Roseland Apizza
| Address: | 350 Hawthorne Ave, Derby, CT 06418, USA |
| Phone: | +1 203-735-0494 |
| Site: | m.facebook.com |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | Closed 4–9PM 4–9PM 4–9PM 4–10PM 3–10PM 1–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
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Edmund Davis-Quinn
My favorite place to eat in the Naugatuck Valley. Roseland Apizza is amazing. We live about 15 minutes away in Ansonia and once a month or so we go over for the pizza, family style salad and arugula salad we crave. I know people complain about the cost but a huge pizza, an enormous family style or arugula salad and a pitcher of root beer is $40 with a ton of leftovers. The bread is excellent, crusty with lots of good chew and delicious with butter. I almost always get a refill. The family style salad is probably enough for 4 people abd has delicious meat and cheese and its what wowed us the most our first visit. I have had both the good ziti and very good lasagna that are under $15 with salad mid week. Although not destination food. And we usually share a medium pizza, maybe the two of us should downgrade to small, portions are huge here. Our favorite was a harvest pizza with fresh tomato and basil in the fall. My wife loves pepperoni and mushroom pizza and its superb here. The clams are excellent and again enormous portions. And the arugula salad is amazing, hot mushrooms and delicious mozzarella over a good hearty salad. We tried the arugula pizza once when we had a friend over and it was too much. The salad is better on its own. I also thought the garlic bread was too busy. Its a family run business with old booths, mismatched plates and its first come, first serve. This isnt a big issue Tuesday-Thursday but is on the weekends. They are dinner only. They also have an inexpensive take out pizza with no mozzarella from Tuesday-Thursday. If you do want to go on Friday or Saturday I would honestly recommend takeout, its just too busy. We are so happy we found this after a recommendation from the funky used bookshop just down the hilk Books by the Falls, its special. There is a reason they have been drawing crowds since 1935. And honestly, you really dont need to get the crazy and expensive seafood pies. And do become a regular if you live close.
CH
Chris C
Roseland is one of these places where the staff knows their food is the best and sometimes you get a "take it or leave it" attitude. I wish it wasnt this way, but it is. Theyve been around for 60+ years and have made headlines ever since. However, if its an incredible meal that you are looking for you will learn to deal with the service. The food is incredible and those who know what good food is will agree. The pizza is amazing. The "Market Price" seafood pizza is a gem. Yes...it runs between $65-$75, but NOWHERE can you get more lobster and scallops for the money....oh and there is shrimp on the pie too...jumbo/butterflied. Whereas I can usually eat 4-5 slices of their regular pizza myself, Ive yet to put down more than 2 1/2 slices of the seafood pie. There are at least a dozen other amazing pizzas on the wall to choose from....much cheaper of course. BTW....the pizzas are huge and you most likely will be eating some again the next day. The antipasta is another masterpiece...everything is fresh and the dish is massive. Dont even get me started on the Lobster Ravioli....those who know the feel and taste of freshly made pasta will recognize what they are eating at the first bite. Looking over these reviews, I can tell there are a few haters. Sure...you can bash the staff/service, but cmon, to bash their food, especially the Broccoli Rabe, is like saying Scarlett Johannsen is ugly. Its a lie. Its the best broccoli rabe Ive ever had...cooked to perfection and fresh as can be. The prices are where they should be considering the quality and quantity. This place isnt Zagat rated for nothing. The service and ambiance will never be perfect, BUT THE FOOD IS!!! Just keep that in mind and youll keep coming back.
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A Private User
I understand the other reviews are upset about the Italian-New York style waitstaff and the prices (both true) but they are forgetting to mention that the actual pizza is perfect! Better than Pepes or Sallys in NH, better than Johns, Lombardis, Grimaldis, etc... in NYC. Better than San Tarpios in Boston. I am not exagerrating. My opinion is, who cares what the price is and I expect gruff "so, whadda ya want" from my New York style pizza places. I get the same outrageous prices and bad service at Pepes or Grimaldis, etc. In addition to their perfect pizza, they also have a great antipasto, and other interesting dishes. Of course, the fact that they are in DERBY does suck a lot. Impossible to get to (Takes us an hour). The crust is super-thin and NYC style crispy. The sauce is superior. And the toppings are ALL excellent. Usually I can complain about one of them (e.g. the mushrooms on Lombardis pizza are boring raw mushrooms). But I have no complaint about this pizza.
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Al gansk
Let me start by saying this pizza is very, very good. The Shrimp pie is amazing! Ok, now the facts: The shrimp pie is like $55 bucks and only comes in medium! I am not cheap, but come on now...even a one topping large is like $24 at this place??? Pizza isnt the most expensive thing to make and Roselands leverages this fact to the max with their pizza prices. The building has been paid for for about 100 years, there is no reason (other than GREED) to charge the prices they do, except for the fact that their customers put up with it. The posts below about the attitude are exactly correct. I believe the old lady up front is the grandmother of the Luca clan from Derby and she is hitting the wine or something most nights I think, because OMG is she a piece of work! On the phone she is crazy and the experience when you get there with her is other worldly...I mean CRA-A-ZY!! Major attitude here and prices are ridiculous.
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A Private User
The Pizza is fantastic! Roseland manages to make old fashioned pizza with slightly unusual toppings that feel true to what pizza should be. This is pizza good enough to serve at a wedding. So we did! We ordered more than 20 pies on a Saturday night and I am sure we taxed their capabilities, but they said they could do it and they did! Our guests loved it. If you have special requests be sure to talk to John! He is the one who needs to approve anything unusual. This isnt a white table cloths and hovering waiters kind of place. Overall the staff was friendly enough and they seem to work hard; they sometimes take a minute or two to talk to their friends/customers before rushing over to help the new arrivals. The place could use a facelift, but it has a homey feel and the pizza makes it worth it!
TY
Tyler Raymond
I know Roseland is supposed to be a staple in the Valley, but I dont see it. In fact, I thought the food was terrible and the prices were outrageously high. I ordered a medium margarita pizza + an order of broccoli rabe - $35! So I thought, "alright, this better be awesome!" The pizza, which has nothing that should create grease, was loaded with it, and the tomatoes were mushy. The broccoli rabe, although Ive never had it before today, was certainly something Ill never eat again... it just tasted like MSG, and the presentation was horrible (a couple of meat-logs on top of a soggy green mess). Never again will I stray from Wooster Street for good pizza.
