Triangle or square?
Careful. New York can turn that answer into a whole pizza philosophy.
One slice folds neatly in your hand. Another arrives thicker, crisp around the edges, and absolutely uninterested in folding for anyone.
And shape is only the beginning.
Sauce can move above or below the cheese. Crusts change. Toppings get creative.
A slice that looks familiar can taste completely different two stops later.
That makes pizza less of a quick lunch and more of an excuse to keep comparing.
Some places carry generations of history. Others are busy bending the rules.
Either approach can lead to a very good second slice.
My advice is simple: bring napkins and avoid declaring a favorite too early.
New York pizza loves proving you wrong.
1. Lucali
At Lucali, pizza and calzones are the two main choices in a small Carroll Gardens dining room. Candlelight sets the mood, but the food remains uncomplicated: round pies with a tomato-and-cheese base and fresh basil, plus folded calzones for a different take on dinner.
Start with the large pie with basil. Pepperoni, garlic, shallots, onions, mushrooms, sweet peppers, hot peppers, and artichoke hearts can be added individually for an extra charge. That means a pie with peppers is your choice, not a standard feature of every order.
Keep things simple with garlic and basil, or add pepperoni and mushrooms when you want something heartier.
Calzones come in small and large sizes. A side of sauce is available separately, as are hot pepper sauce and pepperoni chips. The short menu makes it easy to concentrate on which additions sound good rather than comparing dozens of house specialties.
Plan for the service style as carefully as the toppings. Dinner begins at 5 p.m., and names for the first-come, first-served waitlist are taken from 4 p.m. There are no reservations, Tuesday is the weekly closing day, and payment is cash only.
Bringing cash is one detail you definitely don’t want to forget.
If your name isn’t called immediately, Carroll Gardens offers leafy streets and brownstones to admire nearby. Choose your toppings beforehand, and you can spend more time enjoying the neighborhood instead of debating onions versus mushrooms at the table.
Address: 575 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231.
2. L’Industrie Pizzeria
Burrata changes the texture of pizza in an instant. Its creamy center gives a warm, thin-crust slice a soft finish that feels quite different from the usual melted mozzarella. Pair it with tomato sauce and you get the contrast that makes this neighborhood stop distinctive.
A Williamsburg counter serves a Burrata Pie with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and burrata. A Margherita follows a simpler route, combining tomato sauce, mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, Parmigiano, and basil.
Try those two side by side when you want to see what the extra cheese changes.
For a sweet-savory combination, the Fig Jam & Bacon Pie brings together mozzarella, fig jam, bacon, and ricotta. Ricotta adds a second creamy note while the bacon offsets the sweetness.
A pepperoni pie, meanwhile, keeps the choices more familiar with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni.
At L’Industrie Pizzeria, dessert is another reason to save a little space. House-made soft-serve gelato is finished with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt flakes, and the menu also includes a custard-filled bombolone, carrot cake, and olive oil cake.
You could turn two contrasting slices and a small dessert into a full lunch without committing to an entire pie.
The counter-service setup suits a Williamsburg walk. Pick a slice you recognize, then one that pushes your usual order in a new direction. Fig jam on pizza may sound unexpected, but deciding whether to go sweet or spicy is half the fun.
Address: 254 S 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211.
3. Scarr’s Pizza
There is an old-school feeling to a New York pizza counter: a slice on a paper plate, sauce under mozzarella, and a quick decision about whether to add pepperoni. This Lower East Side stop preserves much of that familiar format while giving its dough some extra attention.
The dough here uses organic stone-milled flour. Its Original slice keeps the spotlight on tomato sauce, cheese, and crust. Beef Pepperoni adds a savory topping, while the Margherita provides another round-slice option.
Choosing one of the straightforward varieties is a practical way to taste the base before moving to a specialty.
Want a thicker slice at Scarr’s Pizza? Sicilian Cheese and Sicilian Beef Pepperoni offer square alternatives. They change the crust-to-topping ratio, giving you more bread beneath the sauce and cheese.
The takeout menu offers both round and Sicilian varieties, so you can compare without changing neighborhoods.
Whole pies can be customized with crimini mushrooms, red onions, roasted red peppers, olives, cherry tomatoes, or fresh garlic, each priced as an addition.
For a seated meal, freshly made focaccia appears on the dine-in menu.
Whipped ricotta and extra-hot honey are an optional topping for the focaccia, not something that comes with the basic order.
Vegan garlic knots are another starter and come with a side of sauce. Note the ordering distinction: slices are for takeout, while specialty pies for dining in are offered in a 12-inch size.
Orchard Street’s storefronts and galleries make an easy post-pizza outing. Grab a slice for a short stop, or plan a table when you want the focaccia and a whole pie as part of the meal.
