Ghigiarelli’s in Old Forge: A Return Visit 13 Years Later to the Pizzeria That Started It All

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

Some pizzas are memorable because they’re delicious. Some pizzas are memorable because they’re historic. And every once in a while, you sit down with a pizza that’s both — and you realize you’re not just eating dinner, you’re tasting a piece of NEPA history that goes back further than just about anyone else in the room.

That’s Ghigiarelli’s.

For those who don’t know the story, Ghigiarelli’s Restaurant at 511 South Main Street in Old Forge is widely regarded as the first pizzeria in Old Forge. When you talk about the origin of Old Forge style pizza, the unique rectangular-tray, double-crust, light-and-crispy regional treasure that turned this small Pennsylvania town into the self-proclaimed Pizza Capital of the World, you are talking about Ghigiarelli’s. They didn’t just join the tradition. They started it.

In 2026, after years of closure, Ghigiarelli’s quietly reopened for takeout, picking up the recipe right where it left off. This is the story of my return visit — thirteen years after my original 2013 review, this time as a Father’s Day gift from my family, with my son in the passenger seat and a question on my mind that I couldn’t shake the entire drive over.

A Brief Note Out of Respect

Before I write about the pizza, I want to take one short moment to acknowledge the family.

The years that Ghigiarelli’s was closed were the result of an unspeakable tragedy that the family endured with extraordinary grace. The longtime owner, Robert Baron, is dearly missed by his loved ones, by the Old Forge community, and by the broader NEPA pizza family. The fact that Bob’s family found the strength to reopen the doors of this historic restaurant — and to do so with the original recipe lovingly intact — is something I’ll always respect them for.

This article is not about what they lost. This article is about what they’ve given back to all of us. 

Now, let me tell you about the pizza.

A Return Visit 13 Years in the Making

I hadn’t reviewed Ghigiarelli’s since January of 2013, not long after I launched NEPA Pizza Review in 2012. Before that review, I’d eaten at Ghigiarelli’s a handful of times and was always impressed — but the 2013 visit is the one I remember most vividly. I can still picture the booth where I sat with the First Lady of NEPA Pizza and how much that pizza stood out to me.

Truth be told, at the time I didn’t yet have the appreciation I have now for the historical significance of what I was eating. Looking back, I wish I’d understood Ghigiarelli’s place in the NEPA pizza story the way I understand it today. I also couldn’t have known what was ahead for the family. That makes this return visit feel especially meaningful.

When I heard the doors were opening again in 2026, I knew I had to get back to Old Forge. My family pulled the trigger and made the trip a Father’s Day gift — one of those gifts that reminds you experiences and memories are worth far more than material things. My son and I made the drive together.

Before we left, I pulled out my original notes and photos from 2013 to refresh my memory. The whole way there, the same question kept running through my mind:

Is it still the same pizza?

That’s a difficult thing for any restaurant to pull off — especially after years away, and especially after losing the person who made it what it was. But I was eager to find out.

Now, I want to be honest about something — I’m not from Old Forge. I appreciate Old Forge. I’ve eaten a tremendous amount of pizza there. I know many of the business owners and I love supporting the town. But I’m not here to pretend I’m the resident authority on Ghigiarelli’s pizza.

What I do remember is the smell.

What I do remember is the taste.

What I do remember is how this pizza made me feel.

Atmosphere: The Smell That Transported Me Back to 2013

My son and I parked in front of the building and walked around to the side, where the takeout operation is currently set up. The 2026 reopening is takeout-only — they’ve started with that model and the community has rewarded them with sell-outs almost every day they’ve been open. The first day they reopened, they sold out within an hour.

As soon as we stepped out of the car, the smell hit us.

The aroma of rosemary, onions, and double crust white pizza drifted through the entire block.

Instantly, I was transported back to 2013.

It genuinely surprised me how powerful that moment was. I didn’t grow up eating Ghigiarelli’s regularly. I certainly wasn’t expecting a smell to trigger such vivid memories. Yet there I was, standing on the sidewalk, immediately remembering that original review while simultaneously reflecting on everything the family has been through over the years.

It was one of those moments where pizza becomes more than food.

The Order

I kept it simple and ordered the two Ghigiarelli’s signatures:

• Double Crust White Pizza (with onions)
• Old Forge Red Tray (with onions)

The red comes standard with onions, and the white comes with onions unless you request otherwise. As someone who firmly believes onions belong on Old Forge red tray and double crust white, I happily kept them on both.

