The Pennsylvania Restaurant No One Expected That’s Serving The Best Pizza In America In 2026
Pizza debates can get loud fast, especially in Pennsylvania where loyalty runs deep and everyone swears their slice reigns supreme.
Crisp crust crackle, molten cheese pull, sauce with just enough tang to make you pause mid-bite, that is the kind of pie that turns casual diners into full-blown believers.
Every so often, a place surprises the skeptics and rewrites the conversation with nothing more than flour, fire, and fearless flavor.
Pennsylvania is not always the first state people mention in the national pizza spotlight, yet greatness has a funny way of rising where you least expect it.
One bite can flip assumptions upside down and spark bold claims about best in America status. I still remember walking in curious but cautious, thinking I had tasted it all.
Then came that first slice, perfectly balanced and unapologetically simple. I looked around at my table, saw the silent nods, and realized we were all having the same thought at the same time.
Old Forge Calls Itself the Pizza Capital of the World
Before we even talk about the pizza itself, the town deserves a proper introduction.
Old Forge, Pennsylvania carries the bold, self-proclaimed title of Pizza Capital of the World, and honestly, it earns every syllable of that claim.
The town sits in Lackawanna County, just a few miles south of Scranton, and its Main Street is lined with Italian eateries that have been feeding families for generations.
The concentration of pizzerias per capita here is genuinely hard to believe until you see it firsthand.
Arcaro and Genell sits right in the middle of all that delicious history at 443 South Main Street, Old Forge, Pennsylvania 18518.
It is not just a restaurant. It is a landmark in a town that takes its pizza very, very seriously, and that context matters when you take your first bite.
The Old Forge Pizza Style Is Unlike Anything Else in America
Old Forge style pizza plays by its own rules, and that is a huge part of why people keep coming back.
The crust lands somewhere between a grandma slice and a Sicilian square, but with a distinctly buttery, flaky texture that sets it apart from both.
The cheese blend at Arcaro and Genell reportedly includes mozzarella and cheddar together, which sounds unusual until you taste the result.
That combination creates a sharp, creamy pull that regular pizza cheese simply cannot replicate. Slices are called cuts here, and whole pizzas are called trays.
The red tray features a savory, well-balanced tomato sauce that does not compete with the cheese but rather works alongside it in perfect harmony.
Pennsylvania pizza culture has plenty of regional variations, but this one stands in a category completely its own.
Arcaro and Genell Has Been a Community Pillar for Decades
Some restaurants feel like they were built last year with Instagram in mind. Arcaro and Genell feels like it was built for the neighborhood, because it genuinely was.
The place has deep roots in Old Forge going back generations, and longtime customers talk about it the way people talk about their grandmother’s kitchen.
I spoke with someone who remembered eating here as a kid in the 1980s, and their eyes lit up describing the smell of the place.
That kind of emotional loyalty is not manufactured. It is earned, bite by bite, over decades of consistent quality.
The staff knows regulars by first name, and the open-air kitchen setup means you can often see the same familiar faces working every visit.
In a food world obsessed with reinvention, there is something genuinely refreshing about a place that simply stays good on purpose.
The White Pizza Here Is a Double-Crust Cheese Lover’s Dream
If the red tray is the classic crowd-pleaser, the white pizza is the showstopper that makes first-timers do a double take.
Arcaro and Genell’s white pizza features a double crust construction that sandwiches an almost absurd amount of cheese between two layers of that signature flaky dough.
The result is rich, dense, and deeply satisfying in a way that feels more like comfort food than traditional pizza.
One reviewer described it as something you could maybe eat one piece of before needing a moment to collect yourself, and that tracks completely.
Seasonings on the white pizza add herby notes that complement the cheese without overwhelming it.
Some folks have noted the occasional woody rosemary leaf, but the overall flavor profile more than makes up for any minor texture quirk. It reheats beautifully too, making it a solid next-day lunch option.
People Fly In From Across the Country Just for a Tray
Here is a fact that genuinely stopped me mid-scroll when I first read it: customers have flown in from California specifically to eat at Arcaro and Genell.
One visitor flew from the West Coast while their family drove from Connecticut just to share a meal together over these trays.
That level of dedication says something powerful about what this place means to people. It is not just food.
