Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana Review

During my Epic Pizza Journey to the Northeast, I was taken to Frank Pepe. They are famous for a white clam pizza. ...and it was much better than I expected. However, I am a pizza purist and was here for Napolitano Pizza! Frank Pepe wowed me. If you eat here and don't order the margarita and the "quatro"... you have missed out on a wonderful thing.

DeLorenzo's in Trenton, NJ (Robbinsville) is the standard by which I use to judge all pizza. I went to Frank Pepe's on my way back home to MA after a visit to Trenton. I waited a half hour to get in. The booths and tables could be upgraded. Service was fast but so impersonal. It was assumed you knew what you wanted. I ordered a margarita pizza. I figure if one can make a great margarita pizza, all the others would be just a good. The crust was crispy but lacked flavor. The cheese was creamy and flavorfull, but it had way too much on the pizza that it overpowered the sauce. A good pizza has a medley of flavors. One should be able to taste every component in each bite. This pizza did not meet that standard. It was good, but not great.

Fantastic pizza with a couple minor shortcomings. The pie we received was moderately chewy in the middle and seemed to be a little more thick than intended. The cheese and exterior of the crust were on point. The sauce could use a little more tang to add additional flavor. All ingredients considered one of the best slices I've had.

Sausage and pepperoni (this time peppers as well) for the win! Our annual stop from NYC to New Hampshire. Only waited 15 minutes around 1:30.

Pizza at it's best! Try the sausage or Margherita Pizza

I loved Pepe's growing up, but I heard a rumor today, that it's now a franchise owned by Chinese people. True?

Excellent pizza, great overall ambience surrounded by the beauty of new haven, highly recommended.

When I meet a girl this is usually my first question "Have you been to Frank Pepes?". From there I usually decide if she's cool or not. Either way I make sure to visit there again real soon. It's worth the two hour drive from Worcester. Whens the Worcester location happening?

Lives up to the hype. Of the pies I tried, the original tomato pie was my favorite. I hope I get another chance to come again!

New Haven classic. One of the top few pizza places in the state

Great pizza. Always a line to get in but worth the wait

Amazing food! I loved this place so much. Get small pies with different combinations is a great idea. I recommend the Margherita Pie with garlic!

Must go! Delicious Italian pizza, super friendly staff, and all around cool vibe. Super easy to get to off 95, worth the stop if you're passing by!!

Excellent place with excellent pizza. Most of the time you have to wait to be seated but it worth it, also after you read the story in the back of the menu then eating the pizza you ll understand.

Best place in New Haven, get the fresh tomato pie its phenomenal

Best pizza this side of New York . Just what I needed . The charred to perfection crust with bubbly cheese & sauce is divine . I'm a NYer who moved to Atl . & so badly miss NY style pizza . Stopped @ The Original Frank Pepe's in New Haven , Ct . to satisfy my pizza cravings . As always Pepe's delivered the goods . If u crave REAL pizza you can't lose going to Pepe's if you're in the area . The real deal .

Ordered the Clam pizza... which is supposed to be their speciality but I didn't really like it... I had the pepperoni pizza which was absolutely delicious... our server was a bit rude who can do well with a short course on how to talk to paying customers... :-/

You re already on 95, why not make a stop for the best pizza in the world?

Awesome place to have pizza... definitely one the best place to have pizza

Never heard a bad review of this place - most famous authentic pizza in Connecticut!

You should get an original tomato pie regardless of whatever else you order. We went with a white clam pie in addition to a tomato pie with mozzarella, both are incredible!

We drove 2.5 hours from Boston on a whim that was spurred on by watching the pizza episode of Ugly Delicious. We arrived at 1:30pm on a Saturday, and waited for ~30 minutes for a table. Was it worth the trip and the wait? TOTALLY.

The famed white clam pizza was not at all what I expected -- not as creamy and far clammier and briney-er than what I had in mind. I was pleasantly surprised by how many clams came on the pizza, and how seafoody-fresh it was. But what really blew me away was the fresh tomato pie. We ordered it on the fly because we thought we should get something fresh to go with the clam pizza and I ended up loving it even more! The tomatoes were so plump and juicy, so zesty, and so lovely, and the dough was springy and just a tad salty, and they garnished it really well with the perfect amount of cheese. I had 5 slices in one sitting, no regrets.

Our bill (1 medium clam, 1 small tomato, 1 birch beer) came out to $48 after tax and tip. Service was reasonably speedy; ambiance is casual, neighborhood joint, nothing fancy. There was a slight bathroom smell that lingered in the air when we first sat down, which was a bit unappetizing, but the pizza was so good we didn't mind (which is to say it was really good!).

This pizza is dope. Great workers, so much family history.

The line was long, but moved quickly. And the pizza was worth the wait. Delicious!!

