Pete & Elda's Bar / Carmen's Pizzeria

It was busy as usual but that's how you know its worth it! Pizzas were really good. I could eat whole pies on my own! It's def worth the trip once in your life! Bartender was super chill and staff was friendly. 10/10 would recommend!

Apparently, I’ve eaten here before according to my uncle. But that was a long time ago. I’m not sure why I don’t remember because the pizza was delicious. He said we sat at the bar and had a personal pizza. Taste wise it’s close to NYC pizza except the crust is very thin. I ordered the extra large with pepperoni and extra cheese and a few slices in I added mozzarella sticks. I LOVE CHEESE! It was delicious but I couldn’t finish it all. It was very greasy because of the pepperoni. But that’s I how I like it. ’ll be having pizza for breakfast. 😋

We don’t get to NJ often but when we do, we are making a stop (or two) at Pete and Elda’s. My husband grew up being a Vic’s guy but as an outsider I was immediately on team P&E. We went twice while in the area last week and it was perfect as always. I’ve been researching how to make that thin crust and I’m going to try to copycat a Pete and Elda’s pie. Both times we had the same server and she was great! From a sausage and onion to a pepperoni to a cheese, you can’t go wrong! The wings were good too. That was a first but after eating pizza four days in a row, I needed a little bit of a break. Looking forward to next time!

As good as advertised! Very busy but they have a great system for seating guests and working tables that makes it quick. Good service, and great food. The pizza was super thin, crackery crust but buttery and delicious. Super easy to eat. Wings were great too, and the chopped antipasto salad hit the spot too. Would definitely go back.

We drive 45 minutes to eat at Pete & Elda's- totally worth going out of your way for! The bar pie is fantastic, the bartenders are great, and the weekly specials are always on point. It gets wildly busy, and it can be tricky to get a seat at the bar. Lots of vegetarian options.

Love it here! The chopped antipasto salad is amazing! Hubby conquered the Whole Pie Eater Challenge. The staff are all super nice.

We always try to come before the big lunch or dinner rush but believe it or not this place is always busy no matter what time. Worth the hour drive for the most amazing pizza in the world! Service is great and food is tasty. You won't be disappointed.

7/2025: Still fantastic! A local treasure. This time tried the perogies and wings which were both fantastic. Pies are still great and super thin; maybe too thin for some people. If you like doughy pizza, you might not like their pizza. They are like thin flatbreads, but taste dreamy and melt in your mouth. Definitely a unique operation and still going strong. Long line on a Sunday at 2pm, but moved surprisingly quick and we were sat within 20mins. 2023: Fantastic! Thinnest pies I've ever eaten. Meatballs are also amazing. Kids grilled cheese and fries were great. And our server was friendly and awesome. Host was polite and helpful. The ambiance is just laid back bar and grill vibe. Nice people. Wish I lived closer.

Great pizza Lived up to expectations good service Great pizza Lived up to expectations good service Great pizza Lived up to expectations good service

I am completely baffled how I haven't reviewed Pete & Elda's yet. I must have assumed I did many years ago, but we all know what happens when one assumes... OK, so, Pete & Elda's is the best pizza ever, hands down, no one can change my mind. The End. I've had many a pizza, especially since moving up to North Jersey, and Pete & Elda's is still the best. Now, I am not saying there isn't good pizza up here. There is. But none of it compares to my love of Pete & Elda's. Their pizza is just unique and delicious. It has a very crisp, paper-thin like crust. If you like doughy pizza, this is NOT the spot for you. It's got a crunch to it that is just so special. The sauce is delicious and doesn't overtake the cheese. It is a perfect combination of sauce and cheese. You can't go wrong with any of the toppings you choose. My personal favorite is mushroom and onion, but you can't go wrong with the plain pizza, and my husband always does jalapeno. Speaking of my husband, every time we go he does the t-shirt challenge and dominates every time. You need to eat a Double XL pizza in a half an hour. TBH, it's not that hard with how thin the pizza is here. We have many a Pete & Elda's t-shirt here. Also, as a side note, my kids love the food here as well - the kid's penne alla vodka and the kid's chicken tenders with fries are a big hit. The restaurant hasn't changed since my Grandfather used to go. It's an old school style bar with tables and chairs that haven't been upgraded in quite some time and that's what makes it so charming. Please never change Pete & Elda's, I just love you so.

