Out to Eat: Little Vincent's Pizzeria

While most people are sleeping or finishing their night between 2-4 a.m. on the weekends, customers at Little Vincent's in Ronkonkoma are grabbing a slice.

It's major selling point, aside from delicious pizza and Italian food, is that it stays open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 4a.m. on Friday and Saturday. I was skeptical about the pizzeria's popularity during the early morning hours, so I visited late one Friday night.

It became pretty clear that it does not matter what time it is, people love pizza and Little Vincent's. People stood outside in the cold with friends, just to grab a slice.

The atmosphere is reminiscent of New York City, where you can find activity at any time, day or night. As they say, the city never sleeps, and apparently, neither does Little Vincent's.

The restaurant has a proud reputation. A huge sign at the entrance indicates it was voted "One of the Best Pizza Places on Long Island" for 2008-2009. Additionally, the listeners of radio station WRCN 104 have voted them, "one of the top restaurants to find Suffolk County's Best Pizza." This success sparked the opening of a second location in Huntington.

The Lake Ronkonkoma pizzeria, established in 1972, is divided into three sections. Outside, there are tables for eating in warm weather, inside there are tables directly in front of the pizza counter and a dining room area where customers can order food. Though there are less than 10 tables in the dining area, there is enough space to feel comfortable. 

The menu is basic and features a variety of pizzas, hot heroes and dinners.  Prices are very reasonable, and the average meal is under $10. This quality makes Little Vincent's very affordable for families. 

I visited Little Vincent's on three different occasions and was impressed by the quality of food and the number of customers. People were constantly in and out, picking up take-out orders, or stopping by for slices. The dining area also seemed consistently busy.

Perhaps the affordability can be attributed to the fact that Little Vincent's uses paper and Styrofoam plates, along with plastic utensils in their dining area. While this is somewhat unusual, it seems that most people favor the affordability over the lack of metal silverware. As a result, this system is successful.

I was surprised to see that Little Vincent's does not accept credit cards.  Though a sign is posted at the register for people ordering pizza, there is no indication of this in the dining room. If a family goes out to eat without cash on them, they are forced to leave, and use an ATM at another location, such as the nearby 7-11. 

Additionally, the sauce used in making the dinners and heroes is flavored with meat. There is no indication of this on the menu, so vegetarians should be aware, and ask for their meals to be cooked with the non-meat flavored pizza sauce.

Little Vincent's has remained a popular eatery in the Sachem community because of its unique hours and affordable prices.

Little Vincent's Pizza Restaurant is located at 324 Smithtown Blvd. Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 and can be reached at 631-467-9633.