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“America's very first pizzeria”
In 1897 an Italian immigrant reinvented a Napoletana staple food into one of the worlds most eaten foods. New York City was the birth place of New York style pizza. During the year of 1905, Lombardi's was licensed by the City of New York, becoming America's First Pizzeria. Gennaro Lombardi started the business in 1897 as a grocery store at 53 1/2 Spring Street, and began selling tomato pies wrapped in paper and tied with a string at lunchtime to workers area's factories. In 1905 Lombardi received a business license to operate a pizzeria restaurant, and soon had a loyal clientele, including Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. He later passed the business on to his son, George. In 1984, the original Lombardi's closed, but re-opened ten years later a block away at 32 Spring Street, run by Gennaro Lombardi III, Gennaro Lombardi's grandson, and his childhood friend John Brescio. This change in location and ten-year hiatus surrendered the title of America's oldest continuously operating pizzeria to Papa’s Tomato Pies in Trenton, New Jersey, which opened in 1912 and has sold pies without interruption since.[3]The relocated, reopened Lombardi's uses a coal oven to bake its pies the way the original did. It is unusual in not selling slices, highly popular throughout New York City. Only whole pies made to order are sold.In 2005, Lombardi's offered entire pizzas for 5 cents, their 1905 price, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first pizza sold at its original location.
Lombardi's is the oldest pizzeria in the U.S. -- located in the Little Italy/Nolita area amongst dozens of pizza joints, it offers a few indoor tables with a nice homie feel to it. We took our... Read more
Made sure to do my research on New York style pizza and where to find some of the best pizza while traveling to New York (obviously) and came across Lombardi's being mentioned a ton as this place... Read more
4++ From a tourist POV (me) - fun info: America's first pizzeria and founded in 1905. Pioneer of NY style pizza. So yeah... this was on my 'must go to' list when I visited NYC. Again, from a... Read more
Lombardi's Pizza
Hours
- Sun - Thu: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
- Fri, Sat: 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Reservations
- Takes
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Breakfast
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Brunch
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Dinner
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Drinks
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Lunch
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Outdoor Seating
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Takeout
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Waitstaff
Parking, Dining
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