It was a late summer afternoon, and I was still on my pizza tour of Jersey City’s Greenville section. Looking for another new place for a quick lunch, I came across Georgio’s Pizza. Driving up West Side Avenue, I found its corner location just after Culver and right before the Light Rail Station at Claremont. It is also near the iconic Miss America Diner where I could not resist following up my tasty slices with a delicious vanilla milk shake.
Once again, my odd lunch hour put me at Georgio’s at a time when I was its lone customer. However, with the massive Jersey City Social Security Administration building next door, I’m sure this place gets quite busy with the government worker crowd.
Georgio’s is a typical pizza joint and offers a big open room. Doing my usual, I ordered two cheese slices at the counter and went to a table to wait while they were reheated. Making some small talk with the friendly owner, it was a real hoot to find out he lived in Bayonne just a few blocks from where I was raised.
The slices were gigantic! If I had seen their size, I may have only ordered one. But, in the end I wound up eating every wonderful morsel (even the end crust “pizza bones”) and really enjoyed it. All that was left was some rather oily paper plates.
I guess it’s no surprise that I am having such great pizza luck here in Jersey City, but it sure is making it hard for me to be impartial and differentiate. While really a fantastic slice, this one was heavy on the oil and as a result came off a little greasy. Lean and thin, it also was not charred crisp enough to support the weight of the heavy oil and cheese and flopped as I lifted it. However, as I ate through this otherwise delicious slice, it was only the extra oil that seemed to keep the Georgio’s slice from perfection. Careful not to drip, I went into my “protection mode” and used a fold all the way through as I ate.
Despite the challenge of the oil, my slices were served good and hot. It was a fabulous smooth eat all the way through. Georgio’s may not necessarily be a destination place for the pizza connoisseur, but they certainly serve up a truly great neighborhood slice.
So if you ever find yourself in this part of JC, I recommend you do what I did and grab a “slice and a shake” at Georgio’s Pizza and the Miss America. It’ll make for a pleasant day.
PIZZA SNOB RATING **** Near Perfection
Georgio’s Pizza
337 West Side Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07305
201-332-1515
www.georgiospizzajc.com
