Fun Family Atmosphere, Italian Tradition, and Some Stretchy Scamutz at Frankie’s in Hazleton

The super stretchy scamutz cheese pull from the Thick Tavern Pizza at Frankie’s in Hazleton.


I paid a visit to Frankie’s Pizzeria of Hazleton and had the chance to sit down and chat with Lauren and Angie to learn a bit more about the restaurant and it’s history.  I also learned about scamutz, the origin of the dough recipe, and a whole lot more!  Rather than read what I have to say about it, why don’t you just check out the YouTube video below!

Frankie’s serves a pretty wide variety of styles of pizza.  From their cold cut pizza that can be found in many local grocery stores, to their thick crust “tavern style” pizza, to their round pies there is a lot to choose from.  I have been to Frankie’s a couple of times before for their legendary Sausage (or meatball) and Scamutz sandwich.  It’s absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t have driven all those miles to not have a sandwich while I tried the pizza too!  I don’t review sandwiches here, but I know a great one when I taste one and this my friends is great!  Go try it!

The Legendary Sausgage/Meatball and Scamutz Sandwich from Frankie’s in Hazleton

The thick tavern pizza is something of a soft and a little bit more dense Sicilian pizza.  It is tender and chewy and has a flavorful crust.  The sauce is robust with a hint of sweetness, a bit of tang, and a nice flavor to punch through the thick dough.  You can select whichever cheese you want, but I had to have the scamutz since I was in Hazleton.  Scamutz is a Hazleton exclusive that can best be explained by a Hazletonian or google search, but by my estimation it’s a stringier, stretchier, and maybe a little dryer variation mozzarella cheese.  (Check out the YouTube video for some Hazletonian inside info!).

Thick Tavern Pizza from Frankie’s in Hazleton


The Chicken Tuscany was super flavorful and had a ton of different textures and contrasting tastes going on.  The crust was soft, dense and chewy in a similar way to the tavern pizza, but it really ate like a flatbread in this application.  There grilled chicken and roasted red peppers brought the texture and substance while the myriad of sauce drizzles produced a symphony of flavors.  There was so much going on that I didn’t focus in on what the sauces were, but I got hints of what I thought was a honey mustard-ish taste as well as possibly a balsamic glaze but I can be way off here.

Chicken Tuscany Pizza from Frankie’s Pizzera of Hazleton.


I’m really glad I tried the Tuscany pizza as it’s not something I would have ever ordered off the menu without it being suggested to me by the NEPA Nation.  It’s a little different and works really well on Frankie’s dough.  Overall, I had a great experience and learned a lot.  I was treated like family and made some new friends with a group of fellow diners!  Have you tried Frankie’s Pizza?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

The Ratings

Restaurant: Frankie’s Pizzeria
Location: Hazleton, PA
Date: December 2019
Eat In/Take Out: Eat In

Pizza Ordered: Thick Tavern Pizza
Price: $13.95
Crust: 7.5
Sauce: 7.4
Cheese: 7.5
Overall Taste: 7.7
Crispy/Cooked Properly: 7.4
Overall Value: 7.4
OVERALL RATING: 7.5
Similar to: Alta Pizza


Pizza Ordered: Tuscany Chicken Pizza
Price: $13.95
Crust: 7.4
Sauce: N/A
Cheese: 7.6
Overall Taste: 8.6

Crispy/Cooked Properly: 7.6

Overall Value: 7.3
OVERALL RATING: 7.6