The Bronx Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurant That's Been Serving Legendary Pizza Since 1947

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New York City is a food mecca, and while there are some overrated restaurants in the city that you can easily skip, there's one hole-in-the-wall eatery up in the Bronx that you certainly should try. The Bronx is actually known for a large Italian community, and part of that comes with delicious food, like the pizza at Louie & Ernie's. If you need convincing to try a new New York pizza joint, consider that this eatery has been slinging pizza since 1947 — so you know it's good.

At a glance, Louie & Ernie's might not seem like much, because it's a quaint eatery that looks like a residential building at first. However, the Bronx pizzeria has been rated to have some of the best pizza in NYC by publications like The New York Times. It was also once considered the best hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the state by the staff at Food Republic.

According to the restaurant's website, it was originally started by brothers Louie & Ernie in Harlem until it relocated to the Bronx in 1959. Later in the 1980s, the restaurant was sold to another pair of brothers who decided to keep the same name.

Pizzas are the main menu item at Louie & Ernie's, and there is a variety to choose from. One pizza that stands out is the Godfather Pie, which comes topped with sausage, pepperoni, onion, peppers, and mushrooms. Another pie that you might want to try is the sausage pie, which is top-rated and apparently features sausage sourced from a local butcher. There are also classic pizzas with toppings like pepperoni, eggplant, olives, or even anchovies. The menu reveals that most of the pies are available to purchase by the slice or whole pizza. If you're a fan of a calzone, then the Bronx institution also has you covered. There are calzones filled with ingredients including chicken parmesan, eggplant, ham, meatballs, and broccoli rabe.

Feeling hungry now? If you live in the Big Apple or plan on visiting sometime soon, Louie & Ernie's is located in the Pelham Bay neighborhood on Crosby Avenue, just 15 minutes from another Bronx staple, Johnny's Reef. It's relatively easy to get to via the bus, depending on where you're coming from. All of that to say is that it's not close to the borough's Little Italy, which runs along Arthur Avenue, but it seems like it's worth the trek to take a bite of one of its popular pizzas or calzones.