Cheazza

Cheazza’s Choice: 99¢ Fresh Pizza On East 43rd

Nestled into a space on East 43rd Street large enough for about three customers, the newest outpost of 99¢ Fresh Pizza serves hefty cheazza slices well worth the quick walk from Grand Central Station.

The original 99¢ Fresh Pizza on 9th Avenue quickly expanded into a cheazza empire, opening their second spot in Midtown East on 151 E. 43rd Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue. 

Come for a quick lunch or a large snack. You’ll be in and out within 10 seconds. While most cheazza slices are smaller than their more expensive counterparts, this slice was thick and doughy. The bottom crust was as crispy as you’ll get without burning the pizza. Balancing a thick crust with considerable crunch is difficult, but 99¢ Fresh Pizza had it nailed.

The tomato sauce tasted real - an accomplishment among cheazza slices. Each bite had just enough sauce, and we discerned bright, sweet flavors.

Yes, the cheese was a bit bland. The lack of a stringy, gooey texture didn’t help matters. It seemed congealed. All in all, the cheese just made the pizza lack grease factor.

VERDICT: Head here when in Midtown East and looking for a quick and cheap meal. Each slice is satisfying; the crispy crust and fresh-tasting sauce made for a pretty enjoyable meal. The cheese was dull and could have been improved upon. 

See what others have to say about the East 43rd Street outpost of 99¢ Fresh Pizza at New York Magazine:

We are not Harvard-trained behavioral economists, but we do know enough to tell you that when a dining establishment makes a good slice of pizza for 99 cents, the chances are excellent that there’s going to be a rabble of slavering slice hounds beating down its door. Such has proved to be the case at 99¢ Fresh Pizza, the second hole-in-the-wall branch of a slice-joint concept so foolproof, so compelling, that the elusive owner—who goes only by Abdul—has decided to spell it out in the name.

And on Midtown Lunch:

The truth is- I freakin’ LOVE the 99¢ pizza place.  Call me a cheapo, but I’ve never once asked for my penny back (and they’ve never offered it.) 

99¢ Fresh Pizza
151 E. 43rd St. 
New York, NY 10174
(212) 922-0257