Andres M.
Yelp
We visited "The Big Apple" and wanted to try some pizza since that's what I've always heard New York is known for. We asked around a bit and were told that Joe's is the place to go--but there was a huge line. People also said that if Joe's is too busy, your best bet is John's, so we ended up there instead.
It was a hot, humid day in NYC, and when we walked into John's, you could feel a bit of AC--but not much. The place was busy, but since it was just the two of us, we didn't wait long to get seated. We were taken to the larger section of the restaurant, which was surprisingly hot and pretty dark inside. It's a big, open space, and if there was any air conditioning running, it wasn't doing much.
We were given menus, and after a bit, the waiter came by to introduce himself. He said he'd be right back, but it took a while for him to return and take our drink order. By then, we were ready to order everything. We got a half pepperoni, half Pizza Bianca, and some cheese garlic bread to start.
We waited quite a while to get our drinks. The garlic bread came out first--and it was disappointing. It was barely toasted (if you could even call it that), there was no browning, and barely any cheese. We didn't even finish it.
Eventually, the pizza came out. Honestly, by the time we sat down, ordered, and got our food, we probably could have just waited in Joe's line and eaten there instead.
As for the pizza... it was just okay. My friend and I were both disappointed. If this is what NYC pizza is supposed to be, we've had better back home. The crust was super floppy and greasy. Overall, it just didn't feel worth the wait or the poor service.
We had to wave down the waiters multiple times to get refills, our check, and to finally close out the bill. All in all, if you're looking for something quick or great service--don't come here. And if you're after great pizza, maybe explore a few other spots. Joe's might've been worth the wait, but we didn't get to try it. However, we did go to "Little Italy Pizza" near the Nintendo store, and we really liked that one.