Grimaldi's vs Juliana's

What is the difference between Grimaldi's and Juliana's?

Same founder, different owners. Grimaldi's is the brand Patsy Grimaldi sold in 1998, now a chain of 40+ US restaurants. Juliana's is the pizzeria he opened himself in 2012, in Grimaldi's original building.

Grimaldi's at 1 Front Street is the brand's flagship: a coal-fired brick oven, whole pies, a long room and a line that can stretch up the block. Zagat rated it the No. 1 pizzeria in New York in 2007. Juliana's at 19 Old Fulton Street is named after Patsy's mother and, in its own words, uses "the original hand-built coal-fired oven". Patsy Grimaldi died in February 2025, aged 93. Juliana's says it has no affiliation with Grimaldi's today.

On the plate the two are closer than the rivalry suggests: thin crust, char from coal, fresh mozzarella. Juliana's signature is the Classic Margherita with DOP San Marzano tomatoes, locally made mozzarella and basil.

Why are Grimaldi's and Juliana's next to each other?

Because Grimaldi's started at 19 Old Fulton Street, moved next door in 2011, and Patsy Grimaldi reopened in his old space a year later under his mother's name.

Patsy Grimaldi learned coal-oven pizza at his uncle's place, Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem, opened in 1933. The timeline under the bridge runs like this:

Which is better, Grimaldi's or Juliana's?

Juliana's, for most pizza people: it is Patsy Grimaldi's own last pizzeria and the margherita is the benchmark. Grimaldi's wins on late hours and on taking phone reservations.

Choose Juliana's if the story matters to you, or if you want the classic margherita in the room where it started. Its menu leans old New York: Juliana's FAQ says Patsy's own favorite pie was the margherita, and Sinatra's was "with sausage".

Choose Grimaldi's if you are coming after 9 p.m., if your group is large (it handles groups of 25 or more with 72 hours' notice) or if you would rather call ahead than stand in line. Its site lists a waitlist and phone reservations. Juliana's takes neither reservations nor group bookings.

Can't decide? Two people can split one pie at each on the same afternoon, as long as you dodge the oven breaks below.

When do Grimaldi's and Juliana's close for oven stoking?

Juliana's stops between 3:15 and 4 p.m. every day, and Grimaldi's pauses pizza from 4 to 5 p.m. The breaks do not overlap, so from 3:15 to 5 p.m. one oven is always cold and the other has the crowd.

A coal fire needs fresh coal and a cleared grate to keep its heat, Juliana's explains: when the bell rings, it takes its last order at 3:15 p.m., stokes from about 3:30 and reopens at 4 p.m. Grimaldi's stops pizza from 4 to 5 p.m. for the same reason. Juliana's burns anthracite coal, at about 850 °F (450 °C).

How long is the line at Grimaldi's and Juliana's?

There is no fixed answer: both get lines at peak times, and Juliana's says the wait depends on the weather. Weekday lunch is your best shot.

Juliana's seats complete parties only, so the whole group has to be there before you reach the door. It offers shade and water on hot days and suggests an umbrella if rain is forecast, because space under its awning is limited. Takeout does not skip the queue either: when the oven is at capacity, Juliana's staggers to-go orders, which can mean a long wait. Its pies go out in a bag-style sleeve rather than a box, a Patsy Grimaldi idea to keep the crust from tasting of cardboard.

• Arrive at opening: 11 a.m. at Grimaldi's, 11:30 a.m. at Juliana's.
• Skip 3 to 5 p.m.: one oven or the other is being stoked, and the crowd waits for both.
• Late evening: Grimaldi's runs until 10 or 11 p.m.; Juliana's last seating is 9 p.m.

The easy way into Grimaldi's: a full slice as part of a 3-hour food tour, plus falafel, tacos, pancakes and Jacques Torres hot chocolate, with a licensed guide.

★ 4.9 · 3 hours · from $129

Explore the Heights and DUMBO food tour → Tour details

Can you get a slice at Grimaldi's or Juliana's?

No. Both sell whole pies only at their Brooklyn restaurants. Most other Grimaldi's locations sell slices, and the DUMBO food tour hands out a full Grimaldi's slice as part of the tasting.

Whole pies are made to order, so plan on one pie for two hungry people, or two for a group of four. Juliana's takes cash and all major cards, splits a check up to four ways and serves wine, beer and cocktails. It has no gluten-free pizza. Its Marinara pie, salads and lentil soup are free of animal and dairy products.

If a slice is all you want, take the Heights and DUMBO food tour or walk two minutes to L&B's DUMBO branch for a Sicilian square. Juliana's and L&B also ship pies nationwide through Goldbelly, if you fall in love and fly home.

Is L&B Spumoni Gardens in DUMBO worth a stop?

Yes, if you want a square instead of a round. The Bensonhurst classic, open since 1939, soft-opened a second location at 46 Old Fulton St in December 2024.

L&B is famous for its Sicilian square and its spumoni, and the DUMBO branch puts both a short walk from Juliana's and Grimaldi's. It is the easy third stop on a DIY pizza crawl, and the only one of the three where the square is the point. The original on 86th Street is still the one with the history: see the oldest pizza places in Brooklyn.

A simple order of play: margherita at Juliana's, a square and spumoni at L&B, then a walk to the water in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

How do you get to Grimaldi's and Juliana's from Manhattan?

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge from City Hall and you come down a few minutes from Old Fulton Street. By subway, the A or C to High St or the F to York St are the closest stops.

The walk is the classic way in, and it builds an appetite. The Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO walking tour ($32, 4.8 from 238 reviews) meets at Warren Street and Broadway near City Hall, crosses the bridge, takes in Jane's Carousel and the Manhattan Bridge photo spot, and ends at Time Out Market, a few minutes from all three pizzerias. It includes no food, which leaves room for a whole pie.

By subway: MTA line maps list High St (A, C) with exits at Cadman Plaza West and Middagh St, and York St on the F. Juliana's partners with LAZ Parking at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, 90 Furman Street, for a parking discount if you drive.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge into DUMBO with a guide in 2 hours, past Jane's Carousel, ending a few minutes from Juliana's, Grimaldi's and L&B.

★ 4.8 · 2 hours · from $32

Explore the Brooklyn Bridge walk → Tour details

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