Stopped into Joe Peeps for the first time in years, and was glad I decided to remind myself of…read moretheir approach to the NY slice. If you don't know it, Joe Peeps is on Magnolia, just East of Whitsett, with the cartoon of Joe (presumably) "peeping" over a wall. They've been here 45 years, and were, for a long time, one of the only places to get a somewhat traditional NY Slice or whole pie.
You park and enter from the back, and are immediately visually assaulted by walls covered in graffiti, like those in the sadly long-gone Wiener Factory. The dining area is small, with just a few tables, the vast majority of the overall space having been given to the prep area and ovens. You order at the counter, pay, and wait for them to bring you your food. Service is quick and friendly, and there are plenty of options, including salads and pasta dishes -- some other folks were eating cheesy garlic bread that looked very good.
I opted for a slice with sausage, and was happy to find the little nubs of pork were well-seasoned and had a little punch of spice atop their specifically Italian flavor. The tomato sauce had a thickness you don't often see on pizza these days, and I really enjoyed the slightly acidic, very fresh tomato taste. Mozzarella was high quality with very good flavor, making for a truly satisfying slice.
Crust is a bit thicker than I usually prefer, BUT: they know how to bake their pies, so the crust still has a proper crisp and crunch to it despite the thickness. The crust also has its own flavor, so you know that THEY know how to do what they do. It's not the prettiest, most uniform-looking slice in town, but it IS one of the better tasting, definitely homemade slices you'll find for sure.
The only drawback I found was a bit of an aroma coming from the restrooms. I've been in lots of places with this issue, and I know it can't be resolved without a full remodeling, which these folks are unlikely to do. That said, the pizza here is much, much better than what you'll get at the fancy chain that's recently opened across the street and is no-doubt creating competition -- and I'd rather have the good pizza than anything else.