Tacconelli's Pizzeria, Fifth-Generation, Family-Owned Tiny Pizzeria on E. Somerset Street in Kensington

[lion]

I always wanted to try Tacconelli's Pizzeria, but never around to it when visiting some friends who lived near Rittenhouse Square. They moved back to the DC metro area, so it's probably not going to happen for a while since you have to order your dough ahead of time.

[DanielK]

Second Tacconelli's. Get a White Pie with onions.

Johnny's Hots is the current holder of Philly Magazine's Best Cheesesteak, so you might want to add that one to your list (they last won in 2006). Also, 2009: Wit or Witout. 2008: Cosmi's. 2007: Steve's.

[Ericandblueboy]

Second Tacconelli's. Get a White Pie with onions.

Johnny's Hots is the current holder of Philly Magazine's Best Cheesesteak, so you might want to add that one to your list (they last won in 2006). Also, 2009: Wit or Witout. 2008: Cosmi's. 2007: Steve's.

Would love to try Tacconelli's but they don't open until late in the afternoon. I was thinking about getting a pie for the road, good or bad idea? How would the pizza taste 3 hrs later? Will need to locate these other cheesesteak joints and see which one we can hit.

[DanielK]

I think if your first Tacconelli's experience is takeout, you won't go back again so quickly, and that would be a mistake.

[DanielK]

Totally agree, Daniel. Tacconelli must be experienced having the pizza in the restaurant, hot from the oven. Also, from memory, don't you have to "reserve oven space" in advance? It's been a few years but this wasn't an easy restaurant to get into.

Close - you reserve dough. Don't know how far in advance that needs to happen.

[purplesachi]

Close - you reserve dough. Don't know how far in advance that needs to happen.

i think you can reserve your dough the day you are going to go and eat it/ pick it up; in the past i've given them an approx time i'm coming in. BUT one important thing to know...after you reserve the dough, once you get there and tell them you are there (either for dine-in or take out), THAT'S when they make your pizza in the oven. so if you are picking it up for take out, you're still waiting a while for them to cook your pizza.

[DonRocks]

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Totally agree, Daniel. Tacconelli must be experienced having the pizza in the restaurant, hot from the oven. Also, from memory, don't you have to "reserve oven space" in advance? It's been a few years but this wasn't an easy restaurant to get into.

I'd use New Haven as an analogy for this: I've got carryout from both Sally's and Pepe's/The Spot a number of times over the years, half baked, and finished them six hours later here. They are good. But they are not as good as there. Also, there is a great deal of character just sitting in those restaurants, as there is in Tacconelli's (and DeLorenzo's on Hudson street in Trenton).

For Italian, I'm partial to Marra's on Passyunk. Family-style red-sauce-Italian, nothing nouveau or expensive, just great pizza and pasta. Also Tacconelli's, for their amazing white pizza, but note this from CitySearch: "Pizzas must be ordered a day in advance to avoid the 90-minute-plus wait due to crowds and volume of pies made per day."

[Waitman]

I've reserved Tacconelli's Saturday morning for a Saturday evening pizza, so you don't necessarily have to order a day in advance, though it's probably a good idea.  Several days, for larger orders.  Also, keep in mind that you order for a particular time, so a 7:30 pie will be a harder get than a 5:30.

Not only is the pizza good, by the way, but the couple times I've been there, everyone from the phone lady to the waitress as been as friendly as could be, and it's a BYOB, so the beer list is limited only by your imagination (or your ability to plan ahead and buy down here v. Philly's ludicrous beer sales laws). .

My only complaint: the jukebox is a little pricy.