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Totale Pizza - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
36 St. Marks Pl(between 3rd Ave & Astor Pl)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 254-0180
- Nearest Transit:
-
Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)
8 St - Nyu (N, R)
3 Av (L)
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
42 reviews for Totale Pizza
Review Highlights
"I have eaten the margherita pie at the restaurant and also..."
(in 8 reviews)
"...dinner we had the Margherita and Prosciutto E Rucola pizzas."
(in 2 reviews)
"The margherita for $5 is the best pizza deal in the city."
(in 3 reviews)
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Alexa C.
New York, NY
11/29/2010
Perfect in-between lunch/dinner spot.
It's not too fancy, it's fast, but it's a definite step up from your corner slice joint. The $5 margarita pizza is an excellent deal, and the ingredients don't skimp in quality. Add to that fresh and tasty salad options and BYOB, and Totale is a winner for a quick sitdown meal on the cheap. -
Review from Roni S.
Brooklyn, NY
Updated - 11/13/2010
Totale used to be my favorite in the area, beating Motorino in terms of price and convenience. For a time, I had sworn off all other pizza shops, I'd head over to Totale at least once a week to for a delicious pie. I'd pick a different one every week, grab a couple bottles of Boylan's around the corner, and have a picnic at St. Mark's Church. As great as that sounds, it seems like those days are numbered.
Over the course of the past few weeks, things have changed at Totale. The Bianca uses plain canned olives, there's a different chef every time I come in, and they are perpetually out of prosciutto. The last two pies I had were very inconsistent, one was left in the oven for too long, the other was taken out prematurely.
When this place opened, I was impressed with how on point it was. It was affordable, tasty, and very consistent. As of right now, all that has changed. While the lower prices and addition of custom toppings are welcome changes, inconsistency and lesser quality ingredients are not.
I'm not sure what is going on, but this place had me as a die-hard convert for many months. Maybe there just isn't a market for true artisan pizza on St. Marks when Two Bros is just a few steps away, but I really wish they would bring the quality back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/25/2010
I used to go to Motorino on my lunch break, but after Rachel Ray and the papers blew that place up,… Read more »
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Review from Chris H.
8/29/2010 3 photos
The 12" Margherita pie is only $5
Fresh tasting sauce, slightly watery, but well balanced flavors. The crust is conscientiously charred and springy - an adroit attempt at Neapolitan style pies.
The 12" Margherita pie is only $5
Characterless nubs of mozzarella do little more than add contrasting colors and just the slightest hint of creaminess.
The 12" Margherita pie is only $5
A lone, overworked server brusquely takes orders and drops off food with the efficiency and deadpan of an auto assembly line robot.
The 12" Margherita pie is only $5
The space is sparse, the menu is minimal, and the experience amounts to a simply utilitarian meal of pizza. Certainly not at the level of Motorino or Luzzo's, but far from the worst pie to be had in the city.
Did I mention that the 12" Margherita pie is only $5?Listed in: No grieve for the EV, The Elusive $6 Meal, Si Mangia?
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Review from Mark T.
New York, NY
10/1/2010
While attending a happy hour that stretched past happy hour (don't they all?) at Solas around the corner we were pretty hungry. Solas doesn't serve food so we slipped around the corner to Totale and took our pizza back to Solas.
Wow! Fantastic stuff. The $5 margherita pizza is a GREAT deal, and a tasty pizza. It's about 1/2 price (or more) of their other pizza's. I had one slice of the prosciutto pie as well and it was good too - very salty, but very good. We literally DEVOURED two pies in a matter of seconds. After sitting for a few more drinks we were all still hungry, so I went back and got another margherita all for me. And yes, inhaled it too. $5 - what a deal.
The other thing that was so impressive was how fast these pizza's were ready! Literally I couldn't believe it...so fast.
Oh, and although I was carrying out, there seemed to be lots of places to sit if you were eating in. -
Review from Victor S.
Updated - 1/28/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Sad to see that this place has CLOSED. I mean, I can see why. First, the service went really downhill. Downhill FAST. The workers were typically lazy and didn't really bus the tables at all. I would go here a good amount and would often have to get my own water, plates, pepper, etc. The pizza was also inconsistent. It was great at first, especially for the price, but in the later months, the pizza was typically watery (too much mozz) and burnt.
