Philly’s pizza game is getting stronger every year, but the guys at Dough Head Pizza are on another level. Joe Betzala opened the spot near Pat’s and Geno’s a few years ago. Before that, he did a whole lot of work behind the scenes to make sure his pies were on point.
Listen to the interview edition here:
“There’s a lot of competition in South Philly,” Betzala says, “We couldn’t come in here slinging something half-ass. I knew it had to be good.” He’s been in the restaurant business for almost 40 years and understands that the work you put in in the dark is the secret to succeeding in the light.
Betzala worked with a pizza expert on the perfect formula for a pie: unbleached flour, no bromates, extra virgin olive oil and 72-hour fermentation process. “It’s all about the dough,” he says. Dough Head’s the only pizza shop I know where you can order your pie well done online. (You can also order it double cut.)
His partner, my friend Justin Camardo, is the guy pushing Betzala to keep up with the trends. Camardo is also proud of their ingredients, like Grande Cheese and New Jersey’s own First Field tomatoes. Popular orders right now: The Upstairs Neighbor, pepperoni with caramelized onions and honey chipotle; Burning Beak, a take on Nashville hot chicken; General Tso Chicken, and the Admiral Camar-dough, a square pie with mozzarella, broccoli, sweet and sour crispy chicken, fresh pineapple and sweet chili sauce.
Camardo was also behind the barbecue chicken pizza that supported my Gofundme.
As a branding guy, I love their box — a dough head character wearing a fedora.
My guys behind Dough Head say they care the most about consistency and good service. “We always want to take care of our customers and our friends and family that come in and treat them with respect,” says Camardo. “Somebody got a problem? Call us; text us; email us — whatever you want to do … Pizza made with love. That’s all we want to give.”
West Philly born and raised with a slosh of Brooklyn, Big Rube partnered with Mitchell & Ness in 2000 to help make it a global brand marketing and selling high-end throwback jerseys. He has been photographing Philly since 2009, including in a Daily News Column from 2011 to 2017. He’s also a chef, preparing to open his own space in 2026.
MORE FROM BIG RUBE’S PHILLY
