My husband got hungry, so we decided to go out for a little snack. He suggested pizza and we thought, why not finally try Pizzeria Badiali on Markham Street? We've been waiting for the right time to try this very hyped spot, and this felt like the perfect excuse.
Just like their other location, there was already a long line when we arrived. We waited for around 40 minutes. The funny thing is that even while standing in line, you can smell the pizza coming out of the kitchen. It smelled so good and honestly made us even more excited to try it.
The service was okay. Nothing particularly memorable, but everything was moving along despite the long line. The ambiance is where I have mixed feelings. It's really loud inside, especially when the place is busy, so it's definitely not somewhere I'd go if I wanted a quiet meal. But I really liked the lighting. It gave the space a warm, aesthetically pleasing look and made the whole place feel much nicer than the noise would suggest. We ordered four different slices.
Vodka Pizza | 3/5
This is one of their most popular flavours so I went in expecting something pretty sensational. It was decent, but I honestly expected more. The sauce was quite mild and almost bland to me. I kept waiting for that rich vodka sauce flavour to come through but it never really did. The crust was another issue for me. It was thin in the middle but the edges were surprisingly thick and hard to chew. At one point I was genuinely worried I was going to crack a veneer. I also somehow ended up scratching the roof of my mouth. Maybe I just got an unusually tough piece but it definitely took away from the experience.
Cacio e Pepe | 2/5
This one just wasn't for me. It tasted more like parmesan cheese sitting on pizza than cacio e pepe incorporated into a pizza. It was very cheese-forward without much else happening. I couldn't see myself ordering this again.
Burrata | 3.5/5
My favourite of the four. This was the first slice where I thought, okay.. this is pizza.
The tomato flavour actually came through and the burrata added that creamy richness without completely taking over. Everything tasted more balanced and the slice had much more flavour than the others we tried.
The crust still had the same problem, though. Thin in the centre, then suddenly very thick around the edges. I really wish they could do something about that because it was genuinely difficult to chew.
Pepperoni | 3/5
It's good. It's perfectly fine. But nothing about it made me think, I need this again. It was probably the most straightforward of the four, but considering how much hype this place gets, I expected a little more personality from it.
Overall: 3/5
Maybe I went in with expectations that were too high because of all the hype, but for me, Pizzeria Badiali wasn't worth a 40-minute lineup. The pizza isn't bad. There were definitely things I enjoyed, especially the burrata slice. I just don't think it delivered the kind of wow factor I was expecting from a place people rave about so much. Also, a tiny seating rant. The shop was pretty noisy and some people were already sitting around even though they hadn't received their pizza yet. Meanwhile, people who had already waited in line and had food were walking around looking for somewhere to sit. I get that everyone wants a seat but after waiting 40 minutes, it would be nice if people actually waited for their turn to eat before taking up the tables.
Toronto has so many good pizza spots, and honestly, there are others I'd choose before lining up here again. Maybe the experience is different when you don't have to wait as long. But if you're asking me whether this is a pizza place I'd tell everyone they have to try? Probably not. No FOMO from me on this one. read more