PHLReview
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Pizza Jawn
Included In
To eat some of the best pizza in the city, you’ll either have to secure a reservation at Pizzeria Beddia, call Angelo’s and hope they pick up, or stand in line at Pizza Shackamaxon. But at Pizza Jawn, you simply have to order online or walk in, pay around $25 or less, and walk out with one of the best pies of your life.
After a few years of perpetually sold-out pop-ups, Pizza Jawn opened a brick-and-mortar spot in Manayunk. You’ll recognize the building on Main Street—it’s covered in blue pizza-shaped clouds and usually has 2000s hip-hop blasting with the door open.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
The takeout-only shop might have some specialty pizzas every once in a while, but you’ll always find Grandma, Detroit-style, and a round Neapolitan/New York-style hybrid on the menu. Each pizza has golden crispy edges, and the Grandma is always speckled with sesame seeds on its edges and bottom. If you go for the thin-crust round, expect a chewy, charred, and puffy crust with quarter-sized smoky circles on the edges. The pan-roasted Detroit style has crunchy caramelized cheese and toppings around the rim.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
So you might be wondering: which style of pie is best? We go for the Grandma because of its breadstick-like thickness and the nutty flavor that comes from the sesame seeds. The dough has some heft, which means it can hold the weight of Pizza Jawn’s 38 topping choices (okay, maybe not all of them). Keep it simple, though, and go with a margherita. It has the perfect balance of ingredients and the mozzarella is some of the creamiest in town. The constant element for all of the pies is the tangy-sweet tomato sauce that would be good enough to use as a dip in a stand-alone dish.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
When it comes to the specialty pies, sandwiches, and other menu items—which get randomly announced on their Instagram like a surprise album release—expect things like lasagna sandwiches wrapped in a seeded kaiser roll and birria pizza. They rotate often, so like the characters in Black Mirror, there’s no point in getting attached since you’ll never see them again.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Pizza Jawn works as an easy dinner option after Happy Hour in Manayunk, or anytime you have pizza on the brain (which is often). But regardless of the occasion, you’ll have one of the best pizzas in the city—and in a city full of excellent options, that's saying a lot.
Food Rundown
Cheesy Garlic Bread
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Round Pie
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Grandma Pie
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Detroit Style Pizza
Specialty Sandwiches