Stuccio’s Shows Why Berwick is a Hotbed for Great Pizza
Northeast Pennsylvania is so rich with great pizza, and the greatness is not limited to just Lackawanna and Luzerne counties which get the most notoriety. There is great pizza throughout the 570 and one of the biggest challenges of being one person who reviews pizza across such a broad area is that some places can be an hour or two away, which is a significant barrier to getting to places in my spare time. One place which has been recommended to me countless times by people to review is Stuccio’s in Berwick. I also understand Berwick is home to other great pizzas which I haven’t tried such as Dalo’s, Berwick Brewery, Schicchitano’s, Tuzzi’s, and even the NEPA Pizza Madness Champion Mifflin Pizza is just down the road in Mifflinville! I was stoked that on a recent road trip through the area, I was able to finally visit the Berwick Pizzeria that the NEPA Nation recommends to me most – Stuccio’s Pizzeria.
Now I don’t pretend to know a lot about Berwick, but it was evident upon arrival that Stuccio’s just has a presence to it. It’s a historical building that appears to be very well maintained that just feels like a step back in time when you walk in. There is a recent article in The Citizens Voice which details the history of Grotto Pizza and how it is tied to Stuccio’s which I recommend checking out because I just wouldn’t be able to do this historical landmark business the appropriate context it deserves. The establishment recently celebrated its 50 year anniversary and appears to be going strong, despite challenges faced by the restaurant industry during a pandemic.
At the time of this writing, Stuccio’s was setup for take-out only when I put in my order, but there was clearly seating available for when circumstances allow. It was amazing, I was the first person to walk in the moment they opened at 11:00 am, and the phone was already ringing and others were eagerly placing their orders for pizza. After about a 25 minute wait, the pizza was steaming hot and ready to try so I marched out to the pizza mobile to check it out.
The pizza felt fairly heavy in the box for a thin crust cheese pizza, which told me that this was probably a dense pizza or one that was generously topped with sauce and cheese. After opening the box, it wasn’t immediately obvious where the weight was coming from, but it was obvious that this was a good looking pizza!
After taking my first bite, I found that the dough was very dense and dry, something that some refer to as somewhat of a “cracker-type crust.” This type of crust usually features a lower hydration dough, and some type of additional fat like butter, shortening, lard or otherwise. I can’t say for sure if any of this is true of the Stuccio’s crust, but I’ve made dough with those ingredients and low hydration that netted a similar product. I found the crust to be somewhat chewy, and had a pretty significant gumline.
The crust had soaked in some of the sauce which I found to be very tasty, and my favorite part of this pizza. It was a smooth sauce with equal parts sweet and savory, and just the right amount of bite. For those looking for a comparison, think Angelo’s or Gerry’s regular sauce. My initial thought was that it reminded me of Dino and Francesco’s, as you can see in the video above.
The cheese was also very delicious and melted to glorious perfection. The cheese and sauce combo was fantastic and I can see why so many people love this tasty pizza. The saltiness and texture of the cheese perfectly contrasted the sweet and savory nature of the sauce. I’m not sure if people order Stuccio’s this way, but next time I think I’ll request a sauce swirl on top a la Grotto Pizza or The Dough Company. I think this would produce an even more intense sauce flavor and allow for the crunchier crust that I prefer. That’s not to say this pizza wasn’t very good as is, because it was tasty. I just wonder what the results would be like if we flipped the sauce and cheese!
Stuccio’s Pizzeria Rating Scores
Restaurant: Stuccio’s Pizzeria
Location: Berwick, PA
Date: August 2020
Eat In/Take Out: Take Out
Pizza Ordered: Large Round Pizza
| Rating Category | Rating Score |
|---|---|
| Crust | 7.9 |
| Sauce | 8.1 |
| Cheese | 7.8 |
| Taste | 8.2 |
| Crispy/Cooked Properly | 7.8 |
| Value | 7.5 |
| Overall Rating | 7.9 |
Similar to: Joe’s Pizza, Angelo’s Pizza, Gerry’s Pizza