And while the $5 margherita was a great price, it was so cheap that there was no point in ordering anything else, especially when the other items were twice the price. I mean, that's still cheap for a nice pizza, but still. And of course, 2 bros nearby. I mean, for me there's no comparison. I will pay an extra 2 bucks to have a better pizza here at Totale.
RIP Totale. It was a good concept but just couldn't last. I hope that we will once again see an affordable neapolitan pizza in NYC. If it can be 3 euros in Napoli for a whole pizza, I think someone here in NYC can find a way to charge 6 bucks and make it last.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/31/2010
I hope Totale Pizza ends up bringing about the death of shitty pizza here in NYC. If this… Read more »
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Review from David W.
9/5/2010
A 4-star pizza place in my 'hood?? Then it's only a matter of time before I get to sample it. $5 Margherita pie?? Even better, until you actually start eating it.
The pizza was burned pretty badly on the bottom. Unfortunately I got it to go, so going back and complaining wasn't really worth the time and effort. But I'd say almost 1/3 of my crust was black, which makes it hard to taste the rest of the pizza when I just taste burntness. Was this an off day for them? Probably, but any new place that doesn't take quality control seriously deserves a bad rating. -
Review from Annabelle C.
Guttenberg, NJ
9/20/2010
The idea is great, fresh brick-oven 12'' pies. The execution, EHHHH, not so much. The waiter was very nice & took our order immediately. They had a lot of great menu options but considered I was kind of on the broke side the day I came here, I ordered their cheapest pie. We waited close to 15 minutes for our pie. Although it was ridiculously fresh (that's the best part of Totale), the pizza wasn't mind blowing (which I guess were the expectations I had when I saw the menu). Decent sized pie for about 5 bucks (if I'm not mistaken, this is the margherita only), so in the end, I guess it would be pretty worth it considering you're only spending 5 bucks.
PS: DO NOT GET SODA. YOU PAY 3 BUCKS FOR THE WORLD'S SMALLEST SODA BOTTLE. EVER.
PSS: Make sure they don't burn the bottom of your crust! Not a pleasant taste. -
Review from Sonia C.
8/3/2010
Cheap & tasty artisanal pizza. No, it's not Motorino but yes, it's about 30% cheaper. There are fewer options than at Motorino but what's there is solid. The margherita DOC was a bit too oily for my taste (they could have skipped the superfluous olive oil drizzle) but the prosciutto & arugula pizza was great. Ingredients were fresh and of a higher caliber than I'm used to getting.
Service was great. When I mentioned that I was curious about the chinotto soda, the waiter opened up a bottle for us so that everyone could have a taste.
I would definitely come here for pizza again. It's a little hidden even though it's on St Marks. They could benefit from better signage. -
Review from ssameer s.
New York, NY
8/11/2010
to be honest, it's not the BEST pizza i've ever had, but it sure as fuck is nice to be able to get a nice brick oven (they say neapolitan style, but they cut it into slices, as do most other "neapolitan" joints, but guess what? they don't cut pizza into slices in napoli) pizza for so cheap in the east village, and on st marks st. AND it's BYOB???
sadly, despite the simple (but totally fine by me) decor, great prices, great pizza, and BYOB AND great location, the place never seems to be as packed as i feel it should be. while in a way that's fine by me, as i always get the most choice seating, since there's usually no one there, i fear for this place not being able to survive.
if you're a pizza lover, even a pizza snob, you wont be disappointed in this place. it's SOLID brick oven pizza. great pizza, but like i said before, not the best i've ever had. but when you factor in the location, price, nice simple decor, good lighting (NOT super dim like i'm at a bar or club...wtf?), great prices AND BYOB, it definitely pushes this place into one of the top pizza destinations in the city, and i've tried all the famous ones, except lombardi's which i hear isn't that great, just a lot of hype.
this place is no flash, no hype, just solid ass pizza and great prices. you owe it to yourself to check this place out ASAP, and help keep them open, for all us cheapskate, byob lovin', sit down brick oven pizza fans who wish it great success and a looong run... and please Totale, KEEP IT BYOB!!!! -
Review from Amy L.
