Basil Brick Oven Pizza

Doesn’t look like much on outside, BUT inside, charming, dark wood design, big windows, an old wine press, really nice. Today when we went, they took first spot for meatballs and the Margherita. The meatballs were so good we ordered an additional order. Best I have had and my husband and I (who are pizza foodies) have eaten at most of New York’s top pizza venues (Keste, Motorino, Roberta’s, Milkflower). In Queens, this is top for the meatballs which are ex-​qui-​site and the Margherita authentic, delicious. Just go.

Ordered take out from here on Seamless. It came in the time they estimated (40 minutes) & everything was delicious. We ordered:
— *Penne all Basil* = homemade vodka sauce, shallots, shiitake mushrooms, prosciutto de parma, peas, parmigiana reggiano & extra virgin olive oil. This was our favorite dish. Vodka sauce was light & flavorful. The shiitake mushrooms added a nice texture to the dish. Peas added crunch & color to the plate.
— Gnocchi All Bava = buckwheat gnocchi served in creamy fontina sauce. This is a heavy dish. Could only eat a few bites. I’d recommend sharing.
— Diavola Pizza = tomato sauce, homemade fresh mozzarella, Italian hand cut sopressata calabrese, parmigiano reggiano & basil. This pizza had great flavors & lil spicey kick but the sopressata & mozz would slide off from the sauce & dough. I’d recommend asking if they could chop up the sopressata instead of serving it whole slice deli style on the pizza.
— Parma & Argula Pizza = tomato sauce, homemade fresh mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, prosciutto di parma, baby arugula & extra virgin olive oil. This pizza was messy. Too much arugula, it was pretty much a salad pizza. The prosciutto was also whole slice deli style which made it difficult to cut.
I prefer my pizza with little bit of sauce, toppings chopped & enough cheese holding it all together so you get everything in each bite of the pizza. I’d order from here again but would make special request the next time around.

3.5 stars, rounded down until I can try more of their awesome (at least in print) menu [read: I’ll be ordering again soon].
Love the potential behind the menu. They were spot on with my 7pm pre-​order delivery request. The delivery guy was friendly. The food was piping hot when it arrived.
Good mozz… but the texture of the meatballs was very off-​putting to me, especially considering the price tag. They were amply sized for this kind of menu, but very mushy in texture. While I prefer meatballs which are browned/​caramelized in a stove top before being finished off in sauce/​an oven, I’ve had plenty which were only oven-​baked, and still of a much more firm (though still moist) consistency. Didn’t work for me.
Pasta alla Basil was very nice. Menu lists penne, though they substituted for linguini, per my request. Good cook to the pasta. Nice balance of sauce, vegetable, and protein, while still offering a very hearty portion, making the price tag worthwhile. It even reheated well.
Looking forward to trying their pizzas, entrees, and other apps!

Ordered 2 Margherita pizzas and was disappointed.
Runny tomato sauce and soggy crust. Totally not worth the $ 30.

Simply AMAZING!!! I hadn’t been inside since the renovation and the place looks and feels like you’re actually in Italy! The décor, the food, the chef. The overall ambiance makes you feel like you’re sitting in a restaurant in Italy. Besides that, the food is THE BEST ITALIAN in America. Their pizza is cooked in this huge brick oven and it really comes through in the taste. I love the diavola pizza, and of course the margherita is an amazing classic. I’m also obsessed with their tiramisu, sooooo good. I’ve also tried their lasagna, a meatball panini (forgot the name), and the penne a la basil (I think thats what it’s called), and everything was delicious. I could probably live off this place. Also has SUPER fast delivery. MUST GO.

Enjoyed a excellent meal here with a large family group
Food matched each age groups desires and tastes
The staff was extra accommodating to the children present
Service was A+
We visited in late August and would recommend to anyone

pros-​fast delivery
–love the size of the individual pizza
–love the amount of greens in the salad, please don’t change :) (said i loved the amount of greens in a competitor review and it’s now half the size)
–not terribly expensive
cons-​arrived cold
–too doughy (hard to sink your teeth into)
–too soggy (flop factor)

Not only is the food absolutely disgusting, but the manager was a horrible, rude man whose smell was absolutely nauseating. Our food came out cold, and when we asked if we could just have it heated up he threw a fit and acted like we were trying to… scam him some how? I have no idea. Please, please don’t go here, it was the most unpleasant experience of my dining life.

I honestly had the best pizza I have ever eaten here. It was a special called the «volcano pizza.» It was a margherita pie with a ham and cheese calzone in the center. MIND-​BLOWING! I could not stop eating it. Anyone who goes here while this special is still on the menu needs to order it. You won’t be disappointed!

I found this place a few years ago when a friend took me here for dinner. We both grew up in Italian homes, and this is the food that comes from grandmas kitchen.

My favorite restaurant! I and my boyfriend often comes here! Food amazing!!! They have too many interesting variety dishes so we always try something new and every food never disappoint us! The owner is very nice too. (we have spoken to him when we came here very first time about 2 years ago) Last night, their service was not great because they forgot many things!!! But I forgive because food was so wonderful! I’ll def come back soon! :)

This is my current favorite place for satisfying Italian food that’s upscale in the sense of quality but not in the sense of price or atmosphere (which is a great thing)! I feel comfortable and welcomed when I go in, and every single dish we’ve tried has been delicious. All too often I find a place that has a few good things but I never branch out. I also NEVER order pastas at places with good pizza (waste of calories) but this place is the exception! The Penne alla Basil is just so excellent.
Fried mozzarella app is also good but very filling. I am addicted to the olive tapenade that comes with the bread; lucky me, my boyfriend hates olives so I get it all to myself!
They’re currently doing construction on what will be an outdoor patio, and once it’s open, it’ll be even harder to try going anywhere else. The owner, I believe the son of the original owner, is incredibly enthusiastic and clearly passionate about making the restaurant as great as it can be.
ONLY complaint; beers are a little pricey for this neighborhood.

