Worth the hype! Absolutely insane calzone... That was our must order!!! The pizza is also incredible - you have to try. We had a pizza + a calzone and for 2-3 people this is enough. Reservations were tough (stand in line and then they'll tell you what time to come back) and we got an 830 res. Still one of my favorite pizzas! read more

The pizza is great, really hands down delicious no question about that. The menu is simple and straightforward. Cash only, BYOB (with rules depending on how many people), and a time limit on the table. Know what you want when you sit down. Menu is easy, pizza, calzones, sometimes pasta. Simple. Is it worth waiting in line for - maybe - if you have 2-3 hours free and nothing else to do and it's a nice day, sure. But honestly can't say I am running back to do it again. Waiting in line to get added to a waitlist that still doesn't always guarantee you will sit down to eat at the requested time - we were seated 40 mins after checking in (unusually long, never had more then 20 mins or so in past visits) but still a strange system, keeps the spot exclusive I'd guess. Have visited several times and always have had a good meal and the prices are very fair. Seating is not super comfortable and they pack you in for real, the restaurant is also unnecessarily dark and loud - But not in a bad way? I can't explain it but the very delicious pizza makes up for the weird ambiance and all the rules... definitely something to experience atleast once. read more

Good pizza, but I felt the hype of red velvet rope blocking off the door wasn't necessary. No reservations, but they do let you line up before opening, so we queued up at 3pm, stood in line for ~1 hour, and then got told know our table time would be 6pm. BYOB, which is pretty rare in NYC. The space itself is small and cozy, and it is charming that they roll out the pizza dough with wine bottles. Since they limit you to ~1 hour for eating, it's best to know what you want to order beforehand. We let Reddit recs guide us, and end up with a large plan pie with basil, a large pie with pepperoni, and a large calzone with shallots (plus a side of hot pepper sauce). Overall, the pizza was very good -- four hungry adults finished the calzone and 1.5 pizzas. They accidentally gave our leftovers to the wrong people, but nicely offered us a new pie to take home, so all's well that ends well! :) read more

Lucali - Pepperoni pie - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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great neighborhood pizza but to be honest a bit overhyped unfortunately had really high hopes and expectations coming here. luckily i live in the neighborhood and was able to walk in and secure a table with only a 20 minute wait. staff is incredibly friendly ordered 1 pie for 2 people was plenty. the garlic was extremely fire and they do beef pepperoni which was really good but this is unfortunately not the best slice in the city in my opinion but i do think if the wait isnt crazy its totally worth it def recommend and would come back though read more

Lucali - garlic sauce beef pepperoni - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I loved the pizza and the calzone! It is definitely a place worth coming at least once. Ambience: we were seated outside so didn't get to experience the inside. But when we did go inside, it did seem loud. Service: you really do need to get here early to put your name down. We got here at 4:45 not realizing the actual reservation taking starts at 4. But we were lucky that they had one opening outside at 6:45. The calzone took a while to come out but the pizza came out somewhat fast. The lady that manages the reservations is amazing! Food: the pizza and calzone are great! I recommend trying both and you will have leftovers Others: cash only place read more

Lucali - Calzone - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Lived up to my expectations! Very tasty pizza and calzone. Definitely will be coming back. Highly recommend, although as some reviewers noted it's a commitment to get a reservation. read more

Lucali - Delicious pepperoni pizza! - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Amazing pizza and amazing calzones. The pizza is fresh and thin, and the calzones are stuffed with ricotta and are rich and filling. For a party of 4, we split one pizza and one large calzone. It was a good amount of food. Full but not crazy stuffed. To get a reservation, you need to wait in line before it opens to put your name down for a slot and then come back when it's your time for a reservation. The place is super no frills and is byob since their menu is so limited. Would love to be back as the food was amazing! But it is definitely a bit of a hassle to get into. read more

