10 Historic Pennsylvania Pizza Joints That Have Been Open Since The 1950s

A pizza shop in western Pennsylvania piles cold, uncooked provolone on top of a hot square slice. On purpose.

People have happily eaten it that way for years.

That detail hooked me right away. Another shop on this list puts the cheese down first and spreads sweet sauce over it.

One more skips the pizza box and serves giant pies on paper-covered cardboard.

I love places that refuse to change just because the rest of the world did. These joints have fed families for generations.

One even bounced back after a flood in 1972, and the pizza kept coming out of the oven.

So I started digging into old-school shops with real staying power.

I wanted the ones with stories baked right into the crust. The quirks are half the fun.

Which one would you drive across the state to try first?

1. Vincent’s Pizza Park

Forget the pizza box, because your pie shows up on cardboard covered in paper sheets.

That little quirk has been part of the charm here since the early 1950s. Vincent’s Pizza Park opened in 1952 in Forest Hills, just outside Pittsburgh.

Its founder learned to make pizza from his uncle in San Francisco starting in 1947, then brought those skills home to Pennsylvania.

The house style is known as the Vinnie Pie. Expect a thick, fluffy crust with big bubbles and a serious pile of toppings and cheese.

Size matters here, too. You can order a 9-inch, an 11-inch, or a massive 19-inch pie, so plan your appetite before you arrive.

The story has a comeback chapter as well. The shop closed in 2012, then reopened in 2013 after renovations, led by the founder’s daughter.

Today it remains a landmark in Forest Hills and a true Pittsburgh icon. The room feels casual and historic, and families and big groups fit right in.

Plan around the schedule before you go. The doors stay closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, it opens in the late afternoon other days, and reservations aren’t accepted.

Address: 998 Ardmore Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15221

2. Angelo’s Pizzeria

Sweet sauce fans, this Wilkes-Barre shop might be your new happy place.

Angelo’s Pizzeria has been turning out pies on Hazle Street for more than 60 years.

Nothing about the setup tries too hard. You get a no-nonsense counter-service shop that focuses on classic cheese pies and a solid lineup of toppings.

The thick crust is the star for a lot of people. It bakes up light and crisp, with a balanced ratio of cheese to sauce and a sweet sauce that sets it apart.

Feeling a little bold? The buffalo chicken pizza mixes wing sauce with pizza sauce, and it pairs nicely with that thick crust.

Vegetarian and vegan eaters have options, too. The shop offers full vegetarian and vegan menus, which is a nice surprise at an old-school pizza spot.

Timing helps here. Friday evenings get the busiest, and there’s usually a wait, so a weeknight visit may move faster.

Most days the shop opens in the afternoon, but Friday starts bright and early at 10 a.m. You can grab a seat inside or take your pie home, since delivery isn’t offered.

Address: 445 Hazle St, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

3. Vince’s Pizzeria

Slabs of mozzarella, not a light sprinkle, sit on top of the pies at this Northeast Philly favorite. That alone tells you the kitchen isn’t shy.

Vince’s Pizzeria is a family-owned shop on Grant Avenue in Philadelphia. It has fed local families for generations, which says plenty about its staying power.

The crust comes out crispy and hand-tossed. A tangy sauce rounds things out, so each bite gets crunch, zip, and plenty of cheese.

Toppings lean hearty. Steak, sausage, and pepperoni all show up, and steak on pizza feels like a very Philadelphia move.

You can eat in or grab your order to go. The dining room stays clean, and the staff keeps things moving efficiently even when the place gets busy.

Speaking of busy, Friday evenings bring the biggest rush. Mondays and Thursday nights tend to be calmer if you’d rather skip the crowd.

Bring cash, because the shop doesn’t take cards. Hours run from 4 to 10 p.m. daily, so this one works best as a dinner plan.

Groups and kids fit in easily, and high chairs are available. Parking is usually plentiful, which is a small miracle in Philly.

Address: 2550 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114

4. Beto’s Pizza

Hot crust, hot sauce, and then a pile of cold cheese on top. Yes, really, and Pittsburgh has embraced it as a local institution.

Beto’s Pizza has been serving customers since 1953. The shop on Banksville Road sells square pizza cuts with hot crust, sauce, and melted cheese.

