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The best pizza place in New York City, according to Yelp

Kim Renfro

2016-01-18T13:42:00Z

rizzos pizza sausage

The title of "Best Pizza in New York" is both contentious and coveted.

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Tech Insider reached out to Yelp to see what its reviewers thought about New York City pizza.

The result? Rizzo's Fine Pizza Co., with 314 total reviews and an average of 4 1/2 out of five stars, serves up the best pie.

The original Rizzo's is in Astoria, Queens, but Yelp reviewers are more fond of the newest location in Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhood.

We went to see what all the fuss is about. Scroll down for an inside look at what may just be New York's best pizza.

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Rizzo's Fine Pizza Co., located at 17 Clinton St. in Manhattan, has a walk-in counter section and a sit-down dining space complete with a small bar.

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The store windows are brightly painted, boasting vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. This location has been open for just about two years.

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I met with one of the three Rizzo's owners: Bugsy. Just like Prince, Bugsy is a one-name kind of man. One of the other owners is the son of the original Joseph Rizzo, so it's still a family-oriented company.

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"Our style is thin-crust Sicilian pizza," Bugsy told me. "There's a lot of love that gets put into every pizza. There's no tricks to it. Just regular ingredients made the right way."

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The walls are decorated with published reviews of Rizzo's. There's also a blown-up photo of the original location. "That's Rizzo's in Astoria in 1973," Bugsy said. "A slice was just 35 cents."

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Their motto — "Thin is In" — is stamped frequently throughout the restaurant.

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I headed next door to the takeout counter to try a slice. The bright interior is typical for a New York pizzeria, but with a unique touch.

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A warm greeting by Enza, the sister of another one of the owners, made it apparent that Rizzo's succeeds at the "mom and pop shop" feel.

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On display were variations of the restaurant's iconic square pies. Yelp reviewers love the "Aumma Aumma" pizza: sausage, meatballs, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and tomato sauce.

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Until 1993, Rizzo's served only square slices with tomato sauce and mozzarella. I decided to stick with the classic and added some garlic knots on the side.

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The slice was tasty — sweet tomato sauce with the salty cheese and crisp crust — but these garlic knots were incredible. Pillowy bread coated with garlic, parsley, cheese, and olive oil? Yes, please.

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I also tried the Verdura — a vegetarian pie with peppers, olives, marinated mushrooms, spinach, garlic, and tomatoes. All the veggies were all super fresh, not frozen or canned.

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A plain slice at Rizzo's is $3, and any "special" slice is $3.75. The takeout counter is cash only.

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Aside from more old photos and reviews on the wall, my favorite decor was this button dispenser.

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Fifty cents will buy you a fun mini-button. The "I <3 Pizza" variety is one of five in the machine.

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Enza showed off a pie fresh from the oven.

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A fresh order of loaded garlic knots was also ready. These come with extra cheese, pepperoni, pesto, and a hint of bacon when requested.

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Bugsy said round pies were in high demand, so Rizzo's added them as an option to the menu. But everything is still the same thin-crust style.

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The dedication at Rizzo's to quality ingredients and small-business charm is clearly striking a chord with Yelp users. Though Bugsy wouldn't reveal whether there were specific plans to open more locations, he said, "Let's just say there's big things coming for us."

rizzos pizza sausage

Head over to their website to check out the pies and appetizers for yourself and learn more about their locations.

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