Tale of the Pie: Mack & Manco Pizza Too

The two things I enjoy most about going down the shore are running on the beach and eating a slice or two from Mack and Manco's. Since I was recovering from strep throat this past weekend, I could not go for my beach run. I did, however, go for plenty of Mack and Manco's.

Since we were sharing with my aunt, uncle, grandmom and both halves of Ellio Totino, we ordered the two large pie special, one plain and one pepperoni for $26. Delivery took about 40 minutes, definitely not bad for the Fourth of July weekend.


The pie itself was fantastic. As soon as it arrived, the aroma made me want to put all niceties aside and just grab a slice and start eating while everyone else was busy getting out plates, napkins and the like. With delicious, ample sauce topping the type of crust I wish every pizza had, this is the pizza I had been dreaming about since last summer. The crust is thin, but foldable, with a bit of a crunch on the very end. Just the right amount of cheese and pepperoni on top. And the pie itself is quite large - we fed all of the fam and had three slices left over.

It's funny how writing this blog makes us look at all pizza so critically. Even the pizza that defines what boardwalk pizza should be, the pizza that we spent our entire shore summer (when we rented a house with my fam) eating, the pizza that Saucy brings up when he somewhat jokingly asks if we should drive down on a random Saturday to get a slice.

So on to the negatives. The delivery man, who was quite a character, must have tilted the pepperoni pizza, because Ellio complained that his slice was a bit soggy. On some of the slices, there was too much of a plain edge to the crust; they should have spread the sauce/cheese/toppings further out. And the cheese did get a tad congealed by the time I went back for a second slice, but not to the extent where the taste was affected.

Despite those minor shortcomings, it's my favorite pie of all time. My grandmom, however, said Gino's pizza is better. Just to be certain that it tops Gino's, we stopped for another few slices on our way home on Monday. Yes, it's still my favorite. And I would also recommend the buffalo chicken variety. Tons of flavorful buffalo tenders topping a white pizza - delish!

How many more weeks until we get back down the shore again?

Pros: Thin, foldable crust; ample, tasty sauce; overall, a very distinctive slice
Cons: Too much untopped edge on crust


Mack & Manco Pizza Too
(609) 927-990019 Bethel Rd
Somers Point, NJ  08244