Ledo Pizza & Pasta

Loved this place and was sorry to see it close. BUT YAY!!! A new location is opening soon in Preston Corners in Cary :)

Especially when the new store opens towards the end of 2015. This store in Raleigh has been closed for years. The new store in Cary (High House and Cary Parkway), look for the Lowes food store. Preston Corner.

Sometimes, when pizza must happen, it must be Ledo’s. Last night was one of those times.
We got there around 6 last night. As usual, you have to be looking for the place, as it’s tucked away inside the Holiday Inn on Hillsborough Street. Only a couple other tables were occupied. This seems to be the case every time we go there, which is good if you’re looking for a nice, quiet place to eat, but concerning if you want the place to keep their doors open.
The server was friendly and attentive. I’d say the best server we’ve ever had there. He took our order and it landed on our table faster than it ever has, plus number two.
We usually over-​order at Ledos (GREAT leftovers), so we got our usual medium pepperoni and medium sausage and green olive (they’re one of the few places we can actually get green olives on our pizza). We also tried one of their new «flat breads,» It has a crispier crust than their usual pizza, and this was topped with BBQ sauce, sausage, bacon and red onion. It came out in kind of a pile of pieces, which looked sloppy, but the flavor made up for it
As for the pizza… perfect Ledos. If you’ve never had it, it’s a «square pie,» party cut, with a thin, crispy, buttery crust, a sweet red sauce, and nice, stingy cheese. The flavors and textures of their pizza are totally unique… I can’t say that it’s the best pizza in the world, but it’s certainly one I crave from time to time. The server also brought out a cup of real Parmesan cheese… not that powedered crap so many pizza places leave out… it was a nice touch. And for the missus, a cup of crushed red peppers to heat things up.
All in all, the usual great Ledo’s experience, with faster, more attentive service. If you want to try a different pizza from the norm, give ‘em a try. Oh, and they do have a wider menu of pasta, sandwiches, appetizers and such, but other knowing they look good when they pass by, I can’t speak to the quality of them… we can’t get past the pizza.

I’m happy to report that there has now been a successful Ledo fix for the R family. No attempt was made to call and order… this time we went in person after work on a weeknight.
I know there’s a reason this place is fairly empty whenever we have gone. It’s in an ancient hotel and no one would ever expect there to be a really good pizza place hiding amongst the dated décor. Tucked into the Brownestone/​Holiday Inn on Hillsborough Street next to the Y, you have to go into the old lobby to get to Ledo’s. You might then have an instinct to scoff at Lori R and run for your life from the 70’s décor. Try to trust and I do believe you’ll be rewarded.
Assuming you’ve decided to give it the benefit of the doubt… ask the bartender if you should just sit anywhere (and be told yes), I suggest one of the old booths by the window under whatever team’s uniform you prefer.
I know you will not be impressed by your surroundings. Ignore them. Don’t be concerned by the seeming unimportance of pizza choices that are now on the BACK of the menu. (what are you thinking Ledo’s?). Order pizza! Over-​order, as the leftovers are great!
I won’t go into pizza specifics because Trent R (my wonderful husband who has finally decided to post his first Unilocal review, and big surprise it’s Ledo’s) has described it well. I will tell you also, that you can’t compare it to NY style, Chicago style, Italian, etc… it’s really a style of its own. Years ago, Oprah’s best friend Gayle did a show on the top 10 pizzas in the country and Ledo’s in Maryland (where they’re from) was in the top 10, so it’s not just us. Honest.
That being said, we’re not on some weird mission here to recruit Ledo’s fans. What makes them so good? I do believe it’s the quality of ingredients. They use provolone. Pepperoni is thick and tasty, the sauce is very flavorful. And the crust, oh my… Husband suspects butter or lard. I don’t want to know, cause calories don’t count when they’re not your fault!