Moved to the city this spring and I keep hearing about the dollar slice situation. Tried two spots around St. Marks after work yesterday. Both charged me over two dollars for a plain slice, and one was so floppy the cheese slid off in one warm sheet. I felt like I paid sit-down money for a paper plate.

Is the actual cheap slice below 14th dead, or did I just wander into tourist traps? Where do you go for a no-nonsense plain slice after work? And are bodega slices actually worth trying, or is that a separate food group?

It's not dead, it's just moved. Below 14th you're paying for rent, late-night foot traffic, and people who don't know where else to go. The old cheap slice spots still exist, but quality is hit or miss. For cheap and edible, hit a place where pies are moving fast. Don't stand there choosing toppings; plain cheese is the move.

If the cheese looks like it has a skin on it, keep walking.

Agreed. Uptown and the outer boroughs are where a plain slice still goes for a buck and change. In East Harlem there are a few counters near 116th where the crust still has a little char and the guy actually flips the slice back into the oven without you asking.

Below 14th the math doesn't work unless the spot owns the building. Best cheap slice I've had down there lately is a tiny place on Avenue A with no sign. Not saying the cross street because the after-midnight line is already dumb.

Wait, so the 99¢ slice isn't a real thing anymore? I went somewhere near NYU with that old dollar-slice sign in the window, but the guy charged me closer to two and pointed at a handwritten update. I didn't want to be the new guy arguing over pizza, so I paid.

Is there a way to know if the cheap price is current without starting a whole thing? Or do I just assume every old sign is a lie and order anyway?

The dollar slice is an endangered species below 14th, but it's not extinct. The spots that still do cheap plain slices tend to be high-volume places, mostly in Midtown or on the edges of outer-borough transit hubs, where turnover keeps quality acceptable. In the East Village and LES you're often paying for location. Some of those places use the same wholesale ingredients as the cheap Midtown counters and charge double because the rent is double.

If you want a genuinely good cheap slice, keep it simple: plain cheese only, no toppings. Toppings hide a lot of mistakes and jack up the price. If the pie has been sitting, ask for it well done; the extra minute in the oven fixes the floppy center and re-crisps the bottom. Avoid any place where the cheese looks like dried latex or the slices are arranged like they've been there since lunch.

Bodega slices are too variable. Some are fine, especially if they're from a neighborhood spot that sells enough to stay fresh, but you can also get a reheated commercial pizza that tastes like cardboard. For the same money, I'd rather get a plain slice from a place going through pies in ten minutes.

The caveat is timing. A cheap slice at 3 p.m. can be worse than a mid-price slice at noon or 6 p.m. because it's been sitting. Go when the counter is busy.

This is really helpful. I've been doing it wrong. My first slice after moving from Ohio was a pesto square near Union Square that cost as much as a whole deli sandwich, and I thought that was just New York pizza pricing.

Gonna try a plain slice at a busy place this week. What time counts as after-work rush? I get off at 5:30 and I'm worried that's the absolute worst time because everyone else is doing the same thing.

In Flatbush the cheap slice is alive and well. The spot by the Junction still has a plain under two bucks and it's good if you eat it there. The paper bag kills it after about 20 minutes, so don't take it home.

Downtown you're mostly paying for location, like other people said. Also don't sleep on the square slice as the cheap add-on. Sometimes it's only a little more and holds up better.

Thanks all. Tried the well-done trick at a busy place on 8th Ave after work and it was noticeably better—crisp bottom, less grease puddle. Still not a dollar, but close to two and I didn't feel cheated.

@astoria_arch, how do you ask for it well done without sounding like a tourist? I said 'put it back in for a sec' and the counter guy nodded but looked annoyed. Is there a normal way to say it here?

Just say 'can you make it well done.' They hear it all day. If they sigh, that's a good sign they'll actually do it. Don't say 'put it back in for a sec'; sounds like you're sending back soup.

If the slice already has a dark bottom, don't bother. It's already there. And always get it on a paper plate, not the foil thing, so it doesn't steam.

Yeah, 'put it back in for a sec' is why you got the look. They hear that from every kid who wanders in from the park. Say 'well done, please' and then step to the side.

Also, don't order a fresh pie during lunch rush. You'll make enemies. If the pie in front of you is half gone and the cheese is bubbling, that's the sweet spot. Cheap slice below 14th is more about timing than location.

Final thought: treat the dollar slice as a category, not a guarantee. Below 14th, a plain slice under two dollars is rare, but a two-and-change slice at a high-turnover counter can still be the cheapest solid meal in Manhattan.

My test is plain cheese only. No pepperoni, no pesto, no vodka, no garlic knot combo. If the slice comes out with a crisp bottom and the cheese doesn't slide off as one piece, I'll pay it without complaining. If I'm near a spot that drops fresh whole pies every few minutes, I'll ask for a slice from the new pie and wait the extra two minutes.

But if a place has a faded dollar-slice sign, a weird smell, and a guy reheating old slices with a blowtorch, keep walking. There's almost always a better one two blocks away.