Restaurant in Ithaca, United States
Casual Ithaca pizza, easy to walk into.
Franco's Pizzeria on W State St is Ithaca's no-fuss neighbourhood pizza option — easy to book, completely casual, and best suited to returning visitors who know what they want. It won't compete with more formal Ithaca dining, but for a straightforward, affordable pizza run, it's a reliable choice. Walk-ins are generally fine.
If you've been to Franco's Pizzeria on W State St before, the question isn't whether to go back — it's what to do differently the second time. Ithaca has a respectable spread of casual dining, but Franco's has held its ground as a neighbourhood pizza staple. For a returning visitor, the calculus is simple: you already know the room, so now focus on ordering with more intention.
The address — 527 W State St , puts Franco's in a working part of Ithaca, away from the more polished downtown blocks. The physical setup reads as unpretentious: the kind of place where the layout prioritises tables over atmosphere, and the room feels sized for regulars rather than tourists. That's not a criticism. If you're coming back, you're not here for the décor , you're here because the pizza justifies the return trip.
Returning guests should think of the menu less as a list and more as a sequence worth exploring deliberately. On a first visit, most people default to a standard pie. The smarter move on visit two is to work through the menu's edges: different crust styles if available, different topping combinations, or whatever the kitchen has been running consistently. Without confirmed tasting menu architecture, Franco's is leading approached as a build-your-own progression across visits rather than a single sitting. This is everyday pizza dining, not a structured tasting experience , and that's exactly what makes it useful in a city like Ithaca, where Just A Taste and Cafe Dewitt occupy more formal registers.
Reservations: Booking is easy , walk-in friendly for most visits, with no evidence of significant wait times outside peak hours. Dress: Completely casual; there is no dress expectation here. Budget: Price range is not confirmed in our data, but the neighbourhood and format strongly suggest this sits in the budget-to-mid tier for Ithaca. Groups: The layout likely accommodates small groups without issue; larger parties should call ahead. Solo dining: A practical choice , no formality, no pressure, easy in and out.
For a broader look at where Franco's fits in the local dining picture, see our full Ithaca restaurants guide. If you're planning a full trip, our Ithaca hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide are worth a look too.
Within Ithaca's casual dining options, Franco's sits in a different lane from Carriage House Cafe and Cafe Dewitt, both of which lean more toward cafe-style daytime eating. If you want something quick and filling without spending much, Franco's is the more direct choice. Asian Noodle House is worth considering if you want a different cuisine at a similar price point and accessibility level. Ithaca Beer Co wins if your group wants food alongside a serious draft list , Franco's doesn't compete on that front. For small plates and a more curated experience, Just A Taste is the stronger pick. Franco's is the call when you want pizza, specifically, without fuss.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franco's Pizzeria | Easy | ||
| Cafe Dewitt | Unknown | ||
| Carriage House Cafe | Unknown | ||
| Asian Noodle House | Unknown | ||
| Ithaca Beer Co | Unknown | ||
| Just A Taste | Unknown |
How Franco's Pizzeria stacks up against the competition.
Franco's on W State St works reasonably well for small groups. The casual, walk-in-friendly format means there's no complicated group booking process, though larger parties should aim to arrive off-peak to avoid a wait. For a private dining setup, look elsewhere in Ithaca — this isn't that kind of room.
Specific dietary accommodation details aren't confirmed in available records for Franco's, so call ahead if restrictions are a hard requirement. That said, most Ithaca pizzerias in this format offer some flexibility on toppings and crust options — worth asking directly before you commit the group.
Yes, and it's one of the easier solo options on the Ithaca casual circuit. The walk-in-friendly setup at 527 W State St means no awkward reservation-for-one situation, and the unpretentious format doesn't make solo diners feel out of place.
Whatever you showed up in. Franco's sits in a working part of Ithaca away from the polished downtown blocks, and the setting reflects that — completely casual dress is appropriate. Leave the blazer at home.
Bar seating details aren't confirmed in the venue record for Franco's Pizzeria. Given the casual, neighbourhood format on W State St, seating is likely counter or table-based rather than a traditional bar setup — but confirm directly if that's a priority for your visit.
You generally don't need to book ahead. Franco's reads as walk-in friendly for most visits, with no evidence of significant wait times outside peak hours. If you're arriving with a larger group on a busy evening, a quick call ahead is sensible, but advance reservations aren't a requirement here.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