New York, NY
8/17/2010
Decent Neapolitan pizza at a nice price. Got the basic margherita for $7.75 - shareable with a friend or eatable on your own if you're really hungry. Crust was a little charred but flavors were good otherwise. Had a slice of my friend's prosciutto pizza which was nice as well. Spinach salad with goat cheese dressing, olive oil and pine nuts did the job at $5.
Beware if you ask for extra plates when sharing food. They seem only to have one size of plate, and that's pizza-size.
Server was a little space cadety (forgot to put in an order for one of our pizzas), but nice enough. Didn't rush us when we had to wait a while for 3 of 5 people to show up. And no troubles getting a table at 8pm on a Monday, even though the place is quite small. Good standby for a drama-free, nice-ish (e.g. compared to 2 Bros), cheapish pizza dinner if you're in the area. -
Review from Eric C.
9/24/2010
The dark horse of east village pizzas, or more specifically, St. Marks pizza. The pizza is very good, the crust tastes Motorino-y at un-Motorino-y prices. The sauce is more fresh than not, properly salted, albiet sometimes a bit thin to my liking. I figure out why they toss the basil in before the pie goes into the oven.
The margherita for $5 is the best pizza deal in the city. -
Review from Paul L.
8/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
Hits the hot spot where it's most needed. Coming from the same proprietor of 2 Bros. Pizza, we got a little bit more of an upscale dining experience with white tablecloths and non-plastic utensils, and an exposed to the street dining area. But you can do it for nothing more than $13 a pie. But you have to pay at least $5 for the Margherita pie. Yes, love stills costs money.
At times it seems the line to sit can be quite the wait but it also doesn't stay long for long for long for long. Maybe longer but definitely not longest. But if you are of the strongest then I think things may thoroughly change. But change you must bring because the $5 pie is not really $5! It's really $5.25! Or $5.45 because when I came home I had two quarters and a nickel in my pocket and I don't recall spending 20enty cents at any point in the night.
Start the fight for the last slice.
Sweep the crumbs lest you want mice!
But don't let me tell you thrice!
Get your pizza now,
Or you'll never how nice.
It is.Listed in: Pizzaiolos!
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Review from Lawrence C.
New York, NY
5/24/2010
Besides my first-week review of Faustina (fueled by my man-love of Scott Conant), I generally am content to let a restaurant settle into its groove before visiting it. But when I heard Totale Pizza was offering up small Neapolitan-style pizzas at the ridiculous introductory price of $5.75, I figured, what did I have to lose by going prematurely? ($5.75, I guess.)
In this case, I showed up two days after opening. The space is a narrow alleyway of black and white tiles, at the end of which lies the semicircular aperture into an oven that is, as advertised, wood-fired. I chose to get the margherita, which turns out to be a 12-inch pie.
I was, frankly, expecting the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. Steaming hot, the crust was charred pretty nicely! The upskirt check showed some char as well -- we should all know by now that all good pizza crusts are mildly carcinogenic. The cornicione (end crust) didn't really show much puffing up, however, at least compared to the local standard of Motorino just a few blocks away. A nice helping of fresh mozarella was spread around, as well as a couple of desultory basil leaves.
The first bite struck me as... salty. I eventually narrowed this sensation down to the tomato sauce. Other early reports have called the sauce "sweet", but I don't really agree. Certainly it was not as tangy or rich as the other Neapolitan palaces like Motorino or Keste. But come on, $5.75. The sauce was fine. The cheese was unremarkable, neither spectacular nor offensive, though it did exhibit that characteristic of so many Neapolitan-style pies: it tended to slide off the slice.
I only realized when I got to the cornicione that the entire pie had been slightly undercooked, even for a Neapolitan style. There was a mild suggestion of gumminess in the center of the cornicione which I barely noticed during the first slice, but by the time I had made it through a few, my jaw noticed it easily. A little longer in the oven, guys -- maybe I'll ask for it "well-done" next time. The pie could tolerate a little more char anyway. Other than cooking time and a lack of rise, the crust tasted respectable enough.
