In Pittsburgh, you cannot beat Aiello's...and honestly, as I travel more and more - I'm beginning to realize you can't beat it anywhere.
Let me first address several issues that I've found with other reviews:
1) A sweet taste to the sauce...absolutely, and it's amazing that way (high quality). If you don't like it, go order Papa John's and get sauce from a 5 year old can.
2) This is not New York-style pizza. I have no idea where people got that idea. New York-style pizza is known for wide cuts with a thin crust. Aiello's is nothing like that. The cuts are "normal" sized and have a delicious crust that is finely balanced between thick and thin. It's not a Chicago deep dish and it's not cheese & sauce on paper like New York...it's a happy medium.
3) Mineo's was the original but has since gone down hill. This is where you want to go. Aiello's will be cleaner with higher quality ingredients and a better crowd.
With all of that said, Aiello's has increased their prices in recent years and I'm growing a little tired of that...somehow inflation is 3 percent but at Aiello's it's 10 or 20 percent. Doesn't make sense to me...but then again, I haven't lived in Pittsburgh for 6 years and because Pittsburgh is so inexpensive - I don't even notice when I come back for a slice (it's still cheaper than pizza in other cities).
Final recommendations:
- Get two slices "off the top" and don't have it reheated. I promise you, you'll never look back.
- Bring cash, they don't take cards.
- Grab one of those Car Mart magazines from the counter by the front door and you'll have something to read while you eat.