After baking, each cut gets topped with freshly shredded cold provolone.

Additional toppings are available too, so your slice can become a fun mix of textures and temperatures in one bite.

It sounds strange until you think about it. The provolone keeps its sharp flavor, and the crunchy crust holds up under that heap of cheese.

Plenty of folks around Pittsburgh treat this spot as a childhood memory. It’s a classic local specialty, and visitors come by to see what the fuss is about.

Ordering happens by the individual cut rather than the whole pie. You can sit down or take your food to go.

There’s also a kids’ menu for younger eaters.

According to the restaurant’s official website, Beto’s opens seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

However, staffing shortages can cause schedule changes, so calling ahead is recommended. That includes Mondays, when the restaurant normally remains open.

Address: 1473 Banksville Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15216

5. Franzone’s Pizzeria

Somebody flipped the script in Bridgeport, and nobody ever flipped it back.

At Franzone’s Pizzeria, cheese goes on the thin crust first, and sweet tomato sauce goes on top.

That upside-down build gives the pie its own personality. The sauce stays front and center, so you taste its sweetness right away.

Around the area, that sweet sauce and thin crust have made the place a local legend. Plenty of fans bring friends from out of town just to share the nostalgia.

The cheese-to-sauce ratio gets lots of love. It’s balanced, so the crust doesn’t get buried or soggy.

Pizza isn’t the only thing on the table. Fries and wings make good sidekicks, and there’s coffee and dessert for the finish.

Families have plenty to work with here. You’ll find a kids’ menu, high chairs, and table service, plus a full vegetarian menu.

Getting your food is flexible, too. Choose dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup, or delivery, and catering is available for bigger gatherings.

The doors open at 10 a.m. most days and at 11 a.m. on Sundays. Monday evenings and Friday afternoons tend to draw the biggest crowds.

Address: 501 DeKalb St, Bridgeport, PA 19405

6. Sabatini’s Pizza

Three generations of one family have kept this Exeter pizza tradition alive since 1958. John and Catherine Sabatini opened the restaurant that year, serving pizza made from a treasured family recipe.

Sabatini’s Pizza sits on Wyoming Avenue in Exeter, in northeastern Pennsylvania. The dining room has an old-timey, wood-paneled look that fits its long history.

The crust is the thing to know about. It bakes up thin and crispy with an airy texture, so it crunches without feeling heavy.

Pepperoni here comes diced from real hard pepperoni. Those chunky little pieces sit on a sweet, dark sauce with a rich, layered flavor.

The diced pepperoni became a signature during the 1970s, when Joe and Carol Sabatini took over from the founders.

Not in a pizza mood? Sandwiches are on the menu, and there’s a wide selection of toppings if you want to build your own pie.

You can sit down for table service or grab takeout. A private dining room is available, which helps with birthday parties and family get-togethers.

Kids are welcome, with high chairs and a kids’ menu ready to go. Friday evening is the busiest time, so arrive early if you hate waiting.

The shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Other days, it opens at 11 a.m., which makes it an easy lunch stop.

Address: 1925 Wyoming Ave, Exeter, PA 18643

7. Santucci’s Original Square Pizza

Philadelphia knows how to make an upside-down pizza, and the Santucci family has been proving it since 1959.

Joseph and Philomena Santucci opened their original pizza shop on O Street in the city’s Juniata Park neighborhood.

Their idea was simple but distinctive: bake a square pizza with cheese underneath the tomato sauce.

The result became one of Philadelphia’s best-known neighborhood pizza traditions.

Instead of the usual melted-cheese surface, you get rich tomato sauce on top of a layer of cheese. That makes every square a little different from an ordinary slice.

The original shop eventually grew into a family pizza business with multiple locations. The tradition continues today, although the current restaurants are not the original 1959 storefront.

At the Italian Market location, you can try the family’s famous square pizza alongside other Italian-American favorites.

The restaurant offers dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering. It’s an easy stop for families who want to taste a piece of Philadelphia pizza history.

The South 10th Street location is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to its official website.

Address: 901 S 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

8. Serrianni’s Pizzeria

A family pizza recipe that survived a devastating Christmas fire deserves a place on a historic Pennsylvania food tour.

