Ralpho’s Pizza

I was in on business and the owner was very nice and helpful. Pizza was pretty great as well! Salad was huge! Will Def come back.

While visiting friends in New Jersey, we were told we had to try this pizza place. We called in and placed an order for pickup. Little did I know that we were 30 – 45 mins away. That’s how good this pizza is, and it was totally worth it. We went in and the owner was incredibly friendly. This is the epitome of a wonderful family owned pizza place. While we had ordered more normal pizzas to bring back to everyone else, our friend ordered us additional slices to sit and eat there: the ziti pizza! O.M.G. It was just as amazing as you would expect.
It was carb heaven.
The sauce, the cheese, the crust… All just perfect.

I love this old school pizza joint.
Ralpho’s is in some random, old, tiny strip mall. I think there’s a cleaners on the left and a bodega on the right and that’s it. The only thing missing is dudes drinking 40s in the corner talking about the good’ ol days. Time has stood still in this spot for decades. That’s why when you walk in, your first instinct is to turn around and bounce. That would be a mistake.
Sit at the counter. The guy making everything is Frank; Ralpho was the original owner and Frank bought it from him in the 80s after he decided the rat race sucked and being your own boss is… bawss. He works by himself, because he’s tried teaching others how to make his pies, his sauce, his bread, his sandwiches, but they either couldn’t do it «my way» consistently or they did but eventually left for «bigger and better things». He’s a happy go lucky dude and his smile is as genuine as is his vibe, which is: life is good. He loves what he does and his passion for his business shows like the sweat that was pouring out of him on the hot day that I met him.
The product:
The crust is crunchy/​thin and the cheese is just the right amount. The sauce is sweet and the ratio of cheese to sauce leans toward more sauce then cheese. You would think it would be wet and messy because of that, but it’s not. The crust is slightly chewy, but very tasty.
Ditto the fresh bread he makes everyday. You can buy his bread and his sauce. He is a beast and you can tell after a few decades of doing the same thing everyday, he’s got a system here that’s every efficient for the one man band that is, this joint.
The vibe:
In the 30 min I chilled there eating my slices, regulars came in for pick up that he called by name. It’s the epitome of the hood joint and the love he has for all his customers, old and new, is genuine and sincere. They don’t make’em like this guy or this place anymore. Catch it, if you can.

Ok, but nothing great.
Called to order pizza around 5:00 and was told there were no slices available. We could’ve waited for more to be made, since we were ordering another pizza anyways, but that didn’t seem to be an option.
Loved the toppings overload on the pizza; however, the olives tasted metallic. The sauce was flavorless. It tasted like tomato sauce and sugar, with no spices or seasoning. The pizza was literally dripping in grease. Ziti and vodka sauce pizza was good, but not the best ever.
Lasagna was ok, but nothing special. I think if the sauce was better it would’ve made s huge difference.
Overall, the food we tried was just mediocre. I would try something else, but probably wouldn’t order anything with the marinara here again.

Love their pizza and the owner is such a nice guy.

What a slice of New Jersey for this transplant now residing in Maryland. Had the calzone to go and it was perfect. Had a great conversation with owner of 29 years. This is as straight forward as a pizzeria gets. Nothing fancy just good food. Enjoy, can’t wait to come back again.

My favorite pizza spot ever hands down. I don’t know what it is about their sauce. some of my coworkers say it’s sweeter than other places others say it’s a bit more sour. Whatever it is, it’s bomb. The guy who makes the pizza (I think he may be the owner) is sooo nice.

Great town pizzeria. I first ate here when I was in elementary school. It has been over 18 years since my first taste at this place. I love her bread, and the dough on the pizza is amazing.

So Frank, the owner, is the real deal… the salt of the earth! Good guy. Had a couple of pepperoni slices! Very goooood. Sit at the counter. Enjoy a few slices.
Another tidbit… got kids? When they turn one Frank will make a mini pizza pie. Take a pic and it goes on Ralpho’s Wall of Fame! Very nice tradition.

Have visited 2 times since 2010. Slices were good! Maybe I caught him on an off day. Way to up your game.

The greatest pizza ever
tuesday is my pizza day because of their large pizza special ;)
the sauce is also really good and the, cheese isnt salty, and most importantly, the crust is delicious.
Most people do not eat their crusts but you will always finish theirs

The marinara is very sweet. If that’s your thing, then this place will be number one on your list. But if you prefer a more balanced slice, then keep trekking.
I tried the plain slice and the sicilian slice. As I wrote previously, the plain slice is very sweet. A saltier cheese would make for a great companion in this instance. The sicilian slice is very thick, deep dish thick. After eating it I felt as though I had just ate 4 slices.
The pizzeria is small but accommodate a group of 8. Drink options are limited to Pepsi products, which is nice if you’re a Pepsi fan.
I get why this place gets high reviews. It’s got that true neighborhood feel. If I lived in the area I’d probably eat here once a week.
I just wouldn’t be eating the pizza…

First off, this place is a definite throwback to the pizzeria’s of the past. You definitely get that old school pizzeria feel. I felt like a kid again in here. The owner is really friendly too. They were out of sicilian when i was there so I only had their plain slice. Their plain was definitely one of the better in the area. It wasn’t crunchy enough for my taste, but the dough was really good and the sauce had good flavor. Overall a tasty slice.