11/04/09

Best pizza I've ever had

by sweets509

I LOVE pizza. And I eat pizza almost every week, so I've had my fair share of pizza, but I must admit that THIS is the best pizza I've ever had. Which really surprised me because I live in Brooklyn near Grimaldi's - and I have always considered their pizza to be one of the best I've ever had.

After reading all this hype about Di Fara, I finally gave in and made the trek to Midwood. And I must say, it was not only worth the trip, but it was worth the wait.

Dom makes each individual pizza by himself. He really does use the freshest cheese and the most delicious tomatoes. He meticulously grinds the cheese for ever pie and then hand cuts the basil leaves for the finishing touch.

I ordered the regular round pie and when I took the first bite, I was hooked. The pie was baked to perfection and you can taste the freshness of the tomatoes and the cheese. After finishing a whole pie, I could see myself going for more (but I didn't.) I was full, but it was THAT good.

You should run there ASAP since Dom is the only one that makes the pizza but he's been scaling back the hours. He was open 7 days a week, then reduced it to 6, and now it's only open 5 days a week (closed Monday and Tuesday.) Hurry before it's too late and he retires! You don't want to miss it.

Highly recommended and totally worth the wait.

• Pros: Delicious fresh pizza made right in front of you
• Cons: Be prepared to wait... for a while

09/25/09

Great pizza - terrible wait!

by manni22

I do quite enjoy the pizza here, but the wait is unbelievably long. I have to carve out 2 hours of my day to get this pizza, and 3 times now I have arrived to find the store mysteriously closed. I am so frustrated with this place that I will never make the trip again.

• Pros: Pizza is very tasty
• Cons: the wait and inconsistent hours

08/02/09

PIZZA PARADISE

by BadOkole

Just returned from my first visit to Di Fara's after hearing about it for years. Just last week, Di Fara's made news when the prices for slices rose to a whopping $5.00 per slice, but since every single ingredient is imported from Italy, and being a fool for good pizza, it was worth a trip form Manhattan. The corner storefront is unassuming, and the long line at the counter is daunting, but I'm delighted to say that it was well worth the time and money. Few things in the world are truly worth it, but for foodies, this is a must. Be prepared to wait for about 30 minutes, but watching the pies being made is a show in itself. The delicacy of the layering of the flavors is intoxicating, starting with a chunky tomato sauce spread over a fresh thin crust dough. Fresh mozzarella is hand torn by the master, Mr. D. and scattered over the pie, and since we opted for a Di Fara's special pie (@$30), it was then heaped with peppers, sausage and mushrooms. When it is whisked out of the oven, Mr. Di Fara drizzles it with the lightest golden olive oil I've ever seen, grabs a bunch of fresh Italian basil (never tasted anything so delicate in my life) and a pair of sissors to cut and scatter it over the pie, followed by a couple of fists full of freshly grated parmesan cheese that melts on contact. Searingly hot, the crust has risen to airy perfection and as the pizza sets, all the flavors combine into the most delightful pizza experience I've had for a while. Thank you DiFara's, for making a stormy summer day wonderful after all! I still love Lombardi's on Spring Street, when in Brooklyn it's DiFara for me. You don't say I have never tried that pizza joint in Coney Island. For all the hype, it was incredibly disappointing... a sausage and pepper pizza apparently means a single piece of pepper and a single slice of sausage per pie. Save yourself the trek.

• Pros: Brilliant Brooklyn pizza!
• Cons: travel time to Brooklyn and a bit of a wait for your pie

04/21/09

to any real pizza expert Di Fara's pizza is VERY AVERAGE

by gpnyc06

I tried Di Fara's last week and I was very disappointed. I just couldnt believe that to many that's the best pizza in NY if not in the world. I don't want to talk about the place (very dirty, yet charming) or the fact that the old man does still everything himself (also very cool to watch). I just want to talk about the pizza. The crust is probably the best part, cripsy to the right degree, but not tasty enough to consider it top. This is probably also due to the oven, a small electric oven which can't just give that sort of light burned taste that big coal ovens give to pizza and which makes the crust extraordinarily good. But the worst part is what he puts on the crust...he pours literally tons of olive oil on it, but so much that the pizza is basically frying in the oven (you can see it fry when he takes it out). The pizza is basically floating on olive oil. And remember, the best pizza maker is the one who can make a great and tasty pizza using few and simple, light ingredients (if you add tons of fat or oil, everything becomes tasty). Tomatoes are also totally wrong, they are of a sweet variety that doenst really match with pizza. I almost couldn't believe it that pizza became so famous. There are several other pizzas which are way better. I am from Italy and so far in the US the best pizza I had was at Pepe's in New Haven, better than Lombardi, Grimaldi etc... Di Fara to me is definitely way below them, I would define it as a slightly above average pizza.

