Penn Ave Pizza & Steaks has taken over the corner storefront at 4065 Penn Avenue, right on the line between Lawrenceville and Bloomfield, serving up 18-inch New York-style pies and Philly cheesesteaks built on shaved ribeye and Cooper Sharp cheese. The shop, known around the neighborhood as PAPS, officially opened in February at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Main Street.
The pizzeria was founded by brothers Chris and Brandon Firman alongside Michael Mercurio of Mercurio's, with early kitchen setup help from local pizza maker Massimo, formerly of Etna Slice House, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Firman brothers previously ran nightlife venues on the South Side before branching into the pizza business, the paper notes. CBS News Pittsburgh also featured the new spot in a recent segment, per CBS News Pittsburgh, highlighting the neighborhood's new options for both New York-style pizza and Philly cheesesteaks.
Ten Months of Dough Testing Before the First Slice
Getting the pizza right took time. The PAPS team spent 10 months developing its recipes, using an overnight poolish and a 48-hour cold fermentation process with unbleached flour, the Post-Gazette reports. The sauce relies on California-grown Bianco Di Napoli tomatoes, all going into the shop's 18-inch New York-style pies.
Each slice gets baked directly on deck ovens, then finished with an extra sprinkle of cheese and a fresh basil leaf before it reaches the counter, according to KDKA-TV CBS Pittsburgh. Deck baking gives the slices their crisp bottom crust, a hallmark of the New York style the shop is chasing.
A Cheesesteak With Strict Rules
On the sandwich side, PAPS's signature Philly cheesesteak features 100% shaved ribeye, Cooper Sharp cheese, and grilled onions, all served on a fresh-baked seeded semolina roll. Per the restaurant's own ordering page on Toast, mayonnaise is offered strictly on the side rather than mixed in — a nod to East Coast cheesesteak purists.
A Corner With a Rocky Pizza History
The 4065 Penn Avenue building has seen its share of turnover since Grateful Deli closed around 2010. Fox's Pizza Den and The Pizza Company both came and went, and most recently Black Lotus Pizza — a board game pizzeria — closed in early 2025, according to Pittsburgh Pizza News. Once ovens are installed in a storefront like this one, the space tends to keep attracting pizza operators, even when previous attempts don't stick.
Whether PAPS can break that pattern remains an open question. The shop is also stepping into one of the city's most saturated pizza corridors, competing directly with established neighborhood spots like Fazio's, Spak Bros., Driftwood Oven, and Pizza Lupo, all within the Lawrenceville-Bloomfield area, Pittsburgh Pizza News reports. That stretch of Penn Avenue and Butler Street mixes classic budget slice shops with newer artisan and sourdough-style pizzerias.
Part of a Bigger Pittsburgh Pizza Moment
The opening lands amid a broader surge in the city's pizza reputation. Pittsburgh has built a noticeable presence in the professional pizza world, with local pizza makers representing nearly 10 percent of the international World Pizza Champions team in 2026, per a report cited on Pittsburgh Pizza News.
Street-level, PAPS sits near Constellation Coffee and directly across from a Sunoco gas station at the Penn Avenue and Main Street intersection, a corner that sees heavy pedestrian and commuter traffic between the two neighborhoods. Penn Ave Pizza & Steaks is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m., with dine-in seating, takeout, and online ordering all available.
