Image: Diavola Pizza.
Last Updated: July 2021
Current Status: Menomale now has a second outpost in NoMa in addition to its original Brookland location. Both are doing dine-in and take-out.
Overview: Menomale’s specialty is pizza, specifically the Neapolitan version for which it is certified by the authorities back in Italy. To argue who has the “best” pizza is a fool’s game, but we will say that this is one of our favorites. They do other classically inspired dishes to supplement the pies, including salads and various antipasti. There are calzones and sandwiches as alternatives to the pizza. But let’s be serious, it is the pizza you want to to get here. It is the joy of picking up a slice when it is just cool enough to touch, still warm enough to get the cheese extending from your mouth. The first location is on a street in Brookland, with dining inside and out. It is a classic neighborhood spot that looks like it could be 50 years old, and you have to walk past the kitchen to get to the dining room. The new location in NoMa is in a modern development, but as a consolation they have added a new style of pizza that is served only at that location, which Tim Carman raved about in the Post. Both locations have a sibling deli. Menomale has had a strong beverage program from the get go of craft beer, wines and cocktails.
Summary:
Cuisine: Pizza
Locations:
– Brookland – 2711 12th St NE, Washington, DC 20018
– NoMa – 33 N St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Website: http://menomale.us/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Tom is Positive, but can’t find a star rating; Carman ranks its Margherita #4.
Washingtonian: Cheap Eats 2016
Tyler Cowen: The best pizza around (in 2018).