Frank Pepe's

[irvingk]

Has the pizza at Frank Pep's gotten better. Have they gotten there act together.

[chowdom]

I picked two pies up last night at about 7:30 (no cupon) The parking lot was full but there were several empty tables inside. One pie was the spinach, mushroom and gorgonzola with the addition of bacon the other fresh tomato with basil and garlic both were great.

[wincountrygirl]

Were they small or large? I'm thinking that I'll get smalls from now on - maybe that will avoid the thick spots in the crust. My husbands small was outstanding.

[chowdom]

The tomato was large the gorgonzola small, both were great. They are not consistent with the way they cook the pies but they will honor any request. I prefer small pies generally and rarely order any other size.

[wincountrygirl]

Thanks Chowdom.

[broosewee]

I love their spinach mushroom gorgonzola pies. I never though of adding bacon, but you just made my weekend!

[chowdom]

With or without bacon it is a delicious pie!

[pabboy]

There is a $20 for $10 Groupon out there for Frank Pepe's. Are they hurting for business?

[MisterBill2]

Dunno but they sold out by 2:30 -- 1500 of them, so they won't be hurting for a while! Although it says it's for dine-in only, the Groupon person said they can be used for takeout. If that is correct (and I have no reason to believe it's not), I will be definitely getting mine to go, especially since people have reported that it reheats well.

[valerie]

I bought one at 8:00 in the morning. I love Groupon.

[scarsdalesurprise]

I bought one too...can't wait to use it!

[Agapimou]

Darn it! Chowhound should have a listing of all the food deals when they become available. My email box is already full and I would hate to sign up for all those Groupon type websites. By the time I read this, they were all sold out :(

[MisterBill2]

I'm going to try to use it for takeout later today.. I'll report back if it works.

[MisterBill2]

I was able to use my Groupon for takeout. I called them to get some info and did not place the order but I asked about using the Groupon and was told I could use it for takeout. Then when I called back a half hour later to place the order, the guy said I wasn't supposed to use it for takeout, but they'd take it this time only. So YMMV on using it for takeout. The good news is they ring it in as a store credit, so you save sales tax on $20!

[ltlevy]

I finally made it to Pepe's and thoroughly enjoyed a small pie with bacon. The pie was excellent, with a very tasty and crispy crust. The one thing I will point out with the bacon is that if you like it well done/crispy, then Pepe's isn't going to be the place to get bacon as a topping.

[wincountrygirl]

Finally got to Pepe's last night and I did like the pizza. My husband is allergic to dairy to he had an individual tomato pie with bacon and roasted peppers. His was fantastic. My folks and I shared a large cheese pie with roasted peppers and here was my problem - the crust was unevely stretched out. Parts were the wonderful thin crust I love - and made that part of the pie terrific, and some parts were way to thick and doughy - did not like those parts at all. Maybe next time we'll opt for smalls all around!

[demifast]

Ask for your pizza well done (but not burnt) and this seems to help.

[wincountrygirl]

Good idea - I do that everywhere else - don't know why I didnt' last night!

[magnolia]

Inspired by the comments in this string, we tried Pepe's in Yonkers for lunch yesterday. The pizzas were much larger than anticipated (and quite good), but I knew not to worry about taking some home. We reheated it at home today and it was still very good. I heated my pizza stone and dropped the slices on for about 8 to 10 minutes. I had some basil growing on the window sill, so that was a plus.

[Maggie Larkin]

i was lucky enough to have my sister go to college in new haven & wed say we were coming to see here but it was really just for pancakes at Chip's & pizza at Pepe's. wed get a pie with chicken, onions & roasted red peppers- SO GOOD.

never been to their yonkers location & may have to make the trip, its a lil closer

[PookieMom]

I went to the new one in Danbury CT and I was not impressed. The pizza was not bad but certainly did not live up to the hype.I have had much better pizza than this. I may go back in a few weeks to see if they just needed time to adjust to a new location.

[Mrs.Sean]

I 100% agree, PookieMom. We'd never gone to a Pepe's location and were so looking forward to it. I don't know if Danbury is better or worse than any others, but it was just overwhelmingly "eh" to us. As you say, the pizza isn't bad; it's perfectly fine. But I didn't get the paroxysms of pleasure I was anticipating given everything I'd been reading about Pepe's for years now.

Honestly, my favorite Westchester pizza right now is humble JT Straw's in Port Chester. The fact that it's about three doors away from my house doesn't hurt, I guess, although I'm having to run quite a few more miles each week currently to counteract the damage...

[MisterBill2]

I thought Yonkers was better than Danbury. I had a coupon for a free pizza for my wife's birthday from them, but unfortunately their birthday deal requires you to go ON your birthday (unlike other places that let you go a week before or after) and since it was a Monday I did not get to use it.

