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Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
"I ordered take out from "Pinch" (Pizza by the Inch) and was not disappointed. A friend and I ordered 24 inches of chicken…" read more »
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The Pizza ain't great. In fact, it tastes like cheese-covered cardboard. But that's not the point. When you're a starving NYU student (which is half of the population, the other being trust-fund hipsters), a $3.50 for two slices and a drink deal is a God send, particularly between classes. The line is never longer than four people, there are places to sit along the bar and mirror in the tiny room, and you can hop back out to your class quickly.
Truly, this is a one-star place. But for sustaining me through the literal lean years of my college life (when I weighed about thirty pounds less than I do now) AND for the fact that you're the fastest pizza delivery service in town, I'm granting you an extra two stars, Mercatz. You deserve it.
FOOD: Awful pizza for an awfully good price.
SERVICE: No nonsense. In fact, I'm not sure these guys know many words in English besides "Cheese", "Slice", and "That one, right there". Which ain't a bad thing, I'll tell you, because when you're in a hurry, you don't want to be jawing with somebody.
Yeah, yeah. They serve calzones and meat pies and whathaveyou, but considering the quality of the pizza, I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole. Thou hast been warned, wayfarer!
As a pizza fan, you may ask why i am reviewing a random pizza joint such as Pizza Mercato. Well, the fact of the matter is you will not find a more authentic (and reasonably prices) slice of new york style pizza any where else in this area.
In an area full of overpriced, and sub par pizza spots (aka famigilia) and fancy pizza shops (otto & patsy's - which i both love don't get me wrong) pizza mercato stands as pizza, the way i grew up and remember it from my old neighborhood, with Gooey cheese and yummy sauce.
It's fine. Just fine. I prefer to get pizza here than the non-pizzerias that serve pizza (yes, I'm talking about you, Campus Eatery and Cafe University). The plain slice is passable, if smaller than what I get at my fave spot Mariellas (at 16th and 3rd), and the garlic knots, while stale on one visit, were softer and more flavorful the next.
I like to order a slice of pizza and one garlic knot, and I think ordering one knot ala carte (as opposed to an order of 5) kind of throws them for a loop. I think I get charged a different price for my knot each time. But I can't complain too much -- it's $3+change for a slice, a knot, and a small fountain soda.
I do not enjoy the fact that this place is SO cramped. There is high chair seating at 2 very narrow counters and it can be hard to maneuver around inside during the lunch rush.
I made the mistake of getting a meatball sub here. Cause it's close proximity to the music building where I will spend all eternity locked in a room with a piano and my laptop transcribing this ridiculous Coltrane solo from "One Down, One Up". I was hungry. I wanted meatballs for some reason. This is not the place to get meatballs. Should've gotten a calzone from Famigilia instead.... oh well. It filled me up, it just wasn't very good.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner of the prestigious The Only Reason You're in Business is Because of Your Proximity to the NYU Campus award.
I have done some soul searching to come up with some redeeming qualities for Mercato, but have come up empty-handed. I don't care that it's only $4 for 2 slices and a soda. It could be that I'm extremely jaded after 4 years of being served rubber cheese on corrugated cardboard. Or maybe I'm sick of CAS girls complaining about their Intro to Psych midterm. Either way, there are much better places in the neighborhood to grab lunch.
Thankfully the prices are low and the delivery is fast. The slice is fine. The calzones are a bit below par. The lasagna is the best thing I've found there but I'm not saying this to recommend heading there for it specifically. If you live near here and want to pop in for a slice or order lasagna to show up inside 10 minutes, go for it. Don't expect much beyond decent food and a low price. For that, Mercato, you get bumped up to three stars.
See the photo for this place? That's the entire reason to go here. I probably ate here more than any other place except MAYBE Chickpea (back when it was Chickpea, not whatever it is now) when I was at NYU. Yeah, the pizza's nothing special, but when you're a cheap student, you care more about value than quality.
The pizza here is nothing special at all. They're cheap and close to NYU, and thats why they're in business
I don't know why NYU seems to always order Pizza Mercato. I must've eaten it around twice a month for the past 4 months, and I feel like I need to get the anger off my chest.
