Maruca’s Tomato Pies

Originally founded in Trenton in 1950 by four brothers (Anthony, Joseph, Pasquale, & Dominick) Maruca’s is now the most storied pizzeria on the Seaside Heights boardwalk. They specialize in traditional “Trenton Tomato Pies”. This ancient style, pioneered by @papastomatopies & @delorenzos_tomato_pies, is similar to New York style, but slightly thicker, usually cooked at a higher temp, and (crucially) features a sweeter thick sauce that is placed on top of the cheese. So, in the Jersey fashion, it is a sauce-forward pie.

We tried a plain slice with a spiral red sauce pattern and a pepperoni slice. Both were quite good, but I preferred the purity of the cheese slice. @marucaspizza’s slices were oversized, making them a bit difficult to fold. The screen-baked crust was crisp on the bottom but chewy and soft inside & the slice made an audible crunch when you bite into it - precisely the consistency you look for. We also detected a very subtle sweetness to the crust (#Jersey). Overall, this is a high quality slice and a great option in Seaside Heights in my opinion.