Famous Original Ray's Pizza, Italian restaurant in Manhattan, US.
Famous Original Ray's Pizza is a pizzeria with several locations across Manhattan, serving thin-crust New York-style pizza with classic toppings. Most spots are simply set up with a front counter where you order a slice and go.
The original location opened in the 1950s and was one of the early pizzerias to make the New York slice part of everyday eating in the city. Over time, so many other spots adopted similar names that the name itself became a subject of debate among pizza lovers.
Grabbing a slice at this pizzeria is a habit shared by office workers, students, and night-shift workers alike, and the counter feels like a small crossroads of the city. The way people eat here, standing up or walking out with a folded slice, is a very New York thing.
Many locations stay open late on weekdays and even later on weekends, so this is a solid option when you are hungry after an evening out. The service is fast and you order directly at the counter, so there is no need to wait for a table.
The name was copied by so many unrelated pizzerias around New York City that courts had to step in more than once to decide who could legally use it. Today, several spots in Manhattan carry the same or a very similar name without any connection to each other.
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