Great food, pleasant ambience, unique concept. BYOB! I went with a friend on a Saturday night at 10 and had no wait, however we ran into a group of 5 we knew there who said they waited quite a while for their table. There are only two things on the menu - pizza (18") and calzone (small or large). They happened to have no meat topping options when we went, which we were fine with, but apparently they usually do. They don't have the toppings written down and neither of us absorbed what the server said but we went with her recommendation of hot peppers, shallots, and mushrooms on our pizza, and garlic in our calzone, and they were both delicious. We got a pizza and small calzone because we wanted to try both but that could have easily fed 3-4 people. The decor and lighting is great, very good vibe. Very versatile - could be good for a date, dinner with friends, or nice family dinner. The only downside was the service - the servers were very nice and informative but very difficult to get their attention so just expect a leisurely dinner. read more

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Been following Mark Iacono for some time now and finally got a chance to try his pizza. The 3hour drive and 2.5 hour wait was more than worth it. Let's break it down Mark is a traditionalist. Keep it simple. Do it right. I wanna say the crust is crispy but it's not. Crispy is lays chips. Crispy is dry bread you left in the toaster too long. No, this is more munchy than anything. It's hard to describe. You just gotta have it. The sauce isn't acidic as most pizza sauce is. He makes it every day and cooks it four about 3hours before tossing it on the pizza. The cheese combo is perfect. Exactly what you'd expect from him. The fresh basil is the icing on the cake. But back to the crust. He leaves a significant amount of of crust without sauce on it, but the crust is so good you don't care. That's lucalis in a nutshell. I suggest you watch ep 1 of ugly delicious on Netflix, and his videos with munchies, insider, and even his appearance on Seth Meyers show. read more

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

2019 and this world has gone mad. Why would anyone wait on a line for 2 hrs, to put your name down for a table, to only eat pizza and calzones another 2 hrs later. I did not. I was gifted the only reservation they honor a night. Thank god. I can't believe people do these things, wait 4 hrs for pizza in a city filled with it. Dough, sauce, cheese. Oven. Dough, sauce, cheese. Oven. Thats it, its just pizza. Relax everybody. You know what's nice about this place. You can only choose, pizza or calzone. Never going back unless the table is on demand again. Let's talk about the bathroom. It's dark . It's hot. It's small. It's old and it has one of those chains that you pull to flush the toilet. read more

One of the best pizzas I've had (and calzones). A must to try, great ambiance and rapid service.

Underwhelmed. After seeing and hearing some much hype for this place I wasn't impressed. It's good pizza but not as it's made out to be. Crust is thin but not paper like. Tomato sauce is ok and frankly I thought it lacked enough tomato taste. Also thought there was a little too much cheese. The big leaves of basil were a nice touch though. Tried the calzone and again good but not mind blowing. So...a good place for 'za and was finally able to check it off the pizza list but the hype was greater than the bite. read more

Very delicious thin crust. Pizza in a very beautiful neighborhood. Was definitely worth the hype and the line situation wasn't as bad, as long as you showed up at four and put your name down, you'll be set... weekdays are definitely a plus =) read more

Don't get me wrong, I love my Chicago pizza, but this place is phenomenal. The pizza is soo well excited with the fresh toppings, truely great. read more

Showed up at 3:30 and eventually got seated at 9:15. Ridiculous wait times and no apology for being late. The pizza was a 5/5, we ordered the pepperoni + hot peppers and one plain pie. The cheese was incredibly flavorful and the texture was on point. The thing that ruined our night was the calzone, I have no idea how people recommend it, it is so much worse than the pizza. Do not order the calzone, stick to the pies and you'll have a much better night than us. read more

Spectacular! Delicious!! We had a great experience and service. Highly recommend to eat here, must make a reservation.

