Sottocasa Pizzeria

Lucali was closed for some reason, so I checked Yelp and Sottocasa had good reviews. Serendipity! This place is fantastic! I'll start with our waiter. Simply put, just happy and fun and made us feel at home! Two thumbs up for that fine gentleman . Rustic European decor with a nice outdoor patio in the back. We sat there. Plenty of room, with a nice view of a painted brick wall. lol . Typical for the crowded Burroughs! As a Brooklynite, I felt right at home!You can't beat a pizza cooked on an open fire to start. But when you make beautiful pizza dough and top it with the best quality ingredients, you have a home run! I'm a pizza snob and I've had the best this city has to offer. I would put Sottocasa amongst the best! And that calzone (although not deep fried) was absolutely fabulous! Nice touch is the giant clothespin with comic strips paper mache'd onto it (see photo)

This is simply the worst pizza. Way too soggy - honestly. I thought these were real Italians. Service is friendly enough. Ambiance nothing special But we come for great pizza and we leave saddened.

Pizza was great. Service was a bit off. Everyone was very friendly and greeted us upon arrival. Water was refilled for us once or twice. Upon arrived we were greeters by every worker lol but after we sat down, no check ins, and then it took the waitress 20 mins in to ask for our drinks. A bit odd.This place would really benefit from happy hour drink and pizza specials. Many places in the area have a personal pie and wine special for $20 on Mondays or Tuesdays. Having no happy hour on even drinks alone seems crazy in such a competitive area and in such a hidden spot they are in. Place itself is nice. Casual but could be dressy. Cozy, intimate type vibe.

Sottocasa makes one of my favorite pizzas in NYC. I'd classify it as a hidden gem since its subterranean location makes it easy to miss. The crust is perfect in my opinion, still soft and chewy but slightly charred. The topping combinations are creative and the menu also includes a great selection of salads, beer, and wine.But the main reason I wanted to write a review is because I had one of the weirdest customer service interactions here and I have to put it out in the universe so I can stop contemplating it alone.I only finished 3/4 of my pizza and was planning to take the rest of it home for lunch the next day. The server takes it away and doesn't return for quite some time. Eventually, I see out of the corner of my eye she hands something wrapped in foil to a couple on the other side of the dining room. The man at that table opens the foil and the two of them start giggling. The seed of suspicion has been planted, but I don't really have enough evidence to pull an Inspector Javert. As the couple is leaving the restaurant, I hear them stop by the server and say "Thanks for the free pizza!" The server stares blankly; I don't think the mix-up has dawned on her.At this point, I can't tell if the couple is committing an act of moral turpitude or just lack a single clove of common sense. Are there really people in the world who think restaurants hand out gifts at the end of meals? Are there really people in the world who think that gift would be an already-eaten pizza?I ask the server if my leftovers are still being wrapped up. At this point, she realizes her mistake. "Hmmm, I'll go check." I'm actually interested in what she has to say, since I kiiiiinda already watched the entire saga unfold in front of my own eyes. She comes back to say, "Sorry, they're gone." No mention of Jean Valjean and her role as an accomplice. After an awkward silence, I ask if I can get some consolation pizza or maybe a reduction in the bill since a portion of what I'm paying for is missing. She has to get the manager for this.After explaining the situation to the manager, she doesn't really exude an apologetic vibe. "What we'll have to do is make a new pizza and we will give you a piece of it." The offer is clearly made begrudgingly, which is weird because all I'm asking it to be made whole again. Also, I thought it was weird that they would go through the trouble of making a new pizza and only give me a piece of it since nothing is sold by the slice here. As we are leaving the restaurant, I spot the manager eating the remaining 3/4 of the pizza. I guess everyone at this restaurant gets free pizza except me.

The Diavola Pizza delicious! All the ingredients were fresh and flavorful. I added mushrooms to my pizza but genuinely excited to explore more of their delicious options. I also ordered the Arugula Salad that was spectacular and refreshing with the lemon dressing and artichokes, that gave it a fresh take. Definitely going back! Staff was friendly and courteous which is appreciated greatly-

The last two visits at Sottocasa has left me feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. When I first discovered this place about 6 years ago, I couldn't help but rave about it. I would dine here every chance I got and introduced several friends to it.Then life happened along with the pandemic and I found myself revisiting after several years later in 2023. My friend and I detected a change in the pizza. She dined here with me on a few occasions in the past and adored the pizza.Dropped by today with someone who was trying Sottocasa for the first time. I was hoping it would be a good experience for her.The manager, withl his endearing Italian mannerisms, was friendly and hospitable towards us.We ordered 2 pizzas for sharing--Margarita and Verdure ((vegetables) along with diet Coke (the beverage of choice that complements pizza so well).The pizza, 11 inches in diameter, is definitely shareable. The imain ssue with our disappointment was the wet, soggy bottom. It wasn't acceptable or desirable. The Margarita Pizza sauce was average at best and I wasn't sure if the mozzarella cheese was fresh. Fresh mozzarella is typically white. While the vegetables on the Verdure pizza was tasty, it didn't have the wow factor and contributed to the overall soggy bottom.Sottocasa, what happened? I feel terrible to write a negative review but Ialso feel let down.

Quick lunch while visiting the Gowanus area. Our table had a simple Margherita pizza and a fresca sandwich, followed by a tartufo and coffees. I was almost a little disappointed by the simple menu, but there was no reason to be. Everything was executed to perfection. The pizza crust was crispy at the edges and had that perfect gluten chew through the center. The sauce shined with fresh notes of tomato and the cheese was creamy. The fresca is a thin focaccia lightly warmed and split, then stuffed with prosciutto cotto, tomatoes, arugula and fresh mozzarella that were still chill. Food was excellent all around and same with service.

I stopped by on a rainy day for a solo lunch date. The servers were kind and I was seated quickly. I really enjoyed the pizza. I ordered the Margherita which was around $20. It came out piping hot so I know it was freshly prepared and a good-sized portion. I was able to take some of it home.

This is a super local spot; the manager is full on Italian, and really brings the energy to the service. They have some really nice outdoor seating with a good amount of heating in place, which I would highly recommend on a sunnier day.We got the Boscaiola and the Parmigiana, and both were decent. The bottom of the pizza got unfortunately soggy since they were served on solid plates, and it made for quite a mess when eating. The flavors were good though; the gorgonzola on the Boscaiola really stood out. They had chili oil which I was super excited for, but it didn't really have much flavor at all.Overall, has solid pizza, but really couldn't get past the soggy bottom. Will happily stop by if nearby, but won't be making a trek to get here!

I saw mixed reviews about this place on Yelp and thought let's give it a try. So glad we did!! Although they don't have an extensive wine list, what they have pairs well with the food. We started with caprese salad, more than enough for 2, even 4 people. We ordered the Quattro pizza. It was delivered very quickly. We did go for an early dinner. Lots of indoor seating and a garden area in the back. The servers were so kind and helpful. We decided to have desert and it made the perfect ending to our meal. If in the area, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.