Pizza Jawn

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

Made in the same pan as the Detroit-style pizza, these doughy sticks get buried under mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, and garlic sauce. Served with their excellent tomato sauce, you may spend more time being dazzled by the stretching strands of melted cheese than taking your first bite.

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Round Pie

The first time we had a slice of this Neapolitan/New York-hybrid, it was a special—overflowing with thick vodka sauce and creamy piles of ricotta. It was so good that we ate it straight out of the pizza box, burned our mouths, and regretted nothing. Needless to say, this is a topping choice that we recommend if it's available. Pictured here is the margherita, which is a close second best.

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Grandma Pie

This is our favorite style of pie here. The chewy edges and bottom are sprinkled with a handful of sesame seeds, making each bite toasty and nutty. It doesn’t have as much depth as the Detroit pie, so you can only add a maximum of four or five toppings before it starts to get weighed down (but honestly, who needs more than that?).

photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO

Detroit Style Pizza

If you want a pizza that’s thick enough to load up on toppings without the cheese, pepperoni, or peppers gliding off the crust, this is the one. Everything tossed on top of this pizza gets caramelized, including its cheesy edges.

Specialty Sandwiches

In a place that does some of the best work in the city with dough, it’s no surprise that everything they put on bread is perfect. You can expect anything from a chicken, bacon, and creamy ranch on a crackly, seeded roll, to a smashed meatball sandwich on a buttery kaiser roll and a buffalo chicken cheesesteak we’d put at the top of our desert island list. When you see one on the menu, grab one before they sell out in 40 seconds.