Only issue is coming here thinking you're early for the line, then having to wait on line for an hour, not being able to do it sober so getting a 6 pack between you and your friend, put your name down, and go to another bar to drink for another 2 hours before coming back for the pizza along with the bottle of wine you brought. Luckily, the pizza is worth it. One of the lightest pizzas I've had, where my friend and I looked at each other and thought that we could have easily finished another pie. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but it was fantastic. Only wish is that I wish they spread the sauce and cheese closer to the crust. Fresh basil always adds something extra for me. Delicious Calzone was great as well. Can't go wrong. Would love to be back if I got the early evening to waste haha maybe I'll try my luck with Resy next time read more

Oh, Lucali. What a wait. I'm not sure if it has always been this crazy, or the Ugly Delicious episode really catapulted them into the spotlight. But whatever it is, props to them. And apparently Samin Nosrat eats Lucali pizza -- so if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me. FOOD: We got a large pie ($28) with mushrooms on half (+$2) and basil. I loved the mushrooms and wish we got them on both halves. Their pizza is thin crust: a nice crunchy bite. The generously sprinkled fresh basil made a huge difference, adding tons of flavors and depth when combined with the simple red sauce. The crust was alright; I still didn't eat most of it. I don't know if I'll ever discover a pizza that will change my (non-)crust-eating-preference. Overall, it was the best pizza I had while in New York (unfortunately I didn't get to try that many -- I went to Rubirosa, Scarr's, Prince St., & Joe's). But it's not like Lucali is eons above them; I'd say Rubirosa is an extremely close second in taste. Overall, Lucali offers super solid pizza in a dim, ambient setting: nothing life-changing. I don't know if it's truly delicious enough to warrant the effort and wait. GOOD-TO-KNOW-INFO: -Lines start EARLY. Lucali technically opens at 5:45, but people start lining up at 4:00 (or even earlier?). At 5:15, the host starts going through the line and taking down names for timeslots that night. Good luck getting a seat if you come past 6:30 pm.... - At 4:30 on Wednesday, there were already 30 people ahead of us. By the time the hostess got to us, the earliest possible reservation was for a time range between 7:30 to 8:00. - Kill the time with some drinks :-); we went to Bar Bruno and enjoyed our time there with some tapas and margs. - Apparently there are reservations online via RESY for $5 per person. I'm not sure how early in advance you should start looking for reservations, but we heard about it from another customer. - CASH only: just ugh when places do this. - BYOB & BYOW! So you don't have to go broke buying wine :-) The host will tell ya the exact specifics on the quantity of alcohol allowed for how many people. There was a liquor store not too far from Lucali where we grabbed a bottle of Chianti. Your server will open it for you and provide glasses. - You have a one hour limit on your table. I guess this makes sense given the semi-small space and high volume of customers they'd like to cycle through. - Calzone seems like it'd be delicious. Needa try it! read more

Lucali - pizza with basil and half mushrooms - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Best Pizza I've ever had. Best to go on off-hours. And be prepared to wait. went close to closing and they said 40 min, but they had a couple cancellations so it was only 15. BYOB, bring a sixer from the place down the street. Just f*cking heaven. read more

Very solid thin crust pizza. Arrived here a little before 6pm hoping I might get lucky with the wait since there were only two of us. No such luck. There would be about a two+ hour wait (apparently there were a bunch of people lined up when they opened). Ick. So my wife makes the excellent suggestion to order pizza to go. 45 min later we are heading out to a local park to scarf it down. By the time we pick up our pizza they are quoting a 2-3 hour wait for dining and a 90 minute wait for to go orders. So what about the pizza? Solid crust. Just the right balance of soft and crunchy. Great balance for the sauce too of sweetness with a little tang. The ingredients were fresh and of very good quality. That night you could choose from pepperoni, shallots, onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and basil. I really feel for the very nice hostess who has to break the horrific wait times to folks every night. But wouldn't most places love to have this problem? read more

Love love love so much. It feels like a family the moment you walk in, the team is so genuine you feel there energy the moment you walk in. The food is amazing (but of course) but I think the people and atmosphere make this place so memorable. Will be back every week. read more

