Like his brother Manny’s, this other House of Pizza owned by Joey is a great go-to place for lunch in Nashville. And lunch it is – Joey’s House of Pizza is only open from 11am to 3pm, Monday through Friday. Word was that he left Brentwood’s Maryland Farms location when he got tired of paying the high rent. It was here where I enjoyed getting yelled at by Joey for ordering too slow. (What can I say? It’s an East Coast Soup Nazi kind of thing.) He also ran a second place for awhile down south in Spring Hill, but now it’s just this new joint just southeast of the Nashville skyline.

Joey’s new place is nicely nestled beside the start of the Elm Hill Pike just off Fesslers Lane. This spot is convenient to the employees of the many nearby downtown businesses in addition to the students of Trevecca Nazarene University.

The Snob recently made it out to Joey’s new spot at lunch taking Mr. Mark along with him for the ride. We arrived to find a long line making its way out the door. As the line moved forward, we spied a sparkling array of fine Italian dishes and pizzas along the counter looking deliciously enticing. Joey gave me a warm welcome by teasingly telling me “no pictures!” as I was snapping shots of his wares.

Hungry that day, I had a great protein fix with a nice tasty Chicken Parm. But first, it was my usual two cheese slices (at $2.31 a pop), which I went back to the counter to pick up after they were put into in the oven and toasted just right. Great classic pizza sure runs in the family. Just like his brother, Joey gets it right – and not a family secret per se as his pie is his own unique creation. Joey’s spicing is a little different than Manny’s – I detected a bit more oregano and certainly less garlic. The mix of sauce and cheese could be done no better and each slice had a nice touch of extra oil to boost the flavor.

Our dining experience was summed up nicely by Mr. Mark, a man of few words. Mark described Joey’s pizza thusly: “This ain’t no crust that you feed to the dog!” Accustomed to ordering at home from the chains and giving his unwanted crust to the dog, Mark has surly earned the right to trademark this declaration.

Joey’s business is a family affair and that’s Mom and daughter Stefany that you will see working rapidly behind the counter. Stefany, like the Snob, has a serious passion for pizza. She has shared with me that she believes it’s all about slices and serving them just right. Upon my most recent visit after being “outed” as the Snob, she called me back to the counter so that she could reheat my second slice to make sure it was just right. Making it right is an easy task for her as Joey’s sure makes one outstanding classic slice of pizza!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

Joey’s House of Pizza
897 Elm Hill Pike
Nashville, TN 37210
615-522-8389
www.joeyshouseofpizza.com