Great pizza and garlic knots. Thin crust New York style pizza. Their marinara sauce served with garlic knots is definitely home made and LEGIT! Went for the first time three weeks ago and have been back twice since. Our new "go to" place for pizza. read more

Their pizza sauce is the best. Has great flavor. The garlic cheese knots are delicious. Great service. Never disappointed.

Amazing pizza. We ordered a half Mama's half Meatball. Unbelievably good. You will wait for your order but good things come to those who wait. We found our new favorite pizza place, it doesn't get any better than this in Jacksonville. read more

This place is great. Came in for the first time for lunch this afternoon and got the Triple Threat. The service was great, the food was delicious and the surprise cheesecake they had was also very tasty. Will definitely be coming here again soon read more

Bala's Pizza - Triple Threat - Pizza Near Me - St. Johns, Florida

When you see a restaurant that has 5 stars with 48 reviews you get interested. Not to say I know everything about pizza but, I've been in the business for 30 years so I know a bit. And more importantly i know what i like. Nothing makes me happier than trying other pizzerias. I love mom and pop. I love the thrill of a non corporate pizzeria able to be creative and add their spin on their product. We were on our way to a basketball game and decided to try Bala's. We don't live near by so, so it was a destination. We walked in and were surprised there were only three tables. So much space was available for tables and it was just open. The funny part is they have an open kitchen but, you couldn't see the pizza maker because he was blocked by boxes. Beautiful slices displayed when we walked in. No white/Bianco slices (I have a recent tomato allergy-I know, pizza is about tomatoes and cheese, and crust, and...).I wanted to order a small pizza however, they only offer 18" pizzas. I understand the simplicity of one size and one size box however, they had 12" boxes as well. Why not do a 12" and an 18". The young lady at the counter said they could do a 1/2 bianco 1/2 cheese pie, that's awesome and appreciated. We ordered our pizza, some salads, sodas and grabbed the last of the three tables. I had a Greek salad which was good. Dare I say too much feta and too many olives-this may be the food cost awareness I live in.But, none the less the flavor was good, crisp lettuce, good dressing and refreshing. My husband's Caesar was fine, nothing earth shattering but, good. The space was bright, clean and the mural on the wall you see in other reviews was nice. Someone worked hard on that. The pizza came. Served with a smile it looked good. It held up as we picked up our slice. Here's where they went from 4-3 stars. The pizza had no flavor. I thought maybe it was just the Bianco side but, my husband who has a "lifetime" of pizza enjoyment and 5 years in the business said his had no flavor. We added powdered garlic and salt to get that wow taste we love from pizza. We just couldn't get it. My husband always says there's no such thing as bad pizza, I refer to it as pizza I wouldn't order again. The crust was pretty. It was very crispy and lacked that chewy aspect that makes NY Style pizza good. The pie folded well but, it didn't have that wow factor great pizza has. There was a decent amount of raw flour taste on the bottom of the pizza, i understand that was just a need to wipe off the pizza peel and shake off excess flour while making the pie, i just don't like the taste. It is possible that the sauce wasn't made to specs, someone forgot the insert whatever spice, it happens. The Bianco side with the cheeses should have had a salt wonderful flavor that it was missing. We just walked away feeling "eh". We wanted to love it. We wanted to find our "favorite" spot worth the drive. I know they are a newer space so it wish them well, I just wasn't blown away as I thought I'd be based on reading the other reviews. I live reviews, i live 1star reviews because I usually think the author is the issue and i want to try the place myself. I wanted to give it a 5, then a 4 star but, it was an average 3. read more

Bala's Pizza - 1/2 Bianco 1/2 cheese pie - Pizza Near Me - St. Johns, Florida

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Best pizza I've had in a long time. Friendly staff! Definitely recommend!!! Pizza was as good and NY's pizza if not better. My new favorite spot to get a slice or a pie. read more

The best in Fla. Authentic NY PizzaThey never disappoint . We tried the NYC pizza and it was great.

drove from north jax to try and was not disappointed! super crisp and really good flavor. perfect proportion of cheese and sauce. only complaint would be they need more seating, there's only 3 tables. read more

I was craving a good ol NY style pizza. I found this place on yelp. I gave it a try and I felt like I hit the Jackpot. The crust was was perfect. The cheese and sauce were generous. Slices were large and fold just like NY. The pizza taste GREAT. We will definitely be back. read more

Must try if you like Pizza! Pizza by the slice all day! Triple threat is unique and must try! Family owned friendly and great pizza!

