Philadelphia, PA - Many folks that aren't familiar with NEPA (Northeast Pennsylvania) don't realize that this tiny area has some AMAZING pizza to offer its long-time residents and visitors! Offering a variety of styles - from Neopolitan style to Old Forge style Pizza.
Where is The Best NEPA Pizza Shops and Restaurants
In this review, we'll take you through 5 different restaurants on a journey through Northeast PA pizza.
Armetta's Restaurant in Clarks Summit
Armetta's serves classic Neapolitan style pizzas - the closest you'll find to NYC pizza in these parts. The crust is perfect, soft enough to fold, but crisp and thin enough to deliver a great crunch, making this a great Clarks Summit Restaurant.
The cheese and sauce are delicious - be careful not to burn your tongue on the first slice, or you'll be regretting losing your tastebuds for the rest of the pie!
Basillico's in Dickson City
For pizzerias located in NEPA strip malls, or anywhere for that matter, Basillico's is leading the pack. The IMMENSE selection of specialty pizzas at the counter is breathtaking - and I found it very difficult to decide WHICH pizza to choose from (with only 5 hours to spare, no breaks, and concerns of my stomach - I chose to only have ONE slice).
I decided upon the Chicken, Bacon, and Honey Mustard pizza, which turned out to be a superb choice. The unique flavor combinations create an excellent eating experience, and I can't wait to try other varieties.
Pizza by Pappa's in Scranton, PA
Walking into Pizza by Pappa's, you place your order, get a number, then take a seat while your food is cooked. You order no individual slices by the pie - in this case, a personal 10" of the round variety. They also have a wide selection of sandwiches and subs. **I noticed a sign indicating they were given the distinction of owning the "Best Philly Cheesesteak" in Lackawanna County. Still, for the sake of this trip (and trust me, it was not an easy decision), I had to resist temptation and stick to the pan.
The pizza, well, it's big. I'd guesstimate it's about 3 slices of 'regular' pizza-big. It's a pan-style pizza, so the crust is a bit thicker than Neapolitan, and it's got a unique flavor that I haven't ever come across in this area. It's definitely different than what I came in expecting, but still delicious in all regards.
Revello's Pizza in Old Forge
So Revello's is the "Old Forge" style pizza joint we checked out. For those unfamiliar, "Old Forge" style pizza looks similar to Sicilian but tastes much different.
The sauce at Revello's isn't your mama's pizza sauce. It is hard to describe actually, but I would say that it's more tomato-rich and has fewer spices (similar to tomato paste you find at grocery stores). The cheese also tastes much sweeter than I have grown accustomed to, again, hard to describe, but tasty nonetheless.
I've only had Old Forge-style pizza a handful of times, so I'm no expert, but Revello's definitely knows what they're doing in the kitchen. My only regret is that we didn't get some cuts of white pie from there as well, but we'll try again soon.
Pizza Perfect in Trucksville
Pizza Perfect has a great atmosphere to spend a weekend afternoon. The walls are stacked with old photos displaying the many landmarks and rich history of NEPA - not to mention a 15-car train running around the room. Yep - I counted the entire train...twice. When you are this full, it's good to keep the mind occupied.
On to the food - I got a couple of slices of their Sicilian-style pizza. One tasty surprise was the inclusion of onions in the sauce (I've seen this in some old forge variations, but not all too often). It adds some much-welcomed pizazz to the slice and goes quite well with the soft Sicilian crust. Overall, Pizza Perfect was just that: the "perfect" way to end our tour de force of Northeast Pennsylvania pizza.
Final Thoughts:
NEPA offers up a great mix when it comes to pizza, one which we encourage everyone to explore to find their personal favorite slices