There is absolutely no taste in the pizza slices; the bread feels like cardboard and the rest of it tastes like it too. Worst of all, even without any proper discernible taste, the pizza is saturated with oil. The only reason Mercato manages 2 stars is because like many pizzas, its still edible, even though it's terrible in comparison to other NY pizzas. Try not to come here because there are many other pizza joints in the Village area much more worthy to dish out money on.
You can get better pizza probably just about anywhere else. The garlic knots are pretty decent. The only pizza I'd get here is the eggplant. The regular slices are be quite nasty.
I'll go here if I'm desperately hungry before class. It could actually get pricey here if you order ala carte instead of following their specials.
got a broccoli and cheese calzone and a sprite. delivered.
meh is all i really have to say.
any more would be a waste of breath.
any less would be completely appropriate.
As any NYU student will tell you, Pizza Mercato is where you go if you are:
a) rushing between classes during a time where every other place is packed with weary students
b) craving a quick slice of pizza
c) drunk off pre-gaming
Greasy but fresh, cheap but mildly lackluster, Pizza Mercato is the perfect hole-in-the-wall pizza place, a no-frills joint that doesn't even really try to pretend its salad and meal bar is any good. Like I said, the pizza here is greasy and not exactly stellar, but it'll do, especially when you just want a slice of pepperoni without having to wait an hour and paying twice as much somewhere else. I wouldn't really recommend anything beyond the pizza or garlic knots--I had the chicken roll, and it was kind of awful--but that's good enough for this place.
There is seating inside, but during peak meal times, you'll be hard-pressed to get a seat at the dirty-looking red bars. Do yourself a favor and take your pizza to Washington Square Park or, if you're an NYU student, across the street to the bottom floor lounge of Waverly.
This is also the perfect place to order a pie from, as the cheap price gives you the biggest bang for your buck. No wonder every single NYU student organization orders from here (and yes, the delivery is very prompt).
Bathroom Grade: N/A. Then again, I wouldn't really want to use a bathroom here anyway.
Yaaaaaay! Pizzzzzzza! Cheap. Pizzzzzzza!
Pizza Mercato never fails me. This is a true hole in the wall and student staple. This place is definitely student driven. I have spent many a snack and dinner time with friends at Pizza Mercato. We were poor college students and when we didn't have the money to splurge at Uno's, Pizza Mercato was it for us.
Ordering is simple. Just go for the special. The drink is a true "small". You will be so thirsty after eating 1/2 a slice because there is so much cheese and grease on the pizza, you will need more soda to quench your thirst. Pizza Mercato is a great fix for when you are craving cheese pizza. You can even add more parmesan cheese on to your slice once you sit down.
Pizza Mercato is like the pizza parlor for junkies. It will give you a temporary high. And with prices this low, you will have to roll your dice or flip a quarter to decide where you should spend your 3 bucks- at Grey's Papayas or Pizza Mercato? It's a toss up. But whenever I want to get grounded and go back to those pre-salary days, I head to Pizza Mercato.
Great pizza, great price, great location (right next to Washington Square Park). I got a fresh tomato and basil slice (Margherita), and it tasted very authentic Italian; the ingredients were fresh, the crust was perfectly crispy, and everything was melted just right. I wish this place was open late!
As an NYU student, I've probably eaten more Pizza Mercato in the past several months than most people will ever eat in their lives. Pizza Mercato shows up at just about every club event you'll attend at NYU. That said, I've never set foot inside the place and I've been told by a friend that it's not so bad if you go inside the place, but I'm skeptical and would never go in based on the experiences I've had so far. Most of the countless pizzas I've consumed from this place seem to be made carelessly -- the crust is often too thick, but doesn't remain too thick from pizza to pizza. Sometimes the pizzas are exceedingly greasy. The sauce is essentially tasteless, the outer crust is too hard, and the cheeses have a very processed taste which doesn't call to mind anything close to real mozzarella (or any quality cheese I've tasted in my life). You can pick up a better pizza just about anywhere in New York, so don't waste your time here...
3 stars for the value. the pizza is just ok but the prices are good. ive actually never stepped inside this place but ive eaten more pizza mercato pizza than any other ny joint because this is where almost all of nyu gets its pizza for club events or classes.