So what is Totale's niche in the East Village pizza wars? I hardly think it's meant to compete with the likes of Motorino, or Luzzo's (nor the different category occupied by Artichoke and Vinny Vincenz). Still, it can't be denied: for what is for now a crazily low price, you can get an quasi-Neapolitan pie with minimum fuss. Now, with Two Bros. and its large $1 slices almost literally next door, it's hard to see the young drunk crowd embracing Totale, though the chalkboard sign advertising the "whole margherita or marinara pie, $5.75" helps. Anyway, I wish them well. Just cook your pies longer.
Probability of return within 1 year: 30% -
Review from Diana N.
NY
8/16/2010
I love Totale. My favorite pizzas are the prosciutto and arugula (YUM) and the margarita (DOUBLE YUM). The crust is the perfect combination of thin and chewy. Delicious! They are personal pizzas and you can definitely finish one by yourself or order a bunch to share wtih friends. They sell soft drinks in the glass bottles (coke, sprite, etc) and they also sell a bitter soft drink that is made from a fruit found only in Italy. That drink is an acquired taste for sure.
The servers here are SUPER nice and friendly (I am convinced that our server is a doppleganger for Ryan Philippe =P). This place is great for small groups (4-5) and service is excellent. Prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend Totale. -
Review from Justin L.
Updated - 3/18/2011
Since my review, this place went downhill big time. I was never a regular here, but several weeks back I got time to go back and got 2 pies that were an absolute joke. One was there namesake Totale, which was drowning in rosemary and WAY too salty. My friend's pie, which was a margarita with genoa salami and sausage, was something was even a napoletana would shun: completely waterlogged and also burnt, with all flavors you'd expect either not present or tasting WAY off. At this point waiter service was gone also, with 2 random latino guys listening to loud music with the front doors wide open even though it was freezing out. If I had to guess, this place didn't make a profit immediately, the owners panicked and cut back on ingredients and staff, and this cycle continued until the place was left as I just described it. Too bad, this might've worked.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/16/2010
I got out of work early and didn't feel like schlepping out to the outer borough this time around,… Read more »
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Review from Ariel O.
New York, NY
8/23/2010
My friends own this place and I snuck in without them knowing for a taste.
Knowing the family and their very strict rules to use only the best, I was not surprised when the pizza was 5 stars and as good as it looked.
Excellent.
Hungry? Order 1 pie. With a friend? Order 3. -
Review from Jason G.
9/6/2010
Got a Margherita pizza for $5 (it was a special). It was good for gourmet pizza, not great. I don't think I'd pay full price (around $11) for one.
The place has no character. It's got black and white tile that is out of place for the neighborhood. -
Review from Cindy T.
New York, NY
9/19/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Totale Pizza is totally worth a try. Totally.
Totale Pizza is currently offering its margherita pizza for only $5, which is an incredible deal. If you have eaten at any of the other Neopolitan pizza places in the city, you have paid three times that much for the same kind of pie.
Totale Pizza's $5 margherita pie is equivalent to the much-ballyhooed Motorino's $14 margherita pie in every way. If you put the pies next to each other, you would be hard-pressed to distinguish between them. They are the same size, have the same kind of crust made with wheat flour & Neapolitan yeast, use very similar sauces (comprised of tomato and extra virgin olive oil) and mozzarella, and are topped with fresh basil. Same, same, same.
So, yeah, I'm going to buy the less expensive pie because I like money and pizza.
I have eaten the margherita pie at the restaurant and also taken it home. My take-home pie did not fair well. I live only one avenue from Totale. The takeaway box did not survive that short 5-minute walk. Plus, the crappy box made my pizza wilt, so it wasn't as good to eat as when it's fresh from the stove at the restaurant. I advise you to eat in for the best experience.
EDIT (written Jan. 15, 2011): Totale is closed. It has been turned into a Two Bros Pizza. -
Review from Ting Ting G.
Brooklyn, NY
5/29/2010
Yum! Surprisingly delicious!
Check my out my full review with pictures on my blog! The website is on my profile :) -
Review from Amanda L.
New York, NY
8/26/2010
$5 margherita.
Need I say more?
Probably not, but I will -- just a little bit though. The sauce was perfectly sweet, the cheese melty and thick, the basil just peppery enough, the crust with that slightly-burnt taste but only a little bit.
