The cheese is top notch processed mozzarella, and its the same cheese they use at Margherita in Queens. The sauce is good, but a bit of an afterthought; this pie is dominated by the crust and cheese. Its too doughy and heavy to be considered truly great in my book, but its definitely up there. The end result is one of the best slices in the Bronx by far, and its definitely one worth a detour for in order to taste this style at its best.