Got the pepperoni and onion. Perfect. Got the cinged pizza crust dust in my hands the way it should be. Pepperoni was well done, crisp and just right. Also got the special with fresh tomato, basil, and cheese. Excellent.

Fantastic drive thru service with ample space for parking. The white clam pizza was amazing. There was a a generous portion of clams. Pizza crust was thin but had the right balance of delicious chewiness and crunch.

Pizza for lunch at Pepe's. Photo is of Frank and his wife. The original owners.

My absolute favorite pizza place without qualification

This was bar-none the best Pizza as of 2019 I've ever had. The service was phenomenal, very family-friendly, outstanding scenery. The Pizzas are all hand made, fresh sauce, toppings, etc... My family left stuffed and satisfied, HIGHLY recommend

Wow... Just wow... Had their famous white clam pizza and it was amazing. Chunky white clams, garlic flavor white sauce and very chuy doughs. I would visit New Haven just to eat this pizza.

What a quaint place! Pizza was amazing and the service was great!

Got a take out pizza and I wasn't able sit and eat it there after waiting in line for my turn for a table they loss tips bar tap and the pizza was horrible and the service was not accommodating to please me the pizza was the worst one there at the original store I have had and have eaten and loved all the other newer chain restaurants i wasn't impressed at all with the pizza or the service sad to say at the original pepes hopfully they try to get better help that is kind and helpful to please a good paying costumer like myself and make the pizza taste as good as the others they open since they became big time make money and not good pies like they should at the original restaurant the pizza was to thick was only cheese and pepperoni and it just didn't have that I want to eat the whole pie taste sad to say.

Frank Pepe puts out a truly great brick oven pizza. The cheese was amazing, and the pepperoni was nice and crispy. While the staff seemed hurried, without there being a real crowd inside, the food more than made up for it. Make sure you give yourself time, because the pies did take a while after ordering. They were definitely worth the wait though. Stop at Frank's whenever possible.

The BEST pizza ever!! The clam pizza is to die for! I travel through New Haven every Sunday night and always stop there!

One of the best pizza places in the country. White Clam Pizza is amazing.

some of the best pizza you will ever taste, it is so good..you might eat more then you think you can..top quality like Italy..

Stopped in while traveling through after hearing lots of hype. Staff was friendly but the pizza was completely burnt. I mean black crust and completely dried out toppings! Surprised my wife and I when we opened it that a place with such a great reputation would allow this to be served.

Neither of us even finished a slice and unfortunately we threw the rest out which is what should have been done to begin with. Maybe I'll try again sometime but a very poor first impression..!!

Freshest pizza I've evere had which hurts to say being a New Yorker.

Waitress issue. Not nice at all. Disapointing. No one here is pleasant. Pizza just okay copared to Sallys. Try there instead.

Soooo good. I had only been to the Fairfield location until I went to the original place in New Haven. The waitress was patient and sweet even though it was completely packed. The pizza was fresh and well made. I love Pepe's.

Are six stars possible? This is the pizza benchmark by which all other pizza should be measured.

We have a saying in my family when we go to any other quality pizza joint: It s good... but it isn t Pepe s.

Important note: the original New Haven location has better quality than any of the newer branches. We ve spent years wondering why.

Best pizza in the world, they ever so slightly messed up ours, though was still delicious and fully edible, and they brought out a full medium as a comp.

Dough was thick and underbaked, the only blackness was ash from previous pizza.. cheese was gloppy and too much...clearly this place lives off of its nearly 100 year old reputation. Next time i'll try bar, modern, or sallys. I've heard they make a proper neapolitan pie...so disappointing!

A New Haven classic. The sauce is exquisite and they use a wood-fired oven to cook the pizzas. Do not stop visiting it

Love the way they make pizza in old brick oven. Great service!

Awesome pizza! When visiting New Haven it's a must have. Love the clam pizza.

I have traveled around the country a bit, and consider myself well-versed in the pizza category. The brick oven pizza at Frank Pepe's is in a class of its own. Excellent crust with little areas of crispy brick-oven char, and top-knotch toppings make their pizzas so good that you wont be able to stop eating them - even when your stomach says it is at maximum capacity. They take pizza from a food - to an EXPERIENCE.

Their pizza is one of the best in the United States

Not my type of pizza but the experience was fun and service good.

Really good pizza, the clam pizza didn t live up to the hype though.

Good pizza but not worth the wait to sit inside. Order over the phone and take it to stony creek brewery or a park or your bathtub

Pizza not as good day. Maybe because is was Easter.

Best pizza on the planet. Period. My favorite is the Margherita and old school tomato pie if you're after a simple, classic slice. The dough is amazing....it's light and pairs so well with the fresh tomato sauce, drizzle of olive oil and pecorino and parm. I'm normally sensitive to most pizza dough but there's something magical about FP. I can finish an entire large pie by myself.....and proud of it too