Surprising flavors set this downtown State College pizza shop apart from the others
Over the fall, a new pizzeria opened in downtown State College. Allen Street Pizza took over the former Jersey Mike’s location on South Allen Street and, since, the restaurant has amassed a following in part thanks to its streamlined menu that features a few surprises. However, this isn’t the restaurant’s owner’s first foray into the pizza world and that fact is also to credit for the restaurant’s success thus far.
Owner Lamber Ram arrived in State College in 2017 and opened College Pizza in 2018, also in downtown State College, on Locust Lane. From there, Ram said he never thought he would open another, second location, but after receiving a positive response from his customer base, he branched out and opened Allen Street Pizza in September 2022. Since, Ram’s lease agreement for the College Pizza location has ended, and now he is only focused on Allen Street Pizza.
“(Customers) loved our pizza,” he said. “It’s good for (the) late-night kids. Our pizza is very different (but) everyone has their own tastes.”
Bringing his prior years of experience to the new location, Ram created a menu that includes a mix of staple and specialty pizzas, as well as wings and appetizers, but also the surprising addition of the “Indian Flavors” portion of the menu, which Ram said he added just to try, making the offering permanent after he saw that the addition was well-received. Under the Indian Flavors section of the menu, options include specialty pizzas inspired by classic Indian dishes, such as paneer tikka, chicken tikka, paneer chili, veggie vindaloo and chicken vindaloo.
As for his menu bestsellers so far, Ram points to the mac ‘n cheese pizza, as well as the cheese fries with jalapenos and bacon. His personal favorites on the menu, though, include the buffalo pizza and buffalo wings. “The chicken,” he noted, “is a secret recipe.”
But just because the menu has been successful thus far, that hardly means Ram is resting on his laurels. “We want to expand our business by adding more items to our menu,” he said. As of May, customers can expect additions to the menu that further deviate away from expected, standard pizza shop offerings, including sandwiches like paninis and pitas.
Beyond the menu, Allen Street Pizza’s online reviews praise the restaurant’s affordable prices (single pizza slices start at $1.75), including the Everyday Special deal, which comes with two slices of any pizza, breadsticks and a refillable drink for $7.
For those who’ve yet to make it into Allen Street Pizza, Ram said, “I would tell our customers to just give us a try. You will never be disappointed.”
He added, “By the (grace of God), we are doing very well and received a great response from our customers. We want to serve the best pizza in the town.”
When asked to comment on Ram’s continued business endeavors within downtown State College, Lee Anne Jeffries, executive director for Downtown State College Improvement District, said, “When business owners plant roots and evolve within our downtown district, it contributes to our vibrant economy. We support these efforts and strive to create a place where entrepreneurs choose to dedicate their time and achieve long lasting success.”
Allen Street Pizza is located at 128 S. Allen St. in State College and is open 11:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m., Monday through Wednesday; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m., Thursday and Friday; noon-2:30 a.m. on Saturday; and noon-2 a.m. on Sunday. Orders can be placed online at www.allenstreetpizzamenu.com, by phone at 814-264-3589 or via the Slice app.
