where jess ate

Famous for serving up one of the best pizza slices in NYC, we decided to brave the line and make the trek out to Midwood, Brooklyn.

It’s located pretty far into Brooklyn so it took us nearly an hour to get there from Manhattan. On the subway ride there, we overhead a couple other people talking about going to Di Fara so we knew we were on the right track.

We dropped by on a Sunday, when they open their doors at 1pm. We arrived around 12:30 and there was already a line of about 20 people. It grew exponentially immediately after we got in line. I’ve read about the notorious lines at Di Fara and they weren’t kidding. I’m assuming the line is a little more manageable on a weekday, so I’d recommend coming Wednesday to Friday if you can (they’re only open Wednesday to Sunday).

Di Fara is brought to us by Domenica DeMarco who opened this pizza joint back in 1964. While he’s not a young man anymore, he’s still in here everyday making each and every pizza by hand.

The space Di Fara occupies is pretty bare bones. It’s a tiny space with three long folding tables and 15 or so seats. It’s not the most comfortable setting but it gets the job done.

After ordering, we waited about 20 minutes for our slices of pizza which isn’t too bad considering there’s often a 1+ hour wait for your pie. They offer their pizza in slices ($5), pies (starting at $28) and square pies (starting at $32). Toppings cost extra.

We started off with two Regular Slices ($5 each) which consisted of a delicious tomato sauce, fresh basil and a three cheese blend of buffalo mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano and grana padano. The thin crust had a nice char to it with a slightly soft center. A drizzle of olive oil on top made it extra greasy but that just made it so much more delicious and indulgent!

It’s admittedly a little pricey at $5 for a slice but it’s well worth it. There’s just something about biting into a fresh slice of Di Fara’s pie. After one bite, I immediately wanted more and quickly put in another order. Half an hour later, I was enjoying my second slice.

Needless to say, Di Fara serves a damn good slice of pizza. But would I do it again? Probably not. It’s quite the trek out to Midwood and there isn’t really anything else to do all the way out there. Oh, and let’s not forget the long wait. But if you’ve got time to spare, Di Fara is worth a visit.

At a glance:

• Known for serving one of the best pizza slices in NYC
• Located in Midwood, Brooklyn (approximately a 45 min subway ride from Grand Central)
• Notorious for long waits; arrived half an hour before opening on a Sunday and there was already a line of 20 people
• Hole-in-the-wall pizza joint; limited seating
• Open Wednesday to Sunday
• Cash only; $5 per slice/$28 for a pie
• Tried a regular slice (tomato sauce, cheese and basil) and loved it
• Glad I tried it but if it’s your first time in NYC or have limited time, I don’t recommend making the trek

Ratings (out of 5):

• Food: 4 stars
• Service: 2 stars
• Atmosphere: 1 star