There is only one reason to go to Pizza Mercato...and that's for the $3 special for 2 cheese slices and a tiny drink. You stand at the counter and load up your slices with all the seasoning shakers (I would always pound the garlic shaker), and you're good to go. Gourmet pizza it's not, but it definitely hits the spot, although the tiny drink will leave you thirsty afterwards (ask for no ice in your drink to get you an extra ounce of drink). Finding a seat can be difficult during busy hours, and this isn't a place for the claustrophobic. A place that has its flaws and quirks, but it feels so routine it feels like home.
Back when I was in the city I never realized how much I'd be missing places like this. If you wanna complain about how poor the quality is I'd like you to come taste what pizza tastes like here in Seattle. The pizza is cheap at mercato, but not cheap as in pizza that's left out all day with lousy tasting toppings.
Yep, just like everybody else I go to Pizza Mercato for the dirt cheap prices... I have yet to find cheaper pizza in the city. They have a few unusual toppings. The pizza's not terrible, but not very impressive either, so I really only go when I get tired of the other better options in the neighborhood.
You can do worse for pizza, but this is my pick for eating around Washington Square Park. The thin crust cheese is made pretty well, with a slight crunch/crisp to it. All other slices are decent as well. I recommend the 2 slices of cheese with 12oz of soda for $4, and buy an additional can of pop to go with it.
Pizza Mercato's pizza is kind of taste likes cardboard after awhile, but its cheap! Maybe I am jaded because i go to NYU and every student club orders from here because it feeds the most mouths with a limited budget . The delivery men are awesome and always prompt. I have only eaten in the restaurant once. I had that 2 slices and a gulp of soda special and it was satisfying. I'll give them an extra star because of the friendly people behind the counter and the amazing garlic knots.
Dirt cheap but totally unimpressive. The pizza tastes like cardboard and tomato paste. Packed to the gills with NYU-ers, fun to eavesdrop.
Really cheap, but you get what you paid for. Pizza is really so-so. The one sandwich I had was sad. Go up a block to La Mia on 8th.
$5.50 got me two slices of tomato pizza and a small Coke. Tomato pizza? It's a slice featuring fresh mozarella, thin slices of tomato, basil, and garlic. Not quite a white pizza in that there's a thin layer of sauce, but close enough to be special. Delicious. Not as cheap as the special, but a good test of their pizza prowess!
This is not just a cheap student joint -- it's the great unknown corner pizza parlor of New York. Slices are not pre-baked and dried out, but are piled up with fresh (-ish) toppings, waiting to go into the oven when you say so. (I recommend the barbecue chicken topping.)
I don't know what kind of magic they do, exactly, but you wind up with a slice that's succulent and tasty on top, and yet perfectly crisp and even crackling on the bottom. Try it!
chicken parm sandwich and a drink for $5.50? i ain't complainin
Pizza Mercato is crowded daily by NYU students who like the special: $3.25 for two slices and a small soda. The pizza is bland but passable, and it's the cheapest lunch in the neighborhood.
Cheap eats 2 slices of pizza and a soda for $4and the pizza really isn't all that bad. It's not amazing, but it's good NYC pizza, convenient for NYU students.
Back in the day when I was an NYU student, I would often go here for lunch. It's cheap, not amazing pizza, but definetly not bad pizza either.
Fairly decent pizza for very reasonable prices. Perfect if you're in a rush and only have a few bucks to spend on lunch or dinner. Not exactly a four star meal, but i've definitely spent alot more money on alot worse food.
Big with the NYU crowd since it's down the street and it's pizza is delicious. It's reasonably priced as far as pizza goes and it's well worth the wait at lunch time. Finding a place to sit, however, is not worth waiting for.
this is a damn good slice for a hit and run joint. It's close to me, so often it is bound to show up somewher on the weekly diet. Now don't misunderstand,it's not otto. they simply offer the basic slices, subs, baked pastas, and rolls, but they seem to do it better then most of the pizza stores in the area. they cook those puppies just right when you get it well done, so the cheese is golden brown, and the crust is crispy. They are damn cheap too. they cater to the nyu crowd, so you've been warned but as i said for hit and run, or delivery for that matter, you can't go wrong with a mercato slice, a coke, and a smile.
Great student special for decent pizza when you're on the run.
looks like everyone else already said it,,, but if you go to NYU and dont know where pizza mercato is,,, then well, you dont go to NYU lol good cheap food! for the starving poor student
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