Lucali - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Pizza is good, probably great. But as some of the other reviews have mentioned, the hostess/waitress at the door is definitely not enthusiastic that you have come to this place or have questions of any kind. That initial service experience, which you have to experience at least twice, since you have to put your name down at one point in the evening, and come back 3-5 hrs later to see her again, really put a damper on the eating experience. The food might have been amazing but the service left a sour aftertaste. If you have 4-5 hours in a day to spend on this waiting game in Brooklyn, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, don't feel that you've missed out. read more

Pizza is overhyped for all the wait and anticipation but you could definitely taste the freshness of all the ingredients. Personally, I like the crunchiness of Joe's pizza. Who knows if it would taste any better if we got to dine-in...but the wait would of been over 5 hours. No thanks. The freshness of the ingredients really shined in their calzone. I'd probably come back for that if at all. The wait: We got there at 5:20pm (25 minutes before they opened) and there was a solid line of about 30 people. For our party of 5, we were quoted to be seated at 10:30pm. Take-out though could be within the hour. We planned our day around this pizza joint so we went with take-out: the rain and the hunger was too real and our friend's apartment was 8 minutes away. read more

Simple pizzas that just can't be recreated at home (we tried). A regular gave us the sage advice to keep it simple and go with the shallots and mushrooms, I'm still dreaming about that pizza today. We arrived around 5:20 on a Saturday and waited about an hour for a party of two. They have an outdoor seating area and I would suggest sticking close in case something opens up sooner. BYOB! Grabbed wine at the wine market a few blocks down- seems like they get a lot of Lucali traffic :) read more

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Lucalis pies are truly unlike any other. I arrived with a party of 4 at around 3:30pm this past Saturday. When we got to the store front, there were already about 10 people in line ahead of us. As the line grew longer and began to stretch around the block, employees started to arrive and enter the place. Each time that door opened, everyone stood at full attention hoping to see a glimpse of the owner or maybe one of the joint's pizza making secrets. Now if you ask me, waiting in line is part of the hype. You gotta do it for the full experience. We started to chat with the couple waiting behind us in line who explained that they wanted a 8:00pm table so they could hit up a nearby bar. At 5:15 on the dot, a lady came out of the restaurant with a clipboard and the crowd erupted with claps and cheers. We were able to snag a coveted 5:45 reservation (the first reservation of the night) and retreated back into the warmth of the car until about 5:30. That couple that was behind us was able to put their name and number down for the 8:00 reservation. Names are called exactly at the time of the slotted reservation. I believe that reservations are every 15 minutes (which is how long the kitchen needs to turn out a pie). Once our name was called, we sat down at our table, and prepared ourselves for the pies. Initially we were going to order two pies, a plain pie and a pepperoni mushroom pie, but the waitress let us know that their best seller is a "garlic parmesan". we told her to say no more, slap some pepperonis on that thang and bring it out. Let me tell you. It felt like the lord himself made this pie. The dough was so thin, and crispy. Like pita bread but also fluffy like Italian bread. It was a perfect combination. The sauce- perfection and the cheese (don't get me started on the cheese)-just wow. The mozz was so fresh. I finished that slice in less than a minute. As I dug in for my second slice I realized that this pie shouldn't *really* be compared to a regular New York pizza. It's so unique that its in a category of its own. (Now everyone I went with totally disagrees with me, but I have to stand my ground on this one: these pies are on a tier of their own.) They are fantastic, a perfect balance of dough, cheese, and sauce, but they aren't like any other New York slice. As our second pie came through (half plain half mushroom) we looked to the back of the restaurant and saw the dough being rolled out with wine bottles (just like the legend had said). The second pie was just as good as the first. Heaven on earth, but better. For our third round, we had ordered a large cheese calzone. Our waitress recommended we get the baked pepperoni on the side, which we did and let me tell you, the lord had to be having mercy on my soul because that calzone was the best calzone I have ever had in my entire life (and this girl has eaten a ton of calzones). Absolutely stuffed, we closed out our tab and walked out of there into a crowd of envious and hungry people waiting for a table. I suppose this means we made it in life. Who knew that pizza had that kind of power. read more

What to say more, it's the best pizza. It's an experience. It's worth all the wait. Calzones are also awesome.