It is a destination, a ritual, a reason to plan a trip to northeastern Pennsylvania that has nothing to do with the Poconos or fall foliage.
Many customers purchase five or more boxes to take home, which tells you everything about how well this pizza travels.
The fact that it reheats without losing its character is a minor culinary miracle and one more reason the hype surrounding this spot in 2026 feels completely justified.
The Takeaway Model Keeps Things Fast, Fresh, and Unpretentious
Arcaro and Genell operates primarily as a takeaway establishment, and that choice shapes the entire experience in the best possible way.
There is no pressure to linger over a menu, no awkward waiter timing, and no fussy plating. You order, you wait briefly, and you leave with something genuinely delicious.
The setup includes a dedicated parking lot specifically for takeaway customers, which sounds like a small detail until you realize how thoughtfully the whole flow is designed.
Fast service is a real priority here. One group of 13 people reportedly got served in under 15 minutes with no advance notice on a Saturday afternoon.
Online ordering is available, so your tray could be nearly ready by the time you arrive.
That combination of speed, friendliness, and quality is what keeps people returning again and again. No white tablecloths needed when the food speaks this clearly for itself.
The Bocce Ball Courts Add a Whole Layer of Personality
Not many pizza spots come with their own bocce ball courts, but Arcaro and Genell is not most pizza spots.
The outdoor bocce courts sit right next to the takeaway area, and they give the whole experience a neighborhood block-party kind of energy that is genuinely hard to fake.
Kids run around while adults wait for their trays. On weekends, you might catch a women’s bocce league in full competitive mode, which adds an unexpected layer of local color to the whole visit.
The covered outdoor tent area means the fun continues even when Pennsylvania weather decides to be moody.
The setup reflects how deeply this place is woven into the social fabric of Old Forge. It is not just a pickup counter.
It is a gathering spot where generations of the same families have stood in the same spot, laughed at the same jokes, and carried home the same trays.
Homemade Cannoli and Gluten-Free Options Too
Pizza gets all the headlines at Arcaro and Genell, but the dessert situation deserves its own spotlight. The menu includes homemade cannoli, tiramisu, specialty cakes, pies, and cheesecakes.
The dessert list itself points customers toward a broad range of sweets, which is a charming, low-key way to offer something special without turning it into a marketing campaign.
One visitor described one of the specialty cakes as tasting like a home-style experience that brought back warm memories instantly.
That kind of emotional resonance in a dessert is not easy to pull off, and it speaks to the kitchen’s attention to detail beyond the pizza trays.
Gluten-free cheese ravioli is also available, which broadens the appeal considerably for guests with dietary restrictions.
In a region where Italian food is king, having a gluten-free pasta option shows that the kitchen is paying attention to more than just tradition. That balance of old-school and accessible is a real strength.
The Banquet Hall and Events Side Shows Another Dimension
Most people know Arcaro and Genell for pizza, but the place also runs a banquet hall that hosts everything from work holiday parties to funeral luncheons.
The rental hall adds a whole community-events dimension that most pizza-focused spots never develop.
Customers who have used the event space for larger gatherings describe a setup that feels personal rather than generic.
One guest organizing a company Christmas party praised the staff coordination, the room decoration, and the overall warmth of the experience. That kind of hospitality does not happen by accident.
The event side of the business also reinforces how central Arcaro and Genell is to life in Old Forge, Pennsylvania.
Milestone moments, celebrations, and even somber gatherings have all passed through these doors.
A restaurant that holds space for both the joyful and the difficult parts of life tends to earn a very specific kind of loyalty that no amount of marketing can manufacture.
Strong Reviews Tell the Real Story
Numbers do not always tell the full story, but the steady praise across multiple review platforms is worth paying attention to.
That kind of sustained approval from first-timers to decades-long regulars reflects something real and consistent happening in that kitchen.
The official site says takeaway opens daily at 11 AM, and Sunday is reserved for take-away orders and private catering only.
Pricing sits comfortably in the moderate range, meaning a satisfying meal here will not require a second mortgage.
The website at arcaroandgenell.com makes online ordering straightforward, which is a genuine convenience for anyone planning a visit to Old Forge.
Whether you are a Pennsylvania local or driving in from three states away, the current ordering setup suggests one clear thing: show up hungry and plan to bring extra boxes home.