Lucali - pizza with half garlic half plain - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This pizza place lives up to the hype. While we did have to go through their long line, where you wait a good amount of time to reserve a spot a few hours in advance, it was well worth the wait. The pizza was so light and delicate while still having great flavor, and you can tell the craftsmanship has been perfected. We also tried the calzone, which was very good. However, if you can only choose one, I would definitely go with the pizza. The service is great, and I like that it's BYOB. We were able to bring our own bottle of wine, which paired very nicely with the pizza. The ambiance inside the restaurant is very nice with dim lights, but sitting outside on a nice summer day is unbeatable. read more

Lucali - Pepperoni Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Totally worth the hype! This is the best pizza I've had in New York. We came Monday around 3pm to wait in line and get a table for later that night. Around 3:30pm someone came and started taking peoples reservations. We were able to get a table for 4 people at 7pm. When we came back at our scheduled time we were seated shortly after checking in. We shared one pizza, one calzone and one pasta and felt it was the perfect amount of food to share. We had half cheese and half pepperoni for the pizza, and for the calzone added spicy peppers, mushrooms and shallots. Both the pizza and calzone were amazing. The pasta was great too but the other items were significantly better. It's BYOB but they have water and soda options. It's also cash only, but there is a chase nearby. Overall it wasn't terrible to come early and put our names down. It's probably better to do so on weekdays rather than weekends, but I'd definitely come back! read more

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After two years it felt like time to come back. Got in line around 1:45 and we were fifth, so we knew we'd be in good shape. This time, we started off with the pasta special - a three cheese vodka pasta. And WOW. Honestly it was the star of the evening. Cooked to al dente perfection. There was a nice kick to the vodka sauce but it wasn't overbearing. Honestly one of the best vodka pasta dishes I've ever had. As far as the pizza, I'm torn. Lucali was always top of my list, but it was one of the first handful of places I tried in my quest to find the best pizza in NYC. Maybe it was an off night, but this pizza was a bit too dry for my taste. Half of it was better and not as dried out, where you got a non-cracker like crust and undercarriage, and could enjoy the cheese and sauce. It was still a very good pie, but probably in my top three now rather than my top 1. read more

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Food was amazing Pasta 9/10! Unique taste and cooked perfectly, was really good had to take some to go! Smaller portion size though. Pizza 8/10 Calzone 7/10 (good portion size) Service 9/10 as expected, staff was very friendly and attentive Ambiance 8/10 nice and cozy inside the not about 10 tables, first come first serve reservations. Can't wait to go again! read more

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Lucali lives up to the hype when it comes to the pizza. It's exactly my preference w| thin crust and topped with fresh, high-quality ingredients. I also loved that the pizza is prepared in front of you in their open kitchen which adds to the experience and makes everything feel even more authentic. That said, be prepared to wait. The space is small and gets extremely packed. We went as a group, put our names down, and didn't get seated until about 6 hours later. The overall experience once seated was good, but I'm not sure I'd personally wait that long again. Also, important to know this is a cash-only spot. read more

Lucali - Basil, Pepperoni, Artichoke Hearts - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Setting aside the challenging reservation process, I'd like to focus on my dining experience here. My party of 2 got a 7:15 pm seating on a Thursday, and were sat almost right away when we arrived for our reservation. The service was quick (which helps since we only had the table for 1 hour) and very friendly and helpful. The dining room is small but didn't feel as cramped as I had imagined it would be. I really recommend watching the kitchen work if you can get a seat in that position, it feels like watching a well rehearsed dance, beautifully lit by candlelight. We ordered one of everything on the menu and you should probably too on your first trip. The pasta was simple but perfectly done, a little spicy, perfect to share between two people to start the meal. I don't think you should skip the pasta. It also came out almost instantly after we ordered it. The pizza overall was perfectly cooked, not greasy at all and the crust was not too paper thin, which I liked, it had a nice bite to it. I recommend topping your pizza with pepperoni + one other thing. Our server recommended not over doing it on the toppings, less is more here, and also suggested we do half plain. The calzone was definitely not like any calzone I've ever had. It was not heavy at all, even with the ricotta + cheese combo in there. For fillings we got hot peppers, garlic and mushrooms (idk why, kinda random combo but it worked!). I think it's absolutely worth it to pay $3 for the garlic here, they don't skimp, which my friend found over the top, but I thought was perfect. If I absolutely had to pick getting one or the other, I'd say you're better off getting the pizza over the calzone, it's really a stand out among NYC pizzas. If you want to go through getting a reservation here, do it for the experience, not really for the food. I came for a birthday dinner and it felt special, exciting and celebratory to me, so it was worth it. read more