Address: 35 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
4. Prince Street Pizza
Little pepperoni cups spread over a thick, tomato-red square are the visual signature here. The edges of the meat curl as the pizza bakes, making the topping almost as distinctive as the crust underneath it.
The Spicy Spring combines fra diavolo sauce, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano. It sits on a Sicilian-style square crust that is thick, crisp, and fluffy. If you’re after the house’s pepperoni-forward experience, this is the obvious place to start.
But spice isn’t required. Prince Perfection uses marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, and extra-virgin olive oil. The Sunset Square adds both fresh and shredded mozzarella to sweet marinara and Pecorino Romano.
Comparing those two brings the role of the sauce into focus, not just the cheese.
A bigger appetite opens up the Meat Lovers square, with pepperoni, oven-roasted sausage, pepperoni bacon bits, fresh mozzarella, and garlic over marinara. Each topping is part of that particular pizza, rather than a standard addition to every square.
Not in the mood for a thick base? Prince Street Pizza also serves New York-style round slices. The Original Prince combines pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella, while the Fancy Prince adds fresh mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, basil, and olive oil.
Both round and square pizzas are offered by the slice or as whole pies.
The Nolita address is convenient for a walk through nearby SoHo and Little Italy. Choose your slice by crust first, toppings second; that one decision will narrow the possibilities nicely.
Address: 27 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
5. Joe’s Pizza
Joe’s Pizza has served Greenwich Village since 1975, when Joe Pozzuoli opened the business near Bleecker and Carmine Streets. The counter later moved a few doors to its present Carmine Street location, but the draw remains the familiar New York street slice.
The classic experience is simple: a thin triangular base with tomato sauce and mozzarella, served without the ceremony of a plated restaurant meal.
Fold the slice down the center if that makes it easier to manage.
A wide slice and a small paper plate can be an entertaining test of coordination when you’re on the move.
Start with plain cheese to appreciate the balance of sauce, crust, and mozzarella. Pepperoni is a straightforward next step for a more savory bite, while a fresh-mozzarella option changes the cheese texture without turning the order into a complicated specialty pie.
This is a counter-service stop that works especially well between other plans. You don’t need to build a multi-course meal around it, and one slice is a perfectly reasonable order. Sharing a whole pie makes more sense when you’re exploring with friends or family.
Washington Square Park sits nearby, as do the Village’s small shops and historic blocks. You can eat before a walk or take your slice along the surrounding streets, keeping an eye on the cheese as you fold it.
The point here isn’t novelty for novelty’s sake. It’s the combination of familiar ingredients and an easy service style. Sometimes the simplest decision on a pizza outing is also the one you came to New York to make.
Address: 7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014.
6. Di Fara Pizza
Midwood offers a different pace from the pizza corridors of downtown Manhattan. Its residential streets lead to an Avenue J address that has been associated with pizza making since 1965, when Domenico DeMarco established his shop.
For decades, DeMarco was known for assembling pies by hand and finishing them with basil. That history still shapes the original Avenue J pizzeria, which offers regular slices, square slices, whole pies, and calzones today.
A regular slice introduces the thinner round format. A square slice gives you a thicker crust and a different ratio of bread to toppings. Order one of each if you’re curious about how two basic shapes can change the same kind of meal.
There’s no need for elaborate extras to notice the contrast.
At Di Fara Pizza, whole pies include regular, square, and white versions. More specific choices include a Roasted Peppers & Olives Pie and a Cherry Tomatoes & Garlic Square Pie.
The names tell you where those particular combinations lead without suggesting the toppings are on every standard slice.
The calzone menu includes a family-size version and one with added toppings. That folded format is an alternative when a round pie isn’t what you’re after, especially for a group sharing food.
Give yourself time to enjoy the neighborhood rather than treating the journey as a race to the counter. This is a Brooklyn pizza stop with a long history and a menu that lets you explore several familiar formats.
Start with a regular slice, then decide whether the square deserves an encore.
Address: 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY 11230.
7. Mama’s TOO!
Thick squares with browned edges make an appealing change from the familiar foldable triangle. With a crust that’s airy inside and crisp around the outside, the format can carry both classic cheese combinations and toppings borrowed from other Italian dishes.
The Cacio e Pepe square takes its inspiration from pasta. Aged mozzarella, mascarpone, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and black pepper build a cheese-forward combination, with the pepper supplying contrast to the richer ingredients.
At Mama’s TOO!, another recognizable choice is the Angry Nonna, built around spicy soppressata, Calabrian chili oil, and hot honey. It heads in a different direction from Cacio e Pepe: savory meat and heat instead of a mostly cheese-and-pepper profile.
The fun comes from the contrast between those approaches. Start with a slice that concentrates on cheese and try a second that adds spice. Since the squares share a similar substantial base, it becomes easier to notice how the toppings change the bite.
