Augustine’s Club 17 in Old Forge, PA: A 1952 Pizza Capital Original — Reopened, Renovated, and Better Than Ever

I walked in, ordered, paid the bill, and reviewed the pizza like every other customer. No heads-up. No comps.

There’s something special about pulling up to a pizzeria that’s been doing it since the Eisenhower administration. Augustine’s Club 17 has been part of the Pizza Capital of the World since 1952 — that’s 74 years of Old Forge tradition coming out of one signature bright yellow stucco building at 518 North Main Street. When you’re talking about Old Forge pizza royalty, you’re talking about Club 17 in the same breath as Ghigi’s, Salerno’s, and Revello’s. It’s that level of legacy.

I first reviewed Augustine’s Club 17 back in March of 2014 after a wave of reader recommendations told me I had to get in there. That visit produced one of my favorite NEPA Pizza Review stories — the one where the owner, Maria, came out of the kitchen to chat about the family history and then insisted I try the double crust white pizza I hadn’t ordered. She was right. It was the crown jewel of the trip and a pizza I’m still thinking about.

A lot has happened at Club 17 since then. The shop went through a quiet period, then reopened on September 8, 2023 with renovations to the bar, dining room, restrooms, and parking lot, plus a refreshed menu, drink list, and serving plates. There’s also a brand new specialty pizza lineup that didn’t exist when I wrote my original review — and that alone earned this article a fresh rewrite for any reader searching best Old Forge pizza or Old Forge specialty pizza near me in 2026.

A quick note on the scores: my original 2014 review used the old 5-point system I retired years ago, so I’m leaving those out of this update. The story, the history, and the pizza details all carry forward — I’ll score a fresh visit on the current 10-point rubric when I get back in for the next pie.

Atmosphere: The Bright Yellow Old Forge Landmark, Refreshed for 2026

You don’t drive past Club 17 by accident. The signature bright yellow stucco walls make this place one of the easiest pizzerias to spot in all of Old Forge. It’s a landmark in a town full of landmarks, and that’s not an easy thing to pull off in the Pizza Capital of the World.

Walk through the door and you’re greeted by an interior that matches the exterior’s confidence — vibrant reds and whites, historic family photos lining the walls, a full-service bar, and a dining room that feels festive and warm. It’s the kind of room where you can feel the decades of Sunday dinners, anniversary celebrations, and post-game pizza orders that have happened there. After the 2023 reopening, the bar and dining room got a refresh, and the energy of the room is noticeably brighter while still preserving every bit of that mid-century Italian-American character.

A few atmosphere details locals should know in 2026:

  • Dine-in service: Tuesday through Saturday, opening at 4 PM (Friday until 10 PM, Saturday until 9 PM)
  • Takeout service: Tuesday through Friday from 11 AM, Saturday from 3 PM
  • Closed Sunday and Monday — plan ahead, this is no longer a seven-day-a-week shop
  • Full-service bar with refreshed glassware and drink menu post-renovation
  • Catering available for corporate events and special occasions
  • Free off-street parking plus street parking right out front

A Family Legacy Since 1952: Old Forge Pizza Royalty

This is the part that gives Club 17 weight you can taste. Maria’s parents founded the restaurant in 1952 and the place has been family-owned and operated ever since. That’s 74 years of the same family making the same Old Forge red, refining the same recipes, and serving the same neighborhood. When I asked Maria about the cheese on her red tray back in 2014, she politely declined to name it — and that’s how it should be. The recipe is the inheritance. The recipe is the secret. The recipe is what makes Augustine’s Augustine’s.

If you’re new to Old Forge pizza style, here’s the quick rundown: it’s a rectangular pan pizza, traditionally cut into squares (called “cuts”), with a light and crispy bottom, a soft top, and a unique cheese blend that’s distinct from anywhere else in the country. Old Forge is the only place in America where pizza is ordered by the tray instead of by the pie, and shops like Augustine’s are the reason that tradition is still going strong.

The Pizzas I Tried in 2014

A quick refresher on what I ordered the first time around, because the pizzas themselves haven’t changed and the observations still hold.