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I don't understand the negative reviews. This is my 2nd time here and we've had a great experience each time. Yes, it's difficult to get a table, but if you're patient enough you'll get the best pizza in NYC. My husband and I happen to be in the neighborhood on Valentine's day and decided to take our shot at a table. After waiting an hour, we were treated to the best table in the house...right by the pizza makers. We loved watching the pizzas being made. Everyone from the hostess to the wait staff were warm and friendly. They worked fast, but we never felt rushed. We ordered a pizza with garlic, shallot and mushrooms, a small calzone and their spicy fusilli special. The pasta was SPICY but in an addictive way. We couldn't stop eating it. The pizza was perfectly cooked, thin and the right amount of toppings. By the time the calzone came out, I was stuffed! But from the one bite I had, it was delicious. Not overly cheesy and the sauce really highlighted all the ingredients. Throughout our meal, Chef Mark was making his rounds and checking on everyone. He stopped by and chatted with us. Again, very friendly and we appreciated that he stopped to talk to us. I'm not a pizza lover (I know...very weird for a NY'er). But I'll gladly wait on line for this spot. I've had pizza all over NYC and Italy and this is definitely a top spot of mine. Thanks to the staff at Lucali (especially Barbara for getting us a table) for making our Valentine's day dinner so special. My pizza loving husband was so happy. read more

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The hype is real! This was one of the best pizzas I've had in New York. Perfectly crispy, chewy, saucy, and cheesy! The crust almost tastes like crispy pita bread but in the best way possible. It's CASH ONLY and getting a table is not easy, but it's definitely worth showing up right when they open. You could also put in a to-go order over the phone or in person which is super convenient. For reference, I called my order in at 4:10PM and it was ready for pickup at 5:45PM. The inside is small but nice and cozy and the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. This is an absolute must trust in NY and worth traveling for! read more

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Lucali is Brooklyn pizza at its finest an old school Italian spot dim candlelight setting. Offering delicious NY style pizza and pasta. The pizza and food is vey delicious and comes with a long wait. Sometimes waiting for hours but it is much deserved. It is a cash only establishment with byob. This is some of the best pizza you can find in NYC and is well worth the wait. read more

Lucali - Pasta - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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3.5 stars for food and experience, so rounded up to 4. Reminder it's CASH ONLY! My friends and I started standing in line by ~3 pm on a recent Sunday and had ~10 people in front of me. By ~4 pm, an employee came out to take our reservations. My party of 3 opted for the earliest spot so 5 pm. We then walked around and stopped by the nearby dessert shop to kill some time. While the wait wasn't terrible (because my friends and I were just catching up), the pizza unfortunately didn't live up to it. We ordered the large pizza (with mushrooms on a half, pepperoni on the other half, and onions all over), the pasta (which had similar vibes to vodka sauce?), and a small calzone (full of cheese; tomato sauce on the side): Pizza: It might have been a mistake ordering the mushrooms which made the pizza slightly soggy, but overall it just tasted like a normal pizza. Something I wouldn't actively wait in line for over 30 min :( Huge portions though! Got to bring back home 2 slices. Pasta: delicious sauce; has a bit of a kick. No complaints Calzone: I think it contains three different types of cheeses? It was definitely special, especially with marinara sauce on the side instead of inside We were in and out of the place within an hour. Got in at 5 pm and left at 5:55 pm. Service was quick to give us the check but understand because of the lines. Overall, I would recommend this place if you're in the neighborhood and there was no line. Not something I would get out of my way again. read more

