John's of Bleecker Street

(212) 243-1680

278 Bleecker St (Between Jones Street and Morton Street)
New York, NY 10014 40.73171 -74.00329

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Neighborhoods: West Village, Downtown

johnsbrickovenpizza.com/

Years in business

Established in 1929

Hours:

Sun 12pm-11:30pm

Mon-Thu 11:30am-11:30pm

Fri 11:30am-12am

Sat 11:30am-12:30am

Price:

$

Last updated 2.10.12

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Cash, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Family-Friendly Dining, Romantic Dining, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Cheap Eats

Cuisine:

Pizza, Traditional American, Italian

What People Are Saying About John's of Bleecker Street

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

No place is the subject of as much debate among the pizza-eating public as John's. The debate between camps is largely stylistic, centering on the distribution and amount of cheese on John's pies. Unlike other New York legends like Grimaldi's or Lombardi's, which sparingly distribute mozzarella in large squarish chunks, John's scatters pebble-sized pieces that form a single uninterrupted layer of cheese when cooked. Far less contentious are John's thin, charred crust, tasty fresh sauce and generous toppings. The restaurant itself features family-friendly dining rooms with wood booths and…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
John's serves pies only; you'll have to go elsewhere for a slice.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. The Servers are friendly, The atmosphere is unique and authentic old school NY in the front, Vibrantly artistic in the back and the Pizza was out of this world.
  2. Food is fabulous, atmosphere is great and price is fabulous
  3. Absolutely the best night - staff friendly- loads of beer-- great with my kids- best pizzas outside of italy-great atmosphere after hours of truggin the streets-cant wait to come back xxxxxx
  4. Everything is so fresh; we can watch them make the pizza which is a visual treat; the decor is beautiful; the service is grand!
  5. Standing on line wasn't bad --as the people on line were fun to speak to.
  6. the atmosphere is great, and the pizza is amazing.
  7. Casual atmosphere and good beer!
  8. we also had a great view in a booth by a window.
  9. The atmosphere is pretty good though and the service is friendly.
  10. Its so light I can have half a pizza without problem and the service and atmosphere are wonderful too!
  11. With a nice atmosphere and GREAT pizza, its the perfect place for a family meal.
  12. It's got a comfortable, rustic pizzeria atmosphere, and plenty of character.
  13. Za's good, and the atmosphere is fun and lively with the large open space.
  14. And the ambience of the locations are friendly.
  15. Great atmosphere, great service, great pizza.
dessert
93.75% positive
  1. Although there are no slices the pie is a great value.
  2. To the tourist and americanized italians this pie must be great but to true italian americans this pizza had no taste!
  3. If you want to enjoy a real coal oven pie skip John's and Grimadis which are overated and eat at Lomabardi's
  4. Me and my girlfriend went to John's expecting a great coal oven pie and were very dissappointed
  5. If your from booklyn and can't make it out to Ny city for a good pie eat at Europa's for brick oven its much better then John's.
  6. The only time I had a decent pie is when it came topped with anchovies.
  7. Have been gone from Manhattan for 19 years and the tast of a large pie, extra cheese and fresh garlic, fresh from the oven in the original section of John's still lingers.
  8. You simply can't ignore a great pie of John's pizza, and a picture of beer as probably one of the all time great New York gastronomical experiences!
drinks
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. Casual atmosphere and good beer!
  2. beer by the pitcher was awesome too!
  3. You simply can't ignore a great pie of John's pizza, and a picture of beer as probably one of the all time great New York gastronomical experiences!
  4. Besides, with all the average and below average pizza you can find in NYC, it's nice to have a good place to go to hang out, have a slice and a beer with some friends and actually enjoy what you eat.
  5. Absolutely the best night - staff friendly- loads of beer-- great with my kids- best pizzas outside of italy-great atmosphere after hours of truggin the streets-cant wait to come back xxxxxx
  6. After a trip to the Blind Tiger (a great beer bar on Hudson) what better than some good pizza?
food quality
90.29999732971191% positive
  1. have been to John's Pizzeria several times, and it is the best pizza I have ever tasted.
  2. I've had the best pizza and at times, the worst.
  3. Has to be the most amazing pizza ever made.
  4. we have traveled coast to coast trying pizza everywhere from very inexpensive to shamefully expensive pizza and THIS PIZZA IS THE BEST!
  5. There is not a trip I make to New York that doesn't include a visit to John's Pizzeria to enjoy not only the outstanding pizza but the out of this world Pete's a Rolls(the sausage are my favorite).
