damnlines.comdamnlines.comCash-only coal-oven pizza in a former 1869 bank at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, sold as whole pies only with a line down the block.
Grimaldi's sells whole pies only, no slices, and the flagship has long run on first-come walk-in seating, so a single line forms to order and get a table. A Slice of Brooklyn writes that the line 'can be so long that you will often see people lining up down the block.' Wikipedia notes the queue can 'extend far up Old Fulton Street' and that waits historically ran 'up to an hour for a table.' The Infatuation reports you'll 'still often find a line on weekends, usually full of tourists.'
The location drives the line. The pizzeria sits at 1 Front Street in a former 1869 bank building at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, so foot traffic coming off the bridge feeds straight to the door. It is cash-only — A Slice of Brooklyn warns 'they only take cash' — which slows the register when the room is full. The coal oven and whole-pie-only menu mean tables turn on full pizzas, not quick slices.
The reported way around it is timing. The Infatuation says to come 'at lunch on a weekday, when there's no line.' Grimaldi's own site now shows a 'Join Waitlist' option, but the flagship has historically taken no reservations (Wikipedia). Next door, Juliana's — opened by Grimaldi's original owner, Patsy Grimaldi — serves coal-oven pizza too and rates slightly higher on The Infatuation (7.7 vs 7.3), and is a common fallback when the Grimaldi's line is long. damnlines has no camera inside Grimaldi's, so nothing here is a live count — every figure above is quoted from the sources listed.
No camera here yet — but these lines are on camera right now:
Golden Diner · 14 min walkclosedLucinda's · 36 min walkclosedBreakfast by Salt's Cure · 42 min walkclosedThere's no single number, and we don't measure it live. A Slice of Brooklyn describes a line that runs 'down the block,' and Wikipedia notes it can 'extend far up Old Fulton Street,' with historic waits 'up to an hour for a table.' The Infatuation says weekends are the crowded stretch.
The Infatuation recommends going 'at lunch on a weekday, when there's no line.' It reports weekends are 'usually full of tourists,' and A Slice of Brooklyn ties the worst crowds to warm-weather Brooklyn Bridge foot traffic.
Yes. A Slice of Brooklyn warns 'they only take cash' — no cards. Bring cash before you get in line.
No. It's whole pies only, per The Infatuation and A Slice of Brooklyn. You order a full coal-oven pizza, not a slice.
The flagship has historically been walk-in only; Wikipedia says it 'does not accept reservations.' The chain's own site now shows a 'Join Waitlist' option, but plan to wait in line at busy times.