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Lucali is surely a destination for tourists and New Yorkers alike and the restaurant has an undeniable charm that keeps the crowds coming. Without a doubt, the food deserves five stars. The menu is simple: pizza and calzones. They make a thinner pizza and the sauce, cheese, crust are well balanced and fresh. Eating the pizza when it was minutes ago in the wood oven was a satisfying experience. I ding a star in this review because the wait and journey to get to your seat feels like forever. I waited in line around 2-3 p.m. to put my name down (which was expected) for an 8 p.m. dinner slot. I didn't expect, however, another hour wait when we showed up to our reservation. It is ridiculously busy here. We were mingling with other people while we were waiting so it was fun to chat about people and their journey to eat at this famed pizza joint in Brooklyn. We didn't get seated until ~9-9:30 p.m. I would come back here for sure, but only if I have enough hours in the day to wait in line. read more

Lucali - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Great ambiance (love the open kitchen!), friendly staff, and yummy pizza, but honestly not worth the fuss and hassle of their waitlist system/refusal to take reservations. Arrived at 3:20PM, got our assigned seating time around 4PM, and luckily got a table for 5PM. That's still nearly 2 hours of standby time for what is the best case scenario"-- the group of 4 in front of me was offered a 9:15PM seating time! Also, cash only. I get that they have plenty of business as it is so don't feel the need to modernize at all, but all of the above doesn't make for a good customer experience and I won't be coming back. Pricey (expect to dish out $40 for a pizza if you want any toppings), but portions are generous. Onto the food: - Pizza: crust had good chew but wasn't particularly flavorful or bubbly. Great ratio of toppings. The basil was fragrant and did a lot to elevate the pizza but funny bc it was entire stalks of basil which we had to pull apart ourselves. - Pasta: great texture and lovely flavor in the sauce. No protein, but really well rounded dish and not acidic at all from the red sauce which I appreciated. - Calzone: this was my first "real" calzone. The interior is stuffed with what I presume to be ricotta and mozzarella. The ricotta was fluffy but dried out my mouth, which I haven't experienced w ricotta before. Sauce was served on the side and, similar to the sauce served w the pasta, was perfectly balanced. BYOB. We did bring our own wine but the experience would have been elevated if the restaurant provided wine glasses. read more

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I was going over my old Yelp reviews and saw that I gave Lucali only four stars. After another couple visits, I am coming back to disagree with my past self. Sure, the seating policy is a hassle. It's a huge hassle. It's probably for the best though. This is, by far, the best pizza I have ever had. And here's the thing. Sometimes they have pasta. The pasta may be even better than the pizza. It's the pasta that makes me have to give them the five stars despite how difficult it is to get inside here. read more

Good to know before you go: - There is no reservations beforehand. It's on a line up basis - first come, first serve. People are already on line by 2-3pm. So try to come early if you can. Sometimes they are booked out for events, which may even more limit the patrons accepted (which was the case for the day I went). - They start taking down names close to 4pm. They jot down 1 name and the number of people in the party. The earlier you go, the more availability you have to choose your time slot. - As soon as restaurant doors open, they start going down the list and calling names. You and your whole party has to be available to be seated. - Menu is simple - a pizza (choose your own toppings - cost applied), a pasta, a calzone. - It's BYOB. They provide water, but you can bring your own beverage into the store. There's a deli and liquor store in the area. Eating in: We got seated at a table. Luckily for us, my group got seated right in front of the pizza makers. It was great to have front row seats to watch them put the ingredients together. It made the experience that much more superior. Since it was a group of 4 of us, we all decided to do family-style & share everything. We ordered the pizza, calzone & pasta. Seriously... everything was great. This is a great way to try everything. You can't go bad with any options. I can see why there is such a hype around Lucali. I personally really enjoyed my experience here. read more

