Review: Papa's Tomato Pies - Robbinsville NJ

Trenton NJ is terra firma for the Trenton tomato pie, even though all the legendary tomato pie joints are closed or moved to the suburbs. Today, the two best survivors are DeLorenzo’s and Papa’s, now located just a few hundred yards apart in modern shopping complexes in nearby Robbinsville. I’ve visited DeLorenzo’s in Robbinsville and in their newest Yardley PA location; the tomato pie remains wonderful but the ambiance is entirely different – an accommodation to the larger crowds still clamoring for this iconic pizza. Until now, though, I had not visited the Robbinsville location for Papa’s Tomato Pies.

Almost ten years ago, we made our first-ever visit to Papa's Tomato Pies when it was still located in Trenton on Chambers Street. We were amazed and delighted at the near-perfect execution of quintessential old-school Trenton pizza. Thin crust with a satisfying char and snap, hearty red sauce, judiciously applied cheese, and generous chunks of real Italian sausage.

The original Chambers Street Trenton location

I had discovered the other legendary Trenton pizza - DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies (Hudson Street) in 1983 and it was the best pizza of my life up to that point. It was my go-to pizza when I lived in nearby Ewing NJ and then Yardley PA. Even then, DeLorenzo’s was so popular that it was hard to get (they took the phone off the hook within 5 minutes their 3pm opening time), so my backup pie was Joe's Tomato Pies on South Clinton Avenue. Opened in 1910, Joe’s was a great thin-crust pie, but sadly Joe’s closed in 1999.  

Joe's in 1949 (vertical sign by arrow). Click to enlarge!

My initial visit to Papa’s, even then, was long overdue. I was dimly aware of Papa's Tomato Pies but somehow never felt compelled to try it. It was Scott Weiner, the pizza czar best known for Scott’s Pizza Tours (NYC), who alerted me to the merits of Papa’s.  Here’s what I said in 2012 about my first experience at Papa’s with a sausage tomato pie: 

On the Very First Bite, I knew that this pie was something special. Its crust did not look distinctive, and it had only a mild char underneath. But it was about perfectly thin, crisp, and sturdy. The cheese was good if a tad unremarkable, and the sauce had a nice savory zing. I really can't say precisely what sensory memory was triggered, but I was instantly transported to Riverside NJ and Rose's Tomato Pie circa 1972. This pie had much in common with the pie of my youth and with the legendary pizza at Patsy's in East Harlem, and it filled me with regret that I hadn't been eating this great pizza for the past 25 years.

No real pizza epicure will toss aside the bones (a.k.a. cornicione), but these were perhaps the best ever. As much as DeLorenzo's wafer-thin crust may be my all-time favorite, even the DeLo crust is dry and cracker-like on the edge. The out edge of these pies was still thin, but with a crispness over a densely chewy interior. If you care about crust, you will swoon.

Shortly after that inspiring first visit to Papa’s, more than one Trenton native told me to try the "mustard pie" at Papa's. Here is what they do -- spread a coat of mustard on the crust before the application of sauce and cheese. "Sounds weird, tastes great" was the universal endorsement. I returned to find out about this specialty tomato pie.

A sausage slice at Papa's

I recall that the exterior of Papa’s was deteriorating much like Trenton in general; the large red awning was faded, torn, and taped over. We ordered a mustard pizza as takeout, and embarked on a 15 minute drive. On that drive, even though the mustard pie was stored in the trunk, its aroma filled the cabin. And the dominant smell was the mustard! I commented that it smelled like I had a trunk full of stadium hot dogs. 

Overall, this mustard pie had excellent balance of textures -- the crust held up to the sauce and cheese toppings. All the elements that make Trenton tomato pie so special were present, and then the additional mustard flavor. The mustard had the flavoring effect of "one more topping" albeit an invisible one. I loved this pie, and it triggered a Key Pizza Theory for me.

I think that one reason folks love Denino's (Staten Island) pizza is that it has more salt. While no amount of salt is going to make Domino's or Papa John's Pizza worth eating, if you take a superb pie and make it a little saltier, wow! We are accustomed to doctoring up our pies with red pepper flakes, garlic powder, grated cheese, but perhaps the most powerful condiment is the simplest. And that may explain the popularity of the mustard pie. At the small price of adding a little moisture to the overall mix, you get an added salty dimension. 

