Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Great Pizza, But We're Not Recommending It

DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies in Trenton and nearby Robbinsville (NJ) are legendary.
The original family has been making pizza since 1947. New Jersey magazine picked them as one of 25 perfect pizzas. USA Today selected them as the best pizza in New Jersey -- and among the top 51 in America. Popular Plates ranked their pizza among the top ten in the Northeast.
DeLorenzo's pizza is as close to perfect as we can imagine. We've tasted it and we can vouch for it.
But we're not recommending that you go to DeLorenzo's -- and here why: 1) The Trenton location has very limited seating and no restrooms. The location actually predates restroom requirements. Why DeLorenzo's didn't alter or expand the Trenton site we don't know. 2) There are restrooms at the new, bright, spacious Robbinsville DeLorenzo's but trying to go to the Robbinsville location may very well result in a traffic ticket and an $85 fine.
The DeLorenzo's own directions (on their website) to their Robbinsville (formerly Washington Township) location tells you to turn "left into Washington Town Center parking lot." But when you do that you are proceeding right into a trap. Robbinsville Township apparently prohibits a left turn from Robbinsville-Edinburg Road into that parking lot. But the prohibition is not clearly marked. As far as we can tell, the "no left turn" sign is above you (suspended atop the center of the road) and not clearly at eye level or at the entrance to the shopping center.
It's a trap.
And we got caught in it. We were stopped by a police K-9 unit with attack dogs. We tried to explain that we were simply following directions (and that we were unfamiliar with the area and from out of town) but sadly, the local authorities were not very understanding. Moments after we received our ticket an elderly couple was slapped with a similar violation. Goodness knows how many unsuspecting pizza-lovers get caught in this trap every day.
We hate to have to say this but this seems like little more than a money-raising scheme for tiny Robbinsville Township and/or a way to placate nearby residents who may not like the traffic headed into DeLorenzo's which sits on the ground floor of an undersold condo development.
Why does Lorenzo's direct people to make this turn?
And why can't the Township and DeLorenzo's seem to get their act together? We don't know.
But we do know this: No pizza is worth $85 and the aggravation of a traffic ticket.
Our advice: Go elsewhere for your pizza and stay clear of Robbinsville. As far as we can tell, the town does  not seem to be very customer-friendly.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It was a nightmare - one best forgotten by sharing a meal locally!!!