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Finally made it to Lucali!! The wait is well worth it. Go early to stay in line if you want to get a spot for dinner. The star of night was the special of the day...the pasta. Cooked to perfection with a very creamy vodka sauce. The pizza thin and with a good crunch. You can tell the ingredients are fresh. The most underwhelming dish was the calzone...it was a little disappointing. Very good price and best of all, it's BYOB! The restaurant inside it's SO cute and you can see the chefs making your dinner. Service was excellent. read more

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On this episode of becoming a New Yorker, here we are over at Lucali's. After possibly a couple years of dreaming to attend this prized establishment. The day had finally come. Showed up early like 3:45 pm early to stand in the line for seating reservations. Entire process was worth it might I add. Once 4pm hit the hostess began to take reservations for the 5pm opening. I wanna say there were probably 20 parties in front of us but still many were just taking tables for later times. I came there to eat! So time was of the essence. So I asked the hostess what the earliest time she had and bam, 5pm. Like the heavens were upon us. We were about to be blessed. After exercising my rights to BYOB, I opted for a few sours. Sour beer that is, from the corner shop. I mean it was all just music to my ears the entire process. Once we were seated that's when reality hit us like a ton of bricks. NO A/C. That was tough. I gotta admit I wasn't ready for that, neither was the family but we were here for that God tier pizza. Also need to mention many restaurants in NYC have this "no stroller inside" policy that was becoming thing to get use to. Then you realize majority of the restaurants seat you fairly close. Then again shoutout to my Doona, it folded so the waitress had no issue with us bringing it in and the baby was asleep anyways. No issues there. Now it was time to order. We ordered a half cheese and half artichoke. Wish I added the calzone! By the way, need to mention service and staff were as professional as it got. Super polite and very informative. So once we placed our order, it didn't take longer than 20 minutes to receive our pie! Worth every bit of wait. I had even been asked if any of us had been there before and I said yeah in my dreams! After some chuckles, food was there and we were at the gates of heaven. The cheese pull, the sauce, the crust you name it was phenomenal. That was the best pie I had in NYC. No one, I mean no one was even close to being a contender. Lucali's delivered everything I had dreamt of. Beautiful design of the restaurant, the giant oven, the ambiance, I mean everything was perfect. After washing the food down with a couple of cokes n beers. It was time to head out! Can't say how thankful I am to have been able to share a pizza with my family here at Lucali's. Definitely something I will never forget. read more

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The HOLY GRAIL of Brooklyn pizza Lucali is a low-key, candlelit, old-school Italian spot with a cult following. It's BYOB, cash-only, and known for long waits and a "you gotta earn it" experience. You usually put your name down early (around 4pm) and come back later--sometimes hours later The experience feels exclusive read more

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I mustered up the courage to get in line for reservations on a weekday evening. I get there exactly at 2:40 and was already somewhere around person #10-15 on the line. Around 3:45, the hostess came out with her notebook. We all began asking for times. Thankfully I got a 6:30 slot for 3 people. I bopped around, sipped some wine, and shopped as it's a very cute area. We were seated exactly at 6:30. The charm of this place is that they have a couple things on the menu and they do those things, very very well. We got a pasta and a cheese pizza with garlic toppings. The pizza was a perfect Ny slice - good crust, fantastic sauce to cheese ratio. The pasta was simple but perfectly al dente with good flavor. Honestly I could have finished the pizza and the pasta myself - they were that good. If I ever find myself in the area for some time, I'll probably put my name down and eat here again - it was worth it. read more

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Trying to get a reservation here was near impossible unless you came early to get a time slot so we ended up calling to get a pie for pick up. Beware the wait time for pick up can also be long so just make sure you find something to do in the meanwhile. We got their Marg Pie which was enough for 2-3 people to share. The crust was very light and airy which is usually very difficult to achieve. I usually don't eat the crust but this one was worth eating! As for the cheese and sauce, I was impressed by how well it kept together and it passes the integrity fold test! I'm not sure if I would want to wait over an hour for this again and spam calling the restaurant cause the line was constantly busy, however, it was a nice to try it as it was highly rated amongst pizza in brooklyn! read more