  6. It has the best pizza in new york.
  7. The thin crust and the red sauce were the best i have ever eaten.
  8. Love their pizza.
  9. John's is best when loaded with toppings, but really can't stand alone against the competition for crust, cheese and sauce.
  10. Plenty of fresh toppings too!
  11. They've make great, authentic, brick-oven pizza and it's always consistent and always delicious.
  12. Otherwise, often the crust is soggy - a big no no for real pizza lovers, and the taste bland.
  13. Unless you are willing to venture into Brooklyn, Johns is the very best pizza in NYC!
  14. That said, it's difficult to get a table, you can't order individual slices, and it hardly distinguishes itself from any other brick-oven pizza restaurant.
  15. This is the best pizza anywhere!
  16. Its so light I can have half a pizza without problem and the service and atmosphere are wonderful too!
  17. Everything is so wonderful and fresh.
  18. This pizza place came up on several searches for the best slice in New York.
  19. However, the great service, and a good vibe can't offset how horrible the pizza there was.
  20. its good pizza, crispy and thin, but has that slightly burnt bottom.
  21. The seating area is crammed and dim, and the staff are not very personal, all of which make it an authentic NYC pizzaria.
  22. Very authentic true Italian Pizza, with the best ingreedants.
  23. The cheese was fresh and flavorful, unlike the rubbery and slimy cheese found on most pizzas.
  24. best pizza I have ever eaten
  25. Our visit was on May 15, I was with a small group of family from outside of America and we were all anticipating some of the best pizza we've ever had.
  26. Never had a bad pizza at John's.
  27. John's still has the best pizza in all of NYC.
  28. The pizza was over the top good and the service was great.
  29. Just TERRIBLE TERRIBLE tasting pizza.
  30. Coming from chicago (where i thought chicago style pizza was the best) i was proven wrong by lombardi's pizza.
  31. The pizza was terrific.
  32. The pizza was very good.
  33. We have never tasted pizza so good.
  34. Whoever wrote that this pizza is a good pizza, he/she has never been in Italy and knows anything about pizza.
  35. Excellent pizza!
  36. Really the best pizza in NY
  37. Folks this is great pizza at its best - plane and simple.
  38. WILL say, it was the best LATE NIGHT pizza in town!
  39. can tell you this I grew up spending Christmases in Conn. and learned real quick that great pizza came from the north east.
  40. The pizza is perfect.
  41. needles to say it was the best pizza i had ever had and i continue to go back to this day and the food is what its all about.
  42. But if you want the best pizza, come to New Haven's Wooster street.
  43. There is a big difference between a popular pizza store and the best pizza store.
  44. John's of Bleecker Street is the best pizza for your best value in this area.
  45. Brick ovens, crispy crust, fresh toppings.
  46. of a great pizza!
  47. Service was great and pizza was out of this world, thin,hot and without a doubt the best
  48. We also shared a salad with a nice vinegary dressing.
  49. the topping are also pretty fresh and well dispersed
  50. Whatever it is it's great and I highly recommend it to everyone who loves pizza.
  51. The pizza was delicious and so was the sauce.
  52. terrific pizza, close to work, ok service, tight seating, oh, did i mention the terrific pizza !
  53. It was hands down, the best pizza I ever had!
  54. am an Italian from Bensonhurst, Bklyn and know a good pizza and John's does not cut it!
  55. I'm not saying that the food was bad but it wasn't anything spectacular.
  56. Anyone who would consider putting grimaldis or lombardies in the same category does not know what a great pizza is.
  57. Here I thought this would be my last stop in looking for the best pizza in NYC and yet the search goes on after a stop here.
  58. still think NJ has better pizza than NY but this is a great little place.
  59. good to place to have lunch or a quick spontaneous pizza dinner!
  60. This place probably has some of the worst pizza and service in the city.
  61. Besides, with all the average and below average pizza you can find in NYC, it's nice to have a good place to go to hang out, have a slice and a beer with some friends and actually enjoy what you eat.
  62. It was some good pizza.
  63. John's pizza uses only the freshest ingredience and is prepared and baked with great attention and pride in the tradition it's won its reputation by.
  64. basil, tomato, mozzarella, and all the other ingredients are rich, natural, tasty.
  65. The food is great and the prices are very reasonable, especially for the city.
  66. Try its crispy pizza~
  67. After several minutes when the waiter returned we ask for it, he brought out a basket with 3 pieces of cold bread and one slab of butter.
  68. Evene if differnet from real italian pizza I might say it is pretty good.
