Manhattan, Kansas, may be a long way from the five boroughs, but one unassuming pizzeria on Poyntz Avenue has been closing that distance one perfectly stretched slice at a time.
AJ’s NY Pizzeria is the kind of hole-in-the-wall that food lovers live to discover — a no-frills, counter-order pizza joint built on a genuine 50-year-old Brooklyn recipe, the finest ingredients money can buy, and an obsessive commitment to getting New York-style pizza exactly right in the heart of the Kansas Flint Hills. 🍕
How AJ’s NY Pizzeria Won Manhattan’s Hearts
From day one, owner Adam Peyton was determined to do something most people said was impossible — bring a truly authentic New York-style pizza experience to the middle of Kansas.🗽
AJ’s uses an authentic New York Italian recipe provided by the Mastandos of Brooklyn — a family who had been using that very same recipe in their own pizzeria for over 50 years.
Adam sought out the expertise of Tom Lehmann, nationally known as “the Dough Doctor”, a Manhattan, Kansas resident and one of the most respected authorities in the pizza industry, to work through every variable and fine-tune the recipe for the Little Apple without losing a single thing that makes it taste like the Big Apple. 🍎
The philosophy behind AJ’s is as simple as it is uncompromising: “If it is not used in the top New York pizzerias, it is not used at AJ’s.”
Food enthusiasts declared it the best pizza in Kansas — not the best New York-style pizza in Kansas, simply the best pizza in Kansas, full stop. 🏆
The combination of a by-the-slice lunch counter, an inventive specialty pie menu packed with creative topping combinations, and a warm, unpretentious atmosphere made AJ’s feel instantly essential to anyone who walked through its doors.
For anyone searching for authentic New York pizza in Kansas, the search begins and ends right here on Poyntz Avenue.
Food Highlights 🍕
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The Big Apple: The most loaded pie on the entire menu and a true showstopper — Italian sausage, pepperoni, ground beef, meatballs, Canadian bacon, ham, mushrooms, onions, black olives, and green peppers blanketed in mozzarella and parmesan.🗽
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Manhattan Margherita: A purist’s pie done with genuine craft — fresh mozzarella, fresh-sliced Roma tomatoes, Jubilee basil, extra virgin olive oil, and parmesan cheese. 🍅
- The Popeye Pie: The go-to for lighter, vegetable-forward eating — spinach, grilled chicken, mushrooms, and onions on AJ’s red sauce. 🌿
- The Doctor’s Delight: Named in honor of Tom Lehmann himself — Italian sausage, pork sausage, peppers, and green onions on AJ’s classic New York red sauce. 🍕
- The 18th and 8th: A meat lover’s dream built on AJ’s housemade Italian meatballs made from a secret recipe, layered with pepperoni, ground beef, Italian sausage, pork sausage, and Canadian bacon. 🥩
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Hot Wing Pie: A fan-favorite that brings the bar snack to the pizza box — breaded chicken breast tossed in hot wing sauce, topped with mozzarella and blue cheese crumbles on AJ’s signature dough. 🌶️🍗
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Jalapeño Popper: The pizza version of the beloved appetizer — a cream cheese spread base beneath a blend of cheddar and mozzarella, loaded with spicy jalapeños baked to golden, bubbling perfection. 🧀
- Pizza Bianco “White Pie”: One of the most talked-about specialty pies on the menu — AJ’s specialty seasoned ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan layered over a garlic basil olive oil sauce with no red sauce. 🧄
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The John Stamos: A Greek-inspired white pie that has earned a devoted following — green olives, red onions, grilled chicken, and feta cheese over AJ’s white sauce. 🫒
Atmosphere
AJ’s NY Pizzeria is proudly, perfectly unpretentious — a compact corner space on Poyntz Avenue where the focus is entirely on what’s coming out of the oven rather than what’s hanging on the walls. 🧱
You order at the counter, grab a table, and your pizza arrives fresh and hot — a classic New York counter experience transplanted into the heart of a Kansas college town that has fully embraced it.
The lunch crowd is a lively mix of KSU students, downtown workers, and longtime Manhattan locals who all share one thing in common — they know exactly what they’re getting, and they can’t wait for it. 🎓
It’s loud, casual, and completely devoid of pretense — the kind of hole-in-the-wall dining experience that reminds you great pizza doesn’t need a fancy dining room. It just needs great dough. 🍕
Bottom Line
Five reasons AJ’s NY Pizzeria belongs on every Kansas food lover’s bucket list: a genuine 50-year-old Brooklyn recipe that no other Kansas pizza spot can claim; housemade meatballs and premium ingredients that never cut corners; a wildly creative specialty pie menu that rewards adventurous eaters; and the unanimous consensus of locals — this is simply the best pizza in Kansas. 🍕🏆
Address:
301 Poyntz Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502
📞 (785) 587-0700
🕔 Open Mon–Thu & Sun, 11 AM–10 PM | Fri–Sat, 11 AM–10:30 PM