Lucali - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Got a half garlic half pep/mushroom pie and it was good. Not great. The bread i craved for better quality especially the crust. The real star of the show was the calzone. Even a plain cheese was spectacular with the sauce accompanied. Service was alright and place was too dark for me. Just dont know if im willing to get there at 3, wait till 4 for resy, than eat at 5:30 read more

Lucali - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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To be honest, the pizza lacked depth of flavor but we dipped the pizza into the Spicy Vodka Pasta sauce and it was incredible. I had L'industrie the next day and could actually taste the difference between the quality of ingredients. Lucali beats them by a landslide but I do like the texture of L'industrie more (it's crispier). The Spicy Vodka Pasta itself was okay. The noodles were mid and the sauce was a bit runny but the flavor of the sauce was by far the best Spicy Vodka Pasta sauce I've had. The calzone was a miss for me although the marinara sauce was also the best I've ever had. This place knows how to make their sauces and pick their ingredients. Ambiance is also unmatched and being able to watch them make the pizza behind you makes the experience perfect. Also the fact that it's BYOB. read more

Lucali - Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Cash only. After hearing stories of 4-5 hour waits and priding themselves as the best pizza spot in NYC, I had to check out the hype. It's already logistically challenging to gather a group of friends willing to join the venture, and on top of that, I've tried going there twice in the past where they closed unexpectedly despite supposedly being open that day. Third time is the charm I guess. I went here with 4 people, waiting in line at 3pm and there were already 20 people in front. Fortunately, you can pick and choose a time slot and 7pm then 6pm slots were the fastest to claim, so if you're not picky to eat at 5pm, you could boldly walk in a little before 5 and get 5pm seating. We marked ourselves 7pm to take the last spot of that reservation time, seeing that reservations are 1 hour slots, since other friends needed to commute all the way from Manhattan to Brooklyn. While 7pm seating, we actually did not get seated until 7:45pm. Sure if the reservations are running behind that's fine but I observed the hostess flipping the notebook to the 8pm side and started seating parties there. Come on, there is still us at 7pm that need to be seated... We got a large pizza and large calzone. The pizza comes with basil which we absolutely loved - one of the best basils we've tried. The texture of the pizza is solid especially when consumed immediately, and it is one of the best pizzas when comparing to some of the top pizza places rankings. The calzone is okay. It is very bready and the $5 surcharge for pepperoni is very thin slices of pepperoni where you could barely taste it, and some friends reported their calzone piece didn't even have pepperoni. They skimp on the topping and they also skimp on the marinara to put on top, which we need a good amount since the calzone is otherwise pretty dry. Service is very mediocre. Sometimes we feel like we were being led on - for example, the server said they will get water 3 times and never showed up with water, even after 20 min has passed and I was forcing to eat my calzone without anything to drink. I had to ask 2 more times for water. Overall, go for the pizza only and don't bother with anything else or add any toppings. Enjoy the true flavors and recipe. It is overhyped unless you don't need to wait that long since it's one of the better pizza places but I would not wait hours for it. read more

Lucali - Inside kitchen - IG @bougiefoodieboi - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I was lucky enough to have a friend wait in line hours ahead of opening to get a time to come back and I just showed up so this is taking that into consideration Now for the food. The pizza was the highlight and oh my gosh it was so good!! We got a plain margarita and one with pepperoni and the margarita stole the show. The sauce was incredible, fresh basil, the crust was soft and crunchy at the same time. The pepperoni was also good, but I think any toppings take away from how good the basic pie is. The pasta was chewy and delicious - a nice little appetizer to try. And the calzone was super cheesy and crunchy but not too thick. Surprisingly, it also didn't feel too heavy - usually I don't like calzones because of how heavy they feel but this one didn't give me that feeling at all. The workers are super nice, very helpful with the menu, and kept my glass of water full all night. It can get loud but the vibes are good. Pro-tip, it's BYOB and cash only so don't forget! I love the food here and would definitely come back if another friend wants to wait in the line for me LOL read more

