Last Updated on May 24, 2026 by Brian Kachejian
Photo By Brian Kachejian
Some pizza slices stay in your memory long after the meal is over, and the Sicilian slice at Branchinelli’s Pizza is absolutely one of them. Long Islanders have been talking about this place for years, especially when it comes to the restaurant’s thick, doughy, sauce heavy Sicilian pizza that delivers the kind of comforting old school flavor that immediately reminds you why Long Island pizza culture is taken so seriously. This is not trendy pizza built for Instagram photos. This is real New York pizza made by people who clearly understand exactly what great Sicilian pizza is supposed to taste like.
Located on Route 111 in Hauppauge, Branchinelli’s carries one of the most respected family names in Suffolk County pizza culture. The restaurant has built a reputation not just for pizza, but for the full Italian restaurant experience, oversized portions, fresh ingredients, and the kind of menu that keeps families coming back for decades. On busy Friday nights, the parking lot fills quickly, and once you step inside, it becomes obvious why the place developed such a loyal following throughout Long Island.
During my visit, the staff could not have been friendlier. Little things matter in restaurants, and Branchinelli’s seemed to understand that instinctively. They offered plates without even being asked, packed the garlic knots carefully in a separate bag, and created the kind of welcoming atmosphere that immediately makes a customer comfortable before the first bite is even taken. I ordered a regular slice, a pepperoni slice to bring home for my son, a Sicilian slice, and garlic knots, wanting to get a real feel for what made this place so highly respected.
The menu at Branchinelli’s Pizza & Restaurant goes far beyond pizza, though the pizza alone is enough to draw people from all over Long Island. This is the kind of old-school Italian restaurant menu where every page feels packed with comfort food. Alongside the famous Sicilian pie, there are grandma pies, stuffed slices, buffalo chicken slices, baked ziti slices, meat-stuffed slices, pinwheels, calzones, and garlic knots that practically demand a side of sauce. Their pizza carries that classic Long Island Italian restaurant style, where the crust still matters as much as the toppings. Even the appetizers feel larger than life, from the Branchinelli’s Dough Skins covered in garlic, olive oil, and oregano to the Quattro Palle mozzarella balls served with meat sauce, fried calamari, baked clams, eggplant rollatini, and hot antipasto platters that feel built for sharing around a crowded family table.
The pasta and entrée section reads like the menu of a full-scale Italian restaurant rather than a simple neighborhood pizzeria. Dishes such as Pasta Alla Umbria combine sausage, ham, scallions, shrimp, and cream sauce over spaghetti, while specialties like Spinach Cannelloni, Asparagus Cannelloni, Broccoli Di Rapa, Veal Spitini, Chicken Parmigiana, and seafood dishes served over pasta help show how deep the kitchen really goes. The chicken parm receives constant praise from longtime customers, and the restaurant’s catering business became a major part of its reputation throughout Suffolk County. This is the type of menu where you can stop in for a quick Sicilian slice during lunch or sit down later for a full Italian dinner with family, and either way, you leave feeling like you just ate at one of those classic Long Island Italian institutions that still take enormous pride in feeding people well.
The regular slice immediately stood out because of how sauce-forward it was. At many pizzerias, the cheese dominates the slice, but Branchinelli’s leans heavily into the sauce, and it works beautifully. There was a rich layer of tomato sauce balanced by oregano and oil, and a chewy crust that gave the slice real character. The dough had a satisfying texture without becoming too thin or overly crisp, something that often separates memorable Long Island pizza from forgettable slices. Every bite tasted fresh and balanced, with the sauce carrying most of the pizza’s personality.
Then came the Sicilian slice, which quickly became the star of the visit. This was exactly the kind of Sicilian pizza I personally love, thick, doughy, soft inside, loaded with sauce beneath the cheese, and deeply comforting. Some Sicilian slices focus too heavily on crust or cheese, but Branchinelli’s found the balance perfectly. The bite was rich, warm, and packed with flavor without feeling overwhelming. It was the kind of pizza that immediately puts you in a good mood after the first bite. Honestly, it is one of the best Sicilian slices I have had on Long Island, and easily one of the most memorable pizza experiences I have had in recent years.
The garlic knots also delivered exactly what you want from a classic Long Island pizzeria. Fresh, soft, and aromatic without being overloaded with garlic, they paired perfectly with the side of sauce. That sauce continued to stand out throughout the meal because of how naturally fresh and flavorful it tasted without becoming too sweet or too aggressive. Even the small details, the separate bag for the knots, the extra sauce, the friendliness of the staff, added to the experience.
What makes Branchinelli’s special is that it never feels like it is trying too hard. This is not gimmick pizza or social media-driven food culture. It feels like an authentic Long Island Italian restaurant that built its reputation the old-fashioned way, through consistency, quality, family atmosphere, and pizza that people genuinely crave. Between the outstanding Sicilian slice, the sauce-driven regular slice, the strong menu, and the welcoming atmosphere, Branchinelli’s absolutely deserves its reputation as one of the great pizzerias on Long Island.
