Antonio's Real New York Pizza — Restaurant in Estes Park

This is a long review because I like to be thorough.

The TLDR: The Neopolitan was above average, but not amazing. The other pie was not worth ordering. The price for the pizza was very reasonable, but charging for tap water was outrageous, and the service style was impersonal and off-putting. Overall, Antonio's was okay. I'd say it was worth stopping in for a simple slice if yiu are in town, but they don't do that here! One of the least NY-style pizza joints I've ever eaten at.

As a Tri-State transplant(Bronx, NY and Southern CT) and Italian American living in CO for a few years now, it is my mission to find the BEST true NYC style pizza I can get my hands on in CO. I've been to Estes a number of times but had yet to learn aboit Antonio's. This time, I was very excited to try it!

I was delighted to see they had the 2 train right on their sign(I lived in Riverdale right by the El for a few years). They offered three colored cookies(they call them rainbow cookies), cannolies, and a real chicken parm sub on the menu. They boast at least five Long Island transplants working there. My expectations were very, very high.

So around 7pm Saturday we rolled in in the middle of a snowstorm to grab a couple of slices. I was planning to try the plain cheese, a Neopolitan, and maybe a specialty slice. The service was friendly enough, and I know some people are jazzed about the QR code menu, mobile ordering and payment, and robot table service, but I personally veey much disliked this. It felt so impersonal. To their credit, they do gove you the option of flipping your table sign around and having a person take your order, but the robot is the norm, and I did not see any table deviate from that.

Imagine my surprise when I found out this "Real NY Pizza" joint doesn't sell pizza by the slice. We each got a 10" personal pie. I went with the plain Neopolitan Margharita and my gf had their striped thin crust with spicy italian sausage.

You pay up front for your food on the mobile app, and they charge $0.25 per cup of water. I don't know how to express how NOT NY style the experience was up to the robot bringing our food. Never in a million years would a legit pizzaria in NY charge for water, or not serve you your food in person. I remained hopeful because of the good reviews.

The crust on my pizza was EXCELLENT. AMAZING crisp, NO "flop", pretty good flavor. The sauce was very good, but personally, I felt it could use some herbs and left a little wanting. Same with the cheese; good, but not amazing. The fresh basil helped the flavor but was sparse. I'd eat this pizza again, but I wouldn't drive for it.

My girlfriend's pizza, on the other hand, was one of the only pizzas I had no interest in finishing a slice of. For a little 10" pizza, there was WAY too much sauce, the crust was floppy and soggy as a result. On top of the sauce, there was heavy cheese, and then the sausage to boot. The components were good, the combination flat out didn't work. I will concede my girlfriend did order a custom pie, but they offer striped pizza with sausage as an option stock on the menu.

We got our pizza at 7:45pm and right at 8pm we finished up eating. I asked if it was too late to order some dessert(they close at 8). They told us they would help us on the way out. We got a pair of cannolis and some 'rainbow cookies'(my favorite cookie). They were both good, not great. For $21, they really should...

Unbelievable pizza, best I've had, bar none.

We got a Detroit with pepperoni, and a NY Hawaiian (I like pineapple on my pizza and I will die on this hill).

I have a little experience to draw on here, personally and professionally: I worked for a couple years at a non-chain pizza shop and I did a little of everything, making and tossing the dough, baking & delivering. We had a wood fired oven that we usually ran at about 700° (up to 1400° at the roof of the oven where we'd top the pies as needed). Pizza making has been a personal hobby and passion that I've pursued for a couple of decades since then. I'd still call myself a novice, especially after what I just experienced here today.

At some point in my life I'd like to go to Italy and try authentic Neapolitan - Leopard spotted and soggy! I'd like to go to Detroit for a deep dish with Wisconsin brick cheese and cupped pepperoni, made in the bolt pans from the automotive factories. NY for obvious reasons. The list goes on, but for now I've got young kids, so extensive travel, especially for pizza-exclusive reasons, just isn't reasonable right now. Suffice to say I'm obsessed.

I don't know if it takes a trained eye to spot little details that clue you in to a real master of the craft, but here's a few I saw:

The trays with the raised nubs on the inside. You may find them a little annoying to cut pizza on and to scoop the slices out of (I wouldn't be surprised if people have complained about them because of that), but they keep the crust crisp like nothing else can since all the steam escapes out the sides. I think only someone who cares about pizza quality above all else would use these.