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I went on a Monday at 3 to wait in line. I did my research. I knew the drill. I was about 10th in line so I got a good spot on the wait-list. When our time arrived we were promptly sat into a room that almost full already, walls decorated with relics of time passed and memories. A beautifully embossed tin ceiling added to the cozy ambiance. Our server was super nice, she gave clear expectations on ordering: order it all now in one go. We were there for one thing, the pizza. You are so close to the guys making your pizza you can almost pick out when they start to craft yours. Before long, the pizza came out piping hot. Eagerly, we grabbed a slice and dug in. It was good, but way too much cheese. I like a balance between sauce, crust and cheese and the cheese in this case overwhelmed the pizza. I enjoyed it better after I pulled off some cheese. I think I would try it again but ask for it to be easy on the cheese. I hear the calzone is killer so maybe I'll try that as well. It was a fine experience to see what the hype was about. Best pie ever? Not to mention, but pretty good overall. read more

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Food- 100% a 5 star. Every ingredient was delicious and fresh. You can taste the garlic and all the other ingredients distinctly. My wife doesn't like pepperoni but really really enjoyed the pepperonis on this pizza. Even when we were full, we still felt light. Not heavy like we just ate an unhealthy meal. Service- of course the wait is the longest wait I've ever been a part of but there was an order to everything. The process is smooth. We originally checked in at 4:40- 20 minutes before they opened. We were added to the list and told to come back at 10 since they've had a list since 3:45. That's insane but of course that's part of the process eating at an extremely popular place. Ambiance- be prepared for a loud setting. It's got loud music in there and everyone talks pretty loudly at every table to try and help the other person hear. Just expect it and know it's part of the experience! read more

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I'm glad I finally got to try lucali especially since it's one of the best pizzas in the world for 2025 Best Pizza Awards. Pro tip: - Cash only - BYOB - Get in line at 3:30pm, the hostess comes out at 4pm and you can make a same day reservation. It fills up fast so it feels like all tables probably fill up by 4:30pm honestly. To put it in perspective, my name was put down at 4:15pm and snagged a 9pm reservation - For toppings, you can do half and half on your pizza. I really like the combination of onion and shallots. read more

Lucali - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Cash only, walk in only, highly rated local pizza joint in a residential area in Brooklyn. Be prepared to wait an hour, we got there on a Wednesday evening around 8:30 pm, there was already an hour wait. Their menu is simple- pizza, pasta or calzone, simple is better. Veggies are $3 in toppings and pepperoni is $5, artichoke is $8. You can watch them making pizza right in the back of the restaurant. It is a small restaurant with one room and all the tables are tightly fit together. It is also BYOB, so come with your favorite drinks. The pizza is GIGANTIC, and for two people it was more than enough. We got half pepperoni, half artichoke. read more

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We got in line at 2:45. That put us about tenth. There's no app, no reservation system. Just a hostess who walks out at 4:00 with a clipboard and writes your name down. By 4:30, the night's full. We picked the 5:00 dinner slot and walked Carroll Gardens. It's a beautiful neighborhood. Tree-lined streets. Brownstones. Charming. We stopped for a drink at a bar, came back around 4:55, and went right in. Most of the tables were already filled. The lights are low and the room is loud. It's hard to hear across the table. Wood floors. Tin ceiling. Candles. Shelves stacked with old boxing gloves, mason jars, a Coca-Cola sign. It's old stuff in a new place. The pizza arrived looking perfect. Pepperoni. Basil leaves. A heavy layer of mozzarella stretching across the whole thing. It had all the markings of greatness: blistered crust, vibrant colors, depth, shape and shine. Then we ate. The crust was the star. Charred in the right places. Foldable but firm. But the cheese didn't work for me. The buffalo mozzarella Lucali uses made for an unusual texture I did not enjoy and distracted me from everything else. The sauce disappeared. The flavor got smothered. The balance just wasn't there. People around us were super happy just to be there. I have to admit, getting a seat where Beyonce and Jay-Z frequently go for pizza makes you feel like you snuck into a special club. This is one of the hardest tables to get in New York. Maybe the hardest pizza seat in the country. We're glad we went. We're glad we saw it. It's one more pizza bucket list item checked off for me. But I am all set. Once is enough. Lucali is cool. The setting is special. The pizza didn't hold that luster for me. read more