This is a casual pizza outing rather than a meal that demands an extensive plan. You can focus on one slice or compare two, depending on your appetite.
Anyone who normally orders a plain cheese triangle may find the thicker square format an interesting switch even before considering toppings.
Bleecker Street places you among West Village shops and cafés, so there’s plenty to do after lunch. Choosing your slice first also frees you to enjoy the neighborhood without spending half the afternoon debating cheese combinations.
Address: 325 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014.
8. Rubirosa
A whole thin-crust pie at a table encourages a different pace from a single slice eaten on the sidewalk. Add a salad or an Italian-American starter, and pizza becomes the center of a relaxed shared meal rather than just a quick stop.
The family recipe behind this Nolita restaurant is connected to the Pappalardo pizza tradition on Staten Island.
The Classic is a straightforward tomato-and-mozzarella pie; the Fresca combines fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Both leave plenty of room to appreciate the thin base.
The Bianca skips the traditional red sauce in favor of ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, and oregano. Those ingredients create a cheese-forward option without needing a complicated collection of toppings.
The house Supreme goes in a heartier direction with tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, mini meatballs, and roasted garlic.
The Sausage & Broccoli Rabe is another named choice, combining sausage and broccoli rabe with roasted garlic, mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano.
Try a green vegetable alongside a savory topping when you want a contrast to a classic cheese pie.
At Rubirosa, small and large pizza sizes make sharing straightforward. Elsewhere on the menu, garlic knots with spicy tomato sauce, meatballs with tomato and Parmigiano, salads, and eggplant Parmigiano provide options for a longer meal.
None of those sides need to be treated as included with the pizza; choose them separately according to the size of your group.
Afterward, Mulberry Street places you close to the historic Little Italy area. A stroll through Nolita is an easy way to finish a meal built around two contrasting pies and good company.
Address: 235 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012.
9. Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop
Sweet heat is one way to make a pepperoni slice feel different without changing its basic structure. Add hot honey after baking, and the savory topping gets a contrasting finish that’s easy to notice from the first bite.
The Hellboy is a pepperoni pie finished with Mike’s Hot Honey. The menu also offers a straightforward Cheese Pie with mozzarella and tomato sauce, plus the Mootz, made with fresh mozzarella, fresh garlic, and Pecorino Romano.
These are useful alternatives when you prefer no sweet topping at all.
For a different crust, turn to the Freddy Prinze. This upside-down Sicilian combines fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, and Pecorino Romano over a sesame-seed bottom. The seeds are part of the crust, rather than an optional garnish sprinkled on the finished pizza.
At Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop, the Hellboy² builds on that square format with Ezzo pepperoni and Mike’s Hot Honey. Comparing it with the original Hellboy shows how a thicker, sesame-bottom base changes a similar sweet-and-spicy combination.
Plant-based eaters also have named choices. Vegan Cheese includes tomato sauce and Numu vegan mozzarella.
Vegan Pepperoni adds plant-based pepperoni and vegan Parmesan, while the Vegan Vidalia Square pairs tomato sauce, caramelized Vidalia onions, and vegan Parmesan on a Sicilian-style crust.
Traditional slices and whole pies are both available, including square versions. That gives everyone at the table some freedom to order around their preferred crust or topping.
The Franklin Street location makes a practical Greenpoint stop before or after a waterfront walk. Pick one familiar slice and one that isn’t, and the menu becomes a small tour of its own.
Address: 110 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222.
10. NY Pizza Suprema
A train trip and a pizza stop fit neatly together around Penn Station. But the options here go further than a plain slice: round pies, thick squares, and thinner pan-baked pizzas make it possible to compare several New York styles in one visit.
Start with the traditional round cheese slice, which uses a thin crust, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano. Fold it in half for a hand-held meal or order a whole pie when traveling with a group.
It’s the familiar choice before trying something with a different construction.
The Upside Down Pizza places mozzarella beneath a cooked onion-based tomato sauce on a thick, airy square crust. Pecorino Romano, olive oil, basil, and a finish of Parmigiano-Reggiano add other layers.
The name refers to the cheese-and-sauce arrangement, not to an overturned pizza.
A Grandma Pizza uses a thinner pan-baked crust with plum tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, basil, and olive oil. It gives you another square-style experience without the same thickness as a Sicilian slice.
For something without red sauce, NY Pizza Suprema offers the White Pizza with Garlic, pairing whipped ricotta with Pecorino Romano, fresh garlic, and olive oil. It is a separate choice from the tomato-forward upside-down square, so the cheese and garlic take the lead.
The restaurant has operated on Eighth Avenue since 1964 and sits near Madison Square Garden. That makes it easy to fit into a trip involving the station or nearby attractions.
Your biggest decision might be whether there’s room for both a round slice and a square before the train departs.
Address: 413 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001.