Sally's Apizza — Restaurant in Wethersfield

I was up in the area, so I thought I would try out the new Sally's in Wethersfield.

Parking: When I got there, there was a LAZ parking attendant directing the traffic flow. She was very nice and asked me if I had a reservation. I didn't know I needed one. She said that you usually do and that the parking nearer the place is reserved by LAZ for people with reservations. When I said I would just sit at the bar or wherever, she directed me to one of the closer spots. She was nice and told me that the place had been jammed since they opened. Even if you don't park in the LAZ area, there is sufficient parking in the lot well within walking distance of the door.

Inside: The place gives off a sedate factory chic/club vibe, part pizza joint/part diner feel but with an open feel to it. It's a happy hodgepodge. The music that was playing was Rap and Hip Hop from the 80s/90s mostly. Sometimes some older music. I saw a lot of tables, a number of booths, a modest bar area, and an open pizza-making area just outside the main kitchen.

Guests: The clientele is mostly relatively affluent locals from Wethersfield and West Hartford, but one group of guest came here from Long Island. Families with kids, some singles, some older folk in their 60s+ and young 20-somethings.

Welcome: The staff welcomed me and immediately asked me if I had a reservation. As I did not, they spoke to me haltingly; however, I aked them if I could sit at the bar. They looked relieved, and I walked into the bar where I sat at a low-table ADA seat. It was one of two and the only seat left. I was told that I would have to move if someone came in with a wheelchair. No problem. I'll move in a heartbeat. I like that the place is ADA friendly.

Bathrooms: The two family bathrooms were spacious and clean. Automatic everything.

Service: My server, Sarah, introduced herself and asked me about drinks and what I would like to eat. She was attentive and charming, gabbing with the customers as she tended bar. As a result, people at the bar, including myself, started chatting with each other. She made the experience extra warm and friendly.

Order: I wanted to keep it simple so I got a 12" mozz. That's it. I chose to get an Acqua Panna bottle to have with my meal. Sarah brought it on ice like a bottle of champagne, which I thought was a nice touch for a simple bottle of water. I cracked it open. It's Acqua Panna. Enough said, right?

Food: The pizza arrived piping hot; however, it wasn't molten. Yeah, it was rested like a steak. It sat for a short while before it came out because the kitchen was slammed. I'm good with that. I like busy. When the food moves, that's a good sign. I grabbed a slice off the pan, plopped it onto my plate, and took a bite. Wow! The sauce! I'm not a big tomato sauce fan, but I could drink a bucket of this stuff. This is the real Sally's sauce, which is one of my reasons for going to Sally's in New Haven. The crust was super thin, charred, not burnt (There IS a difference, people), and the cheese was rather delicious. It wasn't greasy relative to most places. It didn't feel heavy. As a result, I ate the whole thing. 😊

Dessert: I didn't order dessert because I ate the whole thing. 🤣

Bill: The meal came in at a reasonable amount and they take credit cards. Sally's in New Haven takes cash only, but this place in Wethersfield is not a take-out joint. It's a full, sit-down restaurant.

The entire meal from beginning to end was an extremely enjoyable experience. They have other items on the menu.

Will I return? Absolutely!...

Super easy to find on the Silas Deane. Plenty of parking especially when you compare that to Wooster St. :) There is valet parking as well- weekends only I think.

Our first visit- the place was packed and there was a 2 hour wait around 7 on a Friday evening. We had to leave. Second time, we thought we were smarter and went in around 4:20. What we didn’t realize is that you can reserve a table! :( We were lucky enough to be seated. We were so glad we did!

First the ambience is wonderful. You are on a busy street but don’t feel it at all. It’s like you are in your own world. The restaurant is noisy but cozy at the same time. Everything is very clean.

The service was fantastic. Our server was Kailah who was very friendly, attentive and quick. She shared helpful information and was glad to chat about different items. So if it’s your first time at Sally’s, you will be in good hands. :)

The appetizers were amazing. Wood fired apizza does take a little time to make its way to your table so we appreciated the appetizers. The garlic bread was to die for- perfectly crunchy crust, soft, fluffy interior, awesome garlic flavor and the Sally’s sauce to go with it. Sooo good! We loved the arancini as well! So good! The green sauce that came with both appetizers was great- creamy and great flavor without being too overpowering.

The pizzas arrived sooner than expected.The rosemary potato pie was excellent as always. The Calabrian stinger was the surprise - absolutely fabulous!!! The flavors work so well! And Kailah told us that the hot honey was made in house. Very good! Try it! The basil burrata was underwhelming at first but that could be because we tried the Calabrian stinger before that and it stole the show. The basil burrata leftovers rocked though! So definitely worth a try!

The seasonal special was a cremini mushroom pie that sounded awesome.

Of note- there were several managers on the floor- each of them actively managing different aspects. Also commendable was how well the staff worked together- everyone seemed to get along and help each other out which always makes for a wonderful guest experience.

There was a young lady bussing tables who absolutely crushed it. She efficiently cleared trays and dishes to make way for the next delicious offering- with a smile and pleasant conversation. She was folding pizza boxes, helping coworkers and in general brightening the place up.

The managers were checking on guest AND employees constantly! This is not something you see often. I definitely appreciated that they cared enough about both the guest and employees.

Overall- an absolutely fabulous experience. We enjoyed our food very much. We were so glad we came. The restaurant was very busy but we never felt rushed at all. We felt welcome and relaxed enjoying the food, company and ambience.

Highly recommend! Order plenty, the leftovers are...

If the restaurant didn’t have the “Sally’s” moniker, this would probably be a four star establishment. Unfortunately it does and I have to judge it against its inspiration. I grew up eating New Haven style pizza and Sally’s has always been my favorite. This pizza is similar but comes up short, the char is more in line with what I’d expect from a local brick oven place - it lacks the signature chewy, highly carbonized nature of the style. The sauce is probably most disappointing as I have always felt that Sally’s sauce was the defining trait that set them apart from Pepe’s and Modern. This sauce was somewhat soupy and lacked the sweet, rich flavor of the original establishment. Appearance wise it also doesn’t hold up, being a more typical shape and appearance than the asymmetrical and dark appearance you get on Wooster Street. All things considered, if you look at it from the perspective of it being just “pizza” and not necessarily New Haven style, you could do worse in the area.

The service was good, no complaints there, everyone was nice and attentive.

The ambience was severely lacking, the biggest offense being the incredibly loud music pumping through the restaurant. The place was full and in my opinion there was no need to have music that loud (I had trouble hearing my table-mates). Compared to Pepe’s satellite locations which try to replicate the dining experience of Wooster Street, this Sally’s kind of goes off on its own with a modern, trendy look and a peculiar theming of classic rock motifs. To be fair, Sally’s never had as appealing an atmosphere as Pepe’s with its green booths and subway tiles - I’m not sure people would appreciate Sally’s faux wood paneling and brown Naugahyde booths, but what they came up with was unfortunately a complete miss for me. Another item I’d mention is that we were seated against a wall that faced the front door on the other side, every time the door was open, the wind blasted through a sizable gap between the exterior wall and what we were seated against. Probably a consequence of the space they are in, but disappointing nonetheless.

Overall, if you’ve never had Sally’s before, spend the extra half hour to drive to New Haven and get the real thing, otherwise seek out the Manchester or West Hartford Pepe’s (or Randy’s Wooster Street in Manchester) for Apizza in the area (fwiw, they also fall short, but come closer). This place doesn’t live up to its name and unfortunately hasn’t been able to dial it in after being open for a number of months. I will give them another try at some point, as I’d love to be able to grab an authentic tasting pie just down the road, but it’s not there, at...