Bruno N.
Yelp
Since the start of the pandemic, it has been fascinating to experience the range of responses from businesses, locally as well as nationally. We set out with some trepidation at the beginning of the summer, ordering at many of our beloved local establishments.
Sabatino's pizza quality has remained at the same high level as always, now with the added changes of them moving to take-out orders only. Completely understandable, and it's also heartening to see that the staff wears gloves and masks, as far as I could see from my sidewalk waiting perch. Yet the wait times vary quite a bit here, probably more than at other pizzerias. Some days, the stated wait is 45 minutes to an hour. Other times, it can go as long as 90 minutes. This, in and of itself, wouldn't be a problem if the estimates were accurate, but on our last order (two pies: one plain, one veggie, which is pretty awesome) there were up to a dozen people outside waiting for their food. My own wait was a half-hour longer than expected, which seems longer when it's chilly outside and there's nowhere to sit.
Again, the situation is understandable, although it appears that they are understaffed during high-volume periods. There's one guy making pizza and a few more folks in the back kitchen, and no doubt that it would be a challenge for anyone to operate in such strange times.
If you're not looking for a last-minute dinner option at the start of the weekend, or if you order earlier than usual, chances are you'll have your order promptly. But make no mistake: The food is excellent. (The veggie pizza was a pleasant surprise, with eggplant and roasted tomatoes among the mix of edible goodies without a face.) We still haven't tried the chicken parm or other specialty pizzas but hope to as soon as things calm down.
(For posterity, I've included the text of my previous review below.)
When our family saw that a new pizzeria was opening in Maplewood, we kind of wondered why since there are some excellent places to get the ol' round sauce-cheese-crust creation. After visiting a couple of times, we are SO GLAD that they did open in a space on Valley Street. So far, we've only sampled the plain ("cheese" in non-NYC speak) pizza, which is absolutely exquisite and the basis for everything else any Italian-based eatery creates.
The sauce is fresh and flavorful without being overpowering. The crust is the perfect balance between chewy and crispy in all the right places. The cheese appears in the correct proportion with its ingredient companions. The net effect is a perfect slice or pie.
One member of our household calls it their favorite local pizza, hands-down. I'm inclined to agree, though I find that I am often in the mood for one or the other.
We're excited to try some of the specialty slices and the chicken parm sub!