Shatteringly crisp NY style pizza, super thin without collapsing, and puffed just right at the edges. Perfectly browned.

The sauce! It's really hard to nail the sauce. It's not easy finding the perfect tomato, or blend of tomatoes, for an NY style pizza, especially when it's mostly or entirely unadorned with other spices that could otherwise compensate for low quality tomatoes. It'd be real easy to cheap out on the sauce. He didn't. Same story on the Detroit, very different sauce needed, very difficult to deliver perfection. He did.

As you can probably tell by now, I could go on for some time. Very reasonably priced for what it is. If you're a newbie (e.g. all you know are chain pizzerias - no judgment! Not everyone can be weirdly obsessed like me), I'd recommend a NY with red sauce and only a couple toppings, or a Detroit with pepperoni and/or sausage. Just cheese and no toppings is a great choice too - or you could just ask a server, I'm sure they'd have great suggestions.

If you're looking for a cheap, fast pie that'll feed the family, maybe look elsewhere. No judgment, I've got kids and sometimes Little Caesars fits the bill perfectly. Here, you'll probably be in for more of a wait than you'd be happy with if your kids are all hangry and about to gnaw your arm off. A place this popular that does things right will just take time. It's supposed to.

If you're looking for an incredible experience and don't mind a wait, this will be worth every penny.

To the owner: My sincere compliments, for whatever they're worth. I suspect most won't understand or appreciate the lengths you've gone to, or your mastery of the craft, but for some (myself included) it's not overselling to say it was the experience...

EDIT 10/05/24: Anthony, please re-read your replies when you are more level-headed. You have taken this from a sarcastic rebuke to a personal attack not-so-vaguely accusing me of both racism and sexism. That's not fair nor normal.

The reason I didn't respond to the explanation you gave about the water is because it's irrelevant. Everyone in Estes Park is paying the same rate for water. You said it yourself; it's a monopoly. Why is it that no one else charges for it? It's your right to charge for it. It's my right to say it's greedy. Bring it up with the city. Don't make it your customer's problem.

For what it's worth, my family loves the robots. It's unique and fun. I would appreciate an apology for the insults. You're right, we've had great visits and I mentioned in my original review that we enjoy the pizza and want a reason to come back. Please give us one, and I'll update my frustrated review to reflect.

tl;dr: Charges for tap water

Since the owner was kind enough to suggest I go to other restaurants in Estes Park, here are a few suggestions that, as a bonus, don't charge for tap water: Bird & Jim Smokin' Dave's BBQ Ed's Cantina & Grill

While we're at it. Here are a couple pizza places in Northern Colorado that serve better NY Style pizza: Arte's - Loveland Rosalee's - Longmont

Disappointed. We've been going to Antonio's for years, but the service as of our last visit has me not wanting to revisit.

We were informed on one of the busiest day of the season, after waiting outside for the restaurant to open, that there were not enough servers to actually serve each table. Fine. We can order from our phone, not an issue.

Except this is where things fell apart. The ordering site did not have garlic knots listed, a favorite of ours. When I asked the server why, they had no idea and left to ask someone.

During this time I discovered something outright absurd on the ordering website: Antonio's is charging people $0.25 for tap water. I have never in my life seen, or even heard of, a restaurant being so rapacious that they would charge for tap water...

A few minutes later the other server came to take our order. I asked about the tap water and he said they've always charged for tap water. I guess I had never checked before, because who in their right mind would think they're being charged for TAP WATER. He also said we couldn't order garlic knots on the website because they were still baking in the oven. When inquired if we could order them now, he said they could be a while. Okay.. I asked how long. He couldn't give me an answer and so we left.

I have a few questions for Anthony.

Why are there two servers working on one of the busiest day of the season? Why are you charging for tap water? Why do you not have your kitchen prepped at opening? Is the Longmont location the only focus now?

Please improve. We really enjoy the pizza and want a reason to come back. The service has never been good, but this is something else.

EDIT: I don't know what I expected, but a childish straw man response from the owner was not it. The owner's words speak...