NYCReview
photo credit: Liz Clayman
Wizard Hat Pizza
Included In
Pop-ups can be a test of patience. You might encounter official drops, or long lines, or posts with those two dreaded words: “Sold Out.”
But not at Wizard Hat. It’s a pizza pop-up, yes, but in NYC'S scarcity-driven pop-up scene, this Prospect Lefferts Garden spot feels like a breath of fresh, freely available air. So fresh, and so obtainable, that when you order a pizza, there will actually be open time slots for pick-ups. No, you’re not being served some sort of well-timed internet ad—you can have great pop-up pizza, and you can eat it tonight.
photo credit: Liz Clayman
Wizard Hat got its start in 2021, with frequent appearances at Any Thing, and they’re currently making pizza magic down the street from that bar at Chickadee Bread. They have future plans for their own brick-and-mortar, but for now, head to this quiet stretch of Rogers Avenue, where you’ll receive your pizza through the unmarked door of an extra-mysterious storefront with its windows completely painted over.
The whole transaction is quick, but thrilling. Like, oh—you haven’t picked up pizza from the unmarked door yet? Well, you totally should.
photo credit: Liz Clayman
photo credit: Liz Clayman
If you’re picking up just one pie, get the spicy pepperoni. But there are six options, and we’d recommend trying a few of them, as well as the very lemony caesar salad. Come here with a group, preferably of people who enjoy eating hot pizza, right on the sidewalk. Chew your naturally leavened crust in unison. It's crisp, and as light as well-seasoned air. Snag your sixth slice and do the eating-in-silence-because-the-food-is-too-good thing. Dip that last bite in ranch.
We slid that in at the end, because we wanted all you ranch haters to know about the good stuff before you got here. But you should also know that Wizard Hat’s tangy, herby buttermilk dip has the power to fundamentally alter the brain chemistry of anti-ranch-on-pizza New Yorkers. Don’t believe us? Head to the unmarked door.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Liz Clayman
Spicy Pepperoni
photo credit: Liz Clayman
Cheese Pizza
photo credit: Willa Moore
Funghi Bianca
photo credit: Liz Clayman
Speck & Piña
photo credit: Liz Clayman