Meno Male

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Slice of Naples in Brookland

Meno Male stands on 12th Street NE in Washington DC's Brookland neighborhood as one of the few pizzerias in the American capital to earn recognition from Gambero Rosso, Italy's most authoritative food and wine guide. The 2025 award of 2 Slices — the guide's benchmark for serious Neapolitan pizza — places Meno Male in select company and signals that what's coming out of this kitchen clears a high bar.

Why Gambero Rosso Noticed

Gambero Rosso's pizza rankings are rooted in Italian tradition: dough, fermentation, sourcing, and the discipline of the wood-fired oven. Earning 2 Slices means the pizza at Meno Male holds up against that standard — not just in spirit, but in execution. For a DC address to appear in those pages is a genuine distinction, and for regulars in the neighborhood it confirms what they already knew.

Worth the Trip

Brookland is a quieter corner of the city, and Meno Male fits it well — a place where the pizza is the point. Whether you're crossing town or walking over from the Metro, the Gambero Rosso nod gives you every reason to make the detour to 12th Street NE and see what earned this pizzeria its place on the map.