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Angelo’s Pizzeria

While researching and planning the itinerary for the pizza pilgrimage to Old Forge, another spot came on the radar. As it turned out, there is a pizza scene in Northeast Pennsylvania outside of the Old Forge area. A few favorably rated places popped up on a quick Google search, mostly in Wilkes-Barre. In particular, one pizzeria stood out. Angelo’s Pizzeria looked promising and different in style from Old Forge, so I added it to Google Maps as a potential stop.

After what proved to be an interesting exploration, the pizza itself left something to be desired. With a belly full of gooey cheese, the temptation was there to throw in the towel and head back. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and my dining companion was determined to take the drive from Elio G’s. Although the directions gave a faster route, we took a more scenic drive that added an extra ten minutes. This proved to be more enjoyable and allowed the pizza from earlier to digest.

Immediately, Angelo’s Pizzeria looked encouraging, even if just from the classic look of the place. Unlike Old Forge, the pizza here was the more familar round style. Inside, the space was charming with more of a traditional pizzeria feel. The menu was large and full of different options for toppings. There are also options for regular style or thick style, as well as sweet sauce or regular sauce. Interestingly, they offer a wide array of sizes for the pies. The Old Forge lingo remained here, with “cuts,” in place of slices.

Even with a bit more of an appetite after the drive, we ordered a mini, a 9 inch pie that comes with four cuts. The price was an unheard of  $3.30, cheaper than a slice at many places in NYC!  A short time later, the pie arrived with a psychedelic swirl of sauce on top. The initial impression was that this pizza looked a lot like New York style. Cheese was melted properly and not tossed with a heavy hand and the crust was relatively thin. After some sub par pizza earlier in the day, Angelo’s was a breath of fresh air. Sauce on top of the cheese has been a favorite lately and it worked really well.

Clearly, Angelo’s has a stellar reputation in the region. In fact, the table next to us was a group who made the drive from Philly for a taste. It turns out that the family behind this pizzeria, the Ricci’s, are a pizza dynasty in the area.  William Ricci, the grandson of the namesake Angelo Sr, is the current owner.  In this same article, Angelo Jr, the son of the namesake, opened his own place Ricci’s Pizza a few blocks away. There is still one more family link to Angelo’s. Gerry Ricci, Angelo Sr’s other son, opened Gerry’s Pizza in the 1980’s. A return visit to Wilkes-Barre would be worthwhile to visit all of the Ricci family’s pizzerias. If Angelo’s is any indication, the other two may be just as good or better.

Angelo’s Pizzeria comes recommended if you are in the NEPA area. If you plan on taking a trip to Old Forge to check out their pizza scene, keep the Ricci family spots on your radar. Have you been to Angelo’s Pizzeria before? Are you familiar with the Wilkes-Barre pizza scene? Let us know below!

Angelo’s Pizzeria

445 Hazle St

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

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