This is the dish that steals the show from the pizza. The lamb—marinated in salt, garlic, and spices—is cooked directly over an open charcoal flame until the exterior crisps and smokes while the interior stays juicy and tender. It arrives sizzling on the plate, accompanied by spicy-tangy cherry peppers and thick slices of crusty bread for soaking up the juices. The charcoal crust and smoke are what you cannot replicate with any other cooking method.
Tips from diners
Order the lamb skewers, not the pizza. They're what makes Santarpio's legend. The smoke and crust cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Two skewers plus a pizza feeds four people generously. Order early or go at off-peak hours.
The sausage is grilled whole over charcoal until the casing snaps and the interior is cooked through. It arrives with roasted peppers and onions that have been softened on the same charcoal grill. Simple, satisfying, and another showcase for the charcoal-grilling technique that defines this place.
Tips from diners
Get sausage and peppers with a side of fries or bread. It's a full meal for around $18.
Beef tips are marinated in oil, garlic, and spices, then cooked on the charcoal grill until they're caramelized on the outside and tender inside. Like the lamb, the charcoal adds a depth of flavor and a crust that you cannot achieve otherwise.
Tips from diners
Order two plates of steak tips, lamb, and a pizza to share. You'll leave satisfied and the cost stays reasonable.
The dough is stretched thin and grilled directly on the charcoal, giving the crust a light char and crispy exterior while keeping the center tender. The sauce is minimal—just tomato, salt, and oregano—and the cheese melts into the hot crust. This is New York-style thin-crust pizza, not Neapolitan. It's meant to be eaten quickly while hot and the crust still snaps.
Tips from diners
Eat pizza immediately after it arrives—the crust cools and hardens if you wait. Have your napkins ready.
The same thin, charcoal-grilled crust as the cheese pizza, but topped with a variety of meats before cooking. The meats cook slightly in the residual heat, keeping some texture while the edges crisp. If you want meat on your pizza, this is the way.
Tips from diners
Order a meat lovers pizza. Two slices feeds one person fully, and the rest can be eaten cold the next day.
Started as a bakery by Frank Santarpio in 1903, the restaurant began selling pizza in 1933. Still owned and operated by the Santarpio family, it has never chased trends or reinvented itself. The charcoal pit sits right next to the door—visible from the street—where lamb, sausage, and steak tips sizzle over open flame throughout the day. The menu is ruthlessly focused: pizza and grilled meats. That's it.
Cash only. There is an ATM on-site, but bring cash to be safe.
No reservations and no ordering online. You walk in, order at the counter, and wait. Expect 20-30 minutes on Friday and Saturday nights.
The charcoal pit right by the door creates smoke. Sit in the back if you're sensitive to smoke. The smell clings to clothes.
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