Roberta's

"The neighborhood's most famous restaurant, Roberta's put Bushwick on the pizza map, kickstarting the city’s new Neapolitan movement out of a warehouse that looks like a shipping crate. They’ve since commercialized, with locations in Midtown and Los Angeles, but the original, and its sprawling back room, is still the scene of countless birthday parties, group dinners, and second dates. The best way to eat here is to sit outside and order a bunch of pizza and beer, starting with their classic Bee Sting pie, drizzled with honey. (They also have salads, appetizers, and seafood, but that’s not why you eat here.) If you aren’t in the mood for a Neapolitan, they have a handy slice shop around the corner called R.Slice, which sells New York-style slices with sourdough crusts." - neha talreja, hannah albertine, bryan kim, sonal shah, willa moore

"One of the highlights of dinner at Blanca —a very expensive tasting menu spot attached to Roberta’s—is a charred, fluffy sphere of bread. In reality, this is just Roberta’s pizza dough in a different shape, and you could be eating it tonight if you order pies from this East Williamsburg institution." - team infatuation

"Smack dab in the middle of the plaza above Penn Station, Roberta’s first Manhattan outpost on 33rd Street is surrounded by towering Gap ads and Madison Square Garden, illuminating it like a hovering UFO. The third-story restaurant and rooftop is a far cry from the pizza institution’s original location, which occupies a sprawling Bushwick warehouse. But the Neapolitan pies are exactly the same, and their bubbly, blistered crusts are Roberta’s greatest asset. Given that this place has plenty of practice replicating their food—at their restaurants around the country, and in the frozen pizza aisle—we’re not surprised. photo credit: Roberta's photo credit: Roberta's photo credit: Roberta's Aside from the pizza, there’s a full menu of antipasti, salads, pasta, and entrees which are fine ways to supplement a group meal, but not the main event. If you’re with a group, order a few different pizzas instead—each pie is the size of a frisbee. They have a great cocktail menu with several solid tiki drinks, and big picnic tables at the open-air bar outside, so it's a convenient place for drinks after work or before a show at MSG. There’s an additional bar and enough room for large parties inside as well, where you can see your pizza come out of the bright orange oven in the corner. R.Slice, their slice shop near the entrance downstairs, has a separate selection of New York-style pies if you just want to grab a bite. Food Rundown photo credit: Emily Schindler Bee Sting Honey on pizza is everywhere these days, but Roberta’s was one of the first to do it, and their version is still one of the best. This classic, meaty pie hits every taste bud at once, with tomato, mozzarella, sopressata, chili, and honey on top. photo credit: Kate Previte Ursula’s Parade The small, chewy clams on this pie blend easily into the garlic parmesan breadcrumbs around them, but it’s still full of clam flavor, with a slight kick from the calabrian chili. It’s our favorite pie here. Salads, Appetizers, & More Our preferred way to eat at Roberta’s is to share as many pies as our party can eat—but they do have a robust menu of antipasti, salads, pasta, and bigger meat entrees. It’s all perfectly serviceable, but the flavors are generally underwhelming, and most of the pasta and salads feel like something we could have whipped up at home. If you do want some variety, the smoked porchetta, and the fried skate wing—cooked picatta style—are pretty good." - Neha Talreja

"There’s a certain charm at lunchtime at standout Bushwick restaurant Roberta’s, when diners can linger over a Speckenwolf pizza — mozzarella, speck, crimini mushroom, onion, oregano, black pepper — and some orange wine. The rest of the menu is rounded out with salads, meat plates, sandwiches, and pastas. Sit inside to watch the pizzas being made, or head to the outdoor space for some sunshine." - Alexandra Ilyashov

"What can be said about this Bushwick pioneer that hasn't been said before? Well for starters, if you haven't made the trek to Roberta's yet, you better get ta steppin. But go early or go late, there will likely be a crowd. We've been frequenting since its inception, when it was simply a warehouse with picnic tables, and it's just gotten better with time. From the off-menu Bee Sting pizza (fresh mozzarella, crispy soppressata, and HONEY), to the locally grown (rooftop garden) salads, delicious, simple pastas, and addictive ribs, we can't stay away." - WSDIA | WeShouldDoItAll