Grotto Pizza is a small chain with three locations in northeastern Pennsylvania. One is located on Harveys Lake, just a few minutes from the Misericordia campus. Pizza is served here but there is also a large selection of other menu items just as enticing.

I’ve made several recent visits to Grotto Pizza because one trip doesn’t do the place justice. You’ll marvel at the size of the restaurant when you walk in which means you’re almost never waiting for a table. This makes Grotto Pizza a great alternative if there’s a wait at your first choice of restaurants. You might even luck out and be seated in a booth that looks out over the scenic landscape of Harveys Lake.

I’ve sampled lots of appetizers during my many visits here. The bruschetta is one of my favorites: it’s a very sizable portion and the topping is on the side so you can have as much or as little as you’d like on each piece. The thick-cut bread ensures the food won’t get soggy with copious amounts of bruschetta topping.

The garlic bread is very good and always makes a good companion for pizza. The onion rings are fairly typical, a thicker cut than I’ve experienced at other restaurants.

One unique appetizer is the Sidewinder Nachos, a basket of curly fries topped with traditional nacho toppings, like lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos. Frankly, you could order a few appetizers as a meal here and leave happy. For one visit, I had nothing more than the bruschetta and a Caesar salad for my dinner and left full and satisfied.

The titular pizza of Grotto Pizza is phenomenal and unique. The traditional sauce and cheese on dough is supplemented by a drizzle of additional sauce on top of the original pies.

There are also various specialty pies as one might expect; the cheesesteak pizza and spinach and tomato pizza are highlights here. For a more traditional American-style meal, there are various burgers, subs, and sandwiches, as well.

I like to have the chicken parmigiana sandwich at Grotto because the chicken patty is always tender, with flavorful sauce and cheese and a good bun. Even the fries that come with it are quite good. The onion rings from earlier can also be substituted, but you can’t go wrong with either option.

Despite all the times I’ve visited, there are still many things on the menu I have yet to try. There is a Sicilian-style, square-cut thick crust pizza, as well as various stromboli and calzones that sound like great selections.

Cheesesteaks, wraps, and pasta dishes are offered as well, which speaks to the sheer size of the menu when you consider I’ve visited Grotto Pizza continuously since I started at Misericordia in 2019.

Grotto Pizza is a little more out of the way than places I’ve typically reviewed, but it’s worth the less than 10-minute ride to Harveys Lake to experience it.