Carbone’s Pizza

I was raised on Carbone’s. Not this one, thankfully. The one in Hudson, WI makes this one look just terrible to be brutally honest. I tried this one a few years ago. Incredibly unimpressed. Thought since there’s one of my favorite pizza chains close by, I should try it again. I’m not one to write reviews like this but just couldn’t help myself after another bad experience at one of my all time favorite pizza names. After the extra about 30 minutes wait time compared to what we were told, both of our pizzas were finally done. Sitting there watching 5 different cooks barely doing their job was frustrating. I worked in the pizza industry for years. You make pizza that slow on a Friday night, not going to work. I’ve watched one pizza cook at a different Carbone’s make triple the output of that place. Then they serve both of the pizzas in paper bags. I don’t know if they’re trying to cut cost or what, but this is the most inconvenient way you could give take out. Have you ever tried to stack two bags of pizza on top of each other? In what world does that work? Am I supposed to lay one flat on the front seat and one flat in the back seat. Hopefully I never need to turn or use my brakes. Then getting to actually eating the pizza. I don’t know how to describe it besides not great. This is why I’ll forever again not eat at this Carbone’s. All the other ones I’ve tried got it down. This one though, waste of time and money.

Come here if you like tasty little squares. Bonus tip: if you get your pizza to go it comes in a bag. My sister kept using Oregano oil to boost her immune system all week and I kept thinking «That smells like carbone’s». So then I went and got be a pizza bag from Car Bone’s

I’ve been eating this stuff since the 70’s. And I will continue to do so. I can’t imagine a more delicious pizza.

Carbone’s was my introduction to Twin Cities style pizza. Good lord, is it good. I love the cracker crust and the little squares. I love their sausage (Hotdish’s perpetual topping choice), I love their Canadian Bacon (Tapas’s), i love their mushrooms (mine). Carbone’s is basically one big, flat love circle for me.
I’m always happy when Hotdish’s dad Pot Roast comes to town bc he always wants to go to Carbone’s.
The staff is very young and very tolerant, which is good and bad. Good bc they find Tapas’s bad Italian accent charming long after it’s begun to wear on my nerves; bad in that they didn’t tell the family collectively watching a movie loudly on a phone that they should just get their pizza to go if they want to watch a flick or bring a screen big enough to share with us all.
The booths are pretty… intimate, so if you’re with a big group in number and/​or girth, pray you can score a booth in the middle.
Overall, excellent. I haven’t been to Punch yet, though. I hear they give Carbone’s a run for their money.

This may be the perfect pizza. Nice thin crust for all you thin crust lovers out there and the perfect amount of sauce and cheese!

Love carbones! Very thin crust pizza with a not too sweet, not too salty sauce, just right! Cheese bread is really good but we love that they now have cheese fries too. Definitely a unique flavor to their pizza, not like a chain. Highly recommend!

Best thin crust pizza ever!
We have been going to this pizza place for many years. The thin crust pizza is the best we have ever had anywhere — Italy included!
Environment:
All booths in small neighborhood restaurant. Busy pick up counter at the entry.
Food:
Side salad is okay– very much like you would make at home. Pizza has crisp thin crust with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. Pepperoni and sausage are good.

Best pizza in the twin cities. They make their own sauce which is a old old family recipe, which about 4 people alive know how to make. Great daily specials which include subs, spaghetti, salads, soup and mini pizzas. Great place for lunch or dinner and as I said, the best ‘za in town. Stop in and check em out. They aren’t a part of the corporate chain so it’s an all together unique menu and unique experience.

Carbone’s has a great old school pizza place atmosphere and great pizza to match. Affordable and tasty. The pizza is thin and greasy and delicious.

We’ve lived here for three years now, so we finally decided to try the pizza place that is arguably the closest to our house. Go figure. Sometimes we don’t win any awards for smarts.
As others have said, Carbone’s serves thin crust pizza cut into squares. The crust is really crackery and crisp, which I personally like very much. Despite the pile of toppings and generous amount of cheese, the crust remained crispy, which is a feat unto itself. I also really did like the cheese — nice and rich, melty and delicious. It was a bit on the greasy side, but it’s pizza. So whatever. One in our party thought the sauce was pretty sweet but to me it just tasted like good pizza sauce. We also got the «pizza fries» or whatever they’re called, which really was like a small cheese pizza cut into strips and served with a side of marinara sauce. The crust on this was different, thicker and more like a pan pizza. We enjoyed it but I really think the name of the dish is kind of confusing.
As others have mentioned, it’s carry-​out or dine in only. No delivery. The dine-​in portion of the restaurant was small… some tables and booths and a seat yourself sign. Nothing fancy. They certainly seem to do a robust takeout business though. The pizza in a bag thing was something I’d never experienced before moving to Minnesota, but I have been pleased that the staff here does tend to offer you a box if you are carrying out more than a few pies. Though they do always still bag one pie that presumably will be on the top of the stack. Despite what you may think, the bags actually do a good job of keeping the pizza warm until you can get it home. Or, maybe we just feel that way because we live so close.
Either way, Carbone’s is a perfectly decent old-​school down-​home pizza shop. If you like that sort of thing :-)

Outstanding traditional thin crust pizza. This is an old school pizza restaurant. Order to go and it is packaged in the paper sleeve as it was years ago. Highly recommended.