Serrianni’s story begins in Indiana County, where Sam and Ann Serrianni opened their Holiday Inn restaurant in December 1950.

By 1953, Sam had learned a thin-crust pizza recipe from an Italian immigrant friend and added pizza to the restaurant’s offerings.

The family kept serving its signature pizzas for decades, building a loyal following around Indiana and the surrounding coal towns.

Then disaster struck. A fire on Christmas Day in 1996 forced the original restaurant to close.

The story didn’t end there. In 2001, Sam’s daughter Valerie revived the family’s pizza tradition, eventually establishing the Serrianni’s Pizzeria that operates in the Homer City area today.

The menu still revolves around handmade pizzas and calzones. Traditional cheese and pepperoni share space with more creative varieties.

The business remains family-run, with younger generations helping carry the recipes forward.

Because the restaurant had a closure and reopening, its 1950s connection is a family pizza-making tradition rather than uninterrupted operation at the present location.

It’s a fitting stop for anyone who believes an old recipe is worth preserving.

Address: 2382 Coal Run Rd, Homer City, PA 15748

9. Mineo’s Pizza House

Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood has been eating Mineo’s pizza since September 13, 1958.

That’s when Sicilian immigrant Giovanni Mineo opened his original shop on Murray Avenue.

Giovanni had worked as a baker in Sicily before coming to America. He brought that experience to a neighborhood that would soon become fiercely loyal to his pizza.

The family moved the shop next door in the 1970s, settling at its current Murray Avenue address.

The recipe remains a big part of the appeal. Dough is made from scratch, sauce comes from seasoned Italian tomatoes, and the signature cheeses are grated in-house.

That attention to the basics gives Mineo’s its unmistakable style.

Expect a flavorful crust, generous cheese, and the kind of pizza that keeps longtime customers arguing about their favorite toppings.

The menu has expanded over the decades. Hoagies, pasta, salads, white pizza, and Sicilian-style pies now give families plenty of choices.

The Squirrel Hill shop also has a full-service bar, adding a more relaxed sit-down option alongside the traditional pizza counter.

In 2026, Mineo’s even opened a location at Pittsburgh International Airport. Not bad for a family business that started with a single storefront.

The original Squirrel Hill location is generally open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Address: 2128 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

10. DiSalla’s Pizza

If thick, square-cut Sicilian pizza is your weakness, DiSalla’s Pizza in Munhall has been making that kind of pie since 1954.

This family-owned shop keeps things straightforward. Its signature offering is a thick Sicilian pizza cut into squares, made using a recipe the business says has stayed the same for decades.

You don’t have to commit to a full tray, either. The menu also sells pizza by the individual cut.

Classic toppings include pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, olives, and extra cheese. There’s even a spicy pepperoni option for anyone who likes a little heat.

The kitchen makes its own cheese bombs too. Those cheesy bites come with sauce and make an easy addition to a pizza order.

Unlike a modern sit-down restaurant, DiSalla’s focuses on takeout. The shop explicitly advertises itself as cash-only, so bring bills rather than expecting to tap a card.

That’s part of the old-school experience here. You’re visiting for a familiar recipe, not an elaborate dining room.

According to the shop’s website, regular hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: 948 E 8th Ave, Munhall, PA 15120

11. Pinocchio’s Restaurant, PA

Pinocchio’s Restaurant has been serving the town of Media since 1955, making it one of Delaware County’s longest-running pizza traditions.

The restaurant describes itself as the first pizzeria in Delaware County and the oldest restaurant in Media. It’s also remained family-owned across three generations.

That’s a lot of history for a place where families still gather over pizza on ordinary weeknights.

The menu covers several classic styles. You can order traditional Neapolitan-style pizza, thick square Sicilian pies, white pizza, and specialty combinations.

Tomato pie is another option for anyone interested in regional pizza traditions. The broader menu includes strombolis, cheesesteaks, burgers, pasta, and other Italian-American dishes.

Families have plenty of choices, which makes the restaurant useful for groups where not everyone wants the same kind of pizza.

The business has expanded over time without abandoning its old identity.

Pizza is still the main reason many people visit, and the restaurant continues to emphasize its decades-old family tradition.

Current posted hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The dining room closes an hour earlier.

Address: 131 E Baltimore Ave, Media, PA 19063