Walk into Paulie Gee’s Soul City Slice on 13th Street and you’ll immediately notice it’s not just a pizza shop, there’s a vinyl store and bar built right into the same throwback space.
This is a Brooklyn-born slice shop that brought its old-school New York pizza game to Philadelphia’s Gayborhood, and it’s built a serious following in the process.
What Makes This 13th Street Spot Worth Seeking Out
The crust here is doing a lot of the talking, and it’s not hard to see why once you take a bite.
Loyal fans describe it as thin, foldable, and finished with a deep golden cornicione that has just the right amount of light charring, exactly the kind of thing you’d expect from a real New York slice, not something you’d typically find in Philly.
What really turns heads, though, is the vegan menu, which somehow manages to outshine plenty of non-vegan pizza in the city.
Reviewers keep saying it might be the best vegan slice they’ve had anywhere, crisp crust, just the right amount of cheese, and a “magical” vegan pepperoni that doesn’t taste like a compromise at all.
The square Sicilian-style pies bring their own personality to the table too, with a rich, tangy tomato sauce and an unexpected sesame seed topping that catches first-time visitors off guard in the best way.
It’s a heavier slice than the classic round pie, but it’s built a loyal fanbase of its own among regulars who specifically request it.
If it’s your first visit, grab a slice of the Mootz Pie alongside a Vegan Pepperoni slice so you can compare the classic and plant-based versions side by side, then finish with a square slice if you’re still hungry.
Food Highlights
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The Mootz Pie: Loaded with a generous layer of gooey, high-quality mozzarella that practically stretches with every slice, the Mootz Pie is the classic order that reviewers keep calling cheesy, garlicky, and never greasy, exactly the balance a great cheese slice needs.
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Pepperoni Pie: Nailing a crisp Brooklyn-style crust piled with a bold, savory pepperoni topping, the Pepperoni Pie has earned praise as one of the best slices reviewers have had in the city, full stop.
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Freddy Prinze Pie: Named after its playful, retro-inspired persona, the Freddy Prinze Pie rounds out the lineup with another creative option that keeps diners coming back for more than just the classics.
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The Hellboy: Bringing serious heat to the menu, The Hellboy has become one of the shop’s more talked-about specialty slices for anyone who wants their pizza with a spicy kick.
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Square Pepperoni Slice: Thicker, heavier, and covered in a bold, tangy tomato sauce finished with an unexpected sesame seed topping, the Square Pepperoni Slice gives diners a Sicilian-style option that’s noticeably different from the shop’s classic round pies.
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New York Style Pepperoni Pizza: Topped generously with pepperoni over a perfectly melted, lightly charred mozzarella layer, the New York Style Pepperoni Pizza comes together simply and elegantly, letting the quality ingredients speak for themselves.
Atmosphere
Paulie Gee’s Soul City Slice leans hard into its throwback pizzeria vibe, with an old-school feel that reviewers describe as low maintenance and genuinely chill.
The music-forward setup, complete with a working vinyl store built into the space, gives it a personality that’s rare for a slice shop.
Staff consistently get called out as authentic, nice, and genuinely happy to be there, which adds a lot to the overall experience beyond just the food itself.
It’s the kind of spot that works whether you’re grabbing a quick slice solo or bringing a group of friends to split a whole square pie.
Bottomline
Paulie Gee’s Soul City Slice is the Philadelphia pizza spot to hit when you want proof that a slice shop can be both a legit pizza destination and a genuinely fun hangout, whether that’s through the classic Mootz Pie or the surprisingly excellent Vegan Pepperoni Pie.
With a music-forward atmosphere, a vinyl store built right into the space, and hours that stretch late on weekends, it’s easily one of the more unique pizza stops in the city.
Address:
412 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
📞 +1 215-933-0777
🕔 Open Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 AM–11:00 PM; Fri–Sat 11:30 AM–2:00 AM