Turning a plain and a pep slice into TWO pep slices in one easy step.Franzone’s in Manayunk is a small outpost of the original Bridgeport location and sister store on Ridge Pike (near IKEA.) I actually like the Conshohocken location best, not just because of the full bar, but because they make the shrieky SWEET sauce for which Franzone’s is famous. Manayunk is fine, but growing up with the Norristown style sauce that takes care of dessert as well, there’s no settling. All the stores have a light, airy yet crispy crust in common. There are no charred spots like the wood/coal places.. The crust actually has little flavor aside from the hint of yeast. Franzone’s eschews the bubblegum Mozzarella typical of the NY style pie in favor of a more tangy blend (which I promised not to reveal.) Also, I’m pretty sure that they originated the “swirl” concept where cheese is sprinkled on the dough, and the sauce is added with a spoon, causing the cheese to melt INTO it, as well as into the dough. Toppings are generous, and I typically move half of the pepperoni onto a plain slice (and sop up the grease with napkins) so the meal is considerably healthier (closer to a quinoa and kale salad than ordering TWO pepperoni slices.) If you are curious to try the original, I recommend Ridge Pike, but the Manayunk guys deliver, at least to Bala. These two slices and an ice tea were <$9. They actually have an extensive menu, so if a non pizza person wants a club sandwich, veal cutlet or homemade lump crab cakes, they can accommodate that as well.
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Franzone’s Manayunk cheesesteak. Perfectly cooked/chopped loin on a super-fresh (delivered daily) Conshohocken Bakery roll. Coarse chopped fried onions, white American and sauce.
The menus are old and list $6.25 for a cheesesteak, and this was $7.00 or so. Be sure and ask before ordering if you are looking at their extensive menu, because the prices are probably a little higher. This is among the better cheesesteaks in the area… fresh cooked to order.
Main Line Food Blog 