I want to try the other pies, but considering that they are double the price of my stealie $5 pie, I probably won't. -
Review from Josh W.
7/25/2010
When I first heard about this place for having relatively priced neopolitan style pizza I decided I had to come try it at some point. The pies are between $7 and $13 and are about 12 inches.
I decided to try out the Totale (pine nuts, red onion, romano, rosemary) and the Prosciutto E Rucola (with arugula and mozzarella). The Totale is an homage to the rosa pizza at Pizza Bianco and I thought it was very good. Though the first thing I thought was it might have been a bit salty, it was a delicious pizza. The pizza is baked in a wood fire oven and the crust is nice and crispy but still chewy. The prosciutto pizza was very good as well. The arugula and salty prosciutto were great on the crust.
Overall, a solid place to go if you're on St. Marks. I can't compare this to Motorino as I haven't been there yet, but its $5-7 cheaper for post pies and its not too crowded at night. -
Review from Jason K.
Brooklyn, NY
9/20/2010 1 photo
Hit up this joint with 5 other friends. No problem getting seated. Personally, I had the $5 margherita pizza special. Nothing fantastic, but good for the price.
There is a small bodega around the corner so you can BYOB. -
Review from erika s.
New York, NY
8/30/2010
I just knew in my heart such a good thing could not last forever....
Bring Your Own Wine.
No corkage fee.
I don't need to repeat the price of the [incredibly delicious, way bigger than you expect, super-fresh] Margherita pizza, but I will...It's FIVE DOLLARS.
Amazing. -
Review from Rodrigo V.
New York, NY
9/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
Hey, people are not coming to my pizza joint. Wait, now I have margherita pizza for 5 bucks. Maybe they will...
Instead of lowering the price, try not drenching the top of the pizza with tomato sauce. Try cleaning off the leftover melted cheese in the oven so that the bottom of the pizza doesn't take burnt bits. Try putting a bit more cheese and salting/ flavoring the dough. I would be glad to pay a little more for a quality product- the idea is good, with a little care it can improve to be an affordable snack in the area. -
Review from Gee K.
Brooklyn, NY
8/10/2010
RIP Pizza Totale, the world was just not ready for your vision. You will be missed.
------------------old review------------------
This place is great. It's small, efficient, perfectly priced, and puts out a great product. Though I hate to mention it...If it franchised out, I believe it would be very successful.*
When I visited there was only one person manning the whole place. It's compact with only a handful of tables. The pizzaiolo was also the waiter and busser. Not sure if this was because they had just opened. He was very pleasant, if not a little absent and busy with the lunch hour rush.
The pizzas were neapolitan style, wood fired, and well made....
*UPDATE:
Okay, I have been back here eight more times since my first review and I can personally say THIS IS THE BEST DEAL IN TOWN. They have temporarily reduced the price of their margherita pie to $5. FIVE DOLLARS for a 12" neapolitan style pizza. This is crazy! I can't think of any other cheap deal that matches the quality.
The low price tag does not mean a low quality pie. I'd take this margherita over Motorino's any day (I have had both offerings in BK and Manhattan). They got the tomats, they got the creamy moz, they got the basil, and they got the dough. Finished off with a nice char, some salt, and a drizzle of olive oil in a wood fired oven. -
Review from Cooper S.
Los Angeles, CA
7/6/2010
Truly, the closet experience to eating pizza in Italy I have ever had. The owners were incredibly kind and welcoming. Let me peek in the back to look at the pizza oven. Everything here, design wise, is very stark and simple. But it's the pizza that is the star. We had the margherita which was stunning. So simple but tasted so so fresh. Especially delicious was the Bianca which was garlic-y wonderful. The crust is thin and perfection.
I can't say enough, it was an amazing meal. -
Review from Sean A.
Manhattan, NY
7/3/2010 1 photo
This little restaurant could use an interior designer, but the artisan pizza did not disappoint.
We started with the arugala salad. It was simple, great tasting salad. I might say, "simply refreshing".
For dinner we had the Margherita and Prosciutto E Rucola pizzas. Both, much larger than expected. Again, simple but incredibly tasty. The crust could have been cooked a little longer, but I like a semi-burnt crust.
Great restaurant for a simple, but delicious meal. -
Review from Kate R.