Pizza is the best I've ever had !! Like seriously worth the 2 hour wait ! Ingredients are Fresh..... the owner Mark treats everyone like Family!! Place to go on BK for the best pizza read more

We came on a Wednesday around 3pm and waited till 4pm which is when they start taking reservations. And was seated once they opened. It was easy to get a reservation because we were at the front of the line. Got the regular pie and the calzone. The pie was thin, crispy and fresh. Needed a little more salt for my taste. Loved the ricotta cheese in the calzone. This place is a bit pricey and personally I don't get the "hype." I wouldn't wait over an hour again to get a reservation and then another hour till they open. There are many great pizza places around that are just as good. Overall a good experience but I wouldn't say it's the best pizza I've ever had. Remember it's CASH ONLY! read more

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

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Did not disappoint. My friends and I came here on Saturday evening at 5:30pm. Restaurant opened at 5:30 pm. Was told that for 4 people, we would probably get a table around 7:30-8pm. Kinda unbelievable that wait was 2 hours but we left our number and went to a bar few blocks away to grab a drink. Around 8pm was told to come to restaurant. They are BYOB and cash only. BYOB is limited to 2 bottles. Got seated, waitress came to tell us what's on their menu. It's pizza and calzones. Couldn't really hear what she was saying or see her cause it's quite dark in there. We ordered large pizza ($24) with all the toppings which included basil, pepperoni, shallots, onions, peppers and Idk what else. Also just had regular cheese calzone ($22). After ordering waitress said oven is closed from 8-8:15pm so had to wait a little longer for the pizza. Anyway, I thought waiting 3 hours for pizza that it would be super overrated but I was proved wrong. I had a piece of pepperoni that fell off my slice before taking a bite of the pizza and it was so delicious, I knew this pizza would be amazing. It's cheesy and the pie is so chewy yet crispy. Just amazing. Calzone is basically a pizza folded in half with 5 kinds of cheese and they give marina sauce with basil to dip it in. So good. I was stuffed and satisfied with the meal. Totally worth the wait and would def come back, even if it means waiting a long time. read more

Lucali - Large pizza with everything - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Now that I had a chance to try this contender for best Pizza in Brooklyn I want to add my 2 cents. It seems like pizza is a middle ground between a traditional Neopolitan pizza and NY pizza. It uses fresh mozzarella and basil and a thin bottom which becomes soft and chewy like Italian pizza. I really like the way the 3 cheeses and tomato sauce all melt together into a strong punchy flavor without becoming dense or heavy. The way the pizza is rolled out vs hand stretched is kind of distinctive and responsible for lack of any real cornice or thick crust, which was fine with me, not really a plus or minus there, but in a way I feel like is less of an achievement than a light and bubbly crust with nice spots of charring. Even as someone who is not a huge fan of NY style pizza this is the best example I've had of taking the style to the next level, although not as amazing as some other pizza I've had. read more

I'm a born and bred new york pizza snob and this place is absolutely 5 stars. It's pricier than other pizza places, but you can tell you're paying for the quality when you taste it. The sauce is amazing, the crust is the perfect consistency, and the toppings are super flavorful. The calzone is also delicious but very, very filling and cheesy. Our server forgot half our toppings but we didn't want to send it back and wait for another pizza, and it was delicious anyway. Love that its BYOB - there's a convenience store a few blocks away that has a good selection of beers. The wait is obviously terrible but there's a reason people put up with it! We lined up around 4:45 to put our name down for 2 people and ate around 8:30/9PM. Note that the owner of the townhouse around the corner that people line up in front of is ornery and won't let you sit on his steps. read more

Cozy atmosphere. Great pizza. Bring your own drinks!!!!!!!!! You won't be disappointed!!!

