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I really enjoyed Lucali when it first opened. But Mark Iacono truly opened this as a labor of love to preserve a precious Carroll Gardens establishment, he has gotten a little sidetracked (read: greedy) perhaps due to believing his own press hype. It is a fine pie - but in a neighborhood filled with Italians, and great pizza, it is not an outstandingly amazing pie which is what it would need to be to to be worth a a 2-hour weight, snotty service and a 30 dollar pizza. I fear that Lucali is in danger of losing its head up its own ass.

My husband and I were lucky enough to get here and not have to wait which was a pleasant surprise. The service was pretty good, the pizza was pretty good but the price was outrageous. We ordered one pie (18 inch) and a few toppings (mushrooms, shallots, peppers) and the bill came out to 30 bucks!!! Considering the pizza wasn't anything special and reminded me of something I can make myself using some pita bread and tomato sauce, it really wasn't a great value.

Ick. I was so looking forward to this but would not recommend it. This place has gotten WAY too big for its britches. First time, we were turned away, hostess wouldn't even take our names b/c they were so slammed "I don't know, maybe it's the recent GQ article.." Girl, please. When I did get a table, with food in our hands and mouths, we were asked if we'd like the 2 slices still on the tray cleared for us. Then, the calzone was delivered. 5 minutes later (another thinly veiled attempt to rush us out) "We usually serve the calzone with marinara. Do you want that?" Why wouldn't we. One large pie and one calzone came to $37 - thirty-seven dollars! When we left an hour later under waitstaff pressure basically, we were told that since it was our first time, they comped us the corking fee, but next time it would be $4. In summary: we were rushed, given a dry calzone and told we got a discount. Tacky. Besides? The pizza ain't all that. Crust could be thinner. Get over yourself Lucali.

overall, i really enjoyed this restaurant. while the wait is long and its a bit expensive for pizza, the crust is thin and done just right and the toppings are fresh and delicious

I have been going to Lucali since the begininng, before manahattanites came over and Jay Z and Beyonce therefore, writing this review saddens me. To ease the pain of my husbands recent lay off we decided an inexpensive meal at Lucali would be best. Wrong! My pizza cost $41 after three toppings. Pizza should not cost $41. I felt ripped off and betrayed. The food and atmosphere are fabulous but I simply cannot justify a $41 pizza.

I finally tried Lucali and was not disappointed. The atmosphere was really lovely. The attention to details from the candles to the tables was great and the service was unremarkable but just fine. The food was delicious. It was fresh, tasty, and beautifully presented. Both the pizza and the calzones were fantastic. The wait was pretty absurd, but the hostess does help by offering to call cells so you don't have to wait in the tiny space outside. Lucali's is absolutely worth a visit. I'm not sure if I'd bear the wait again, but for locals its a great takeout option.

The place undeniably makes a pretty good pie, I went a lot in the first year, tried a number of topping combos and calzones, which showed more reason to complain and were certainly less desirable than the pies. That said, the lines are long and the 4 dollar charge for what is supposed to be BYOB is an unfair business practice, it's something they implemented after about 8 months of being open. Stubborn or not, that caused me to not go back, and the price gouging for the pies with toppings is another reason, yes rents are expensive, products such as flour and cheese have sky-rocketed, but there has to be a limit, the topping price should be cheaper, and at least the BYOB charge erased as a sign of the times and recognition of a loyal customer base. And at those prices my pie cant risk that extra minute in the oven.. which may be on occasion, forgivable.