Double Crust White Pizza: The Best I’ve Ever Had

I actually started with the double crust white because, to my knowledge, I had never specifically reviewed it on a previous Ghigiarelli’s visit — and full disclosure, I’m not normally a double crust white guy. I enjoy it occasionally, but it’s rich, filling, and I generally prefer a pizza with sauce.

Still, the moment I opened the box, I knew this one was different.

The aroma of rosemary and onions filled the air. The pizza was beautifully composed — deep golden-brown crust, perfectly distributed seasoning, and thinly sliced onions that looked like they had been placed with purpose rather than scattered. Everything about it looked right.

My son grabbed a slice and I grabbed one as well. The cheese pull that followed was absolutely ridiculous. We stretched it above our heads and kept pulling. It seemed to go on forever — one of the most impressive cheese pulls I have ever experienced on a pizza. I wish I’d been recording.

As fun as the cheese pull was, what really stood out was the balance.

The proportion of cheese, dough, seasoning, and onions was nearly perfect.

• There wasn’t too much cheese.
• There wasn’t too much dough.
• Nothing overwhelmed anything else.
• Every component worked together.

The seasoning provided just enough flavor to keep the richness of the cheese from becoming monotonous. The bottom was certainly greasy, but it was the kind of flavorful grease that enhances every bite rather than detracting from it.

The result was an incredibly satisfying pizza from start to finish.

Without hesitation, I can say this is the best double crust white pizza I’ve ever had.

Not one of the best. The best.

The Old Forge Red Tray: An Old Friend, Beautifully Refined

Then it was time for the pizza I’d really been waiting for. The Old Forge Red Tray.

I intentionally saved the red for second because I wanted the anticipation to build. Opening the box felt like reconnecting with an old friend.

Visually, it was gorgeous. The crust had that signature deep golden-tan color that’s difficult to describe but instantly recognizable as Ghigiarelli’s. There’s a distinctive look to this pizza that doesn’t quite match any other tray in Old Forge.

One thing I noticed immediately was that the crust seemed slightly thinner than I remembered from 2013. For me, that’s a positive. I tend to prefer a thinner Old Forge crust because it allows the sauce and cheese to take center stage. While the crust here was outstanding on its own — deeply crisp, thoroughly cooked, and dusted with black pepper — it didn’t dominate the experience. The crust was crunchy from edge to edge with no soft spots and no undercooked areas. Simply executed perfectly.

Yet even with a crust this good, the sauce was unquestionably the star.

The sauce possessed remarkable depth of flavor:

• Not acidic
• Not sweet
• Balanced
• Succulent
• Fresh-tasting
• Lively
• Vibrant

Every bite delivered layers of flavor that felt developed and intentional without ever becoming heavy or overpowering. The sauce wasn’t shouting for attention. It didn’t need to. Its confidence came from its balance and complexity — the kind of sauce that only comes from a recipe that’s been refined over generations and protected like an heirloom. The onions are integrated right into the sauce, just like I remembered from 2013, in those signature tic-tac-sized chunks that add flavor without dominating texture.

Pizzaiolo’s Notes 🍕

A few things from the pizzaiolo seat after a careful read of both pies:

• The double crust white at Ghigiarelli’s is doing something most double crust whites don’t. Most versions of this style lean heavy, dough-forward, and one-note. Ghigiarelli’s threads the needle — light enough to keep eating, rich enough to feel indulgent, and balanced enough that every component plays a role.
• The rosemary and onion aromatics on the double crust white are a signature move. That smell is part of the recipe in the same way the sauce is part of the recipe. It’s not garnish. It’s identity.
• The red tray sauce is the most balanced and developed Old Forge red sauce I’ve reviewed. That’s a statement I don’t make lightly in a town with this many Old Forge red trays competing for the title. The Ghigiarelli’s sauce has a depth that feels generational.
• The crust dialed thinner is the right move. The slightly thinner Old Forge crust on the 2026 pies lets the sauce and cheese drive the experience, and it gives the bottom that consistent edge-to-edge crunch that makes this style work.
• Cheese speculation, with humility. As for the cheese — based on the texture, flavor, color, and the way it stretched, my best guess is there’s some cheddar in the blend. But that’s purely speculation. I’m not privy to the recipe, nor would I expect to be. Whatever they’re doing, it works.