I love Bala's Pizza! Please, do not sleep on this pizza spot. Once I entered the place, for a second I felt as if I were in the twilight zone and popped up in NYC. The place is very clean , staff is nice and welcoming you can see them cooking right behind the counter and I'm even more happy that the food is better! I live in Bartram Springs but born and raised in Coney Island. If you're also from NYC then you know it's nearly impossible to find an authentic food spot near you, ESPECIALLY within walking distance, loll. All in all, I'm very happy Bala's Pizza is in the neighborhood but not limited to residents! It's in a perfect spot with plenty of other stores to explore for everyone! read more

I liked it but my wife and son weren't crazy about it. Coming from South Carolina I got a saying most Florida pizza is better..

True NY style pizza that is always excellent! Make sure you place your order well in advance because these guys are getting very popular.

Do yourself a favor and come get some really really really good pizza! Even my son who is very picky when it comes to pizza loves it!!! Thank you Balas! read more

We ordered their standard cheese pizza and the Triple Threat. The Bala's staff was friendly and helpful both taking my order over the phone and during pickup. We will definitely become repeat customers. The cheese pizza was a big hit with my kids - big portions, good sauce, neither too thick nor too thin. The Triple Threat was a great sampling of the rest of what Bala's has to offer. The calzone portion had good proportions between the cheese, toppings, and dough. The garlic knots are solid. The pizza portion was also well-balanced in terms of sauce-to-cheese-to-toppings-to-crust ratio. We like to support local businesses and Bala's is doing a great job out of the gate. It's really nice to have such a good, solid pizza place in the neighborhood. read more

Absolute best pizza in Jacksonville/St. Johns county area. We have been going there since they opened and haven't had a single item we didn't love. Pies are amazing, garlic knots are the best I have ever had in my life, and great service every time. Small family owned business that actually appreciates your business. Young lady we always deal with at counter(I believe the owners sister) is always friendly, courteous, makes sure our order is correct, and gracious. In the pandemic era and especially in Florida in general it is so refreshing to find a business that actually cares about the product they serve, customer service, and their customer's satisfaction. Give them a try you will not be disappointed. read more

Hands down the best pizza we have found in the Jacksonville area. We moved here from Nashville, home of Joey's House of Pizza--a top in place in the US if your believe Trip Advisor, which we do! Bala's is about as close to Joey's as you can get taste wise. Sure I miss Joey screaming and Chris hollering back, it's beautiful, but what you will find at Bala's is a wonderful family starting up a great pizza joint that tastes great and is a good value. Also, they're the nicest people you'll ever meet, truly engaged in making sure I as a guest am happy. Grab a pie to go, take it home and be happy. Or eat in if you can find a table (the place does need more tables, but I'm giving them time. There isn't a bad thing on the menu. Trust me, this place exceeds all other NY pizzerias anywhere in the area. Enjoy! read more

Absolutely delicious pizza. We got the meat pizza and added some onion and pineapple. This pizza was loaded with toppings. We also got cheesy garlic knots that were equally delicious. The people who run the place were so nice and took great care of us. We can't wait to go back read more

Best pie around coupled with the friendly, family-run environment...we LOVE Bala's. Only choice for us

Awesome pizza and customer service! We ordered two pies, bbq chicken and another half parma rosa marg & half mediterranean add peps to whole pizza (not the easiest of orders). Bbq chicken was perfect and tasty, unfortunately the mediterranean half of the other pizza was left out. We called them and in 20 mins they graciously gave us our correct pizza (also so delicious!) no charge! Thank you so much :) read more