Papa's Tomato Pies in Robbinsville

Bottom line – two Trenton visits in 2012, and two marvelous experiences at Papa’s Tomato Pies. I noted then that I got a warm feeling sitting in the cozy dining room at Papa's as we waited for our pies, saying “Papa's may be the best opportunity to experience destination pizza the way that regular folks have enjoyed it for 75 years. This neighborhood is changing, and one wonders if enough lovers of real pizza will remain or travel into Trenton for this artisan pie. One person commented that the other patrons ‘looked old’ and I presume them to the be last holdouts of a fading generation. I hope that Papa's can hang on, even as the neighborhood evolves.”

Outside the Trenton Farmers Market

Inside the Trenton Farmers Market

Fast forward to 2021, when I finally got to visit the Robbinsville location of Papa’s Tomato Pies. After 30 months as a Texan, I was enjoying a nostalgic road trip back to PA, NY, and NJ. I visited two of my Trenton stalwarts, the incredible Trenton Farmers Market (a true version of the vanishing breed of farmers markets, not a boutique veggie store), and its precious neighbor, the Halo Farms dairy store. Bought an heirloom Jersey tomato (there are no good tomatoes in Texas beyond my backyard garden) and some La Colombe coffee at Halo.

Inside Papa's, Robbinsville

We arrived before 5pm on a weekday, and the restaurant was mostly empty. Our group of four chose a booth, where we ordered two tomato pies, one with sausage (my favorite) and one with fresh garlic. We briefly considered the "Margherita" made with fresh mozzarella on top, but our helpful server confirmed that this hipster pie was just a concession to modern times, and that we should stick to the traditional tomato pies. Great advice!

The Trentonian, 1964

While we waited, I looked at the history of Papa's in black and white photos on the walls, as well as pages from The Trentonian newspaper in 1964, which featured an ad from Papa's and another restaurant offering tomato pies for as little as 50 cents.

Importantly, the interior of Papa's is a strong facsimile of the old place in Trenton. Classic red booths, simple tables, and even the Tiffany lamps featured at the Chambers Street location! We asked if they brought them along, but these were acquired from a shuttered Friday's restaurant. Papa's still owns the Chambers Street building and is leasing it to the next generation of aspirational immigrants, where it now is home to a Guatemalan restaurant.

The Chambers Street location in 2021

The pies arrived simultaneously, and both were beautiful, topped with that deep red chunky sauce. I began with a slice from the garlic pizza, and I was reminded of how thin and crisp the crust is. The ingredients were in perfect balance, and each slice was perfectly rigid from cornicione to the tip. 

The sausage tomato pie

There was an ideal snap to the crunch of each bite, and as on my visits to the previous location, the cornicione was a delight. Just magic in the dough. Even though this simple tomato pie was enhanced with fresh garlic, it signalled that if there is ever a time to relish the fundamental delight of a "plain" pizza, this is the place.

The garlic tomato pie

Next up was the sausage pie. It shared the same wonderful crust, cheese, and tomatoes with the garlic pizza, but with the added umami of fresh Italian sausage where the chunks had cooked right on the pie. It was wonderful in every way, yet somehow the garlic pie was better. I think this pizza had perhaps a little more cheese, and the added weight of the cheese and sausage resulted in a less perfect balance than the garlic pie. But this is a tiny point of note; the garlic pie was a perfect 10, the sausage pie was a 9.9.

A perfect crust

On this same road trip, we also enjoyed Manhattan's iconic Joe's Pizza in The Village, as well as some beautifully rendered Neapolitan pizza at Zero Otto Nove on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Coming home to Austin, we made another visit to Via 313, home of the brilliant Detroit style pizza. All superb - and all a distant second to this Trenton tomato pie at Papa's. 

Sausage close-up

In Robbinsville and in Yardley, folks are lining up to get in for DeLorenzo's tomato pies, and the product is surely worth the effort. It's taken me a very long time to consider that any other pizza might be as good as DeLorenzo's, but Papa's is right there. It was even better than it was in the original Trenton location. I've had pizza in Rome and Tuscany and Venice, but none matched these pies we just had at Papa's. And no line, no waiting, no hassle!

Crisp, rigid, yet chewy

Papa's is unquestionably destination pizza. It's remarkable that DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies (and its worthy cousin, DeLorenzo's Pizza) and Papa's are making top-class pies for so long. Two of the very best pizzas in the entire world, and only a few hundred yards apart. Trenton and New Haven have something in common.