Old Forge Red (6 Cut)

This is the benchmark order at any Old Forge pizzeria. Augustine’s red tray came out with a freshly prepared crust that was light, crisp, and flavorful — with a consistent bubble pattern across the top and the kind of slight variations that tell you the dough was hand-shaped, not machine-pressed. The sauce was smooth, hearty, not too sweet and not too salty — the kind of middle-ground Old Forge red that pleases just about everyone at the table.

One detail I love about Augustine’s Old Forge red: no onions in the sauce. For the onion-haters among us, that’s a quiet selling point. I did pick up a hint of what I thought was a smoky note in the cheese blend — I would have sworn it was smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar — but Maria politely told me my guess was wrong without revealing what was actually in there. That’s how you know a recipe is worth protecting.

Hot Wing Pizza (6 Cut)

Augustine’s takes their hot wing pizza a step further than most. Each slice is finished with an entire celery stick laid on top and a dollop of bleu cheese to garnish — a fun touch that gives the slice a real “hot wing on the plate” presentation. The heat level was a true medium: spicy enough to satisfy hot wing pizza fans, but not so aggressive that it would scare off anyone at the table. As I wrote in the original review — hot wing pizza for people who like hot wing pizza but don’t love spicy is an oxymoron, but somehow that’s exactly the lane it lives in. Only in NEPA.

The Crown Jewel: Double Crust White Pizza

This is the pizza that made the trip. I’m not normally a white pizza guy — most double crust whites I’ve had are too thick, too heavy, too cheese-overloaded, and leave you full after a single slice with a gallon of water on the table to wash it down. Maria insisted I try it anyway, and within one bite I understood the insistence.

Augustine’s double crust white solves every problem with the style:

  • Two very thin pre-made round crusts (around 12 inches) rather than the thick, bready double crust most shops default to
  • Bottom crust gets a blend of cheeses and seasonings
  • Top crust covers the cheese cleanly, eliminating the cheese-squirt-when-you-cut-it problem
  • Topped with a blend of chopped onions, garlic, and seasonings — flavor on the outside as well as the inside
  • Thin, small, crispy, flavorful — light enough that I could have eaten the whole pie myself

This is one of the best executions of a double crust white pizza I’ve had anywhere in NEPA, and if you’ve never had it, you need to make Augustine’s a destination order for this pizza alone. It’s NEPA Pizza Review Approved.

What’s New at Club 17 Since 2014: The Specialty Pizza Menu

This is the big update worth searching for. Augustine’s has built out a specialty pizza menu since my original review, and these are the pies driving a lot of the modern Club 17 conversation:

  • Coyote Pizza — the new signature: roasted red pepper sauce, chicken, jalapeños, and a house blend of cheeses. This is the pie they’re hanging their hat on now and it’s the one I’m most excited to score on a return trip. A roasted red pepper sauce base on an Old Forge crust is the kind of move that immediately separates Augustine’s from the rest of the Old Forge specialty pizza field.
  • Buffalo Chicken Pizza — a Buffalo-style spin that gives the hot wing pizza fan a different texture/format to chase
  • Chicken Ranch Pizza — the comfort-food specialty that everyone with kids at the table will fight over
  • 4 Meat Pizza — for the carnivores in the booth
  • Old Forge Special — crumbled sausage, bell peppers, onions, and mozzarella on a crispy crust, mentioned by multiple recent customer reviews as a standout signature

These specialty pies are not on the original 2014 article because they didn’t exist in the same lineup then. If you’re searching Old Forge specialty pizza, gourmet Old Forge pizza, Coyote pizza Old Forge, or best new pizza Old Forge PA, the answer is Augustine’s Club 17. Period.

Pizzaiolo’s Notes 🍕

A few things I want to flag from the pizzaiolo seat looking at the full Augustine’s picture in 2026:

  • The 1952 foundation matters. Pizzerias that survive 74 years in any market — let alone the most competitive Old Forge market on the planet — have a recipe and a kitchen culture that’s been pressure-tested by literal generations of customers. That’s not a marketing line. That’s a moat.
  • Old Forge red without onions is a real point of difference. It’s a small detail, but in a town with this many Old Forge red trays competing for your order, the no-onion lane gives Augustine’s a specific identity. Onion-averse pizza fans should put Club 17 at the top of the list.
  • The double crust white is the destination order. I cannot say this loudly enough. Most Old Forge visitors order a red tray and call it a trip. The Club 17 double crust white is the pie that makes Augustine’s a separate experience worth a separate visit.
  • The Coyote Pizza is the modern signature. Roasted red pepper sauce on an Old Forge canvas, with chicken and jalapeños, is exactly the kind of confident specialty move that tells you the kitchen is still creating, still evolving, and still earning new fans 74 years in.
  • The 2023 reopening matters. A pizzeria that takes the time to refresh the bar, the dining room, the plates, and the menu — and then puts it all back together with the original family still running it — is a pizzeria with another generation of life in it. That’s exactly what Old Forge needs.