Love this place but honestly....why can their Miami location make calzones but the Brooklyn location (the original location) is not making their best product - the calzone read more

Lucali - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This wasn't our first time at Lucali but it will certainly be our last. The evening special is verbal assault by waitress with a side of botched order & flagrant demeanor. We requested a simple accommodation from the hostess who responded with "There's a negative 110% chance I can do that for you." We were jostled into a corner table for seven and reluctantly opened our wine to drown out that interaction. Soon our waitress greeted us by announcing "I'm tired and don't want to be here. How are you?" She sat down in a chair that was vacant bc one diner was using the restroom. When he arrived back from the bathroom and stood beside her, she sighed audibly and rolled her eyes as she removed herself from his seat. Ordering was a disaster. After placing our order, she responded "Can I recommend you NOT do that?" Instead, she completely rewrote our order with an amount of smugness that could only be measured to the confidence of Kanye West in the face of personal controversy. We specified that we didn't want meat on the pizzas/calzones bc one diner was vegetarian. She offered to put it on the side and we said "sure I guess that's ok". Abruptly she looked at me (the vegetarian) and said "are you upset with me now?" It was abrasive and confusing but I chose not to engage with the final boss pizza baron. The calzone arrived with pepperoni inside and extra pepperoni on a plate. No apology was made and we were charged for both the inserted toppings and extra side of carcass. Ready to be released, we were overjoyed to get the check and pay our bail to Lucali State Penitentiary. While reviewing the bill, a second waitress came out to accost us on behalf of the previous final boss. In conclusion, there's a negative 110% chance that I could give this experience anything more than one star. read more

Pro-tip: for $5/person you can make a reservation on Resy. Amazing pizza! The large pie and small calzone was the perfect amount for 3 people. Basil and garlic are a must! The guys making the food are in an open kitchen set up so you can literally see them making your food! Highly recommend! read more

Lucali - The best New York pizza! Super authentic with amazing sauce! Large pizza and small calzone was perfect for 3 people. - Pizza Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I agree with everyone else -- Lucali serves some good ass pizza! I went at 5:40 PM on a Thursday, and the earliest availability was 9 PM for my party of three. The wait sounds insane, but the pizza IS worth it (especially the pepperoni). Don't make the same mistake as me: be sure to line up before they open at 5 PM. It might seem excessive, but it's the only way to get a table for a reasonable time. read more

Hands down the best pizza; not only in New York but the entire tri-state area. We had the plain pie and the pepperoni pie. The sauce is just like Nonna would make for Sunday dinner which really separates this place from every other pizzeria. Next time (we will be making the trip from NJ again very soon) we definitely will be ordering the calzone to pair with the pizza. The only complaint is that we were not able to be seated inside to enjoy our meal (next available seat was 11pm), which was expected since the line was two blocks long. read more

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

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We have been trying to get to Lucali for 6 years. It was so worth the wait! Pizza was perfect and Mark was so kind and welcoming!

Mark your the beast/best! Pizza legend maker and builder besides your brother Alberto. I can't thank him enough for the best night dinner ever. Never a 0 always 999. Best pizza in NYC. I gotta say I love me my Chicago Pizza Hut but would give it up for a Lucali in Chicago in a second. Your team is amazing as well. Take care and see you soon. read more

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

I've wanted to come here for so long. So so glad I did. I originally came on a Saturday with a group total of 3 ppl at around 430 to put our name down and we got a seat at 11pm so we decided to try another day . Came back the following Friday at 3 pm and there were only 3 parties in front of us so ended up getting a time slot for 5 pm!! Thank goodness we decided to go early bc the line started RAPIDLY elongating by 340. The first guy in line said he had been there since 11 am ... anyways the pizza was so good. Super light and airy and not super filling... I'm usually a 3 slice kinda girl but I ate like 5 and still wasn't overly stuffed. Def try the artichokes on a pizza (and you can make them half half in case you wanna try all the things), they were super tender and was great for change of texture and flavor. The pizza was great... but the calzone was PHENOMENAL. The waitress recommended getting the calzone with garlic and hot peppers and I'm so mad that I was full by that time. We watched them put the whole thing together and holy crap, the ricotta was so creamy and the hot peppers were such a great added touch, plus the garlic just made it *chefs kiss*. It's not overrated at all. I honestly think they should be better known for that calzone than the pizza but both were 10/10!!!! read more

