Reader's Digest dubs Brooklyn Square Pizza the best in New Jersey
New Jersey has the best pizza in the country, right? So who has the best pizza in the Garden State?
That's a hot topic. Some people like thin crust, others prefer a thicker pie. Some want their pizza loaded with toppings; others like just cheese and sauce.
We all have our favorites, and loyalties run deep.
Reader's Digest recently published a story naming "The Best Pizza in Every State." The winner for New Jersey? Brooklyn Square Pizza, a local chain with restaurants in Jackson, Manalapan and Toms River.
The winning slice is their top-selling Upside Down Square, a Sicilian-style pie with thick, soft crust first topped with cheese, then chunky tomato sauce.
"I put the cheese on the bottom, the sauce on the top, then extra-virgin olive oil, then I finish it with a layer of Pecorino Romano," owner Peter Grippo said in a 2018 interview with the Asbury Park Press. "By putting the cheese first, the cheese cooks into the dough. When you bite it, you get a combination of flavors, and it's like a pillow."
Yesterday, Grippo took to Instagram to thank Reader's Digest.
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Brooklyn Square Pizza, which opened its original location in Jackson almost a decade ago, its Manalapan location in 2017 and Toms River in 2018, has become a favorite to many — including Dave Portnoy, the Massachusetts-born founder of Barstool Sports and One Bite Pizza Review.
In his review of the Upside Down Square, Portnoy said, "It's a spectacular-looking square pie. Holy moly, what a slice. This is a great slice. That's the best square slice we've done in these reviews."
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According to Reader's Digest, the recipe was passed down by Grippo's Italian grandmother, and made with hand-crushed tomatoes for a "not too sweet, not too sour, and totally tasty" blend.
Grippo grew up working in an uncle's pizzeria, and from 2001 to 2014 owned Peter Pizza in Brooklyn.
Don't bother asking for toppings on the Upside Down Square — Grippo won't add them.
"It changes the pie," he said in the 2018 interview, "and I don't want to change it."
Go: 265 South New Prospect Road, Jackson, 732-961-7999; 73 Wilson Ave. Manalapan, 732-851-7599; 1898 Hinds Road, Toms River, 732-769-6333; brooklynsquarenj.com.
Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to [email protected].
Sarah Griesemer contributed to this story. Parts of this story have been previously published.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Best pizza in NJ is Brooklyn Square, chosen by Reader's Digest
