Recently Opened, Joey's Brings Authentic NY Style Pizza To One of City's Fastest Revitalized Areas (Dorchester @ W. Montague) 

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer / Restaurant Review

While it didn't happen overnight, Charleston locals as well as southerners who have moved to the lowcountry, have gained appreciation for what northerners call New York style pizza. Truth is, it's been a slow build over the past four decades, with many pizza places gradually opening in and around greater Charleston, much to the gratitude of northerners who have relocated here.

Although there are several pretenders, the lowcountry now has several places to enjoy authentic NY style pizza. Thankfully we can add Joey's Pizzeria to the list. Located in The Shoppes at Montague Corners (aka as Oak Ridge Plaza) at 5060 Dorchester Road (intersection of West Montague) in North Charleston, Joey's is the real deal.

Owned and operated by Syracuse native Joey Sakran and his family, Joey's is the epitome of a New York pizzeria. Before we go any further, let's take a quick dive into Joey's background.

Growing up in Syracuse he garnered a deep appreciation for pizza, so much so he worked in pizzerias as a young teen, spending another decade at Santangelo’s, an upscale Italian ristorante in Liverpool NY (Syracuse suburb), all the while earning an engineering degree, which proved favorable when he moved to the lowcountry (circa 2006), the same time Boeing was beginning to set up camp in Charleston.

After 17 years working as a project manager for the aviation giant, Joey decided to step way and open a pizzeria. With his wife successfully running two Charleston area pre--kindergarten businesses, and their finances in order, Joey decided it was time to revisit his earlier passion, aka pizza!

Now let's talk about Joey's commitment to his craft. While his love for pizza never waned, Joey had to refamiliarize himself with the business, taking trips to New Haven, Connecticutt and New York City as well as spending a week working at Syracuse's famed Paladino’s Pizza, a family owned pizzeria that first got its start in the Bronx nearly a century ago. With eagerness and dedication in place Joey was ready to rock n' roll.

Putting his desire aside, let's get down to the nitty gritty, and that is the pizza parlor itself. There are several indicators that provide you hope even before you bite into your first slice at Joey's Pizzeria, that reassure you, you're dining or taking out NY style pizza.

First off is the name. True northerners who serve up pizza, primarily call their place a 'pizzeria', a term that originated in Naples, Italy (mid 19th century) simply meaning 'place of pizza'. The second thing you're going to recognize is the smell as soon as you walk through the door at Joey's. It's hard to put into words, but it's the aroma that continually wafts through the air at a true pizzeria. A lot of it has to do with the ovens. Joey's checks both pre-bite boxes!

But the real proof is in the pudding, or in this case the pizza. As I've opined time and time again, and Joey agrees, creating NY style pizza relies on three factors. Without question it's the crust, the sauce, and the cheese. Adding premium toppings such as Italian sausage or pepperoni are great, but it all starts with the core ingredients. If any of those three are missing, the result will be a sub-standard product.

Starting with the flour, Joey uses Gold Medal All Trumps, a premier, high-gluten (14.2% protein) spring wheat flour, commonly used in commercial pizzerias and bakeries for its exceptional strength and consistency, ideal for making pizzas and bagels. Mixing the flour with live yeast only adds to the overall flavor of the dough which is proofed between 24-48 hours and never frozen. Joey's home-made pizza sauce is a traditional age old recipe that Paladino's has been using for decades. 

When you add premium meats and cheeses (Grande mozzarella) on top of perfectly crafted dough and supreme pizza sauce you get a one of kind NY style pizza. Traditionally northerners like myself (I'm from Jersey) judge NY style pizza by sampling a cheese and or a pepperoni slice. Trust me, you won't ble disappointed at Joey's Pizzeria. A hint of oil, and an ideally charred bottom, a slightly fluffier crust make for incredible bite after bite.

While Joey's offers up the traditional pizzeria fare, including calzones, garlic knots, and home-made meatballs, they also are a bit of a ristorante providing Italian food lovers pasta dishes and what Joey describes as an extraordinary Caesar Salad. Want more? How about a meatball or chicken parm sandwich under the Hot Heroes section of the menu. Vegetarians might opt for the eggplant parmesan.

We're not done here. Joey's serves up 10 jumbo (plumpy & meaty) wings for $15.50 that come with your choice of a dozen different dipping sauces, several made from scratch including the Bayou Blaze, as well as their signature Buffalo and Green Machine dipping sauces derived from great recipes from upstate New York. That bodes well since he's secured a beer and wine license. So come in and kick back with a cold brew or your favorite glass of vino to accompany your choice of pizza, pasta, or wings while watching sports on one of seven big screen TVs. 

Coming full circle around the pizza pie (pun intended), Joey's is a family oriented old school neighborhood pizzeria. They are open six days a week (not Tues) 11am until 9pm. Open at noon on Sat & Sun. Although they have seven TVs they are not a sports bar. Joey's lives and breathes by the owner's mantra, "Be kind and serve good food". I particularly like the phrase on their bright red shirts, 'fold it like it's hot'. Northerners will understand it.

Open just over two months, early critiques are stellar including several five star reviews. Andrew says "Great new local spot in North Charleston! Pizza was spot on crispy, cheesy, perfect balance on their sauce and the wings were great too. You can tell they put a lot of time and effort into their food and their restaurant." I whole-heartedly agree.

No doubt Joey Sakran is a smart man. All the years he spent working for Boeing, especially the last several years, he's witnessed the transformation within the five mile radius surrounding the airplane maker. New roads, new businesses, and new apartment complexes, have only enhanced the area that includes Tanger Outlets and the North Charleston Coliseum complex.

With Oak Ridge Plaza slowly getting a facelift, becoming The Shoppes at Montague Corners anchored by Planet Fitness, Harbor Freight Tools, and Save A Lot, Joey's Pizzeria joins a decent mix of food & beverage businesses that include Ruby's NY Style Bagels and Whiskey Sports Bar & Grill. Safe to say, the surrounding neighborhoods are growing.

Joey's offers lunch combos 11-1pm that include slices, host happy hour 4-6pm weekdays, and provide trivia every Monday night. You can order online, call in your order, and pick it up on the way home. Want to know more about Joey's Pizzeria, than check them out at https://joeyspizzasc.com/