  69. The best in pizza - ample, fresh toppings, great sauce and crust devine!
  70. Decent pizza.
  71. Very satisfying of its crispy, tastful pizza.
  72. With a nice atmosphere and GREAT pizza, its the perfect place for a family meal.
  73. With a perfect thin, crisp crust and plentiful helpings of fresh, delicious toppings, it's not just New York's, but possibly the world's best.
  74. Come here for great pizza, but not for anything else.
  75. we are great cooks and love our pizza.
  76. Thin crust pizza, never soggy, always fabulous.
  77. It was just like any other pizza parlors i've been to before.
  78. The best pizza around!
  79. So far there is poor service and disappointing food.
  80. Oh and did I mention they also have a great salad too.
  81. I've eaten pizza all over Manhattan (unfortunately, I've never been to Brooklyn, where I hear the pizza is best), including all of the top spots according to CitySearch, and this place is at best, so-so.
  82. The pizza here is decent, but nothing special.
  83. John's Pizza is by far the best pizza in the country, let alone new york city.
  84. Absolutely the best night - staff friendly- loads of beer-- great with my kids- best pizzas outside of italy-great atmosphere after hours of truggin the streets-cant wait to come back xxxxxx
  85. and when you walk out you feel satisfied because the pizza and food is great and the prices are right.
  86. Ordered a Sausage/Meatball/Mushrooms, result was dry sauceless pizza with plastic type mozzerella.
  87. This establishment had the tastiest pizza I've ever put in my mouth and it seemed to have very fresh ingredients as well.
  88. That was the best pizza i have ever ate.
  89. The waiter came to take our order and seemed nice enough until I declined to order a salad to share with a polite "no thank you.
  90. The fresh ingrediants, that great sweet sauce!
  91. This is not good NY Italian pizza; don't be fooled by the reviews.
  92. The brick wooden ovens bake the pizza to perfection and the sauce is perfect!
  93. The Servers are friendly, The atmosphere is unique and authentic old school NY in the front, Vibrantly artistic in the back and the Pizza was out of this world.
  94. Nothing fancy just great pizza.
  95. Maybe I'm not the best critic of thin crust pizza since I normally prefer an average density crust that allows for a maximum load of stringy mozarella.
  96. eat pizza very frequently and John's is the best by far.
  97. The pizza was nice and thin, with a simple yet flavorful sauce.
  98. Great atmosphere, great service, great pizza.
  99. We are now proudly wearing our Johns Pizzaria T-shirts and can't wait till our next vist to our new favorite pizza place.
  100. Have been gone from Manhattan for 19 years and the tast of a large pie, extra cheese and fresh garlic, fresh from the oven in the original section of John's still lingers.
  101. The best chared crisp crust, tangy sauce and some of the best sausage I have ever tasted.
  102. From the brick oven flavor to the great crust, plentiful, fresh toppings and delicious sauce make John's the best pizza and a local and visitor favorite.
  103. The service was great and the food was awesome.
  104. Excellent pizza.
  105. the pizza is the best here.
  106. This pizza is what pizza should be,a thin crisp crust, a tomato sauce that has a rich taste and toppings that stand out on their own.
  107. The service was great - very friendly actually and the pizza was THE BEST!
  108. This pizza is PERFECT.
  109. The food and service was so good we went back the following day and received the same great service and great pizza.
  110. Always fast, great pizza and great service.
  111. To the tourist and americanized italians this pie must be great but to true italian americans this pizza had no taste!
  112. great pizza
  113. The white pizza was amazing, and the pepperoni on our other pizza was fantastic.
  114. The pizza at John's is great--the crust is nice and thin, the sauce had a good tang, and the amount of cheese was just right, and not too greasy.
  115. Do not order food from them.
  116. Best non-greasy pizza in town!
  117. Just great pizza
  118. best pizza i've had (takes a while to get a table on busy nights but its worth it)
  119. Being a New Yorker trapped in the Boston area, I am constantly craving really great pizza.
  120. The crust was so good that the pizza needed no toppings, but we got the #20 and it was awesome.
  121. I've tried different pizza places coast to coast, and John's on Bleeker is undoubtedly the best pizza I have ever eaten.
  122. You can stick your 'best in NY pizza" where the sun doesn't shine!
  123. great pizza!
  124. This is great pizza -- nothing fabulous or particularly original, but satisfying, even mouthwatering slices and a pretty cool joint to boot make this place one that I would definitely return to again and again.
  125. Still a great pizza.
  126. After several trips to Italy and after years of eating my Nona's pizza I can honestly say that this is truely the best pizza I have had outside of Italy.
  127. John's Pizza has to be THE BEST pizza in NY.
  128. Awesome food
