Reservoir Tavern

I really feel sorry for the people who never experience a proper well done pizza. The last time I was here was right as the Covid begun so it was time for a proper rereview. Since 1936 this place has been family run with some amazing Italian fare but the bar pie is the staple and far from what you think from the usual NJ bar pie. While the interior of the crust is still nice and thin, the outer crust has a great thick yet airy Italian bread feel and a great flavor in itself. As I said with the well done cook, it’s not grease it’s the perfect lava like melting between sauce and cheese that elevates every bite. The sauce is zesty that you really can taste on the outer bites but those first few bites of each slice is a bite to remember as the intense heat and flavor from the cheese is off the charts and before you know it the 16” pie is gone. This is a pie that has to be sat down to truly enjoy as it’s best out the oven but that can be said about almost any pizza. Be sure to get in early cuz the dinner hours get absolutely packed as this is so many locals go to spot. One of the best spots in all of NJ!!!

This pizza is a flavorless grease pit. Everything needs work—crust, sauce and cheese. Barely a 6 and that’s being generous.

Fire

Great pie. Sauce on point, good crisp crust, great cheese. A little greasy, and hits the stomach like a brick, but in terms of flavor and structural integrity, Great pizza.

Great pizza, just a bit oily. Love this place.

This is from the Boonton NJ Fireman’s Fair! Great great once a year pizza! This would be a great review for you Dave! You loved I to I and the Reservoir, try this . Only happens on Labor Day Weekend!!! Get there and support Fire Fighters all over the country!

Outstanding pizza with a great crisp and delicious sauce

Agree with Dave's review. Heavier pizza but great if you're in the mood for a thicker crust with some crunch. Great sauce too.

This is a next level pie. I’ll put it up against any pie in the Tri State area. This place has been around since the 30’s. The vibe is great and they certainly mastered the Pizza making craft in all the years they’ve been around. This is worth a 2-3 hour road-trip IMO.

Wow, just wow. Everything about this pizza was outstanding! We ordered 2 pies, a plain and a 1/2 sausage, 1/2 meatball. This is a Bar/Restaurant, not a Pizza Joint and these pies were incredible! The bar has an old school feeling and I believe it has been around since the 1930’s or something. They have definitely perfected their pizza over that time. As great as this pizza is, the crust is the champion of the pie. The sauce is definitely tangy and delicious and the cheese is outstanding as well with a great sauce:cheese ratio. It was slightly greasy, or at least the meat pie was with a slight flop but the crust is just unreal. It has so much flavor, definitely a slight yeast or sourdough tang to it, with beautiful bubbles all over. Light and airy crust while being slightly thick at the same time. THIS IS NOT A Portnoy Bar Pie. IMO, this pie is the PERFECT combination of a NY/NJ Style, Napoleon Style and Bar Pie all mixed together. If you like ANY of those style pies, I believe you will love this pizza. Easily one of the best pies I’ve ever had and without a doubt worth the drive to try it out.

Hybrid football and bar pie. No flop. Great char on the cheese.

Terrific pizza. Unbelievable taste. A bit oily on top, but the crust is one of the very best.

Best bar pies in N. Jerz.

I have to give it to them, New Jersey makes very good pizza

Hands down, last night, the best pizza in my life.. Crust indescribably crunchy and perfect.. Ask for Fran, best bartender ever!!

A home run ⚾️ great crisp. Great taste. Definitely recommend. Solid pie

Went here for a date night and pizza is great. The atmosphere even better. Feels like stepping into a real old school tavern and everyone super nice. The crust was thick, very little flop and the cheese was really tasty. Better than basic and could eat for days.

Place had a great vibe. Have to admit I am pretty disappointed. Flavor is good. A lot of flower on the crust. I can’t get better than a good average pie.

A chod pizza - it was short and fat and could have been thinner crust. Less girth and more earth with veggies would be better. On the plus side the meatball wasn’t flacid and had some pop to it.

Not to be confused with Reservoir Restaurant and not to be confused with bar pie either; the pizza here is thicker, heavier & still fluffier than your standard bar pie. The bright orange glow is from the oil slick, coating the entire pie, caused by the excess butter fat in the cheese. The gushing grease glazes so much of the pizza, it’s difficult to decipher the flavors in the sauce, giving off more of a salty taste than anything. The cheese has a nice lava-like, oozing flow, but is also swimming in oil. If you sop up the grease with a napkin or paper towel, this is very much a pizza’s pizza taste. Despite all of the moisture, the dough is rather firm and somewhat crispy. There’s a lot of crust, which is well balanced between soft & crisp with very good flavor. Overall it’s pretty good pizza but they need to clean up the oil slick. Until then, this is not a long distance travel pie but still a solid neighborhood option.