Little Italy Pizza (on 33rd btw. Mad+5th) may not be the cheapest in the area, now that a new 99 cent place has popped up on the same block. And according to some, it may not beat out Squisito (on 34th btw. Mad+Park) for best slice in the area, but I’m a big fan of their margarita pizza- and the owners recently opened up a new, almost identical location on 33rd near 7th ave.

Both locations are actually owned by the folks who own Rose’s Pizza, downstairs in Penn Station and the space is decorated with the same shiny metal walls and bright Coca-Cola red signs as the 5th Ave. branch. They’ve also got a similar looking menu posted above the counter, but the management and staff is different and not all the same items are available. For example, the margarita slice that makes the other branch such a destination for me is on the menu,  but when I walked in and ordered it the guy up front seemed very confused. A more seasoned employee said that they had ‘just run out.’ Disappointing.

They do have the lunch special though… two slices and a drink for $5. Not quite the bargain of the 99 cent slice, but with its chewy crust, speckled with flakey breadcrumbs along the bottom, I’m pretty sure it’s still the better deal. The location has been open for about three months and while it may not be as good as the 5th Ave location just yet it’s clearly better than the Sbarro’s across the street (which is obviously still coasting on its Fat Boys cred.)

Update: As requested, I stopped in to rectify my oversight of neglecting to include a photo of the food.

Little Italy Pizza, 401 7th Ave. (on 33rd just East of 7th), 212-643-9933

Related:
Little Italy Pizza Proves You Can Get Good Pizza in K-Town
Squisito Declared Best Pizza Slice Near the Empire State Building