Bad Horse Pizza

I truly regret not writing my happy Unilocal review while Bad Horse was still around. I can hardly believe they’re closed down! It truly saddens me that shitty Unilocal reviews can destroy such an awesome place.
Ever since I moved to Harlem in the summer of 2011 this has been my late night pizza spot for take outs and deliveries. They were always really fast, had no problem giving us extra fresh basil toppings for our pizza, and even allowed us to order 10mins before the store shut down in a blizzard one time! It was even a family tradition to eat there with my family once a year when they visited from Brazil and this will be greatly missed.
I’m now mourning the closing of Bad Horse, not really comprehending how or why it really shut down. I’ve got some great photos from there I wish I had posted sooner. Maybe I’ll post them later when I feel less angry and emotional.
Dang, Bad Horse. You were too good to be true.
Not to mention it is one of the few Harlem thin crusts available and in a large size too (because apparently the 12″ personal pie for $ 15 bucks is becoming ever more popular) but honestly I’m just really sad that this wonderful spot is gone, it will be greatly missed for sure.
Needless to say, my Saturday late night pizza party will look a bit different starting now. And I won’t be able to just run down the block and grab a nice large pie in the snow anymore. Thanks to five awesome years with you, Bad Horse, you were always awesome.
RIP BAD HORSE…

Bad Horse,
You will be sorely missed. You made some great pies over the years. After our baby was born we joined you for V-​day 2015, a casual but tasty romantic walk for three.
Thanks for being a unique spot in the perplexing shifting landscape around us.
Hang tough. It’s not easy trying to pay rent as a pizza joint, it’s a rodeo out there,
Your fans

So sad to see bad horse go. My family and I absolutely loved this place. Their pizza was some of the best I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a LOT of pizza). Wish I knew it was leaving so I could get one last pie!

Heartbreaking news. We recently moved out of Harlem, but lived down the street from Bad Horse for years. We loved it. The food was great. The service was amazing. They weren’t open for lunch. We didn’t realize that and sent a group of 10 family members from out of town to go during the late lunch hour. Rather than turn them away, the owner opened special for them and served them all lunch. This is a huge loss.

I am sad to see Bad Horse go, as we loved the food… at the same time, both the compliments for most of the service staff and the less-​than-​flattering assessment of the manager are well founded. Tons more to say, but it’s no longer relevant, is it?

Sad to see this place close. Always enjoyed the pizza and the staff was great. John, the owner got some unfavorable mentions in some of the posts but he had never been anything but nice to me.

So sad. Amazing Aristocrat pizza will be missed… send me the recipe guys! Or something! I’m now living in a pizza desert! Aaahhhhhhhh!!!

Very sad to see BHP close. As neighbors of the restaurant, we thought the food was absolutely delicious. Good luck to the owners and staff!

Best thin crust pizza in Harlem. DNA boys loved it. Apps good, small variety of dishes but they were also good. Owner shut DNA down 15 minutes before close once but no biggie. Sad to see it go. All in all a really good spot for Harlem!

Just saw that this place has closed down. It’s a shame for everyone involved except the owner. What a complete tool. Rude, arrogant, and kind of creepy I hope he doesn’t open another place. But there was good pizza here. That is a shame.

I wanted to love this place. A local pizzeria with thin crust?! That would be GREAT! But these guys took thin crust too far. We’re talking pizza crackers. Bummer.
Good ambiance and friendly waitstaff. Wish the pizza were better cause I’d be a regular.

Okay. So since I do this for a living, I’m gonna break this down real quick.
1) Pizza and apps: bomb. Good ingredients, well-​cooked, pretty-​damn-​good New Yorker deliciousness with a touch of refinement and care.
2) Service: Stop reaching across the table to pour wine and water while the two people at the table are in deep conversation. Not a major issue, but still, it’s annoying and rude. When the order consists of two menu items, DO NOT READ IT BACK TO ME. I’m not mentally handicapped and neither are you … right? Good. Let’s move on. It’s preferable to be checked on more often than we were (once every twenty minutes or so). However, it was good for me because I ended up not buying another bottle of wine because no one came over for ages. Until, that is, closing time crept up (11 pm … an unreasonably early hour for a Saturday night) and a check was dropped on my table without ever having asked for it. I will say, to their credit, the servers I have had there have all been great, otherwise. Well-​spoken and kind.
3) Wine: good, minimal selection. Good price point, nothing over the top, just tasty and simple wines; all-​in-​all the wine list is A-​Okay by me!
4) Dessert menu needs a bit of work, because after a heavy and filling meal of pizza and wine, we need something sweet and delicious. So please! Throw in some tiramisu or panna cotta or gelato.
So let’s recap quickly: place is awesome, people are polite and friendly, pizza is delicious, apps are delicious, wine is good, so what’s my problem? I LIKE THIS PLACE AND I WANT TO HANG OUT THERE AFTER 10 or 11 PM!!! Stop shoving us out the door.
And to the people of the public: Don’t let my petty qualms mislead you. It is in your interest to get your butt into a chair at Bad Horse. Shit’s good.

