The Vitals:
the spot: Berardi Brothers Pizza 4203 Landis Ave Sea Isle City NJ
the eats: Any pie you fancy but def get a Margherita
the bucks: $20-$23 a pie
the full nelson: NY Style pizza at the Shore
I’ve been hitting up the Jersey Shore for going on 6 years now. I love it. The water is warm, the flight from Austin is reasonable(you fly to Philly then drive) and frankly, my sweet in laws take care of the house. All that’s left for a freeloader like me to do is work a gas grill for a week.
After doing this trip for a few years, we figured out the last night should be the night when the chef takes off. And what does one crave after a week of chilling and grillin’? Za. Pizza. A slice of pie. And when you’re on East Coast, your odds of finding good pizza improve drastically. But I’m not here to talk about good pizza. I’m here to talk about pizza that’s Ali Khan Eats approved.
A neighbor at the shore recommended we try Berardi Brothers. We were staying in Strathmere which is a 10 minute drive from Sea Isle where you’ll find Berardi Brothers and a killer deli I’ve written about before called Giovanni’s. Turns out the neighbor has good taste as the pie at Berardi’s would be a find in pizza heaven like NYC or New Haven. This Margherita had fresh basil, a perfect cook and was up there in execution on the level of pricey Neapolitan joints. The difference was the denser crust and the lighter price tag; this pie ran about $20 and can feed 2-3 easy.
Sausage hit right too. Great seasoning in those links. Normally I prefer a crumble to the slices. I think I was traumatized by too many bad frozen pizzas when I was kid, where the sausage was sliced like it was Oktoberfest. The red sauce had a tang that hit really nice too. Also for the record: I ate the crusts. That’s a good sign.
My only regret was that I discovered this place at the end of our trip. As I write this post, Berardi Brothers is closed for the season so if you’re in Philly/NJ area, hit the brakes. Still if you’re out of state vacationer like me or a semi local or just loco for pizza, you gotta give Berardi Brothers a try.
PS – these guys are freaking super nice. Answered all my Instagram DMs and the guy who recommended it also recognized me and is a Food Network/Ali Khan fan. Clearly the stars are aligned for you to eat here.
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