Joey's Pizza — Restaurant in Caln Township

No 1 . When I'm walking in the fella there looks at me like if. Why is this guy coming in here. I immediately get bad vibes. I want to like this place but, they keep pushing me away for some reason. maybe because I'm latino. And yes I know they have some latino's that work there . But this guy ,...he works the register and takes orders. I placed my order in for a large cheese steak and fries to go. I ask him how much would it be for extra meat and cheese , and boy the look on his face was , what do you mean . I told him that last time I ordered the same thing and the cheese steak was lacking steak & cheese. At this point he was I can tell getting upset . All I wanted to know was how much for extra Cheese and steak. He says we weigh it out for each order. and it's $4.00 extra for steak and $4.00 for cheese. That's $8.00 bucks . I told him that I could buy another cheese steak for that amount. Oh and also when I ordered the cheese steak the 1st time, I asked him to please grill some tomatoes and onions , he said grilled tomatoes, funny rite. it was like the fist time he's ever heard of grilled tomatoes. Oh boy did I start something here , I saw him tell the fella cooking about the grilled tomatoes and it was like asking him to turn a piece of Coal into a diamond. I mention to him in a friendly manner, that I've been eating cheese steaks for a good part of 53 yrs and I've never had a reaction like this from anyone. Needless to say , we got the order and it was the same thing as before, slacking in meat and slacking on the cheese,and they didn't bother to grill the onions and tomatoes. And to top it off when we got home they had giving me a small not a large cheese steak. and got Charged for a large , just about $14 and change. I want to give them business but at this point I'm giving up on them. And one last thing for now. they close early every night . I believe 10pm or 10:30pm . so don't get there at 9:45 or close to closing time cause it happen to me once, and you would of thought it was the end of the world. AND WHAT PIZZA JOINT THAT SELLS BEER...

This is an honest review and comes after a first visit to the current-owner situation at Joey's pizza. I had visited the pizza shop maybe 10 years ago when it was under different ownership and slices and pizza was available back then for a quick lunch or take-out. Right now, they have reworked the interior and it appears pretty "nice" but somewhat minimalistic with "exposed" kitchen.

Now for the pizza. I had seen a post on the group Pizzaholics on Facebook about it and they said it was ok and I took that as a suggestion to try it.

Two large neopolitan later and I wish I had not ordered. First off, price was about $22 for a one topping, thin crust pizza. Ok - that's not too unusual today after inflation and restaurant owners taking advantage of it (flour and sauce didn't go up that much). Next, the char. Overcooking a pizza and giving it a crumbly blackened crust - is that good or bad? I guess it is up to the customer but it makes the crust unedible. For the money, you do want to eat the whole thing, right? The toppings are scant versus nearby places like Little Anthony's which I would prefer over this one. Price is similar there as well.

I give it 3 honest stars. It's ok. It's not something I will get again. True honestly here - I would rather get a Walmart frozen pizza over most pizza places anymore. You control the cook, you can pick a multi-toping pizza for $7-8 and get the same amount of food. Why are people going to pizza shops and spending $22 for a one topping pizza that cannot beat frozen? I wish the pizza shop luck but really, it's an uphill slope for what you get for the price. Restaurant owners - you need to eat your own food and check on what you are making for customers. You need to love your own food better than anywhere else you go. It's not just a business. Make it a place where people really want to go because they remember how well their last...

TLDR- perfection, must try

My buddy recommended Joey's telling me that it had new ownership a few years ago, and was "the best pizza." He also told me it is where the recipe for Pizza West Chester was founded. He is a fellow foodie, so I'd thought I'd try it.

I drove up to a well lit building with plenty of free parking. The restaurant was empty (6pm) but was extremely clean with nice décor. I was greeted and ordered a plain pizza, cheese steak, and buffalo chicken cheese steak.

As I waited I watched a man (who in later found out was the owner) meticulously making pizzas. Multiple layers of cheese, he made sure to sauce up to the crust, and stretch out the dough perfectly before putting it in the oven. I knew I was witnessing something special.

The pizza came out quickly and was perfectly charred as you can see. I took a bite and was in love. The crust is thin and crisp, but chewy and flavorful. You can tastes the fresh tomatoe sauce which is perfectly balanced. -10/10

The cheese steak was next. Amazing fresh, seeded roll piled with delicious, tender steak with cooper sharp cheese. I don't know how they get their fried onions so flavorful. - 10/10

The surprising star of the show was the buffalo chicken cheese steak. On the same perfect seeded roll as before. The sauce had a little heat, but was soooo creamy and delicious. The chicken on it was fresh chicken breast, hand sliced. -10/10.

I was food drunk with happiness and I'm not afraid to admit that I love this place. It's a rare gem that seems to be either in a bad location or just unknown. Put this place in West Chester, Exton, or Downingtown and the line would be out of the door....