if you like firm, almost crunchy thin crust in favor of soggy thin crust, excellent cheese that isn’t too much nor too little and just the right the right amount of sauce then your in for a treat! I’ve lived on 3 different continents and this is my all-​time favorite pizza. I recently moved out of state and haven’t found anything that compares to a large thin crust pepperoni pizza from Carbone’s! My parents and 3 brothers all live out of state and Carbone’s is still there favorite, all of them. I only eat pepperoni pizza so I can only vouch for their pepperoni pizzas but my mom and brother order the Special (i think it’s called the Carbone’s Special) and they claim it’s the best. My other brother likes sausage and mushroom and he claims its the best. My dad and other brother will eat from one of the three above mentioned pizzas and claim they’re the best! Can’t say enough good things about the pizza from the original Carbone’s on Randolph.

Without a doubt the best Za in the Twin Cities and a last remaining family pizzeria.
Love the lunch specials and the smell of the kitchen when dining in.
Mmm mmmm good.

The nephew was in town and we were doing a mad dash of fulfilling his need of pizza cut in squares and a juicy Lucy fix.
Carbone’s pizza is always a consistent winner. Nice thin crust. Sauce not all over the place and the cheese does not make it over greasy.
We went in for their $ 6.99 lunch special, which happens to be everyday at this location*. A individual 7″ pizza w/​one topping (it was closer to a 10″) and your choice of a cup of soup or salad along with a soda.
It was the perfect amount. Seriously you didn’t need more. The service was quick and pizza was tasty. Definitely will be back for this special.
* I’ve noticed that Carbone’s has different prices and specials at different locations and from past experiences, not all places accept the coupons that are printed.

Really good pizza, padded bench seating booths, and a friendly, attentive staff. Not bad for 50 years old.
A small size pizza, along with a large Caesar salad with anchovies on the side, made a decent late night meal for two adults. We ordered their «special deal» consisting of a small pepperoni and sausage pizza (with the addition of pineapple) and a bottle of a sweet red wine (a Lambrusco) — all for $ 18.
The pizza was good — with a thin crust, tasty sauce and lovely cheese on top. The meats were also good. That slightly fizzy wine brought back memories of high school. I rather enjoyed the sweet red, effervescent wine — much better than drinking a large glass or two of soda fountain beverage. Although they have different beers available, it’s not an option for me as I don’t like the combination of pizza and beer. The Caesar salad was decent — sliced fresh Romaine lettuce lightly coated with a mild dressing.
Yes, I’ll return again for a taste of some of this style of pizza.

A six year old I know says, «It has exactly the right amount of sauce and the right kind of crust, and really good cheese.»
Now, that these words came from a 6-​year-​old conventional American boy tells you something. This is American – midwestern, actually – thin crust pizza (looks like Saint Louis style crust, though I have not confirmed that it is unleavened). It is not New York style pizza. It is not Chicago style pizza. It is not Tuscan style pizza. It is the kind of pizza Totino’s wishes it could be: Flaky thin slightly salty crust, cheese that makes a continuous sheet when baked. The pieces are cut in squares. This pizza is, in a very basic sense, good chow, in a kid sort of way.
Carbone’s is also about the experience. This is an old 1970s wood panelled Saint Paul institution. Generations have come here, and those generations want food there more because it is comfortingly familiar than because it is truly exceptional. Servers do not mind if you bring a banana in for your kid to eat while waiting. They post drawings kids make on their counter-​face. There are hooks on posts near booths on which to hang your coat. There is a juke box. Am I making myself clear?
I recommend getting your pizza «light on the cheese» to avoid the potential greasiness, though for some the grease is the whole game. Wash it down with a Summit EPA, and complement it with some suprisingly refreshing iceberg lettuce with, wait for it, French dressing. The salad comes with Saltines. If you’re from the midwest, you’ll feel six years old again.

Several people told us how great it was, and it’s within walking distance, so we decided to give it a shot. I’ll just say I don’t understand how anyone could like this pizza. It’s extremely greasy, the cheese is flavorless and there’s just too much of it.
I don’t necessarily hate this style of pizza; I’ve had it done better at other restaurants. I just don’t understand the appeal of Carbone’s.

THE ORIGINAL CARBONE’S! This is the original Carbone’s, and distinct from the other Carbone’s chain (brother feud story). The recipes are a bit different. I prefer this original location, but the chain is more convenient as it’s everywhere.

One word: delicious. Carbone’s makes the best pizza in St. Paul. Thin crust, thick layer of cheese, amazing sauce.
Cons:
*No delivery
*Pizza packaged in bags instead of boxes when ordered to go, making it virtually impossible to pick up more than one pizza without destroying at least one of them during transportation

Yummy thin crust pizza with tons of cheese and a great spicy sauce. They are really busy so if you want to dine in, plan accordingly. Even the take out area gets to be packed with hungry patrons waiting for their fresh out of the oven, pizza pie to come out.
I had not been here in about 15 years but nothing has changed and its still great traditional pizza. The only thing I am not fond of is they put your pizza in white bags, not boxes. I think you can ask for a box which I will do next time, but the bags are pretty flimsy and your toppings can slide off pretty easily while you are driving home…
What we ordered: Sausage and Pepperoni traditional thin crust.