  129. By the time that day rolls around, we can't wait to have that delicious pizza!
  130. Is that so difficult to find a good pizza abroad?
  131. Don't forget to tip for good service and food because you will go back.
  132. Fresh crisp crust, fresh sauce, great toppings.
  133. Everything is so fresh; we can watch them make the pizza which is a visual treat; the decor is beautiful; the service is grand!
  134. sauce is really tasty.
  135. The pizza was very tasty.
  136. great pizza, limited menu
  137. the service is very friendly and fast but the pizza is average and bland without the garlic.
  138. John's is definitely one of the best, but their crust is just not as tasty as Patsy's.
  139. best pizza ever
  140. The pizza was served on an old styled tin plate and the meatballs were as delicious as everyone says.
  141. It beats Lombardi's, which some people seem to think is good just because of the fresh mozzarella, but Grimaldi's is better.
  142. We went past a lot of pizza places on the way and heard people on the street talking about gave it a try absolute best were from westchester county and this was worth the trip looking forward to a return trip not too much sauce perfect amount of cheese an
  143. Their cheese was not "fresh mozzarella" it was "mozzarella" and it was probably fresh, but that's not the same.
  144. All of my family love pizza and everyone agreed with me.
  145. After a trip to the Blind Tiger (a great beer bar on Hudson) what better than some good pizza?
  146. johns pizzeria offers great pizza at a reasonable price.
  147. The pizza was THE BEST!
  148. Sweet sauce lased with fresh basil, Fresh Mozerella, Home made whole meatballs and sausage chunks- BEST ANYWHERE!
  149. You hear alot about other places being rude and poor quality food to us tourists but this is not the case at Johns.
  150. The food was not expensive.
  151. The crust was the best but the mushrooms and onions part was sorely lacking in the salt or something.
  152. the staff were very friendly and the pizza was delicious.
  153. don't like fresh Mozz, like at Lombardi's anyway.
  154. Coming from an Italian family that once owned a pizza restaurant, I can say that, hands-down, this is the best NY style thin pizza from coal fired ovens EVER!
  155. spent one year in NYC and this was definitely my favorite pizza place!
  156. good pizza
  157. You simply can't ignore a great pie of John's pizza, and a picture of beer as probably one of the all time great New York gastronomical experiences!
  158. the atmosphere is great, and the pizza is amazing.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. great pizza, limited menu
  2. John's Pizzeria is a great place to go with a big group and order up the menu.
  3. With numerous options and continuously good service, John's Pizzeria rises above the competition in every way.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. Besides, with all the average and below average pizza you can find in NYC, it's nice to have a good place to go to hang out, have a slice and a beer with some friends and actually enjoy what you eat.
  2. There is a big difference between a popular pizza store and the best pizza store.
  3. John's Pizzeria is a great place to go with a big group and order up the menu.
  4. With a nice atmosphere and GREAT pizza, its the perfect place for a family meal.
  5. still think NJ has better pizza than NY but this is a great little place.
  6. I've eaten pizza all over Manhattan (unfortunately, I've never been to Brooklyn, where I hear the pizza is best), including all of the top spots according to CitySearch, and this place is at best, so-so.
  7. John's is a nice place if you are in the neighborhood.
  8. good to place to have lunch or a quick spontaneous pizza dinner!
  9. The service was good, better than Grimalde's and I liked the vibe of the place.
  10. This is great pizza -- nothing fabulous or particularly original, but satisfying, even mouthwatering slices and a pretty cool joint to boot make this place one that I would definitely return to again and again.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. Don't forget to tip for good service and food because you will go back.
  2. This is great pizza -- nothing fabulous or particularly original, but satisfying, even mouthwatering slices and a pretty cool joint to boot make this place one that I would definitely return to again and again.
  3. We went past a lot of pizza places on the way and heard people on the street talking about gave it a try absolute best were from westchester county and this was worth the trip looking forward to a return trip not too much sauce perfect amount of cheese an
  4. Absolutely the best night - staff friendly- loads of beer-- great with my kids- best pizzas outside of italy-great atmosphere after hours of truggin the streets-cant wait to come back xxxxxx
  5. needles to say it was the best pizza i had ever had and i continue to go back to this day and the food is what its all about.
service
78.6299991607666% positive
