Pizzería Lombardi's - New York

The NY style pizza was exactly what I anticipated, but I had never tried a white pizza before! It had the ideal balance of chewiness and creaminess from the cheese.

As a Caesar salad aficionado, I can confidently say that Lombardi's offers one of the finest versions in NYC. The meatballs are equally outstanding.

The pizza dough is somewhat tough to chew, which some people might enjoy.

First thing to mention: they only accept cash, but there’s an ATM inside if you need it. Now, onto the food—this is the best pizza I've ever had! For years, my favorite has been Juliana's, but now it's definitely Lombardi's! We visited on a Sunday night and were seated immediately. The service was excellent; our waiter was incredibly friendly. The table was spacious and not crammed together like in many other NYC restaurants. We ordered the rustic pepperoni pizza and added mushrooms, and it was delightful—truly perfect. We also had the meatballs as an appetizer.

I had this pizza back in 2010 or 2011, long before the social media explosion. We walked into the store one Friday evening and there was no wait at all. You could choose from multiple sizes, and it was honestly the best pizza I’ve ever had. Fast forward to today, and I’ve noticed it’s extremely busy; now they only offer one size and seem to rush you in and out. The pizza is still good and served hot, but it’s just not the same as I remember. I guess the hype around it being an "original pizza place in NYC" has changed the experience.