After shuttering its doors in White Oak last fall, owner Josh Sickels is primed to relaunch Rockaway Pizzeria, a local favorite, at a new hotspot in Regent Square. Sickels has announced that, beginning at 11 a.m. on May 2, his renowned pizzas will be coming out of the oven at the location along S. Braddock Avenue, according to a report by CBS Pittsburgh. However, he has also cautioned eager patrons about the significant wait times expected at the grand opening, reflecting a similar surge in demand at the previous location after a review by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.
Despite the anticipated buzz, Sickels is ready to serve a mix of classic and innovative pizzas, drawing from his recent pizza-focused road trip, which took him through New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Rockaway's following in Pittsburgh is strong, not just from local patronage, but also bolstered by a high score of 8.2 from Portnoy's One Bite series. The pizzeria also ranked third in the 2024 100.7 Star's Best Pizza in Pittsburgh contest, acknowledged by Bubba of Star on KDKA Radio as "one of the best pizza’s the judges tasted that day," according to Audacy.
With Rockaway's new Regent Square venue, customers can expect a compact menu that includes hoagies alongside their celebrated pies. The opening hours will be limited—a schedule from 3-9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, and extended hours into the weekend—but are set to expand after the grand opening. The information comes courtesy of TribLIVE, which also details Rockaway's future service model: first-come, first-served dine-in and takeaway, with an upfront acknowledgement that ingredients sourced from far-flung locales like New York City and Italy may lead to the occasional sellout.
