TLDR
Iconic Brooklyn pizzeria famous for its unique upside-down Sicilian squares and legendary spumoni. A quintessential old-school outdoor dining experience.
Reddit Sentiment for L&B SPUMONI GARDENS(based on 87 Reddit opinions)
Instagram Posts References
L&B Spumoni Gardens is highlighted as one of the top 15 best pizza restaurants in New York City, known for its iconic Sicilian squares.
Details
L&B Spumoni Gardens is a historic Brooklyn institution, celebrated since 1938 for its iconic upside-down Sicilian square pizza [2], [3]. The unique construction, featuring cheese layered beneath a sweet, flavorful sauce, results in a distinctive mochi-like texture that many consider a quintessential New York experience [1], [2], [4]. While widely regarded as a top-tier destination, the restaurant also offers an on-site dining room serving classic red-sauce Italian dishes [1], [28].
Food Overview
The restaurant is best known for its upside-down square Sicilian slices, characterized by a light, airy crust and molten cheese beneath sweet marinara sauce [2], [3], [37]. On-site dining features well-regarded red sauce Italian staples including veal parm and linguine a la vongole [28], [38], though diners occasionally debate the pizza's sauce sweetness or texture [24], [34].
The upside-down Sicilian slice is widely considered the signature item [2], [3], while the pistachio spumoni is frequently described as legendary [57].
Sentiment remains polarized; while many enthusiasts hail it as a top-tier, must-visit institution [1], [22], [44], others find the pizza quality inconsistent or overrated compared to its legendary status [24], [25], [41].
Most Mentioned Dishes
- 01spumoni14 mentions
- 02pizza12 mentions
- 03square slice7 mentions
- 04sicilian slice4 mentions
- 05square pizza3 mentions
- 06vodka squares2 mentions
Caveats
Some visitors note the original Gravesend location is a trek from central Manhattan [1], [2], and the Dumbo outpost has received reports of lower-quality pizza compared to the flagship [13], [24].
Reddit Opinions & Reviews
Top Reddit Posts About L&B SPUMONI GARDENS
Recent Reddit Mentions
From post: Plan My Once In A Lifetime Nyc Pizza Crawl Doctor
"The commenter enjoyed the Sicilian slice here."
PositiveFrom post: Plan My Once In A Lifetime Nyc Pizza Crawl Doctor
"The commenter compares the quality of their pizza to public school cafeteria food."
NegativeFrom post: Revisiting Difara Has Its Decline Continued Or Is
"Mentioned as a superior alternative to DiFara."
PositiveFrom post: I Took My Daughter To Difara For A Premovie
"Ranked as the third best pizza option by the user, following Mama's Too and DiFara."
PositiveFrom post: Looking For Pizza Recs For Queens Brooklyn And
"Still considered an institution despite opinions that it has gone downhill."
Positive