Feeling Cheesy?: An Upper Manhattan Pizza Crawl

When people ask me what my favorite food is, pizza is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Bread, sauce, and cheese, perhaps a generous sprinkling of meat… what’s not to love? Not to mention, it’s easy to eat, easy to share, and usually quite affordable.

Lucky for me, New York City is home to the best pizza scene in the world (and you can quote me on that!) You can find all types of pizza including but not limited to Roman, Neapolitan, Detroit,  grandma, and, of course, New York style pizza. (Check out my guide to square pizza styles HERE if some of these names have you scratching your head.)

You can find pizza spots in each neighborhood and on nearly every block. I decided to hit Broadway for an Upper Manhattan pizza crawl from 103^rd to 111^th.  Let’s dig it!

Stop 1: Sal and Carmine Pizza

This upper Manhattan pizza spot has been a neighborhood institution since 1959. They serve up classic New York slices that don’t disappoint—thin crust, flavorful sauce, and plenty of piping hot cheese that will likely burn the roof of your mouth because you’re so pumped t dig in.

Stop 2: Mama’s Too Pizza

Next on my upper Manhattan pizza crawl is a spot serving up some of the best square slices in NYC: Mama’s Too! The crust is perfectly crunchy on the outside, yet soft on the inside and just thick enough without being too bready. The toppings are beautifully fresh with that “good quality”  taste.

My personal favorite is the Angry Nonna Pie, which has hot soppressata, mozzarella, chili oil, and hot honey.

Insider Tip: Word has spread about how delicious Mamma’s Too! is. Head to this uptown pizza spot on weekdays and off hours to avoid lines.

Stop 3: Koronet Pizza

The final stop is Koronet Pizza, which serves jumbo slices that can feed a family. The wow factor is a 10/10. Quality and taste are closer to a 5/10. I liked the crunchy, ever so sweet crust. But the sauce tasted bland and the cheese was equally flavorless. It reminded me of a run-of-the-mill $1 slice… just 5 times bigger. Which explains the $5.50 price tag for a cheese slice.

Wrapping Up This Upper Manhattan Pizza Crawl

For this crawl, Mama’s Too is the clear winner, Sal and Carmine is the most traditional, and Koronet is the best to look at.

Happy eating!