I walk pass this place everyday on my way to the train station. Nice food for nice price, good service.

Basil has an incredibly friendly and fun staff, which only serves to compliment the amazing food. My friend and I had dinner here – we ordered the appetizer that comes with a little mozz, soppressata, etc. and had a chicken special and lobster ravioli as our mains.
The portions were solid, the food (especially the mozzarella) delicious, and again, the staff friendly. There really was excellent service.
I’ve had the pizza from Basil before, and it’s also fantastic, and I think they deliver, too.
We had a great experience and will definitely be back!

Not only am I excited to review Basil Brick Oven because:
A. It’s my first review in Astoria since the big move.
B. Simply because the pizza here is just THAT good.
Basil Brick Oven churns out some really fantastic brick oven specialty pies. Their menu alone showcases their stellar variety of toppings and flavor combinations. From the classic Margarita to their Salsiccia, everything here is delicious and well-​made. Their individually portioned pies are enough to fill anyone are are cooked in under 5 minutes! (I always manage to have leftovers.) The crust is crispy and has just enough char to provoke that earthy, brick oven taste. Plus, the crust holds up the other ingredients very well. Very important factor.
On average the pies range from $ 12 – 16 which is very reasonable. The staff there has been nothing but friendly. Last time I went was about a week ago — when I first moved to Astoria. Our waiter was so kind and greeted me to the neighborhood. He gave me a little packet with their menu, business card and all. I felt very welcomed.
I can definitely see myself becoming a regular here. I’m a big fan of this place already! Excited to call Astoria my new home.

0 stars! Chef changed, quality went downhill. Ordered delivery: pizza margherita + frittura mista.
Pizza was just ok, kind of gummy. The frittura was a joke, cold, no coating thus no crispiness, tasteless, looking greasy with oil seating on the bottom of the container and the veggies in a weird shape must have been cut by an amateur. I added a pic that speaks for itself. Shame!!!

This place is one of the few places that have not disappointed me. Every time I come back, the quality is consistent. The ingredients are always fresh and service always feel welcoming and intimate. This time, I opted for the margherita pizza. It’s really their fresh mozzarella cheese that makes the pizza really delicious. I also like they are thin crust so it doesn’t make you feel too full. For desserts, I went for the hazelnut gelato, which is almost like eating a Ferraro Rocher mousse cream. All that Nutella yumminess just melts in your mouth.

I have to add to my prior review from a few years ago! I ate here tonight with my brother and his family — which included my very rambunctious 2 year old niece.
EVERYONE there was so incredibly nice to my crazy toddler niece. It was noticeable how nice and friendly they were — to the point where my brother was amazed at how patient and sweet everyone was to the crazy toddler!
Pizzas were fantastic as usual — my SIL had the speck and Brie which she really enjoyed, but my choice of Gabriella (beef meatballs, cartelized onions, fresh mozz and tomato sauce) was the winner on the table! My husband also really enjoyed the margarita with roasted garlic.
Friendly service and great food — I’m such a fan!

I had a $ 5 coupon from Seamless. Perfect for pizza night.
After reviewing every single pizza they offered on the menu, I opted for the margheria with mushroom and prosciutto. The food took over an hour to get delivered. Bummer. But being a former pizza delivery person, I’ll let that slide.
The pizza came and I open it and it’s covered in layers of prosciutto. Literally. The entire pizza was covered to a point where I could not see the sauce, cheese or shrooms. No wonder their prosciutto is an extra $ 5. I just thought it’s because prosciutto is typically pricey. If I had eaten it the way it was given to me, it would’ve been a very unattractive, salty pizza.
I ended up taking about ²⁄₃ of the prosciutto out and the pizza was pretty on point after the makeover. With the right amount of prosciutto for a slightly lower (topping) price point, I’d give them 4 stars.

Came here after seeing all the rave reviews about the brick oven pizza, but was pretty disappointed.
Just one of those days when I decided to dine by myself. Service was below par. I walked in and was greeted and told to head to the back where I would be seated. There was one other table on their way out when I sat down, so the place was basically empty besides me. A friendly male server sat me down, but took forever to grab me a menu because he was pre-​occupied doing other things around the restaurant. After a sitting there for a while, I ordered my appetizer and the Margherita pizza.
I ordered the Antipasto Misto to start. Delicious. came with Prosciutto di Parma, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano & Black Olives. Obviously, way too much for one person. It was probably about a pound of prosciutto — which is amazing.
The server checked on my occasionally, but eventually disappeared. While I’m just picking on my app and the delicious flat bread they start you with, another server comes and sees if I am still working. I let her know I am still picking on it.
Forty minutes rolls by and my pizza still hasn’t come out. She never rang it in –_​– because she said I was still working on my appetizer. I said I was still working on my appetizer because I wasn’t ready for you to take it away, not because I didn’t want my pizza yet.
Instead of allowing me to cancel my order because I was waiting so long, she tells me it’s only going to be 5 minutes for the pizza. I get the pizza, it is undercooked — not like all the beautiful pictures I saw on the Unilocal page. Disappointed, I still tried it anyways. The crust was still white and there was one small piece of basil on the pizza.
Took even longer to get my check and have it processed.
Will give the pizza another try, but probably won’t be dining in again. Service was terrible.