Tacconelli's Pizza — Restaurant in Philadelphia

There is not doubt- you can't rush perfection and after coming here for nearly 30 years, the pizza is still incredible and some of the best pizza on the entire planet. The white pie with spinach and crushed tomato is Taconelli's signature pie and the Margherita is a very close second. You can get a white pie with spinach and tomato in many fine pizza establishments, but you can't get that pie anywhere else in the world.

I understand that Sundays are busy, busy, busy at Taconelli's but one must reserve dough in advance, so a "sudden rush" that creates a huge bottleneck is not something the restaurant or the customers need to contend with. With that, it took almost an hour (49 minutes) to get one of the five pizzas we ordered in our first round while others that came in after us (who were personally greeted by the wait staff) where getting pies in 25-30 minutes. Even more frustrating, we received the first pizza in our second round of ordering before we even got the remaining pies from our initial round. After a while, it seemed like our order just kept getting bumped down lower and lower on "the list".

Here are the "facts of life" at Taconelli's: the kitchen and staff give favorable treatment to regulars and orders are not "first-in-first-out". You will routinely see others seated after you being served before you. You'll get the same great pie as everyone else, but you will wait 30 or more minutes longer than is typical for familiars and regulars. I get it- establishments like to reward loyalty- but It's one thing to be a regular and get preferred seating or a preferred reservation or even free drinks- but to have your order go from first to last makes the expected perfect pizza experience one that leaves you flustered and very dissatisfied- and wondering if you were in the wrong place at...

I haven't been here in 20 years and it's as good as I remember! We called a few days ahead to reserve our dough, because they only make a certain number of pizzas a day. You can call at 10 am but they don't open until 4. You can't leave a voice mail to order or reserve dough. You have to speak to a person, which is how they like it. There are no computers, everything is done by hand. They serve only fountain soda and pizza. You can BYOB or bring in dessert. Lots of people were doing that. They are a cash only business so go prepared. There is a free parking lot on the corner labeled for Tacconelli's customers. City parking is always appreciated! You do have to walk about 1/2 a block up to get to the restaurant.

Tacconelli's is in the middle of a block of row homes. The business sits under the Taconelli's family home who are 5 generations of bakers! Giovanni Taconelli is so welcoming and friendly. He is a proud one man, one oven shop, it says so on their menu. He makes every single pizza. He also allows you to come into the kitchen to watch him make your pizza in their unique oven. The pizza is super thin and light. Its so light that you can only have two toppings. You also probably eat more slices than usual so plan for that.

We had the margarita pizza. Fresh mozzarella, sauce and basil. There are no prices on the menu but that was $25 a pie. It was so airy and not like any other pizza. The edges are chard to perfection. I loved cheese to sauce ratio and the basil was fresh. I brought some home and just ate a slice cold. It was equally delicious!

All of the employees were very friendly. Our had been there for 18 years! They have a small staff and a family vibe going on which I love seeing as a customer.

Thank you to everyone there for making this such a...

By far, the best out there. Period. End of story. There is no where one can get this kind of thin, crisp crust that will stand up to multiple toppings The trick in maintaining this crunch is NOT to get too creative with toppings. Keep it simple, 1 or 2, lower moisture content toppings keeps things from getting mushy. That tidbit was courtesy of one of the servers we asked years ago how to prevent soggy crust. If you feel the need to load up, order another pie!

Tacconelli's is the perfect restaurant. Where else can you bring your own salad, and adult beverages? We were just there with 10 folks, and it was a great evening. They sat us in the "new wing" in a corner. We came equipped with multiple salads, wine and even our own table cloth!

The latest craze in Philly and other cities is Neapolitan pizza. Good, but crust is soft and doughy, especially in the center. No toothsome crunch when you bite into it. I'd rather skip pizza than leave an inch of crust from every piece on my plate.

For those newcomers: 1.) yes, make sure you call in advance for your dough. Don't be afraid of over ordering, it freezes well. 2.) absolutely, order a "special". It's spinach, tomatoes and garlic. 3.) the margarita is great, too. Just sauce and a little cheese, as simple as it gets and features the great red sauce. 4.) tip your server well. She's take good care of you (remember, that's all they sell is pizza and soda. When you bring your own accompaniments, they clean up and don't get tipped on that stuff and they are sweethearts.)

There is street parking and a free lot on Somerset and Thompson for...