  1. We went past a lot of pizza places on the way and heard people on the street talking about gave it a try absolute best were from westchester county and this was worth the trip looking forward to a return trip not too much sauce perfect amount of cheese an
  2. Always fast, great pizza and great service.
  3. Its so light I can have half a pizza without problem and the service and atmosphere are wonderful too!
  4. The service was the worst I've ever had.
  5. And the ambience of the locations are friendly.
  6. The service was great - very friendly actually and the pizza was THE BEST!
  7. So far there is poor service and disappointing food.
  8. Always good service and a good time!
  9. The seating area is crammed and dim, and the staff are not very personal, all of which make it an authentic NYC pizzaria.
  10. Great atmosphere, great service, great pizza.
  11. the staff were very friendly and the pizza was delicious.
  12. This place probably has some of the worst pizza and service in the city.
  13. The waiter came to take our order and seemed nice enough until I declined to order a salad to share with a polite "no thank you.
  14. However, the great service, and a good vibe can't offset how horrible the pizza there was.
  15. The pizza was over the top good and the service was great.
  16. Standing on line wasn't bad --as the people on line were fun to speak to.
  17. After several minutes when the waiter returned we ask for it, he brought out a basket with 3 pieces of cold bread and one slab of butter.
  18. Long lines and nice people!
  19. Absolutely the best night - staff friendly- loads of beer-- great with my kids- best pizzas outside of italy-great atmosphere after hours of truggin the streets-cant wait to come back xxxxxx
  20. The staff was friendly and accommodating.
  21. liked the fast service.
  22. With numerous options and continuously good service, John's Pizzeria rises above the competition in every way.
  23. the service is very friendly and fast but the pizza is average and bland without the garlic.
  24. The walls and windows were tiled with autographed headshots of many famous people, including Harry Connick Jr, Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow.
  25. must say the service was slow but it was crowded.
  26. Don't forget to tip for good service and food because you will go back.
  27. The service is fast and they know how to turn a table.
  28. Everything is so fresh; we can watch them make the pizza which is a visual treat; the decor is beautiful; the service is grand!
  29. The service was good, better than Grimalde's and I liked the vibe of the place.
  30. You hear alot about other places being rude and poor quality food to us tourists but this is not the case at Johns.
  31. The food and service was so good we went back the following day and received the same great service and great pizza.
  32. The atmosphere is pretty good though and the service is friendly.
  33. It beats Lombardi's, which some people seem to think is good just because of the fresh mozzarella, but Grimaldi's is better.
  34. The service was great and the food was awesome.
  35. This rude NY waiter told me to leave the table for it had been reserved for Frank Sinatra, as it had been for the several years.
  36. terrific pizza, close to work, ok service, tight seating, oh, did i mention the terrific pizza !
  37. The Servers are friendly, The atmosphere is unique and authentic old school NY in the front, Vibrantly artistic in the back and the Pizza was out of this world.
  38. Everyone who works there is pretty nice- not overly friendly- not under.
  39. When server brought tab, we found out why service was so bad.
value
100.0% positive
  1. The food was not expensive.
  2. johns pizzeria offers great pizza at a reasonable price.
  3. and when you walk out you feel satisfied because the pizza and food is great and the prices are right.
  4. We went past a lot of pizza places on the way and heard people on the street talking about gave it a try absolute best were from westchester county and this was worth the trip looking forward to a return trip not too much sauce perfect amount of cheese an
  5. Food is fabulous, atmosphere is great and price is fabulous
  6. best pizza i've had (takes a while to get a table on busy nights but its worth it)
  7. John's of Bleecker Street is the best pizza for your best value in this area.
  8. Although there are no slices the pie is a great value.
  9. The food is great and the prices are very reasonable, especially for the city.
  10. we have traveled coast to coast trying pizza everywhere from very inexpensive to shamefully expensive pizza and THIS PIZZA IS THE BEST!
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. After several minutes when the waiter returned we ask for it, he brought out a basket with 3 pieces of cold bread and one slab of butter.
  2. can tell you this I grew up spending Christmases in Conn. and learned real quick that great pizza came from the north east.
  3. good to place to have lunch or a quick spontaneous pizza dinner!
  4. must say the service was slow but it was crowded.
1 Star Rating: Poor