I don't get the hype. I do love a good thin crust pizza but this place was not good. Be aware if you sit at the bar the ordering process is interesting. You order drinks through the bartender and when you're ready to order you stand up your menu to have a server come over to take your order. I guess if it works why change it but I found it to be strange. Pizza was super thin crust like a cracker. No bueno in my opinion. This was the only reason why I went. Left disappointed. Service was ok. Not friendly. Bartender was ok. Prices - not too bad. Parking is in a big lot that fills up (I went off peak and it was full). Overall not my cup of tea and not returning anytime soon.

Love the bar area and overall atmosphere - casual and pretty lively. Pizzas are really thin and a good value. Overall highly recommend

Was nearby by and hungry and decided to call ahead and do takeout. I came here Saturday evening, and this place was packed with people waiting outside. I got the small pizza pie with green pepper toppings and the zucchini sticks. I love coming here for the thin crust pizza. Plus the green peppers on the pizza added a nice touch and crunch to it. Zucchini sticks were crispy, good and paired well with the horseradish sauce but there was too much batter on the zucchini, felt like half of the time I was just eating batter. Other than that, i love the pizza here and would definitely come back and try dining in!

Although the food might've been amazing, the service was nothing short of anything good. Our waitress was coughing the entire time and then continued to touch our food with her germ filled hands. On top of this, we were told that it would be a 45 minute wait. The place was packed so this was understood, but we didn't sit down for 1 hour and 30 minutes. This is nothing short of unacceptable

Pete & Elda's Bar/Carmen's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant had been on my pizza hit list for quite some time as I'm a huge fan of thin crust pizza when it's done right. Having been impressed by nearby spots like Federici's on 10th (Belmar) and Vic's (Bradley Beach) that serve bar pie/thin crust pizzas, I had high hopes for this spot. We popped in for a quick weekday lunch, so there wasn't a wait, but the place was buzzing with guests as is typical during the summer by the Jersey shore. We ordered 2 pizzas, including the XXL challenge, and a chicken parmesan sandwich. While some may find the pizza challenge gimmicky, I loved the idea as the reward of a free t-shirt for eating a pizza offers something unique that other area restaurants don't offer, and also makes for a more memorable experience. We saw a lot of others participating in the pizza challenge during our visit, so it's clearly popular (the shirt designs rotate every so often, and some are quite creative). The pizza (3/5) was sadly underwhelming, as the sauce and cheese were of average quality, without any sort of zest or pop to them. The paper thin cracker crust didn't have a good flavor profile, and the overall pizza would rank among the bottom of Jersey shore area thin crust pizzas we've had. The chicken parmesan sandwich (3.5/5) was slightly above average and was a standard, but good preparation using fresh ingredients, and we liked the accompanying chips. The service (3/5) was attentive, but not particularly friendly or engaging either. I'm glad to have checked off Pete & Elda's/Carmen's Pizzeria off my pizza hit list, and while the meal was enjoyed and nothing was particularly bad about it, we felt the overall pizza experience was merely average.

Always a great time at this place. Pizza is thin, crispy and tasty. Service was fast and officiant. Came and sat right away. Had drinks, food and was in and out in under and hour. Perfect afternoon experience!! Will totally be coming back.

I don't get what hype of this pizza place is all about. Their pizza is paper thin, but the quality of their ingredients are the cheapest available. The sauce and crust is bland! Believe it or not the cheese is bland as well! The pizza Has ZERO taste! On top of that the place is filthy and LOUD! People are on top of each other,( and there are people hovering on top of you waiting to be seated! Even if the pizza was good it still wouldn't be worth going to because you can't even enjoy your meal with all the chaos around you! I can't believe there is a line out the door for this place! I still have a headache from eating here! The only thing good to me was their peanut butter pie!