[JonL]

Drag. Pepe's white clam pie is a family tradition of some 20 years. A couple of times a year we've converged from different directions on New Haven Pepe's. The consistency swing has ranged from 8.5 to 10. We've had Yonkers pies around 4 times. they've ranged from 7.5 to 9. This Sunday I had a pie that was maybe 5. That's generous. Clams were overcooked, a bit sparse, with a crust that was light brown, over all. This tells me the oven was not hot enough---I want clams just barely done with some char and blistering on the crust. This was just simply overcooked at less than scorching temps. It was quite dry, too.
I also took home a red cheese pie that reheated well, as we know they do, that was better but not stellar. This experience was very disappointing. It makes me wonder if they are playing down to Westchester realities---that they can get away with mediocrity that they could never get by with in New Haven (I grew up in Lower W'chester and have no huge respect for its cultural attributes). I'd love to learn that it was an off day. Like it or not, I will judge Pepe's by Pepe's standards and while in the past the Yonkers Pepe's was pretty damn close to real Pepe's and was well beyond satisfactory, this experience was barely even a pale imitation of Pepe's.
Drag.

[chloe4ever]

Went there last week and the pizza was great. I still think that the original location is a tad better; the crust seems better at that location, but overall it was a great experience. Tried a pie with the grilled chicken and the chicken was a good addition.

[kdgchow]

Had a clam pie at the Yonkers' Pepe's a couple of weeks ago and thought it was terrific. Plenty of plump and briny clams, chopped garlic, on a blistered, but still slightly chewy crust. Even took a slice home and thought it re-heated pretty well.

[JonL]

Excellent. That's what I want to hear. Thank you for reporting that.

[Agapimou]

I went to Pepe's last night in Yonkers for the first time. To start the ambiance is very cafeteria style
and the way they serve the food on those huge metal plates was interesting. There is an extremely limited menu and my opinion on the place......... I like it! it's a little quirky but that's the instant appeal.
Now here is a question I have for everyone, since we over ordered there was a ton of pizza left over. So the next day I put my pizza with broccoli, mushrooms and spinach on a wire rack in the toaster oven and when it was done it was better than the night before! Anyone ever experience this . It was truly awesome. I'm taking it to go next time and throwin it in the fridge for the next day.

[chowdom]

Pepe's pizza reheats particularly well. I was there Saturday night with people who were trying it for the first time. They were out of clams so I was forced to broaden my horizons. We ordered salads, a sm anchovy, sm mushroom, spinach, and gorgonzola, sm white shrimp and a sm sausage and pepperoni. I had not tried the shrimp pizza before, it was delicious. The first timers loved the pizza and the salad. We had our leftover pizza tonight. I reheated the pizza on a pre heated sheet pan (because I dropped our pizza stone a while back and have not replaced it yet)

[Bloombee]

Good to know I am not hte only one - in Westchester for me its pretty mucha tie between Pepe's and Al Antica, but Pepe's wins by far for best leftover pizza

[rich51]

another good way to reheat pepe's and some others is in a hot fry pan, cooking it from the bottom up, and with pepe's enough oil oozes through to both crisp and "fry" it, i think that is why it reheats so well

[brooklynbyotch]

I grew up in Westchester and my mom is still there. The most baffling thing is that to this day... there are very few good restaurants to go to. But one thing has been consistent - Central Avenue sucks. The stretch has seen the likes of Fudrucker's, Uno, and McDonald's come and go. When an old school diner is the best thing on the block - you know you're in trouble. Along comes FRANK PEPE'S. I was pretty skeptical. But for Westchester? This is a godsend. Seriously. Thin crust pizza - sauce that isn't too sweet - really simple toppings - the mushrooms aren't canned, which I can't say for many pizza joints out in the burbs. It's in fact Brooklyn quality (as a current Brooklynite I'm biased). The Foxon soda is good too - try the lemon lime. The photos on the wall of founder Frank and his family are great. But in truth the ambiance is nothing to write home about -- lights are really bright - but the pizza sure is great and you don't need that much ambiance in a pizza joint. Thank's to Frank and family.

[anonymouse1935]

I agree, brooklynbyotch. I find it incredible that, in the 21st century, Westchester is such a vast wasteland of outstanding restaurants, even actually of very good restaurants. It barely has a decent showing of good restaurants. It DOES have a plethora of overpriced restaurants, though, so I assume that is something.

But yes, isn't it wonderful that we don't have to travel to New Haven for outstanding pizza? Another conundrum (in addition to the paucity of Asian restaurants and the utter lack of a Vietnamese restaurant) is the lack of great pizza in Westchester. WESTchester, for pity sake, which isn't all that far from Mulberry Street.

At any rate, Frank Pepe's fills the bill and the gaping chasm that was outstanding pizza in Westchester. Kudos to his heirs for having the foresight to come to lower Westchester.

Now, if Paul has really returned to Hunan Village in Hartsdale, there will at least be ONE outstanding Asian restaurant.

[roxlet]

A paucity of Asian restaurants? You've got to be kidding. What we have is a surfeit, an overabundance, and a superfluity. I will agree that there is a lack of specific Asian cuisines, like Vietnamese, but there seems to be an Asian bistro of some type around every corner. And I agree with you on Pepe's -- a wonderful pizza and IMHO a VAST improvement over any other pizza in the county.