What I’d Order Next Time

Both trays are non-negotiables on every future trip. Beyond that, I want to see if there are any seasonal or specialty pies the family rotates back into the menu as the operation gets fully back on its feet. I’d love to bring the Pizza Princess along for the next trip and watch her experience the Ghigiarelli’s smell on the sidewalk for the first time.

Final Thoughts: A Time Machine on Main Street

The biggest question I had walking into this visit was whether Ghigiarelli’s could still capture what made it special all those years ago. The answer became apparent the moment I smelled that rosemary and onion aroma drifting through the block.

Not only does the pizza still capture the spirit of what I remembered — in some ways my appreciation for it is even greater today because I now understand its place in the history of Old Forge and the broader NEPA pizza story. This is the pizzeria that helped start it all.

After this visit, I believe Ghigiarelli’s has firmly reclaimed its place among the very best pizzas in the Pizza Capital of the World.

• The red tray was outstanding.
• The double crust white was, without question, the best double crust white pizza I’ve ever eaten.

But beyond the pizza itself, this visit meant something more. This was a Father’s Day gift from my family, and looking back, it’s the kind of gift that reminds me experiences and memories are worth far more than material things.

A pizza only exists for a brief moment in time. You order it. You eat it. It’s gone.

But sometimes a pizza becomes attached to a memory, and that memory lasts forever.

When I stepped out of my car and smelled that unmistakable aroma of rosemary and onions drifting through the block, I was instantly transported back to 2013 — not just to the pizza, but to that exact moment in my life. To sitting in that booth with the First Lady of NEPA Pizza. To those early days of NEPA Pizza Review when I was still discovering what this journey would become.

I wasn’t expecting that. I certainly wasn’t expecting a smell to unlock a memory that vividly. But that’s exactly what happened.

Thirteen years later, I came back wondering if the pizza would still live up to what I remembered.

The answer was yes.

But what surprised me most was realizing that the memory had lived up to it, too.

Sometimes pizza is food.

Sometimes pizza is history.

And every once in a while, pizza becomes a time machine.

This was one of those times.

My Takeaways

• 🍕 Ghigiarelli’s is back, and the original recipe is lovingly intact — it’s still the same pizza
• 🍅 The Old Forge red sauce is the most balanced and developed I’ve reviewed in the Pizza Capital of the World
• 🧀 The double crust white is the best I’ve ever had — not one of the best, the best
• 🥦 The rosemary and onion aroma on the double crust white is part of the recipe and part of the experience
• 🍕 Currently takeout only — get there early because they’ve been selling out daily

Have you made it back to Ghigiarelli’s since the 2026 reopening? What did you order — the red tray, the double crust white, or both? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and please join me in welcoming the family back. The whole NEPA pizza community is stronger with Ghigiarelli’s open.

Pizza is Similar to:

• The Old Forge red tray traditions of Revello’s — Ghigiarelli’s contemporary on the same block
• The classic Old Forge pizzeria lineage of Arcaro & Genell’s just down Main Street
• The 1952-era Old Forge originals like Augustine’s Club 17 — the Old Forge pizza pioneers
• And of course, every other pizzeria in Old Forge owes a piece of its identity to the pizza that started in this building

Rating Tables

A quick note before the table: the descriptions above are my gut read — the in-the-moment flavor experience of each pie at the takeout window. The scorecard below is my technical scoring on the standard six-category NEPA Pizza Review rubric — Crust, Sauce, Cheese, Taste, Crispy/Cooked Properly, and Value. Both are honest. I stand by my gut take of what I enjoyed most in the moment, and I stand by the technical scores I locked in after careful reflection.

For a little historical context: my original 2013 Old Forge Red Tray score at Ghigiarelli’s was an 8.3 — the 2026 return visit comes in slightly higher at an 8.4, a real testament to the family’s commitment to keeping the recipe lovingly intact.

Rank	Pizza Ordered	Crust	Sauce	Cheese	Taste	Crispy/Cooked	Value	Overall
1	Old Forge Red Pizza	8.5	8.5	7.8	9.1	8.6	7.5	8.4
2	Old Forge Double Crust White Pizza	8.2	N/A	8.3	8.5	8.5	7.5	8.3

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Ghigiarelli’s Restaurant
511 South Main Street, Old Forge, PA 18518
Phone: (570) 457-2652
Takeout service (reopened 2026)
Family owned at this location dating back to 1923

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Speaking of sauce — if you’re curious how Ghigiarelli’s Old Forge red sauce stacks 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.

In loving memory of Bob Baron. Welcome back, Ghigiarelli’s.