The Original Ledo Restaurant, Tommy Marcos' Family Moves Legendary Pizzeria from Adelphi to College Park - Closed

[fuzzy510]

Maybe try Tommy Marcos' Ledo Restaurant (or whatever it is properly called) instead? They make pretty good, not-so-fancy pizzas.

Ledo (the restaurant, not the chain) doesn't have it's own thread here?!?!?! Mon dieu!

[mr food]

After years of eating Ledo's, we now get it half cooked and light on the sauce. Cook at 450 for 12-14 minutes on the silpat. Usually plain and we add our own ingredients but sometimes pepperoni or sausage. I've heard the secret is cream cheese in the crust. Only the original restaurant in Adelphi serves the real deal pizza, IMO.

[Waitman]

Why aren't we talking about Ledo's-the original iconic Ledo's-moving?

When is that move scheduled?

[bioesq]

When is that move scheduled?

Next year

[Joe H]

The Post didn't seem to think it was worth mentioning that they are moving the ovens, too. Also, that the move is about nine months away. They are also going to be in the ground floor of a parking garage.

It won't be the same. It won't be long before we talk about the pizza at the "original Ledo's" in the same vein as the original Gifford's, YWCA chocolate chip cookies or a Hot Shoppe Mighty Mo.

I should also note here that Crozet pizza is apparently going to close, too, west of Charlottesville and move to its own new location. Incredible that such long standing traditions at UMD and UVA should be packing up and moving at almost the same time.

I would love to have had Crozet and the Adelphi Ledo's side by side.

[Scott Johnston]

Joe, I totally agree with you! Crozet has a lot of character, but the Ledo's location is just stuck in the 60's.

The Post didn't seem to think it was worth mentioning that they are moving the ovens, too. Also, that the move is about nine months away. They are also going to be in the ground floor of a parking garage.

It won't be the same. It won't be long before we talk about the pizza at the "original Ledo's" in the same vein as the original Gifford's, YWCA chocolate chip cookies or a Hot Shoppe Mighty Mo.

I should also note here that Crozet pizza is apparently going to close, too, west of Charlottesville and move to its own new location. Incredible that such long standing traditions at UMD and UVA should be packing up and moving at almost the same time.

I would love to have had Crozet and the Adelphi Ledo's side by side.

[Waitman]

Found myself just down the road from Ledo's (moving in a year) and, after a red meat Obama speech thought I'd get a red sauce pizza.

But you what? It ain't all that.

I guess if you grew up there you could have a taste for a Poppin' Fresh croissant with a little pizza jelly baked on top. And I guess if you were a good old Terp with a half case of Bud Light or a couple of bong hits in you, that puffy crust and sweet sauce would hit the spot right nicely.

Don't get me wrong. Like Cincinnati chili -- with its cinnamon and spaghetti -- Ledo's pizza has a certain iconoclastic charm, especially as eaten in a friendly room with an unpretentious crowd. I liked it. I might even eat it again.

But great...I don't see it.

[Joe H]

Found myself just down the road from Ledo's (moving in a year) and, after a red meat Obama speech thought I'd get a red sauce pizza.

But you what? It ain't all that.

I guess if you grew up there you could have a taste for a Poppin' Fresh croissant with a little pizza jelly baked on top. And I guess if you were a good old Terp with a half case of Bud Light or a couple of bong hits in you, that puffy crust and sweet sauce would hit the spot right nicely.

Don't get me wrong. Like Cincinnati chili -- with its cinnamon and spaghetti -- Ledo's pizza has a certain iconoclastic charm, especially as eaten in a friendly room with an unpretentious crowd. I liked it. I might even eat it again.

But great...I don't see it.

The interesting thing about Ledo's is that for someone like myself who grew up with it and graduated from Md. (and personally never gave a damn for any beer) and has, literally been eating it since the late '50's (yes, I am old) a post like this invites a response.

It was indeed great without the bong. In 1969 and 1973 and...more recently. With the bong? Another topic.

Regardless, I fear that after the impending move whatever it might have tasted like "back in the day" will be no longer. It could be that one day, Ledo's will need a bong to achieve the taste it once had...

This was written by someone who has been eating Ledo's pizza in Adelphi for fifty + years. I hope the children of the original owners understand what Ledo's means to those of us who grew up with it.

[pizza man]

Found myself just down the road from Ledo's (moving in a year) and, after a red meat Obama speech thought I'd get a red sauce pizza.

But you what? It ain't all that.

I guess if you grew up there you could have a taste for a Poppin' Fresh croissant with a little pizza jelly baked on top. And I guess if you were a good old Terp with a half case of Bud Light or a couple of bong hits in you, that puffy crust and sweet sauce would hit the spot right nicely.

Don't get me wrong. Like Cincinnati chili -- with its cinnamon and spaghetti -- Ledo's pizza has a certain iconoclastic charm, especially as eaten in a friendly room with an unpretentious crowd. I liked it. I might even eat it again.

But great...I don't see it.

It is the only true regional pizza. That is what makes it special. Maryland pizza.

[leleboo]

It is the only true regional pizza. That is what makes it special. Maryland pizza.

I grew up in StL and I'm not sure I like StL pizza.

I'm also not sure I even know what StL pizza is. :-)

(Caveat: My dad's from Chicago. That may have skewed my perceptions.)

[DanielK]

I'm also not sure I even know what StL pizza is. :-)

That's easy. Stale matzoh with ketchup and Kraft singles.