03/17/09

NOT SO BAD

by bmw440

To be honest I've had better pizza for less the money,I waited 35 minutes for 2 slices. It was a little on the salty side,but not so bad. Not a place i would take my family and wait for ever for a pie. Theres tons of pizza places in brooklyn with better service and good pizza. well just my 2 cents.

• Pros: Pizza was ok.
• Cons: To slow and not so clean.

01/28/09

PLEASE READ THIS!

by k9ceo

PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW - When you go to a Pizzeria what are you going for??? Decor? Customer service? Price? Wait time? OR THE BEST PIZZA PERIOD?? If you are looking for anything but the last one, I don?t know what to tell you. BUT, if you are looking for the BEST PIZZA IN THE WORLD you should go to DiFaras! My brother and I have driven to every "great" pizza place within a 200 mile radius and nothing can touch DiFaras. Words cant even describe the taste! Trust me, its the best pizza you?ll ever eat. The waits are long, the place isn?t spotless, the customer service isn?t the Ritz Carlton, but its the best pizza and worth a trip from anywhere in the world! trust me!!!!!!

• Pros: BEST PIZZA IN THE WORLD!

11/08/08

The BEST pizza!!!

by awdixon

I have to agree with the last two posts I read (miriam12 and nycbkgirl)--I love this place. This is the best pizza I've ever had. If you are looking for glamour you're not going to get it here. BUT if you're looking for an incredible piece of pizza go now! Be prepared to stand in line and be firm. Everyone crowds around the counter with their mouths watering to watch this man slowly make pizza but more importantly not too lose their place in line. It's actually an amusing scene especially being a NYer and having the luxury of convenience at your fingertips 24/7 (thus possessing very little patience). I actually have only eaten in the pizzeria twice--after that I would go, order a whole pie to share with friends and make the trek back home. Personally I prefer the silician (thick crust). I generally prefer thin crust pizza but the thick crust pizza here is exceptional.

10/03/08

best pizza I have ever had

by miriam12

you will never have to work harder to get a slice of pizza than this. You have to be aggressive or you will be passed over. My suggestion is to go at an off hour- say 4pm. The old man sticks his hands in the oven without gloves. It is a dying art. Don't miss out.

09/21/08

totally worth the wait

by nycbkgirl

I feel as though I have to defend DiFara's after the last reviewer. I think that the atmosphere while strange and kind of dirty gives the place character. Although it is crazy to wait that long for pizza, it is comparable to pizza I've had in Italy, and the long line and one old man making the pizza in what seems to be slow motion just adds to the experience. My recommendation is to go on a saturday afternoon, in that neighborhood you will definitly find plenty of parking on a saturday! Best pizza, cool atmosphere.......long wait but worth it!

• Pros: pizza!
• Cons: slow!

09/04/08

WORST WAIT TIME FOR NO REASON

by special2usa

This place is very small, with no air.. You have an old man and you middle age woman working there serving the pizza and taking the money. Mind you, they do not have gloves on while handling the money and putting your slice in the oven. Then the price for a plain slice is $4.00. Don't bother with the toppings it will run you $5 per slice. A pie would run you $30 easy. Parking in that neighborhood is horrible.

I waited for a slice, to see what the hype was about, and I never got it...I had 3 people in front of me and they moved so slow behind the counter that after 15 minutes of waiting and WATCHING someone walk up to a window and get a slice before me and I spoke up and said "I want a slice too" they just ignored me and pretended they didn't hear...I left! Waste of my 10 minutes driving around looking for parking and my quarter for the meter!

• Cons: PARKING, WAIT TIME & SMALL SPACE