12/29/10

Great Pizza! Yet Indifferent Service??

by Villagevisitor

While the Pizza was good.

John's staff's "indifferent" attititude towards their customers this past week, left me with a "I'll never come back here"

Slam. What's your order? Slam, Here are your drinks! Slam, (no comment from staff) , I guess, here is your bill. My Slam. Left them a $ 1 tip

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/11/10

Great Pizza

by ravterps

Place is real legit

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/08/10

Great pizza!

by CT33

One of my favorite places to go for a good meal. You can't go wrong with really anything on the menu.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/29/10

Simply best!

by KonradNYC

Simply best Pizza in New York City!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/04/10

Great Pizza!

by 917454findtherest

had a great dinner! I grew up in the city of Chicago, Have worked in the industry (restaurant) for nearly a decade, ....(so I know what I'm talking about).This is the best option in this area.

The Details on John's of Bleecker Street

Place Categories:

  • best this pizza
  • great fast service
  • best chared crisp crust
  • favorite pizza place
  • fresh toppings
  • great food
  • great pizzeria atmosphere
  • best john
  • worst ny italian pizza
  • great real coal oven pie
  • great taste
  • great red sauce
  • worst service
  • rude quality food
  • best plain slice
  • warm beer
  • fresh everything
  • rich mozzarella
  • nice people
  • decent pizzeria
  • fabulous price
  • favorite restaurant
  • very friendly staff
  • pretty nice everyone
  • very fresh other ingredients

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