New York, NY
8/9/2010
There is no better pizza in the world than Neapolitan pizza and no better pizza in St. Marks than Totale's.
These authentic Neapolitan style pizza where true to taste to what you will find in Naples Italy. The staff was friendly, and helpful.
I recommend if you have never had Neapolitan pizza before start with the Margarita.
This place has quickly become a regular dinner spot, and a nice place to take guest from out of town. -
Review from Andrew W.
New York, NY
Updated - 1/26/2011
RIP Totale
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/30/2010
Wow, what a great deal. The pizza here is pretty tasty, but for the $5 special they have going on,… Read more »
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Review from A F.
New York, NY
10/17/2010
Went with 3 friends to try out the $5 margheritta pizza which seemed like a great price. However the cashier said we had to buy at least 2 pies. None of the signs had this fine print.
Being only $5 for each 12" pie - not that big of a deal but definitely obnoxious.
Pizza came 5 minutes apart. Both pies were burnt on the bottom. Taste was mediocre. That being said, the place was clean and provided real plates an utensils.
Final review: Not worth the hype. Go to 2 bros. next door instead. -
Review from Rachel F.
New York, NY
8/28/2010 1 photo
the thing is like that:
The service was from the worst i ever got, i set at the store front table, on St. Marks Place, the waiter (same guy making the food) didn't approach for 10 Minutes (we were the 3rd table...) perhaps the background loud Mexican music was over powering (in an Italian restaurant??),
after we got up and went to the counter ordering 2 pizzas, first pizza we got was good, the second was burned (the employees was contemplating rather they should serve it or not, eventually they did...)
I got up and left the restaurant swearing to never go back!!!
where the hell is the owner of this place?? celebrating success too early i guess. -
Review from lora c.
New York, NY
9/2/2010
Lured in by the prospect of a $5 Margherita pie, three friends and I headed down St. Mark's to try the latest Neopolitan pizza to hit the streets. Having just come from happy hour, we didn't feel the need to BYOB but I'd totally recommend bringing a bottle if you ever choose to dine in. There's nothing better than some wood-fired pizza and a glass of wine, and the casual, unpretentious, unrushed atmosphere of Totale pizza will make you forget that you're even on such a busy stretch of St. Marks.
Three people were staffed in the restaurant (including the owner), so it never felt understaffed. Service may have been a little rough around the edges but paying a mere pittance of an entire 12" pie had us shrugging off the inconsistency. We all ordered the margherita, topped with buttons of buffalo mozzarella, sweet crushed San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, and a few leaves of basil. It came out looking good but the sauce was so soupy that it was easier to eat the center with a knife and a fork. The mozzarella was a little sparse and did not fully melt into wonderful puddles so much as swim, like little pebbles, in a deliciously sweet (if somewhat watery) red sauce. It also could have used a few more slices of basil, but all in all, I enjoyed it. There were definitely a variety of textures in the sourdough crust- sometimes pliant, sometimes soggy, sometimes with the perfect amount of char, but overall, the crust was a little too chewy and monotonous for me so I stopped eating it after the 3rd slice. Overall, not a bad option for St. Mark's. It's not nearly as transcendent as Motorino, but it's filling and tasty and hits the spot. Just don't believe that you have to get one pizza per person- if you come with a party of four, 3 pies should be more than enough.
I'd give this place 3-stars (A-OK) for the food and atmosphere, but I'm upping it to 4-stars (Yay! I'm a fan) because the price for a Margherita and the BYOB policy reaaally can't be beat. -
Review from Tim H.
New York, NY
8/10/2010
I walked by Totale a few weeks back and almost passed it by (the space is somewhat non-descript) but am so glad I didn't. I've been twice now and have sent my friends as well. We're not only in awe of how good the pizza is--light, delicious, charred crust with a sweet sauce and just the right amount of cheese and basil--but how cheap it is. Last night I brought my friends Tomer and Tara and we got a 12" margherita pie for $5!! Not only is the pizza delicious, but so are the salads that I've sampled. They too are a bargain. Run don't walk to Totale. My only concern is that they haven't been too crowded the times that I've dined there and walked by. C'mon people, let's give them some business.
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Review from Tarah T.