What I’d Order Next Time

I’m coming back for the Coyote Pizza first — that’s the one I haven’t put on the rubric yet and it’s the most distinctive pie on the current menu. I’m also planning a return visit to score the Old Forge red, hot wing pizza, and the double crust white on the current 10-point system, because the original 2014 scores were on the old 5-point rubric I no longer use. The Pizza Prince is coming with me for the Chicken Ranch Pizza, and we’ll probably grab a 4 Meat Pizza to take home for the next day’s leftover reheat test.

Final Thoughts: An Old Forge Pizza Capital Original Worth the Drive

Augustine’s Club 17 is one of the original anchors of the Old Forge pizza tradition, and the 2023 reopening confirmed what longtime locals already knew — this family isn’t done yet. The bright yellow stucco is still on the corner of North Main Street. The double crust white is still the crown jewel. The Old Forge red is still onion-free, hearty, and balanced. And now there’s a full specialty pizza menu — led by the Coyote Pizza — pulling Augustine’s into the modern Old Forge pizza conversation alongside the classics.

If you’re planning an Old Forge pizza tour, working through the best pizza in the Pizza Capital of the World, or just trying to find the best pizza near me in Old Forge, PA, Augustine’s Club 17 belongs on the list. The history alone earns it a stop. The food keeps you coming back.

My Takeaways

  • 🍕 Family-owned since 1952 — 74 years of Old Forge tradition still running strong
  • 🍅 The Old Forge red has no onions in the sauce — a real point of difference in this market
  • 🧀 The double crust white pizza is the crown jewel — thin, crispy, and the best version of this style I’ve had in NEPA
  • 🥦 The Coyote Pizza (roasted red pepper sauce, chicken, jalapeños, house cheeses) is the new signature specialty pie worth chasing
  • 🍕 Reopened September 2023 with renovations, refreshed menu, and a new specialty pizza lineup — Club 17 is back

Have you been to Augustine’s Club 17 since the 2023 reopening? What’s your go-to order — the Old Forge red, the hot wing, the double crust white, the Coyote, or something else off the specialty menu? Drop it in the comments, and a special shoutout to Maria and the Augustine family for keeping this Old Forge landmark going for 74 years and counting.

Pizza is Similar to:

  • The classic Old Forge red tray tradition shared by Ghigiarelli’s
  • The neighborhood Old Forge corner-shop legacy of Salerno’s
  • The Old Forge pizza royalty lineage running through Revello’s

Rating Tables

The original 2014 visit was scored on the retired 5-point system and is no longer relevant to the current 10-point rubric used across NEPA Pizza Review. Full 10-point scorecards for the Old Forge red, double crust white, hot wing, and the new Coyote Pizza will come on a return visit — bookmark this article for the update.

Augustine’s Club 17
518 North Main Street, Old Forge, PA 18518
Phone: (570) 562-2110
Website: augustinesclub17.com

Hours

  • Tuesday – Friday: Takeout from 11:00 AM, Dine-in from 4:00 PM
  • Friday: Until 10:00 PM
  • Saturday: Takeout from 3:00 PM, Dine-in from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM
  • Sunday & Monday: Closed

Family owned and operated since 1952 · Free off-street parking · Catering available

Special thanks to Maria and the Augustine family for 74 years of Old Forge pizza craft. Looking forward to the next visit and the full Coyote Pizza scorecard.

Speaking of sauce — if you’re curious how Augustine’s no-onion Old Forge red and the new Coyote roasted red pepper sauce stack up against the rest of the NEPA sauce field, check out our NEPA Pizza Sauce Rankings for the running leaderboard. And if you make pizza at home and want the gear I actually use, our Amazon affiliate picks are linked on the site — every click helps keep NEPA Pizza Review independent and ad-light.