Ledo Pizza, a trailblazer in the “Maryland Style Pizza” scene, opened its doors at 243 W 38th St in Manhattan just over two years ago, quickly winning over the city’s pizza enthusiasts.
As discussed in The MoCoShow’s first podcast back in 2014, MoCoShow founder Mr. MoCo’s passion for this distinct style, Maryland-style pizza is known for its rectangular shape, a biscuit-like crust, sweet tomato sauce, and smoked provolone cheese. We’ll dive into the pizza’s origins in a moment, but it’s this particular style we’re highlighting, as seen in popular local establishments.
Although it’s called “Maryland Style Pizza,” this term mainly applies to areas in Maryland that are suburbs of Washington, D.C., particularly in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. This style often sparks debate, with passionate opinions surrounding its key elements—whether it’s the sauce, the crust, the cheese, or the perfect balance of all three. And really, that’s a common trend across all pizza styles.
The story began in 1955 when Ledo Pizza, initially known as Ledo Restaurant, opened its first location in Adelphi, Maryland (Prince George’s County). At the time, circular pizza pans were still a new concept, so they chose rectangular pans instead—and it worked. The decision proved so successful that they stuck with it.
Since then, Ledo Pizza has expanded to over 100 locations along the East Coast, introducing Maryland-style pizza to places less familiar with the style. Opening in New York was a bold move, especially given the city’s deep-rooted pizza culture and passionate opinions. But Ledo’s gamble paid off—since its debut, it has earned an impressive 4.8/5 rating from more than 500 Google reviews, and a solid 4.5/5 on Yelp from over 60 reviews.
Recently Bob’s Pizza Tour, a popular social media account highlighting pizza primarily in NYC and Baltimore, shared a reel of “Maryland Style Pizza in NYC” that has regenerated interest in our older pieces about the style. The reel can be seen here.
