If you grew up anywhere near Brooklyn, chances are you’ve heard someone passionately argue that the best slice in New York comes from Di Fara Pizza. Anthony Bourdain even once declared it “the best of the best." The legendary Midwood shop, which opened in 1965, built a cult following thanks to late founder Domineco “Dom” DeMarco, who famously hand-crafted every pie, right down to snipping fresh basil over each slice behind the counter.
For a lot of New Yorkers (myself included), a Di Fara slice isn’t just pizza — it’s an experience. So when I saw that frozen Di Fara pizzas recently launched at Target, I immediately did a double-take. It’s been a while since I visited the Midwood pizzeria, but I still recall hopping off the Q train to join the line that stretched down the corner of East 15th Street and Avenue J. As a native Brooklynite, I’m a bit biased, but I truly believe there’s no better pizza than the slices found in Kings County.
These days, I no longer live in my favorite borough, so the idea that I could grab a Di Fara pie during a Target run was intriguing. Of course, I needed to try all four varieties, and thanks to some good timing, I recently hosted a group of fellow New Yorkers (plus one British expat) — the perfect taste-testing panel. Together, we set out to see how these freezer-aisle versions stack up against the real thing.
Di Fara Frozen Pizzas
There are four varieties currently available: Classic Margherita, Pepperoni, Three Meat, and Vodka Sauce. The frozen pies launched in early 2025 at supermarkets like ShopRite and Kroger on the East Coast, and finally went nationwide at Target this year. They retail for $9.99 each (a plain slice at Di Fara costs $6).
All of the crusts contain a combination of wheat and malted wheat flours, deactivated durum wheat sourdough, and yeast, while the tomato sauce is, according to the website, the same “secret Sunday sauce” that’s used at the store.
Out of the box, two things stood out to me. First, the pizzas were topped with cubed mozzarella instead of the shredded cheese that seems standard for most frozen pies. Second, the flavors that included basil had several pieces scattered across, not just the sad single leaf that seems to be the norm for some grocery store pies.
I followed the package instructions and baked the pizzas directly on the oven rack at 450°F for 10 minutes. Because I wanted to taste them side by side, I cooked all four at once, with two pizzas per rack. If you want the absolute best results, I recommend baking one rack at a time. While all the crusts came out crispy, the pizzas on the bottom rack had noticeably better char and crunch.
The Taste-Test: Classic Margherita
If there’s one pie that feels like the soul of Di Fara, it’s the Margherita. Topped with just four ingredients (tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil), this pizza may have been the simplest, but it still packed a punch and was quickly devoured by our pizza-loving kids.
The sauce was tomato-forward and pleasantly tangy, which paired well with the chewy crust. I loved that they didn’t skimp on the basil. The sight of Dom DeMarco meticulously cutting fresh basil is the image that always comes to mind when I think of Di Fara, so the fact that the Margherita was generously topped really brought back memories.
The Taste-Test: Pepperoni
This pizza is a definite crowd-pleaser. The pepperoni curled slightly as it baked, creating tiny crispy cups that held little pools of spicy oil.
Flavor-wise, it struck a great balance. The pepperoni had a noticeable kick, but it didn’t overwhelm the sauce or cheese.
The Taste-Test: Three Meat
The heartiest pizza in the lineup, but I’d say also the most forgettable. Between the pepperoni, sausage, and meatball, it delivered a lot of savory, meaty flavor, but the toppings made this feel less like a classic Di Fara slice and more like a Domino’s pie.
The higher-quality of the ingredients was evident, but the toppings did feel sparse and uneven. Some slices didn’t have pepperoni at all.
The Taste-Test: Vodka Sauce
Here’s the thing: Di Fara does not offer vodka sauce at the store, so this is a completely new offering from the legendary pizzeria. It’s the most unique pie of the bunch, and ended up being the surprise favorite.
Instead of the classic red sauce, the base is a creamy vodka sauce that still has plenty of tangy, sweet tomato flavor. The result is a pizza that feels a bit more robust and indulgent. While the kids preferred the Margherita, the adult taste testers agreed that the vodka is the one they’d buy again, even though it’s not reminiscent of the slices we’ve had in Brooklyn.
Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest: There’s simply no way to replace the in-store Di Fara experience. That kind of old-school craftsmanship is impossible to replicate in a frozen pizza. And digging into a pie at home is not quite the same as standing on the sidewalk, jostling a paper plate while trying not to drip pizza oil on your shirt.
That said, for something you pull out of a freezer, these come surprisingly close. The crust is the true standout. It holds up beautifully to the sauce and toppings, and manages to be both chewy and crisp. As I nibbled on the edge, I noticed a pleasant tanginess from the durum wheat sourdough. The sauce is also good with a nice flavor from San Marzano tomatoes.
Di Fara’s frozen pizzas don’t replace the experience of lining up and eating at the Midwood shop, but as a freezer aisle alternative, they’re a solid stand-in. And if you’re like me — a former Brooklyn kid now living somewhere else — they might just be the next best thing to hopping on the subway for a slice.
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