Cracker crust done right! The pizza could have a bit more flavor which would have been devine but it's still very good. The crust is light and could float in air. The interior is basic and the Italian colored cement safety poles are classic. If you're in the OG and can't be bothered with the AP food scene, this place is for you!

A jersey thin crust pizza icon that you gotta visit when in the area Large casual bar with a good selection of cold draft beer I quenched my need with a cold Yuengling and got ready to consume Small chopped antipasti, enuff for 3 and a large all cheese pie and 1 small pie with toppings

Another great day at Pete and Elda's. We had the antipasto salad, large, and the extra double extra super large pizza. The food is always top notch. The soda policy is silly, but I been dealing with that for awhile. Service is fine. The place always gives you a classic pizza vibe. I will always visit many times a year. Pizza is one of the best in NJ.

Classic Italian pizzeria and sandwiches. Good pizza and nice menu if sandwiches, salads and soups . Old neighborhood stable.

For me, a dining experience is based on 3 main components 1. Service 2. Quality and 3. Presentation .... The service was superior , my waitress was attentive and Mike (the owner) came by to chat which was super awesome 2. Food quality was superior , I had a small pie and Manhattan clam chowder 3. Presentation - restaurant was clean and well taken care of ! ... After a long day at the beach or work or for any event ( for me the event is always living.. one day at a time) ... I suggest Pete and Elda's.... Where the pizza is thin and the smiles are free!

First time at Pete and Elda's and I was very happy with the pizza. We got pizza, a side of cheese fries, and 2 fountain drinks. The drinks were huge and the pizza and fries were a good size. The pizza is very thin and delicious. I loved that I didn't feel super full after. We got there right before the rush, but by the time we left around 5:45PM, the crowd was out the door. Recommend coming a bit earlier to avoid the crowd.

This place was absolutely phenomenal!!!! The staff and food were great. We ordered fried calamari, mozzarella sticks, cheese fries, & a meatball pizza half with black olives. Everything was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!! My only complaint was that the calamari wasn't crispy. The cheese fries and the pizza were out of this world. Great restaurant in Neptune NJ! I can't wait to come back!!!

I came. I saw. I conquered!! When I first came here a few months ago, I learned about their pizza eating challenge, and at that moment, I knew I had to come back. The pizza is so good when it first comes out all hot. It was so easy to down a few slices but as it cools and as you eat more you slow down. Coming down to the wire of the thirty minutes but I had to push through. My friend and I both were able to complete the challenge and get our T-shirt (Christmas themed). This place gets real busy. Both times we came there was a wait. This time around with two people it was fairly quick. The staff was very attentive and the manager even came by asking about our experience.

10/10! The best pizza. It's paper thin, the sauce is great and I look forward to it every time we are in the area. Great bar vibe, everyone's nice, food is fantastic! Fully accessible It gets super busy so you may have to wait and parking may be tough.

This place has the best thin crust pizza you'll ever have! Their Calamai is so tender you might think it was just caught in the morning! Great mussels, and excellent sangria! The staff, no better anywhere! The one host Gene, went above and beyond the call of duty! while there was a 45 minute wait this past Friday, he found a great lil spot at the bar for me and my GF and came over and got us & this was without even asking for such service... Now that is one great employee! He may own the joint in the not to distant future! Try this place you absolutely will not be disappointed!