We saw Bala's pizza when we drove by on Race Track Road. Looked it up on Yelp and decided to try Bala's. We placed our order and was curious to try a new pizza place. The restaurant smelled very good and clean. We received our pizza and it was surprisingly a huge pizza. We came home and started eating the pizza. My husband is a pizza snob. He told me that this pizza was a one and done. A chain restaurant pizza was a whole lot better then this pizza. The crust was tough not chewy. Hard to eat. The sauce was bland and sweet. Tasted cheap. We ordered a Cheese and Hawaiian. Hardly any cheese and there was meat on the pizza but couldn't taste it. Just not flavorful. The garlic knots were horrible. Dry and tough. Marinara was the same sauce as the pizza. Sorry! We will not be ordering pizza from Bala's Pizza. read more

We are new to Jacksonville so we have to look for new tasty food places. We tried their pizza and right now they are my fav! Hands down delicious every time! We will have to try their other foods as well!! read more

Awesome people running it and definitely the best pizza in Jacksonville!! Must check this place out.

Great pizza and their rainbow cake is the best. My 3 year old inhales it and she really isn't much for sweets

Excellent pizza! We had the Florentine and added sausage to it. So good! Will definitely be ordering from here again.

We had Grandmas Marinara Pie. Delish! I've had it at some other places and this was top notch. It tasted as good as it looked. This was our 1st time here. Sauce was sweet and minimal cheese but a nice amount of Parm and basil like a Grandmas Pie should be. Great menu.. We will be back sooner than later. read more

Bala's pizza is the best in our area. The quality of the ingredients are excellent. They are usually always busy so it's better to order ahead of time. read more

Overall quality of product and great customer service!!! The Margarita pizza is my favorite.

Pizza is awesome. Best in the area. But the wait is horrendous! You can call at 4:30 and it's still not ready until 6:00... call after that, and the wait is even longer! Add 15-20 minutes to any time they give you. read more

Bala's is very clean and welcoming w/ a friendly staff. I purchased a couple of slices of Original Grandma Pizza for myself and a whole Pepperoni Pizza for the kids (which I ate as well). Oh my goodness! Both were delicious and I loved the crust. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. I'm from the Northeast and I've been looking for a pizza joint that gives me a taste of home or comes close to it. This is my new pizza joint. I see the NYC Deluxe coming home with me in the near future and as of right now, the Original Grandma is my fav. Going to be trying a lot from Bala's. They are a welcomed addition to the neighborhood. read more

I must say I was very disappointed in Bala's Pizza after reading all the great reviews. I ordered the Triple Threat as the photo on this website had me curious. It was a Friday night and I was told my pizza would be ready in one hour. I do live about 15 minutes from Bala's so, I had no problem with this. I actually arrived a bit early to pick up my pizza. It was ready and waiting. The employee opened the box to show me what I had ordered, it was correct and looked good. Got in my car and was back home in 15 minutes. Here's where my two star rating comes in. I opened the box and discovered my pizza was cold and soggy on the bottom. The calzone which was all meat also had ricotta cheese that was cold as well. The garlic knots were the only saving grace of this pizza even they too were cold. We heated the pizza up but, the soggy bottom wasn't going away. I'd also like to mention the sauce was very blah, no flavor whatsoever! The more I thought about I decided this Pizza was probably ready much sooner than I was told and sat there for at least 30 minutes. I ended up throwing more than half of it away as no one in my house was going to eat it the next day. Due to this experience I had I will not be going back to Bala's for pizza! I hope this review will warn others to check the temperature of their pizza as well as the bottom. Oh, btw the box wasn't wet on the bottom! read more

The food was excellent. John placed our orders and by the time we arrived, the food was fresh out of the oven and delicious. Good people, good food and best pizza place in Jacksonville...I highly recommend Bala's Pizza. read more

I loved this place, workers are extremely nice and food was amazing!! highly recommend!!

This place is the best pizza in town. Our new go to place for sure! We ordered cheese pies and they perfectly baked. Can't wait to try their other pies! read more

I ordered from Bala because it just opened by us.... Pizza was amazing! Traditional NY style pizza.. Super friendly and fast service. I would definitely recommend read more

This pizza is fantastic when hot and fresh out of the oven. True NY style with that sweet dough and just right crispy crunch bottom. It's our new favorite pizza place! read more