Grimaldi’s Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria

133 Clinton Street / 201-792-0800

I’ve always been a softie and rooted for the underdog. So when everybody raved about Grimaldi’s having the best pizza, I was skeptical and felt the need to defend my love for Benny Tudinos. (Don’t ask why a pizza place would incite such deep emotions…it’s a slippery slope.) So I decided to order in a mushroom pie one Sunday morning and test this so-called winner out.

The pizza was pretty good, but I wasn’t wowed. It must have cooled on the journey and in doing so the crust lost all crunch and instead had a hard pull to it. The cheese was still fresh and delicious, and there are no complaints on the tomato sauce—so I decided that judging them based on delivery might not be responsible journalism.

A few weeks later, with Chelsea in tow, I headed to Grimaldi’s to test the pizza in its natural environment. Hey – its only fair. Though Chelsea is a phenomenal dining companion, she often times dulls my senses by insisting on drinks (hehe – stick to the truth, Chel)but seeing that she’s my only known companion in Hoboken, I comply. So we order a large pitcher of beer along with a medium mushroom pie and wait. To my disease and sorrow, I realize all of the raving is justified. The crust is thin and crispy, the cheese tasts rich and delicious, fresh mushrooms as they should be and delicate sauce. Loved it. All four slices. And though I do love pizza, that my friends, does not happen very often ;)

So in all – Grimaldi’s is delicious pizza, though probably best enjoyed when dining in, which works out nicely because this restaurant is probably the nicest pizza joint in Hoboken.