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Couldnt get a table here but got a taste at the takeaway location at baby lucs a few blocks away. Ordered one of every slice and everything was delicious!! read more

Easily the best pizza and calzone I have ever had. No comparison. Pizza at its purest. No frills, just beat ingredients available executed perfectly read more

I went here on a Tuesday night to celebrate a job offer. The weather was pretty nice of the season, and there were around 15-20 people lined up when I arrived at 5pm. I got put on the list for 8-8:30 that night, and got a call that our table was ready at 7:40ish. You can choose your toppings from a fairly small selection for your pie, or order a calzone. We got pepperoni on our pizza and the 4 cheese calzone. The pizza was excellent, very fresh ingredients, but the star was definitely the calzone, which was the perfect mix of chewy dough and decadent cheese. After going here, I understand it's reputation as the best pizza joint in Brooklyn, and can't wait to get back. read more

I'm not a native New Yorker but I do love New York style pizza. My desire to check out Lucali was ignited when I first heard of it on Netflix's Ugly Delicious. It's a popular place made even more popular by David Chang's food documentary. Of course, on my most recent trip to NY, I had to go to check it out. Lucali popped up on RESY but I wasn't able to schedule a reservation, so my friend and I showed up at 4:35 pm in the afternoon in Brooklyn to wait to put our name down for a table. We arrived and there was already a line. The hostess comes out around 5 pm to start putting down names for tables. My friend and I got the last table for the first seating at 5:45 pm. Within 20 minutes, the hostess had booked the entire dining room from 5:45 pm to 10:30 pm. TWENTY minutes! You did have the option of waiting in line for the takeaway line. That one was shorter but they said they would serve all the folks in the dining room before working on takeaway orders. Once seated inside, we ordered a large pizza with basil ($28, one size only) with beef pepperoni ($5). They rolled the dough out with wine bottles and the pies are made to order. For $32, we had the most amazing pizza pie. The crust was crispy with a tender chew. The cheese, basil, and pepperoni were proportionately placed. The tomato sauce was the right amount of tangy. It was pizza nirvana if there ever is one. Service was great. The staff was super nice. We even saw Mark (the owner) outside when we were waiting. Was it worth the wait? For me, yes. I don't live in NY, so I wanted to try it. There are some really lucky people who live nearby, that's all I have to say. If you're in the area, you should check out Lucali. They make a solid pizza and it's worth eating it at least once. I would definitely go back if I'm back in NYC. read more

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This place is a culinary experience. Some may complain about the wait/no reservation policy but I say this is part of the Lucali experience. The staff are so welcoming and friendly. The cooks answered questions and allowed me to take pictures of their process. The restaurant itself is one of the nicer pizza spots you will ever see. Mark clearly takes pride in every detail. I would have loved to meet Mark as I am a budding pizzaiolo. Mark is an icon in the Pizza game. Maybe next time? Let's get to the food. My first thought before my food arrived was "There is no way this food can live up to what I went through to have to get in this seat" (1 hour train ride with delays to line up at 2:50pm and seated at 5:00pm hot day). Well....I WAS SO WRONG! I've had many pizzas in the city, in every borough. I've also eaten at all of the best spots around the United States/Italy THIS IS THE BEST. A new king has been crowned and his name is LUCALI! read more

Rude host, worst experience. Went on weekday, still service was one of the worst. Pizza was ok, nothing special. Thank god I didn't had to wait hrs for this. read more

If you're wondering if the wait is worth it, don't think twice. This place is everything and more. Let's start with the ambiance, absolutely perfect. Now the food, wow. You can taste the freshness in all the ingredients. The basil was out of this world. We got the pizza with pep, hot pepper, and shallots. Highly recommend this combo. But the star of the show was the calzone. Probably the single best food item I had on my trip to NY. You have to get it with garlic ONLY, this is the move. And to top it all off, this place is BYOB. read more