A cute bar atmosphere minutes from the beach . This place has nice service pizza has great flavor and thin crispy crust . Bubbling cheese and sweet sauce makes it a hot delicious bite not filling yet tasty we got meatballs on it which were quartered and not as fresh as we would like but tasty . Definitely try for good thin crust pie they have a challenge for a tshirt to eat an xxl pie in 30 minutes

Have been wanting to try this pizza place for a while and have passed it many times on way to Spring Lake Beach. For once I had a chance to finally stop and try it and was not dissatisfied. Wanted to eat here but ended up taking it home because it was crowded which is always a good sign on a Monday night. Ordered from the takeout section and the kid behind the counter was polite and very helpful. They were very busy so that's not a given. Ordered to extra large pies, one extra cheese and one with half meatball and half super (sausage, onion and peppers). The pizzas were VERY good.....if you like thin crust pizza this was top notch. The crust is almost cracker like and buttery. The toppings were great. One of the better thin crust pies I've ever had. Can't wait to go back on my next trip down. Price was not bad either. A definite stop if your close and worth the trip if you're not.

Went here on a Saturday night with family and it was sooooooo good !!!! My cousin was raving about this place so we went to try it out ! Nice family atmosphere and the wait time wasn't bad 35 minutes but honestly for how busy they were that wasn't terrible ! We ordered some wings with buffalo raspberry sauce OMG SOOOO GOOD !!! We also ordered a side of buffalo garlic Parmesan sauce and it was equally as delicious especially if u love cheese like me!!!! We ordered two pies along with some mozzarella sticks and of course a nice cold beer and I will say everything was amazing !!!!! The crust was so thin but so heavenly !!!!! I honestly cannot wait to visit again !!!!!! I wish I could've captured photos of all the deliciousness but with my hungry kids I waited too long !

Great spot and great food! The service was friendly and the general manager, Chris is fantastic and personable! Famous and well known for a reason!

Traveled 40 minutes on a Saturday night, what a waste of time and gas. I showed up there with a friend and was immediately escorted upstairs to this little attic room at a tiny table. The service was pleasant and fast, but you poor people in South Jersey you really think that putting sauce and cheese on a cracker is thin crust pizza? You're uninformed and neglected. Try places like Manville Pizza skinny vinny aud Zupkos in Dunellen to get true thin pizza not crackers. that wasn't bad enough. My main course was a turkey burger, which was a freezer burn tried out little hockey puck that was removed from my table. 5 minutes after it came with an honest statement from my waitress going I don't blame you. the hamburger 1/3 of the size of the roll-my friend had a chicken Parm sandwich which again was skimpy on the chicken. I don't understand why they skimp on the size of the portions you think you're saving money but in the long run, you're losing a lot of customers and firsters who won't return like me

This place is very popular and very busy. The wait is worth it. The pizza has a super thin crispy crust that isn't for everyone - but I think it's great. The toppings were generous and the price is right. The entrees were excellent. I especially liked the eggplant. I hope to return again on a future visit to the area. If you eat a very large pizza by yourself - you will get a free T shirt. I may try that next time if I can arrive hungry enough.

This is always our go to when we are at the Shore. The pizza is spectacular the portions are big. The atmosphere is great and the staff is super friendly and welcoming. 20/10

I have had a love for Pete and Elda's for many years now and I can honestly say they never disappoint. Last night we went as a family of 4 and had mozzarella sticks, ravioli Parmesan, chicken Marsala, a steak item off the specials menu and a pizza challenge pie with spo. Everything was perfect, the place was busy but pleasant, and our waitress was really on point, she was there to clear plates and make room and everything was just great. We'll definitely be back!!!!

3.5 stars rounding up... Pete & Elda's is well known down the shore for their paper thin pizza crusts. I'll say my top 3 of thin crusts in NY/NJ . There were 4 of us for a very early lunch on Sunday afternoon. I'll stress if coming on a weekend, do come super early. We arrived about 12:00 and lot was empty.* For starters we shared that chopped antipasto. This I've never had before, believe it or not. Not bad, enough for all of us. After eyeballing the menu for a little bit, we finally decided on two large pies. They were a plain cheese & one half meatball/half sausage. Both had a nice char on the bottom and crusts. I just found that it was a little bland. Just had to dress them up a little bit with condiments. Red pepper & garlic salt plus adding grated cheese definitely helped. Service was excellent. The decor is very divey. Good place to check out a game on the many big screen TV's. Prices are very reasonable. * That lot wasn't empty at 2:00. As a matter of fact they were double stacked outside waiting for a spot. Worth a look if you're down the shore. Come early as this place gets pretty crowded on weekends. Enjoy.