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I feel lucky to live near the lore that is Lucali. I've visited a few times and it's always an evening that requires some planning and a commitment. If you want to make sure you get a seat, line up around 2pm that day and they start taking names down for the night anywhere between 3:45 to 4:15pm. Located on a quiet block in Carroll Gardens, Lucali is entirely unassuming from the outside. You can walk right past it easily unless you're paying attention. Planning for the line is only one piece, because Lucali is also BYOB as well as cash only. Once you make it inside, it is dimly and romantically lit and very cozy and intimate. There is an open kitchen in the back where you can see the team rolling out their fresh pizza dough and preparing everything smoothly and at ease with candlelight and great music to set the vibe. There are no table menus and essentially just three things on the menu - the spicy fussilli, the pizza, and the calzone. When in Rome... I order all 3. You just choose your toppings (ham, garlic, mushroom, onion, etc.) There are tons of reviews out there on the pizza, and it is GREAT pizza (just wait a couple minutes after it reaches your table because it comes out steamy hot). The wide crust and sweet tomato sauce are signature. I personally have gone for the classic cheese and garlic as well as mushroom the times I've come in and it never disappoints. You can order the calzone either small or large, but again when in Rome... LARGE. And it is huge. Definitely way more than 2 people can eat, but it is impressive and delicious. The calzone is made from the same dough as the pizza, so it is thiQUE. It comes with a side of tomato sauce and cheese for you to mix in and dip. I always take the leftovers home and eat some more in the morning. Now while everyone comes to lucali for the pizza, the spicy fussili has my heart. It is made with 4 cheeses, has a kick, and is perfectly al dente. The fussili is jumbo which makes it feels like a whimsical dish but a total star of its own show. At the end of the night I personally order an extra container of it to take home... and that container more often than not does not make it to the morning. Overall, Lucali is one of the many wonders of living in nyc and worth a visit. read more

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Not worth it. Food is just meh, mediocre. Very tasteless food and sauce. We were told to come to the restaurant at a specific time for our spot on the waitlist and still had to wait over an hour out in the cold. No organization or communication from their staff, very low respect for their customers. Service inside was also bad, not rude just neglectful and uncaring. We also asked to take our leftovers and realized at home that they forgot to give us half of our leftovers on such an expensive meal! What a waste of money and time on such a bad dining experience. read more

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Loved everything about my experience at Lucali's starting with the ambiance as soon as you walk in from the music playing and pizza being be prepared in full view. The servers were welcoming and accommodating to give any clarity concerning the dining options. We began the evening with some exquisite fusilli pasta that just the right amount of spice that was palpable but not overpowering. Next we moved to the pizza that was fresh and delightful and closed the night with a great calzone. I will be transparent in sharing that there was a wait to get in but also have to follow that up with saying that the food was well worth the wait. read more

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I don't think I'm ever coming back because of the line you have to wait in and the fact that my time to be seated at was 8 and our table got sat at 9:15ish. They specify at the start that it's a waitlist not a reservation I just didn't realize how extreme that could be. I left from the city at 2:30 to get our name down earlier in the day, so it was about a 7 hour experience because we decided to stay in brooklyn. When we finally got sat down we were pretty exhausted and annoyed. The food I will say was pretty awesome and immediately brought the mood up. My favorite was the pasta of the night, which was three cheese with spice, and the pizza. We also ordered the large calzone which was great but I was pretty full by then. The ambiance is nice nothing too crazy, very low lighting. If I do come back it would be for takeout. read more

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We arrived late but were seated within about 30 minutes. We ordered a pepperoni pizza with extra pepperoni and some chips, everything was excellent. As Chicagoans, we're tough to impress with pizza, but this place delivered. We'll definitely be back. Thanks for a great experience! read more