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Three bros ventured to New York Pizza in the Edgewood neighborhood of Homewood. New York Pizza has been operating there since 1982 making it the same age as most of the BLC. We’ll see if it’s in any better shape than us.

Brad: Pizza is a pretty contentious food. Most times, people either love or hate particular places. I had eaten New York Pizza in Homewood before, but it was four years ago and I do not remember my experience. On top of that, I was curious to see what side of the “pie” the bros fell on.

Parking was a cinch, but can be difficult as the location is at the intersection of Oxmoor and Broadway. I lucked out and found a great spot. I didnt know it then, but, sadly, this was going to be the highlight of my trip. We waited 8-10 minutes before being addressed (the waiter did a good job; to his credit, they seemed terribly understaffed). While not ideal, this gave us more time to scope the menu. Ironically, no one got pizza. I ordered a calzone – the Coney Island Pepperoni, a name that I suppose was meant to instill the feeling of being on a boardwalk and enjoying the ocean breeze. Upon its arrival… nearly 30 minutes after ordering, it was clear that I was not in Coney Island, but in a pizza joint in Central Alabama. A better name for this item would be the “Disappointment Pocket.” While it was somewhat tasty, the cheddar cheese – yes, cheddar… in a calzone… in an ITALIAN restaurant… – was overbearing and the dough was flat, not “fluffy” like every other calzone I have eaten, allowing the grease to take over the dough. Additionally, I halved mine with Blake and tried his Shea Stadium Steak calzone. While I wasn’t expecting Grade-A beef, I was hoping for something appetizing. I couldn’t even finish this part, though I was still hungry. There’s a Mets joke here somewhere, but remembering the way this aberration tasted has me too frustrated to make one. Also, my Dr. Pepper was flat. I realize I sound like I should be menstruating, but this trip was the equivalent of an underage sex crime.

In my experience, most indie pizza joints bring a unique take on their food. New York Pizza’s only “twist” was tons of cheddar cheese in a calzone. While I am sure the lack of staff may have been an issue, I can only give my review based on the experience that day. Sadly, I was embarrassed to bring my brethren here. Perhaps pizza would have been a better choice? After all, it’s not called “New York Calzone.”
OVERALL RATING 1.5 out of 5 BROS

Blake: New York Pizza is another spot that is likely more ideal for dinner – it’s more in the “$$” range than the “$” range, it’s a little bit of a drive (for ME, from Mountain Brook Village, maybe not you) and the wait is a little long. But all of those things are just slightly out of the comfort zone. Well, except the wait. The wait is long. The place is very understaffed. I think two guys were working the entire place: one in the kitchen and one running the register AND serving every table in the place.

I opted for a calzone. I wanted that sandwich Joey got, but we try not to get the exact same meal, so I conceded the sandwich for a pick to be named later. I had the Shea Stadium Steak calzone, and went halvsies with Brad on his Coney Island Pepperoni. My favorite thing about this calzone was that it wasn’t all puffy and doughy. It looked like a deep dish pizza with all of the ingredients stuffed inside. The Shea Stadium Steak is served with ranch, which was part of the reason I chose it. I like dipping stuff in ranch. This was no exception. Brad had pretty strong feelings about the cheddar served inside the Coney Island Pepperoni, but I actually enjoyed it. So, I suppose as they say, different strokes for different folks.
New York Pizza falls into this land of restaurants I would definitely return to if I were in the neighborhood, but conversely, there’s not really any reason I’d make a special trip for it. It’s the best place to grab a pizza in Edgewood. OVERALL RATING 3 OUT OF 5 BROS

Joey: My brother, who lives in New York, told me the easiest way to spot a tourist there is by their speed. The residents move fast – through the sidewalks, the subways, the deli lines – but the tourists take their time. So, the fact that New York Pizza had possibly the slowest service of all the BLC stops was a bit ironic. If you’re going to call yourself New York Pizza, you should at least try to create an authentic New York experience. Without the rats.

I was pleased when I was served a cold Coke in a large red plastic cup, but not so pleased when I had to go behind the counter to refill it myself. I ordered a Soho Sausage sandwich was reasonably priced at $6.99 and tasted reasonably. I think New York Pizza had 2 employees on the clock during a busy lunch hour. That really hurt service as our waiter was also the manager and the cashier. Judging by the other reviews on UrbanSpoon, we were not the only one to encounter poor service. I wouldn’t mind going back to try the pizza, but I seriously doubt I ever will. But I should add that they’ve been in business 30 years, so obviously they know how to run a restaurant. If they feel they can operate best with two people in the store, then more power to them.  OVERALL RATING 2.5 BROS ON A 5 BRO SCALE

COMPOSITE BRO SCORE: 2.3 BROS OUT OF 5