If you’re exploring Rochester’s local food scene and looking for pizza with a little personality, Pizza NOTA is a destination worth putting on your list. Located at 192 Anderson Avenue, this neighborhood pizzeria takes inspiration from New Haven-style pizza while adding its own New York attitude.
Rather than focusing on a single traditional pizza style, Pizza NOTA builds its menu around thin-crust pies baked hot and fast in a coal-fired oven. The result is a pizza experience centered on a crisp, charred crust and bold combinations of cheese, tomato, herbs, meats, and sauces.
But pizza isn’t the only reason to stop by. The menu also includes Italian-inspired chicken cutlets, sandwiches, meatballs, Caesar salads, mozzarella sticks, and zeppole, making Pizza NOTA a place where a group can order a variety of dishes to share.
Pizza NOTA is an independent neighborhood pizzeria located at 192 Anderson Avenue in Rochester, New York. The restaurant describes its approach as doing pizza the harder way — with attention to its crust, sauce, and ingredients.
Its menu is built around 16-inch pizzas, including classic selections and creative “NOTA Remix” pies. The restaurant’s pizza is inspired by New Haven’s iconic char, while incorporating what it describes as a New York influence.
For Rochester visitors, that combination makes Pizza NOTA an interesting stop for anyone who enjoys discovering independent restaurants rather than sticking with familiar national chains.
The first thing that stands out about Pizza NOTA is its cooking style.
The restaurant says its pizzas are thin crust and baked hot and fast in a coal-fired oven, with the char being an important part of the experience.
That approach gives the crust a different character from thicker pan pizzas or heavily topped delivery-style pies.
Pizza NOTA also isn’t afraid to experiment with combinations. Its menu pairs classic Italian-American ingredients with more unexpected touches, including stracciatella, hot honey, long hot peppers, lemon zest, and spicy Calabrian flavors.
The result is a menu that can appeal to traditional pizza fans while giving adventurous diners something new to explore.
Pizza is naturally the star of the show.
The current menu features a selection of 16-inch Classic pizzas as well as a second group called NOTA Remix.
Classic choices include:
The New Haven Tomato Pie keeps things relatively simple, combining Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes with garlic, pecorino, parmesan, Sicilian oregano, and extra-virgin olive oil, without mozzarella.
For pepperoni lovers, the Cup & Char combines spicy Ezzo pepperoni with mozzarella, pecorino, parmesan, basil, oregano, and tomato.
The menu also includes more indulgent combinations such as the Enzo, which brings together vodka sauce, mozzarella, cup-and-char pepperoni, stracciatella, hot honey, pecorino, basil, and olive oil.
One of the fun parts of ordering at Pizza NOTA is exploring the NOTA Remix section.
These pizzas take inspiration from different pizza traditions and combine them with the restaurant’s own style.
Current examples include:
A Trenton-style-inspired pizza featuring mozzarella first, followed by pecorino, parmesan, tomato, basil, and olive oil.
A spicy combination featuring Italian long hot peppers, pecorino, parmesan, stracciatella, and tomato.
A four-cheese pizza combining mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and pecorino with black pepper, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and olive oil.
A more elaborate pie featuring cup-and-char pepperoni, mozzarella, several cheeses, stracciatella, hot honey, basil, and oregano.
This variety makes Pizza NOTA especially appealing when you’re dining with friends and want to order multiple pizzas to share.
Although pizza is the main attraction, Pizza NOTA’s menu goes well beyond pies.
Guests can choose from several shareable dishes, including Nonna’s Meatballs, mozzarella sticks, Caesar salad, and the NOTA Calabrian Caesar.
The restaurant also serves brined and breaded chicken cutlets in several styles. Options include the Naked cutlet with parmesan, pecorino, parsley, and lemon; the Parm version with pomodoro and mozzarella; and the Drunken NOTA with vodka sauce and stracciatella.
For something handheld, Pizza NOTA offers sandwiches such as The Vodka Cut and Nonna’s Problem, served with house-made NOTA-seasoned potato chips.
And don’t skip dessert if you have room. The restaurant’s zeppole are fried ricotta doughnuts served with powdered sugar and a lemon butterscotch dip.
Pizza NOTA’s location on Anderson Avenue places it within Rochester’s city neighborhood food scene.
For visitors staying in Rochester, a meal at Pizza NOTA can easily become part of a larger day of exploring local restaurants, shops, parks, and other attractions.
Rochester has a long-standing pizza culture, with restaurants ranging from family-owned pizzerias to wood-fired and specialty pizza destinations. Visit Rochester’s pizza guide highlights the city’s broad range of pizza experiences.
Pizza NOTA adds another style to that mix by bringing together New Haven-inspired char, New York influences, and an Italian-American menu.
👉 Planning a Rochester food adventure? Explore more local places here:
If it’s your first visit, sharing a few different items can be a fun way to experience the menu.
For a classic introduction, the Classic Cheese keeps the focus on tomato, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, basil, oregano, and olive oil.
If you’re a pepperoni fan, the Cup & Char highlights the crispy-edged pepperoni style that has become popular with pizza lovers.
For something more adventurous, consider one of the NOTA Remix pizzas, such as the Quattro e Pepe or Hoboken Heat.
A group could also add Nonna’s Meatballs, mozzarella sticks, or a Caesar salad to the table before finishing with zeppole.
Because menus and availability can change, check Pizza NOTA’s current menu before visiting.
Pizza NOTA offers a distinctive take on one of America’s favorite foods. Its thin-crust pizzas are inspired by the charred style associated with New Haven while incorporating a distinctly New York personality.
From the straightforward Classic Cheese and New Haven Tomato Pie to creative combinations like the Enzo and Brooklyn Serenade, the menu gives pizza fans plenty of choices.
And because Pizza NOTA also serves chicken cutlets, sandwiches, meatballs, shareables, and desserts, it works just as well for a casual dinner with friends as it does for a pizza-focused food adventure.
If you’re visiting Rochester and want to experience an independent restaurant with its own take on pizza, Pizza NOTA is a flavorful stop to add to your Rochester itinerary.
