Randy's Pizza in Morrisville

In my recent "Best of" post, I inexplicably left off a pizza contender that matches Sami's in quality, taste, and NYC authenticity.  Randy's Pizza, located mostly in the RTP / Durham area, is absolutely amazing.  The two locations I've frequented most (off McCrimmon Parkway and on South Miami Boulevard) seem to deal mostly with the RTP lunch crowd, but it's always worth the wait for their offerings.

The restaurant itself is very typical NYC... you walk in to a group of basic tables scattered around and make your way up to the counter, which stretches across the length of the ovens to the cash register.  After waiting in line for your turn (which can sometimes be 10-15 minutes just to order), you have the choice of standard pizza styles and toppings; I always choose either the cheese or pepperoni for simplicity because they still pack so much flavor in the basic varieties.  They take your name and call you when the pizza is ready.

The time spent waiting for your order is agonizing, as others around you are getting their orders filled and you are forced to deal with the visuals and smells of the best pies in the area.  The slices are HUGE; while thinner, they certainly cover more area than even Sbarro and two slices (as pictured above) wouldn't fit in a standard pizza box.  Randy's stocks all of the typical accompaniments also; oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese are in shakers at the counter.

When your time finally comes, you are greeted with a bubbly cheese, perfectly cooked to be just browned.  They don't overdo the cheese as some places do, instead giving you the perfect proportion of cheese, sauce, toppings, and crust that is thin and chewy with a bit of crispness just at the edge from sitting in the over.  As you eat your slices, you aren't overwhelmed by too heavy of a piece; instead, the thin crust and toppings work perfectly to be filling without seeming dense.  The sauce and cheese combination is enough for me; I normally ignore toppings to savor perfection of the basic pizza pie.

If you find yourself in RTP for lunch, I strongly suggest you find one of the Randy's chains and sample what I consider to be the best pizza around.  The atmosphere and pizza perfection match what you'd get at the best places NYC has to offer!