DELICIOUS thin thin thin crust pizza. Bar atmosphere always busy. If you eat an xxl pizza yourself in 30 mins you get a free tshirt Its doable

Pizza is like eating matza crackers with tomato paste awful but nj pizza overrated, and just not good at all. You could almost eat two pieces to fill yourself up with water regular one would do.

You gotta get that free shirt if ya come here!! Become a member of the whole pie club and it's the best pizza at the Jersey shore

Go there occasionally... Thought lately has become OVERRATED... I'm not looking for anything free but when you're going to nickel and dime somebody and then being ignorant Manager..or maybe even Owner !!! No thanks !!! Rude ignorance is never go there again again

The pizza is below average you can tell it's cheap ingredients. Food comes out randomly half our table had food the other waited 10 minutes I had the veal parm screamed frozen. Onion rings very greasy couldn't eat them . It's outdated dive bar decor and just seems dirty. . TO answer the question below from the manager: . Your staff should be trained to let a manager know when food orders come out wrong ... Not leave it up to me to notify them , at that point it's too late . The food quality won't change if I say something to a manager either will the decor. That's what Yelp is for. To let people know what to expect and the restaurant to know the things people like and dislike.

Had the monstrous and tasty eggplant parmesan dinner at Pete & Zelda's and it was enough for 2-3 meals! It was very tasty. Sat at the bar - the bartender was a bit gruff but the server who took my food order was lovely. Went alone and was very comfortable. This is a busy, loud and boisterous restaurant!

We come here anytime we're in the area to collect the challenge shirts! Like a bonus treat on top of perfectly thin pizza and good vibes

It's been 11 years since we last came here and we wanted to give this place a try again. So, 11 years later we returned. The restaurant is medium in size and is divided into three dining areas. Half of the main space is taken up by the expansive bar, with three TVs playing simultaneously above it. We sat in one of the smaller dining areas, which was very simply designed. It had windows with translucent artwork on it and 4-person tables covering the floor. We got immediately seated after checking in. We ordered a pepper and egg sandwich with chips and double extra large pizza with eggplant and broccoli rabe. Daughter liked the pepper and egg sandwich and thought it was delicious. The pizza was thin to the point that it was like a cracker. It was good but we wished it was thicker. Hubs said that if we paid an extra $1, it would've been thicker. Guess we should've done that. The one thing that really impressed us and still remember are the gigantic soda cups that they fill to the top. There's no ned to get a refill! You're pretty much set for the entire night! LOL. Service was friendly and fast. I'm glad that we got to try this place again! There's plenty of parking outside. They have their own lot.

I can't lie I enjoyed the pizza. I came here for the first time and did the XL pizza challenge to get a free t shirt which is so doable because of how thin the pizza is. It was tasty for sure.

This was the third time I was disappointed in my pizza first time the pizzas came out to dough so this time I asked for well done order was wrong was supposed to have sausage. No sausage pizza was not even hot. I don't know what happened, but I've been coming here for years and it's not the same, I was crammed into a corner surrounded by other tables thank God there was no fire because I would not have been able to get out quickly.

I was visiting from out of town and had this place recommended from a friend. I had to get the clam chowder, which was excellent, but came for the pizza. The pizza was great! The crust was super thin and crispy, honestly my only disappointment was that I didn't get a larger size. Dessert was great too. I was seated fairly quickly as I sat near the bar, but if you are with a group be prepared to wait as this place looked really popular.

