NEPA Pizza Review

Dino’s Pizza Express Serving Great Food and the Community!

Jim Mirabelli of NEPA Pizza Review tasting the Grandma and New York Style pizzas from Dino’s Pizza Express in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

I first started hearing about Dino’s Pizza Express in Wilkes-Barre when we were developing the list of the Best Grandma Pizzas in NEPA.  Quite a few people mentioned Dino’s Pizza Express as having great Grandma Pizza, so they earned their way onto the Grandma list as well as on my list of pizzerias to try.  Now, before we continue, simply saying Dino’s in Wilkes-Barre can be a confusing affair to say the least.  A google search of “Dino’s Pizza Wilkes-Barre” nets you many different results including Dino’s Pizza Express, Dino’s Italian Restaurant, and Dino’s Pizza.  The latter two pizzerias are located in the Wyoming Valley mall at opposite sides of the building.  Dino’s Pizza Express, which we are talking about is on Main Street in Downtown Wilkes-Barre, just off the square.  There are some relations and/or history between the locations, but I believe they all operate totally separately, based on some informal discussions I’ve had over time.

A look inside the Dino’s Pizza Express. There is also a large dining room adjacent to the pizza counter.  Photo Credit: Dino’s Pizza Express facebook page.

Dino’s Pizza Express is next door to Thai Thai Restaurant and on the same block as Boscov’s.  It’s really easy to find, and although the word “Express” would indicate grab and go, and on the move (which it is), Dino’s also has a full dining room which is pretty cozy and comfortable.  The slice counter has a full selection of different types of pizza, but there was one that I focused on as soon as I saw it – THE GRANDMA that the NEPA Nation told me to try!  The first lady and I were also in the mood for a New York Style pie, so we ordered that as well.  We also saw that they offered garlic knot sliders, so I couldn’t help myself but to try out a hot wing and a chicken Parmesan slider – both of which were pretty awesome (and garlicky)! 

A look at the grandma pizza from Dino’s Pizza Express. Photo Credit: DPE Facebook Page.

I dug right into the grandma pizza first, and the first flavor I tasted was the robust tomato sauce that had so much succulence and natural sweetness to it.  It reminded me a lot of the award winning Annarella Pizza I tasted at NePizza Festival at Montage Mountain.  After flipping over the menu to read the story of Dino’s Pizza Express, I found there was a relation to Annarella in Dallas, so this made a lot of sense.  The crust was thin, fairly dense, crisp on the bottom and chewy in the middle.  It was covered with mozzarella cheese, topped with dollops of sauce, and then drizzled with pesto sauce to finish.  The pizza itself was made of simple ingredients, but executed flawlessly.  The flavors and textures worked together to give these simple ingredients such a complex presentation.  Every bite was a unique experience, and this my friends is a special pizza that warrants traveling a distance to try.

Classic New York Style pizza from Dino’s Pizza Express in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

The New York style pie was an absolute classic.  The crust was thin, tender, crispy, and flavorful.  It provided a sturdy foundation for a classic New York sauce which was neutral and lightly seasoned to give the pizza some flavor.  The cheese was a nice quality mozzarella that had some slight saltiness and was very satisfying.  You really would be hard pressed to find any person that would dislike this pizza – it’s simply good pizza that everyone will enjoy.  I wouldn’t call this a “party pleaser” exactly, because it slides a little closer to the higher end pizza snob end of the spectrum, but I am certain all will enjoy it.

Overall, our visit to Dino’s Pizza Express was a resounding success.  We even learned about a cool program that they participate in called Slice Out Hunger.  Customers can donate $.99 cents to feed the needy a slice of pizza and Dino’s has provided thousands upon thousands of slices over the last 4-5 years.  We wanted to join in the fun and donated a pizza ourselves!  So Dino’s is doing great things in the community and serving great pizza and food.  Do I need to say anything further to get you there and go try it out?!  Thanks to everyone who messaged me with this recommendation!  Please share your Dino’s Pizza Express experience in the comments. I’d love to hear what your favorite thing to order there is!

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