[leleboo]

That's easy. Stale matzoh with ketchup and Kraft singles.

Touche. This might be why I didn't like pizza growing up...

[pizza man]

disclaimer: I like Neapolitan pizze, and consider everything else to be pretty bad, (but still good, it's pizza after all). Alas, no Neapolitan pizze to be had in DC... (turns out "certification" means very little if there is no follow thru on the guidelines, and no, you can't invoke Roshamon).

I kinda like Ledo though...

[lion]

I stopped by a few weeks ago and throughly enjoyed the pizza. It had been a few years since my last trip, but it still is really good pizza

and one of the best 'local' pizza styles in the US.

Does anyone know the size increase of the new restaurant?

[JDawgBBall9]

I think the move is real soon, but I'm not positive...any updates?

[mr food]

I think the move is real soon, but I'm not positive...any updates?

word is Ledos will be opening in the new location early August

[Sthitch]

...any updates?

According to the Gazette they will be closing after service on Sunday and opening in the new location on Aug. 8.

[lion]

According to the website, this is the new location and should open up sometime in the next week. Right on Rte. 1 and down town with the students. At least there is a parking garage right above the restaurant.

[JDawgBBall9]

Nobody has reported about the new location yet, so I'll chime in. Have to keep it brief.

I went last night and the taste transferred from the old location pretty well. Much larger than the old location and they have to be raking in so much more money. Seems that its the hot place for UMD students to get their parents to take them out to while visiting. Long story short, if you liked the original location you'll still enjoy it just as much.

[lion]

We went soon after it opened up. Sadly, we found the taste of the crust and sauce was not the same as the old location. Granted that was a one time visit, so maybe it's gotten back to the former style.

At the moment, I think the Ledo's Tyson's Corner/Falls Church location has the best taste.

[ol_ironstomach]

The king is dead, long live the king.  I made a couple of pilgrimages earlier this year, and I'm afraid that lion's report is still accurate: the "new" College Park Ledo's is not nearly as good as the original Adelphi location.  There were a number of indicators, the most noticeable of which was that my most recent "small" pizza, instead of being a half-tray rectangle, was round.

Round.

The crust recipe seems to be similar enough, but my examples were consistently underbaked, with the crust not as crisp as it should be, and the grease cups curled but uncharred, and not having formed their characteristic puddle.  The parmesan bread also didn't develop that browned top crust.

If you need a sports bar-ish hangout in College Park, it's a lot more convenient than Adelphi ever was.  The windows let in a lot more light, which again makes it very unlike the Ledo of yore.

It's over.  I spent the first N years of my life in College Park, and then another ten at UMd.  This isn't the pizza that I grew up with.

[DonRocks]

I'm a little surprised to go back in time and read lion and Dave's reviews - I've been to the new location twice, and liked it. I don't really remember if it was similar to the original, old-location Ledo's, but my experiences were more like JDawg's (when you grow up with Sammy's Villa in your neighborhood, there's no need to trek to Ledo's). Anyone? 

[mr food]

My wife swears the pizza crust doesn't taste like it used to. I dunno. We've eaten many pies from them, original location and CP. I will say they botched the franchising and if you want the true Ledo experience, you have to go to the source.

[Joe H]

Even then Jimmy Comber's, Leonie's and certainly not Sammy's Villa in White Oak didn't compare to Ledo's.  There were just too many friday nights of "non productive" barhopping and we ended up with a choice:  Hofberg's or Ledo's to console ourselves.  Not even Pop's on Henderson compared although some nights we found ourselves downtown at Anna Maria's or Luigi's, later Georgetown's Gepetto's.

Actually even when we were fortunate enough to meet someone we'd still end up at Ledo's or Hofberg's or Anna Maria's.

[DonRocks]

Even then Jimmy Comber's, Leonie's and certainly not Sammy's Villa in White Oak didn't compare to Ledo's.  There were just too many friday nights of "non productive" barhopping and we ended up with a choice:  Hofberg's or Ledo's to console ourselves.  Not even Pop's on Henderson compared although some nights we found ourselves downtown at Anna Maria's or Luigi's, later Georgetown's Gepetto's.

Actually even when we were fortunate enough to meet someone we'd still end up at Ledo's or Hofberg's or Anna Maria's.

í€ chacun son goí»t. You're entitled to your opinion, but don't ever tell *me* that Sammy's didn't compare to the original Ledo's. Stylistically, I agree; qualitatively, I preferred Sammy's.

"You Don't Know What Restaurants You Got Until They're Gone" by Tim Carman on washingtoncitypaper.com (note the comments section).

[DonRocks]

"Owners Look To Sell Ledo in College Park, Retire" by Allison Beckwith on hyattsvillewire.com

[southdenverhoo]

Just heard (via somebody who should know, local blues singer and guitar player Cathy Ponton King) that Ledo has closed. Story she linked indicates there was an almost-sale in May which fell through, that Tommy Marcos is in bad health, and that they decided to close. Apparently the rest of the franchises will continue, as the franchise chain has been under different ownership for awhile. But this is curtains for a 65 year old establishment.

[Pat]

Saw this about it:

 

[lion]

Sad to hear. Still remember my first in the 1980s to the original in Aldephi. 

[DonRocks]

On 11/21/2020 at 8:46 PM, Pat said:

Here's the problem: There's "a" Ledo, and there's "the" Ledo.