The staff is friendly, the owner is a complete D-​CK. We stopped going there because he such an A-​hole. Food is great, service is great. But the owner took our order and screwed up our bill, which included a lot of pizzas and alcohol. We paid the bill he presented to us without even looking at it and tipped well. A few hours later he tracked us down and asked us to pay. If the owner screws up the onus is on him. Never going back.
I walked by BHP the other day and noticed it closed. The owner John blamed Unilocal.He has no one to blame but himself. He sent me this message a few months ago thinking I was joking and someone else. He needs to learn how to treat customers.
Sad for the staff they were great. Too bad the owner is a d-​ck!
Hi D, John sent you a message on Unilocal:
John K.
John K.
Manhattan, NY
0 0
Subject: I can’t believe you wrote this eric
«Stop drinking, that’s my advice»

Stumbled upon this place as my co worker and I left work and we’re looking for somewhere to grab a bite. Pizza was fresh (took about 25 mins to come out) thin crust and an array of toppings to chose from. Reasonably priced and definitely one of the best thin crust pizzas I have had in the area. Only reason I don’t give this place 5 stars is due to the way they serve wine. They gave it to me in a regular soda cup which was odd. Besides that awesome place !

Good pizza, I do like the crust and the atmosphere of the place with a friendly staff .
I do prefer the pig and goat that is my favorite pizza and once again the crust is very enjoyable .
Downside of it the waiting time, pizza are made on order which is fantastic but then you have to wait on average 30 to 40 minutes it can be long sometimes
Dessert menu is a bit disappointed it could be a bit more Italian

This place is the best around. Great, super-​thin crust pizza. Unique combinations.
I’ve never actually eaten at the restaurant. They’re my go-​to place for delivery, since I’m in the neighborhood.
Also, the guy who takes the delivery orders by phone is the best. He’s quick, accurate, and funny.
Love it.

Outstandingly rude owner — do not go!
— if you have a special occasion — do not go — owner might snap at you!
— if you have a party — do not go — owner might snap at you!
— if you are craving for pizza — order some place else — pizza is quite mediocre at this place!
We were eating in and had an encounter with an owner when he was outstandingly rude to us and our friends, the night was ruined! We should have ordered in, which we are going to do in the future if we have cravings for pizza.
There are plenty of places in Harlem where the guests are welcome and treated with respect: the Cheri, Babbalucci, Cedric, Cecil. We are not coming back to Bad Horse.
Haha: just read other people’s comments and an article in DNAinfo — this guy is not just rude to children — he is simply rude. Period.

Went in with a friend a few days ago, obviously craving pizza, and we WERE NOT disappointed!
SPACE: Has a very open, clean, bright, Italian rustic modern feel about it. A good selection of music.
SERVICE: Excellent from start to finish. I personally do not like to be hounded throughout my meal, and I think both the lovely server and the runner did a great job at knowing when to stop by and inquire or refill anything. I didn’t have to ask for water BC it was consistently full, extra napkins were on hand, unnecessary plates were taken away without having to ask. I appreciated those subtle tasks, and their great demeanors, both very polite.
DRANKS + FOOD: IT IS ALL MADE TO ORDER so be prepared to wait at least 20 mins for pies. THEY DO NOT SELL BY SLICES. Gotta put your pizza big boy pants on here. The appetizer selection looked great but I came for the pizza, so I curbed my appetite, I would suggest one of the appetizers to pass the time and keep your stomach from roaring while you are waiting. Small but awesome selection of beer. Ordered one while I waited for my 6″ personally pie, loaded with cheese, bacon, and red peppers, topped with fresh basil.
AND IT WAS DELICIOUS. First bite, last bite, every bite in between yummy. Thin crust, not too sweet not too tomato-​y tomato sauce, you could smell the herbs and can definitely tell it’s made with quality ingredients. In other words– WORTH THE WAIT.
I can’t speak for a anyone else, nor would I want to. You like a quality pizza and happen to be/​live in the Harlem area? Go and try Bad Horse Pizza out for YOURSELF.
Who takes these Unilocal reviews seriously anyway? Just kidding. But seriously, go get pizza.

Cool vibe, quality ingredients and clean so get three stars for that alone but customer service and creative menu step it up a star. If you then add in the wines by glass selection this hits solid four stars.
Great family dining spot and so this makes all the marks without culinary imagination required. In the end it’s a casual Italian dining spot so hard to hit top of charts and five stars for me but they’re doing great, especially for the neighborhood! Trust me when I say other similar options in quality, environment, and service are hard to find; nearly a food desert!

The food is average, with only one or two items on the menu that could be described as good. Worse than that though, the service is slow and abrupt/​rude and you’re treated more as a transaction rather than a paying customer. I called to order for pick-​up and was told to «hurry up because we’re real busy and customers are waiting». When I got there half an hour later, I noticed that the manager was more interested in his conversation with a couple of girls at the bar than serving anyone else. I also had to wait another twenty minutes for my pizza upon arriving although they were clearly not that busy at all.
The manager is bordering on creepy, giving special friendly service to a couple of regulars and generally ignoring other people. I’ve come here about 3 or 4 times, each time attempting to give this place another chance but always got the same result.
Bottom line, expect poor service, a SHARP price increase to go from small to large for just a little extra pizza (almost double the price) and bad value for your money. This place has real potential but is clearly run terribly.
EDIT: Did not appreciate the manager messaging me back not one, but three different times telling me that Unilocal was «not the place to post thins that hurt people who have feelings»…how unprofessional! Ever heard of constructive criticism? Even more turned off than I was before.