First time coming here and was a very bad experience. All I heard was good things however it won't be good from me. The waitress after ordering and I was in the process of handing her the menus she reaches right in front of my face and snatched the menus up however she didn't have them all in her hand so they fell on the table and she didn't even say sorry. Then instead of keeping our drinks full she brought us a pitcher to do it ourselves. Then we got our pizza and it was thinner than a piece of paper and we didn't see our waitress at our table until it was time for the bill and she took our dishes. She walked by 3 times and never asked how is it tasting or anything. Brought us our check and said have a good night that was pretty much the only nice thing about this experience.

Been wanting to come to this legendary spot for a while and finally made it after a morning of shopping. Got here about 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed. Luckily we were seated right away at a table for 2 in a very bustling and noisy main dining room. Our friendly waitress, who was attentive throughout, came promptly to take our order. Of course we had to have their thin crust bar style pizza after hearing Dave Portnoy's glowing review of this spot. His 8.1 rating of this thin, cracker crust, delicious pie was spot on. We also tried their Fried Calamari which although the breading was heavier than we like, it was tender and delicious nonetheless. Also gave their homemade Meatballs a try, smothered in their authentic gravy as well as peppers and onions, these were great. Can't wait to come back here.

Found out about this place after viewing an online review by Dave Portnoy. We decided to take a quick trip to the coast to check out the hype. This place is a small bar and pizzeria and was very busy at 2:00 on a Wednesday afternoon. We were seated at a table in the front room. Service was prompt and friendly. Ordered the fried calamari appetizer with a side of medium marinara sauce. The sauce was delicious as was the tender calamari. The main lunch was an extra large pie for two. We ate the whole thing!! Super thin crust with a nice crunch, this is my type of crust. Super delicious sauce and cheese on the pie. Now one of our favorites! We actually ordered an extra pie to go for later! Check out this place. You won't be disappointed!

Never coming back to this shit hole again. Never had a bad server except this time. Everybody is always great, food is great. Server I had today was absolutely terrible.

True Score: 3.25 Stars Sadly, just ok. This review is bit skewed due to COVID and the bar being closed at the time. I am sure if the big bar was open our impression would be different. We go seated in the back dining area near the kitchen at a tiny table for two. We also waited an hour to be sat. Now for the famous pizza, it was just average. We ordered a roni and black olive. It looked good, but it just lacked in all areas. The pizza was not cooked enough either. Not to mention the prices are very inflated for what you are getting. P&E's fell as flat as their dough was. I wouldn't wait more than 10 minutes for this again. Thanks

Food was good, the pizzas are huge which I guess is what they are known for. However, the restaurant gets super loud really quickly and it's hard to hear the people across your table. The bar is super slow as well, when we got our pizzas one of the people we were with asked for another beer and it wasn't brought until after we were completely done eating. It's not the waitresses fault the bar sucks and it looked the manager even had to step in and bartend for a bit. We said we didn't want the beer anymore when our waitress Mackenzie dropped it off and she gave us an attitude and then disappeared. We ended up needing to get the managers attention to even get our check.

Really delicious thin crust pizza here! Came in here on a weekday night. Per a local recommendation. The place was pretty busy but we were seated right away. Considering how large the restaurant is, I would imagine it's probably not too difficult to get seated. We got one half with mushroom & peppers and the other work anchovies and peppers. Delicious and super satisfying! This is the small which is good for a snack for two people but if you're hungry, definitely go for the large!

Always enjoy the pizza and chicken tender apps. The service great and the servers are friendly. I go regularly and it is consistently enjoyable!

I was surprised to learn the yelp rating for Pete and Elda's was low. Such a cute lowkey spot for delicious food. I love their pizza for its super thin crust. I was so excited to eat the pizza I forgot to take pictures of our food before digging in. There was a mix up with our french onion super coming out on time, so the manager took it off our bill right away and came over to apologize. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Nothing bad to say about this place!! Fun fact: if you eat an extra large plain pie by yourself you get a free t-shirt.

A shore classic. If you think your typical pizza has too much bread and not enough of the flavors on top, this is the place to go. The thinnest crust you could possibly imagine, with a nice crunch. The only consequence being, it doesn't reheat as well as a normal pizza would.