Caruso Pizzeria & Restaurant

I have been here a couple of times and it has been great. i usually come here with friends and family to get the pie, and i wait a bit while me and my friends are waiting at the tables and there food are really good i have to admit but the prices are high only if they nerf the prices then i would’ve gave it a 5 stars.

Very good pizza, I especially like the sesame seeds on the crust. They also have different varieties a pizza and I love those zeppoles.

Honestly, I stopped by for a place to sit and to use the restroom. But I ended up having one of the best pizza I’ve ever had. I got a Sicilian slice, and it was simply delicious. The pesto (?) on top was great, I even licked my plate clean of the tomato sauce…

Great pizza, always get it with sesame seeds on the crust:)

I am really surprised that this place doesn’t have a higher rating. Frankly I’d expected to see a 4 or 4.5 Best neighborhood pizza place within at least a mile. Really good plain, fresh mozzarella, and grandma slices (and the sesame seed crust is great). Definitely the place to go if you are thinking pizza.

Loved their pizza with fresh mozzarella and basil oil. Tasted like it was made with lots of care and love. Perfect quick and cheap bite after walking up and down Smith St.

Be weary of their cleaniness… same guy handles your food and money without washing/​cleaning his hands.
Not to sure but last time I heard, money is one of the most dirtiest objects.

I live right across the street for this place and I am so happy I do! I order the Grandma Pizza or a Pepperoni with mushroom, onion and extra cheese. I always tell them that I want the sesame crust. If you don’t tell them, then they won’t do it. The sesame on the crust kind of makes the pizza too.

Stopped for a quick slice after visiting my friends before heading back to Manhattan. Good slice. Over priced 20 ounce soda. The variety available when entering is impressive. I will stop here again when around and in need of a bite to eat.

If you’re looking for a quick, cheap, but mediorce quality bite of pizza, Caruso’s for you.
Caruso’s is your ordinary NYC corner pizzeria. Absolutely nothing special. Their crust was pretty good, but no where near the best. Their sauce was disgusting, and their cheese was spread into thick chunks. Their service was fast, but they weren’t that nice, nor did they come and ask us if our meal was ok. The seating was absolutely disgusting. The underside of the chairs/​booths and tables were oozing with gum. I suspect next time the health inspectors come around they won’t be getting an A. The sole reason I’ve gone multiple times is because I live right next to it.

Ahhh caruso’s what can I say? Get your pizza here (yea skip domino’s which is 2 stores away) lol love the sesame crust pizza a little something you don’t see often anymore. The pizza is good and consistent. And a nice touch is the «real» Italian owner that occasionally has his son learning the ropes behind the counter. Too many kids these days have no appreciation for what there parents have done to raise them. Nice to see teachings from one generation to the next

The food was delicious, very fresh and the pizza crust was amazing. The garlic knots were perfection. I will definitely order from here again.

Stay away from this place. While eating pizza I saw one cockroach running across the floor and another one crawling on a table next to me.
No way this place could’ve gotten «A» on their last health inspection.
Pizza was very average.

I find myself in this neighborhood a lot because there are a lot of shops I frequent as well as a coffee place that I enjoy doing work at.
One day after a long session of grading papers and a numb mind and empty stomach I found myself longing for a slice of pizza. Luckily I was only a few doors down from Carusos. I walked in to what looked like a typical pizza place. All of the pizza looked appealing enough. What caught my eye was the grandma slice with a touch of pesto. I cant say no to pesto. Overall, I really enjoyed this slice of pizza especially because of the pesto. The sauce on the pizza is OK but the crust and the pesto elevate it to another level. I have been back several times since and always order the grandma slice. I cannot speak on behalf of any of the other slices because I am pretty smitten with this one.

A good basic slice.
The seeds on the crust are really nice.

Smith
Deserves
Better slice
Joints but few and
Far between. Eat here when broke and hangry.

[For the purposes of this review, I’m going to claim that] There are two types of pizzerias.
1. Gourmet. Be it thin crust, Neapolitan, whatever, these places are more expensive and usually only sell full pies. This is because their ingredients are fresh, and pies must be made to order (to sell by the slice would compromise the quality of the crust).
2. Slice joints. They are everywhere in the city, and they range from godawful $ 1 slice spots to actually quality places that give NYC its reputation for pizza.
Caruso is certainly not gourmet, and it falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum for slice joints. I’ve never had anything other than a regular slice (or one where the pepperoni has been tossed on as an afterthought) and I probably never will.
In fact, I often tell myself that I shouldn’t eat pizza unless it’s from one of the nearby gems (Sottocasa, Lucali, hopefully Krescendo). But every thrice in a while I drink too much at one the bars on Smith St., and Caruso is right there. Waiting.

You are passing by on Smith St. Yes!
You live in the delivery vicinity? Yes!
You’re looking for a destination sit down establishment that sells pizza? No!
Neighborhood pizza shop. The pizza won’t blow you away, but you’ll be happy if craving a slice and they serve a few basic pasta dishes for inexpensive prices.

My neighborhood pizza joint.
I think their basic slice is the way to go. What makes them unique is the sesame seeds they roll the dough in — nice touch.

It’s a typical corner pizza joint, serving slices from pre-​made pies as well as custom delivery/​takeout. Two things I thought were different from many other typical places:
1. More meat topped options… my choice was generously smothered in chopped bacon. There were several other protein-​topped offerings in the pre-​made racks.
2. They have a variety of crusts, but their signature pies are pretty thick. That said, they were only thick in volume. The dough is firm on the bottom but the rest is pillowly/​light.
Overall, pretty good for a quick bite. Not a pizza mecca or worth a pilgrimage, but also a bit different than many average places.