[anonymouse1935]

True, a surfeit of sushi places, some very good, some only okay.

I meant Chinese restaurants, of which there are very few really good ones in Westchester.

[brooklynbyotch]

And god forbid there be a good Thai place...

[anonymouse1935]

Not about Frank Pepe, but Hunan Village.

I stopped in to ask and Paul does not work at Hunan Village II in Hartsdale. The hostess told me he retired.

[rich51]

(LOL) WESTCHESTER'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET, very few good restaurants.surprisingly though, the pizzas have markedly improved if one is willing to enjoy non- ny style. .lincoln lounge and johnnies (too pricey though), in mt. vernon. anthony's coal fired in wp., (gasp) even f&f are all good for what they are or are not , also the place in armonk and down 22 by north white plains are great goto places, not destinations, but vg if in the area. also the place across from f&f in hartsdale and even colony - so still close to westchester

[wincountrygirl]

Which place in Armonk?

[rich51]

i think it is just called broadway pizza, but that may be the one on 22 by north white plains. i think it is the only one in their downtown 8 or 9 stores, and they are right in the middle of the block, again not great but vg and worth stopping at (imho) about 1 1/2 blocks up the main st. from village hall. been there a long time used to grab a slice before going to schultz's for cider and donuts ~sighs~

[KarenNYC]

we love the original in New Haven and the one in Fairfield is great but the one in Yonkers is inconsistent. we have had a good pie there but most of the time the pie has come out doughy and half cooked. I recommend traveling a bit further to the CT locations.

[anonymouse1935]

How many times have you been to Yonkers?

I'll take my chances with Yonkers, the pies were just fine when I went, the best in Westchester.

[cookiez]

We ate in Yonkers last week and it was excellent. The crust was perfect. It's the best PIzza we've had in the area since DeRosa's (at the firehouse) in Westport, CT closed. We'll go back again and again.

[roxlet]

We ate at Yonkers a few weeks ago, and the waitress actually told the pizza makers to re-do one of our pies because she felt it was too blackened. We waited a few extra minutes, and the pizza that came out was done to a T. This was my fourth visit, and each of the pies has been just about perfect.

[iluvcookies]

DH and I have been to the Yonkers location no less than a dozen times in the past 2 months. Pizza hasn't been undercooked at all, in fact they have been excellent.

Traveling to New Haven for a pizza just isn't a reasonable option on a weeknight.

[surman]

Had a couple of white clam pies last week -- one with bacon and one "kosher" without bacon. Both were amazingly good -- worthy of the original on Wooster Street and worth a serious detour. Beer selection is small but classy, too.

[anonymouse1935]

Finally got there. A minimal wait and a good seating. Service was prompt and pleasant, and not grumpy. The wine, of course, is in the same silly little glass.

The pizza? Well, I haven't had Al'Antica's, but Pepe's is the best pizza Westchester has to offer right now. Yes, it was that good, but...DH said it wasn't as good as Wooster St. or, he 'thinks', as Fairfield.

We didn't order them well done, so they came out perfect. The sausage and mushroom cheese pie came out first, and had a nice char. The white clam was also cooked perfectly, but DH said there was an indefinable 'something' that was different.

Since I didn't find that with either pie, I stand by this location for my Pepe's fix in the future. You can't see the oven from your seat and the waitress wasn't grumpy, but it didn't require a 90 minute drive or an hour wait, either. And at $46., there was no bank loan required to get out of the place. Thank you, heirs of Frank Pepe, for the forward thinking.

[mamas girl]

Hands down best pizza around. We used to road trip it to New Haven just for a pie.

[anonymouse1935]

It sure is. It was almost as good all week as leftovers.

[intrepid]

ate there this week did a small clam extra garlic spinach and mozz- good eats

[rich51]

have been to yonkers twice now, pepperoni (my way to judge) both times and it has improved, but nowheres near pepe's best. i am having doubts that they ever will, each person has just one job, one assembles, another puts in oven and still another takes out, also the handler never once shuffled the pies in the oven, only lifted to check the doneness

[demifast]

I liked it - but with reservations. The crust on one pie was not just well done as requested - but burnt. The toppings were wrong on both pies and we waited twice as long as all the tables seated near us. We were joking that the reason for the wait was that they were plucking the chickens for our chicken topping. And one minor complaint - the tables are too far from the benches (and immovable - they're bolted to the floor) so you feel like you're sitting too far from the table. Watch those drips...

[iluvcookies]

The Frank Pepe's on Central Ave in Yonkers is wonderful. Perfect char, good sauce. Love the Tomato pie with mozzarella, bacon and fresh garlic. I've never been to the CT locations, but whatever they are doing here is terrific.

[anonymouse1935]

Whenever I've been to either Pepe's in CT, they were both also excellent.

Glad to hear the one in Yonkers is equally good -- I'm waiting for the novelty to wear off or the warm weather to come, whichever comes first.