Lucali - Brooklyn

I went here today with my family. The last time I went here was 4 years ago with some friends from work. The pizza is still as good as I remember it. The sauce, cheese and dough are excellent. The crust is not to some people's liking, but it was delicious and cooked perfectly. Pies topped with lots of fresh basil. We had a pepperoni pie and a hot pepper pie. Pies came out one at a time which is the way to do it. Pizza here is highly recommended. Next time we'll try a calzone. It's a bit of a pilgrimage to go here, but it's worth it. Right up there with Juliana's and Totonno's but Totonno's hasn't really been open lately and they are doing take out only. I heard it's not so good now. I hope Totonno's fully reopens soon. Sorry to digress but try to get to Lucali if you can. It lives up to the hype. Did not have any issues with the hostess or waitresses that others have reported.

The pizza was pretty good but our experience was completely ruined by the rude host. Please fire the hostess unless you want to drive away all of your customers. I just can’t believe someone so arrogant and rude is still allowed to work a customer facing job. Absolutely not coming back here again and I regret spending any money here. Please everyone don’t bother coming here. The hostess must be related to the owner or something if they’re still allowing this behavior.

I 've tried a few $30 pizzas. I 've tried a few pizzas that have a mawnstah 9.0 or higher score. Lucali lives up to the hype. The pizza was simply phenomenal. There wasn 't a single weak aspect about it. Lucali/Luigi 's/Frank Pepe 's are my top 3 so far.The mozzarella had great flavor with the parmesan adding that little extra level without overpowering anything. The sauce was bright and fresh with a great sharp acidity, but again, didn 't take away from any other component. The crust was perfectly stiff and charred, without being dried out and flavorless. In my opinion, one of the key things that good pizza does is it gives you a hard undercarriage /crust, but also a light pillowy layer on top. It 's not a cracker and it 's not bready. This was perfectly executed here. Basil was fresh, flavorful and not wilted. I also got the calzone... which again, was terrific. Same dough, great blend of cheeses and their sauce for dipping. Worth it. I guess my only, extremely minor, demerit would be be the toppings list was a bit thin. Gasp, oh no s/.$32 for the pie is pretty reasonable given it 's size and quality. Easily enough for 2 moderately hungry adults. Add the $18 small calzone and it 's a dinner for any pair with an empty stomach. You get what you pay for. BYOB is also appreciated. Plenty of stores within walking distance to get good wine or beer.The staff was prompt and very personable. Not just to me, but everyone I sat around. They seemed happy to be there. I sat down and got my pie in about 5 minutes. It came out hot, right out of the oven. This is upscale pizza in upscale Brooklyn and this was a professional staff. Asking for more would be pretentious.Atmosphere. Eh, can 't really say. I sat outside. Perhaps comfier chairs, but it 's whatever. The inside looked nice from what I could tell.If you are visiting or local, Lucali is worth your time (You need to get there at least 30min early and get your name on a list) and money. Lived up to expectations.

Amazing experience ! Had one of the best pizza and calzones ever. The crust and the sauce were absolutely crazy ! And so fresh the dough of the pizza I ate was kneaded in front of me ! Simple menu all it says is pizza and calzones with toppings of your choice. Simple and elegant.Plan your visit well reach by 3/3.30 pm max, get your name on the list and have something to do planned around the place so you can be back in time. BRING CASH It's a cash only diner. BYOB just added to the fun ! Simple and elegant, candles and pizza. Can't get more Italian than this.Crazy how hyped this place is, and how they live up to it. How I wish there was the convenience of reservation for someone like me coming from far, would have visited so much more often.

Eating pizza shouldn’t be some sort of mysterious experience. We’ve all ordered and eaten pies from shops around our neighborhoods, you place an order and 20-30 minutes later you can pick up your pizza. Lucali doesn’t work like that! I’ve lined up before, for many things in fact, at the DMV or the airport. The lining up doesn’t bother me, it’s the nebulous feeling of not knowing when you’ll get your pie. Whether you’re trying to get a table or order for take out their wait time is a bit beyond the reasonable expectations of a pizza shop. I went the other day, made “the line” by 4:00pm, talked to the hostess by 4:15 and couldn’t snag a table till well after 9 or pick up a pie till around 8. Any pizza shop worth its weight in cheese should be able to turn out pies at a quicker pace. It’s a GIMMICK, they say hunger is the best spice, this must be the case for a vast majority of those who have eaten here and have anointed this place the best in NYC. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great pie. The crust is phenomenal, get the extra sauce on the side and submerge every crust into that sauce, sprinkle some extra shredded cheese on top and you have one of the best bites. It’s a great pie with great cheese and good toppings, but not even top 5 in NYC. Not worth the guessing game of when you’ll eat or if you’ll eat.