8/30/2010
$5 for a pizza, what could go wrong? Oh yeah, they could forget to make it for you. I dragged a friend here because I was so excited about a $5 margherita pizza and knew that this wouldn't last very long. So we went, ordered, and sat down. I was offered a dirty glass for water, but our waiter was very kind and apologized saying it was pizza flour. No worries! I just wanted my cheapo pizza. So it finally came and it was tasty. The cheese and basil weren't revolutionary, but the simple pureed tomatoes and the charred crust were delicous. Will I go back? Maybe if I'm in the neighborhood and I'm wanting pizza. My advice is to get your pie to go and sit in the park, their seating is like someone tiled a garage and put some chairs in it. ;)
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Review from Aaron C.
New York, NY
9/22/2010
One of the better pizzerias in the area, Totale Pizza has great dough consistency and sauce ratio. The margherita pizza wasn't great, even for the current $5 for 12-inch pizza promotion, but the more appropriately priced other pizzas at about $11-12 a pie are well worth it.
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Review from B W.
New York, NY
5/26/2010 2 photos
Just ate at Totale. It was great. I grew up in Brooklyn eating almost nothing other than pizza. In college I spent a summer in Italy with an elderly Italian woman making pizza for dinner every night (which I thought was amazing- although not NY pizza). Totale tastes exactly like the pizza I ate in Italy. One bite and I was transported back to Pompeii. The intro price of $5.75 for a pie can't be beat- especially by 2 Bros a few feet away. For an extra $4ish, it's certainly worth it!
We ordered a margherita pie and 2 cokes. They gave us the cokes- little glass bottles- and rolled out the dough. I thought it would take forever, but literally less than 5 minutes later, a fully cooked, browned to perfection, puffy crusted pizza was on our table. You could see by the bright red color of the sauce it was fresh and its taste confirmed it. The mozzarella cheese added gooey white blobs of happiness to the delicious sauce and crust combo.
As I said, it was delicious. If you are looking for Italian pizza, go here. If you are looking for drunk food, you can go here, but you might not be as happy. If you are looking for NYC style pizza, this still tastes very good, but it's a different breed. All in all, I recommend it and will certainly be back- especially to try the bianco!
(I took photos of the pie before we ate and will try to upload them to this site.) -
Review from Dave B.
New York, NY
9/5/2010
Somewhat agree with Lora's review. Restuarant was empty about 1:30 on Saturday, so figured i'd take advantage of the $5 Margerita for lunch. Sauce was a little bit "soupy" but not enough to ruin the pizza. The mozzeralla "chips" were melted fine and the crust was pretty evenly charred. No need for a knife and fork. Would definitely return and maybe even splurge for a different pizza. The BYOB factor is another reason to return.
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Review from Auto D.
New York, NY
10/18/2010
STOP BURNING THE CRUST! A little bit is fine but you guys need to lighten up. On my way to 2 bros (which says something about my economically-oriented taste) I became enticed by the sign for a $5 wood-fired oven margherita. Alas 'twas a mistake. Their main fault is too much dough, in that the majority of the bottom is blackened, a major detraction from all other flavors, while the inside undercooked. The sauce is pretty good, tangy, plummy, not pasty. The mozz is fine though the little blobs of it throw off the aesthetic. THIN OUT THE DOUGH. GO TO NUMERO 28 AND TAKE NOTES!
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Review from Ning J.
Los Angeles, CA
9/22/2010
Came here for the $5 margherita deal, which is the best deal in the universe for a 12" neapolitan pizza. While not the most amazing pizza I've ever had, especially after having lived in Italy for half a year, I thought it was perfectly good, and definitely worth way more than the $5 price tag.
My friend and I shared one pizza and one arugula salad, and it was enough. BYOB is always a plus, too. Total bill was like $10 for 2 people. For a cheap-ass food snob like me, this is pretty hard to beat. -
Review from Josh G.
New York, NY
7/5/2010
The place is very laid back, which is a plus in my book. It's completely pleasant and no interior designer is needed, if you ask me. The pizza is good. Had the basic margherita, the bianca, the totale and the one with prosciutto. I think there is definitely better pizza in the city, but for a casual and rather cheap place, this is definitely worth it.
