Carlo’s Pizza Review In Port Washington

Have you ever had a restaurant, pizzeria, diner, or any other food establishment that a friend keeps telling you to visit, but you never seem to get there? For at least 12 months, and probably even longer, my friend Nat had been telling me that I needed to check out a pizzeria called Carlo’s in Port Washington, New York.

Nat knows that I review pizza, and he watches all my videos. Because I create those videos, I have hundreds, if not thousands, of people recommending places for me to visit, and it is always helpful. Many of the same names come up repeatedly. But Nat is a friend of mine, so every time I saw him, he would ask whether I had been to Carlo’s yet. When I said no, he would just shake his head in disappointment.

I trust Nat’s recommendations, and I trust his opinion. Nat has helped me tremendously in the website business. He is a brilliant man who has been extremely successful in life. So why did it take me so long to take his advice? The answer is simple: I live pretty far from Carlo’s in Port Washington, and Long Island traffic can be a nightmare. Port Washington sits far north of the Long Island Expressway. As I said in the video, I felt like I was driving to Connecticut.

Nonetheless, I decided it was finally time to check out Carlo’s. I knew Nat’s claim that this was one of the best pizza places around was not simply bravado or hype. There had to be something real behind it.

Arriving at Carlo’s Pizza in Port Washington

Carlo’s Pizza is located on Main Street in Port Washington. Parking on any Main Street on Long Island can be difficult, but luckily there was a parking lot behind the pizzeria. Most of the spaces were filled, although there was a smaller paid lot nearby. It may have been the cheapest paid parking space I have used since the 1970s. It cost me 25 cents for one hour, which was a pretty good deal.

I parked the car, walked around the corner, and entered Carlo’s. It is an old-school pizzeria that looks like the classic Long Island pizza shops of the 1960s and 1970s. Inside were five or six wooden booths, pictures on the walls, and one long counter facing the front windows. There was nothing fancy about it. It was old school all the way.

Four people were working behind the counter. A young employee, probably 16 or 17, asked what I wanted. Since I had driven about an hour to get there, I was not going to order only one slice. I always get a regular slice because that is the best way to compare one pizzeria with another. However, choosing a specialty slice can be tricky because many places display so many great-looking options.

I have also been trying to find the best upside-down slice on Long Island, and that has not been easy. Long Island does not seem to produce as many great upside-down slices as Brooklyn does. The one at Carlo’s looked promising, so I ordered it along with a Sicilian slice and the regular slice.

An older gentleman heated the pizza and handed me the box. He looked like he might have been the owner, although I was not sure. I thanked him with a big smile, and he simply stared at me. I sometimes get that reaction now. I do honest reviews, and not every owner is thrilled to see someone who reviews for the consumer rather than for the restaurant.

Of course, I never know whether someone recognizes me or is simply focused on the work behind the counter. Either way, it did not matter. I paid for my food, returned to my car, and started the review.

The Regular Slice

I was excited about the regular slice because Nat had raved about the pizza. It was very good, and the first thing that stood out was the sauce. The sauce blended beautifully with the cheese, and the crust was cooked to perfection. It had the right thickness, neither too thin nor too thick, with a chewy texture and a slightly crisp finish.

This was a great slice of pizza. I rated it in the high eights.

The Sicilian Slice

Next came the Sicilian slice. It is amazing how differently Long Island pizzerias approach the same style of pizza. To me, some of the best Sicilian slices on the island come from Branchinelli’s and Colosseo, which are connected through the same family.

Carlo’s made a very good Sicilian slice. It was airy, almost like a Roman-style slice, and the crust was absolutely fabulous. My only complaint was that it could have used a little more sauce. If it had more of the same outstanding sauce that appeared on the regular slice, I might have loved it even more.

The Upside-Down Slice

The upside-down slice became the surprise of the day. I had gone to Carlo’s mainly for the regular slice, and I was already happy because it lived up to Nat’s recommendation. He had never mentioned the upside-down slice, or at least I did not remember him mentioning it. But the moment I opened the box and looked at it, I had a feeling it might be something special.

I usually have two problems with upside-down pizza from Long Island pizzerias. First, the slices are often served too cold because they are not reheated long enough. Second, they can be dry, possibly because the sauce has been sitting on the counter for a while. Neither problem existed with the upside-down slice from Carlo’s.

The sauce was moist, fresh, and packed with flavor. The tomatoes, oregano, and oil came together beautifully. The layer of cheese sat perfectly beneath the sauce, and the thickness was exactly right. Then there was the crust, which was spectacular.

After the first bite, I knew I had found something special. With every bite, the slice became more enjoyable. As I continued eating, I realized that this might be the best upside-down slice I had ever tasted on Long Island.

I scored it a 9.0. That is a major score for me. I have given only one other Long Island pizza a 9.0, Mike’s Underground Pizza, and the only other pizzeria in New York where I have given a slice a 9.0 was Di Fara in Brooklyn. When I give a slice of pizza a 9.0, it is a big deal.

Final Verdict

Nat had been telling me to visit Carlo’s for a long time, and once I started doing pizza reviews, he became even more persistent. I probably waited too long, but I finally made the trip. As you can tell from this review, it was well worth the wait.

Anyone searching for one of the best upside-down slices on Long Island should make the trip to Carlo’s Pizza in Port Washington. The upside-down slice was spectacular, and the regular slice was outstanding as well. This is what Long Island pizza is all about.