Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on November 22, 2023.
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You may know about our love affair with NY-style pizza in Pittsburgh. Whenever we hear about a shop serving up monster pies and slices to-go, we try and get there as soon as possible.
Rockaway Pizzeria in White Oak (about 30 minutes southeast of the city) is no different.
Normally, when we visit pizza shops, odds are good we'll visit once for a whole pie and again later on for pieces by the slice (if available). But because we had a 30-minute drive home ahead of us before enjoying this pizza, for this particular visit we did both.
Pizza for now and pizza for later? This really is the best approach when visiting Rockaway Pizzeria anyway.
Rockaway Pizzeria's Pies Are One Size Only – Massive
Rockaway Pizzeria's menu follows a fairly traditional model of other NY-style shops in the area. They offer one size of round pizza (clocking in at an impressive 18″ with 8-cuts), Sicilian square pies, and cuts of premade pizzas to go. As a bonus, they also offer a modest knot menu as well with some unique options like roasted red pepper knots and bacon knots with artichoke sauce.
The specialty pies here range from more conventional white and Margherita pies to more unusual options like a White Clam Pie with Quahog clams or the Italian Widowmaker which is loaded up with four kinds of meat and banana peppers.
For our first visit, I opted for the Frankenstein pie- a sampler pie that is split into fourths with equal portions of the Greek pie, White pie, Pepperoni, and Cheese.
While I waited for that to be prepared, I was able to pick up two cuts that were available and was pleasantly surprised to find both were specialty options that were off-menu- a Caprese with tomato, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic as well as a square cut (Detroit style although not called that specifically) fashioned after Cacio e Pepe.
The extra crispiness you get from a piece going back into the oven is one of the things we love about NY-style pizza, and Rockaway's delivery is no different. But there is something about the tangy combination of balsamic vinegar in how it works with the tomato and basil that just works with the cheese on the Caprese that I'd rush back down to White Oak to get again (even as a full 18″ pie).
The Cacio e Pepe was also a fun play on the pasta, and while I could have personally used far more pepper on top it was baked exceptionally well and was another delicious pre-pizza slice before the drive home.
As for the Frankenstein, I have to admit that I was impressed with how crispy the pie stayed even after my 30-minute drive home. In the flavor department, it worked out in being a nice sampler of a few various styles of pizza that Rockaway offers. That being said, I kept going back to just how wonderful the flavor was of the Caprese slice and have to admit that if you like a bit more out-there topping options, you'll do well to order one of those pies from here if you think you can commit to enjoying the full 18″.
Rockaway shines on those!
Add on an Order of Knots
To wind this one down, I wanted to circle back to the knots menu we mentioned at the start of this article. Normally it is a bit unusual to see more than just garlic knots show up on a restaurant menu, and Rockaway Pizzeria had options like sausage knots, roasted red tomato knots, and bacon knots with artichoke dip.
The latter was especially interesting to me, as I am quite a fan of artichoke dip, and I added it onto my feast for good measure. These are traditionally baked knots with a generous filling of bacon inside, and the artichoke dip was intensely creamy with a strong green and herbal note to it that wasn't overwhelmingly artichoke but tasted immensely fresh all the same.
While we had ample pizza ready for leftovers, we do have to admit, the knots barely lasted two days. We'll always get an order of these from Rockaway.
Overall, whether you visit Rockaway Pizzeria for a slice or a monster pie, odds are good you're going to walk away pleased and stuffed. Just don't forget some knots, too.
Rockaway Pizzeria is located at 1949 Lincoln Way in White Oak, PA, about 30 minutes southeast of Pittsburgh.
Looking for more great things to do nearby? Be sure to take a hike at Dead Man's Hollow in Boston or go for a bike ride on the GAP via the trailhead nearby!
