Mano's Pizzeria — Restaurant in New York

I finally had the opportunity to go to Mano's two weeks ago and get to sample a variety of slices. I've read the reviews seen the Youtube reviews and was excited to see and taste things for myself.

To be perfectly honest, I went into this with very high expectations both from what I had seen and read, but also because Nick is a perfectionist and refuses to settle when it comes to quality ingredients and the product he produces.

I got four slices: The White, The upside down with pepperoni, the Fulgieri, and the Manopella.

The Manopella was my first slice and the first thing that jumped out to me was that when I folded the slice, the crust actually made a cracking sound and had great structure. The chicken cutlet and pesto were delicious! The crust was crispy and chewy, which rarely happens when biting into most crusts. Even in a slice as thin as this one, you could see the air pockets from end to end in the dough, which is attributed to the 72 hour fermentation process and this is one of many attributes that makes this pizza standout.

The white was well balances and had the right amount of ricotta chees and none of these pizzas were greasy or dripped. Also the cheese actually pulled when you took a bite and was stringy, as opposed to being gloopy and gross. Haven't had the chance to really experience that on a lot of pizza, especially cooked in a gas oven.

The caramelized onions on the Fulgieri were done well and blended in with the slice without overwhelming it (it complimented it).

Finally, I saved the best for last with the upside down with pepperoni. First thing you notice are the amount of air pockets in this slice. This is craftsmanship and a labor of love and a product of the fermentation. It was such a light, crispy and flavorful bit. The pepperoni cup up and weren't oily, proving once again that Nick's choice to go with the best ingredients paid off again. This slice is a signature one and worth driving over an hour for. I doubt many in the area have anything that can touch this.

I haven't indulged in pizza like this very often in my life. I've done it at Sally's in New Haven, and Joes and Donatina's back at home in Holbrook and Patchogue, because they have unique pizza with high quality ingredients.

Nick also is great at taking the time to talk about the pizza, how it is made, and educating customers about what he does and why he does it. He really lights up when he talks about the process and love that goes into making this.

I think this place will benefit eventually opening at 11am versus 1pm as that would give them 14 hours a week more exposure and also being more aligned when other places open for lunch and also being open til 9 or 10 on the weekends (he currently commutes from Suffolk County each day). This is an excellent slice shop and if I lived closer, this would be my regular spot without hesitation, because of the product and the person.

It's nice walking into the shop and getting a little bit of a feel for the families history with old black and white photos and many of the pizzas are named after Nick's family.

It is hard to have your own business and there are many hidden costs and lessons to be learned. Mano's has the most important part down, great food, and word is starting to spread a reputation is being built. I sincerely hope this places has success and becomes a staple of the community for...

These folks are amazing. Let's tell a tale, a tale of a little pizza shop that could. A shop that could provide good service even when they are forced to work thru a gazillion apps cuz their customers are a ragtag bunch of antisocial anxiety ridden shut-ins like me that prefer as little human interaction as possible. My door bell "chime" is 'leave it at the door pls'. Unfortunately, that means these flour encrusted artisans of the oven have to entrust their goods to delivery persons that... might care less than the proverbial mother with a red headed step child, about how that product looks when it gets to you. After I stumbled upon this please one seamless app scrolling evening and found out how delicious this was, I ordered again, I think I made it 3 days? It's wasn't long, I know that, I wanted more the next day. Alas, the driver may have played a game of Frisbee golf with my pie on the second order. They somehow managed to get it rolled up inside the box into something that resembled a Stromboli. Quite impressive to behold considering it didn't appear as if any was missing and the box wasn't crushed. Mad skills anonymous delivery minion, mad skills. Of course obligatory complaint and a seamless credit later (only asked for a credit for delivery and charges, not the stores fault) found me eating that frigging mess anyways... cuz it still tasted good, ya know? The owner of the store found out, and he actually texted me and apologizes. I was shocked. I don't think that has ever happened in the history of me using apps to place orders. I actually went out of my way next time I ventured out of my cave to drive my bike over there and eat a slice in person and say hi. Yes, it's so good, and their service is so good, that I chose to speak to a...

5 stars for the pizza, but 3 stars for service. The pizza here is easily some of the best in the city and I love it but each time I come in I have a more bizarre experience than the last. I understand these are new business owners but they may benefit from some proper training with experienced business owners. The first weird experience was when we called for a pickup order and they told us what time to come, my husband arrived at that time but they made him wait outside in the cold until it was ready. The next time, the cashier yelled at young children to be quiet while she was on the phone. The third time, I tried to order but they said they only took orders for pies on the phone and not slices. Not ideal for someone with a quick break as you get there and have to wait to be helped (service isn’t the fastest) The most recent which was surely the biggest head-scratcher of all was I ordered multiple pies coming out to around $150 for pick-up. The cashier asked me on the phone if I would like to tip 22%, 20%, or cash in person. I was really uncomfortable at this and not really confrontational so I awkwardly said uh, in cash? I’m not sure what part of picking up the phone and taking my credit card info would merit a $40 tip, but it’s just not appropriate to ask. Their pizza is already the most expensive in the neighborhood(I say it’s worth the price) but I’ve placed hundreds of pick up orders on the phone before and have never been asked to tip for a pick up order, let alone ask for cash in person.

All that being said, the pizza here is really incredible and I feel that if they are able to iron out their logistical issues and service they can eventually become an institution and more of a destination spot...