Restaurant in Washington DC, United States
Low-friction Neapolitan pizza, no justification needed.
2 Amys is Washington D.C.'s most consistently recognized Neapolitan pizzeria at the accessible end of the price spectrum, earning back-to-back Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats nods in 2023 and 2024. Easy to book, casual in dress, and open for weekend lunch from 11 am — it's the right call for a low-friction, quality-focused meal in Cleveland Park.
If you want Neapolitan pizza in Washington, D.C. without a complicated reservation process or a bill that requires justification, 2 Amys is the right call. This is the restaurant for a Saturday or Sunday lunch with family, a low-key weeknight dinner in Cleveland Park, or a first date where the food does the talking and the price doesn't create pressure. It is not a special-occasion splurge or a tasting-menu evening. It is a well-regarded neighborhood pizzeria that has earned consecutive recognition on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America list — ranked #285 in 2024 and recommended in 2023 , which tells you the quality-to-price ratio is genuinely good, not just local-favorite good.
Weekend service opens at 11 am on Saturdays and Sundays, making 2 Amys one of the more practical options for a midday meal in the northwest corridor of D.C. The format is direct: come for pizza, stay for the kind of unpretentious room where the conversation is the point. Under chef Peter Pastan, the kitchen follows a Neapolitan approach , thin, blistered crusts cooked at high heat, toppings that don't overcrowd the base. For first-timers, the weekend lunch slot is the leading entry point. The room is calmer than a Friday evening, tables turn at a reasonable pace, and you don't need to plan far ahead to get a seat. Google reviewers rate 2 Amys at 4.5 across 1,666 reviews, which for a pizzeria at this price point reflects genuine consistency rather than novelty buzz.
Weekday dinner runs Monday through Friday, 5 to 9 pm. Saturday and Sunday extend that to an 11 am open. The hours are tight , nothing past 9 pm any night , so don't arrive late expecting flexibility. If you're coming from downtown, factor in travel time to 3715 Macomb St NW in Cleveland Park, which is not a walk from the Mall-area hotels. Plan ahead or it becomes a rushed meal.
Booking difficulty is low. 2 Amys does not require weeks of advance planning. For a weekend lunch, arriving at or shortly after 11 am on Saturday or Sunday is the most reliable way to get seated quickly without any reservation friction. For weeknight dinner, a same-week booking or walk-in during the first hour of service is generally manageable. Compare this to Rose's Luxury, where the no-reservation policy means queuing, or higher-demand spots like Jônt, which requires planning weeks out. 2 Amys sits at the accessible end of that spectrum.
Dress code is casual. This is a neighborhood pizzeria, not a dining room with tablecloths. Jeans and a t-shirt are entirely appropriate. No one will look twice. The price range is not published, but OAD Cheap Eats recognition signals this is firmly in the budget-to-mid range for D.C. dining , expect to spend well under $50 per person before drinks, likely less if you're sticking to pizza and water.
For groups, the format works well for parties of two to four. Larger groups may find the room tighter, and there is no published private dining option in the current data. If you're coordinating a group of six or more, call ahead or arrive early on a weekend to assess availability. The address , Suite 201, 3715 Macomb St NW , is worth double-checking on a map before your first visit, as the suite number can cause brief confusion on arrival.
For Neapolitan pizza specifically, 2 Amys has a clear peer in the broader U.S. market: Ken's Artisan Pizza in Portland occupies a similar position , neighborhood-rooted, critically respected, accessible pricing. 800 Degrees in Los Angeles is a different proposition entirely: faster, more casual, less craft-focused. Within D.C., 2 Amys is not competing with All Purpose for the same diner , All Purpose leans into a broader Italian-American menu and a livelier bar scene. If pizza is specifically what you want, 2 Amys is the more focused choice.
For context on where 2 Amys sits in the wider D.C. dining picture, see our guides to Washington, D.C. restaurants, D.C. bars, D.C. hotels, D.C. wineries, and D.C. experiences.
Quick reference: Cleveland Park, casual dress, easy booking, weekend lunch from 11 am, closes 9 pm nightly, OAD Cheap Eats recognized 2023–2024.
Bar seating is common at neighborhood pizzerias of this format, and 2 Amys does have a bar area. However, specific seating configuration data is not confirmed in our current records. If bar seating matters to you, call ahead to confirm availability before arriving , especially on weekend evenings when demand is higher.
No specific dietary accommodation data is available for 2 Amys. Neapolitan pizzerias typically offer some vegetarian options given the format, but for specific allergen or dietary needs, contact the restaurant directly before visiting. No phone number is listed in our current data, so checking via their website or a direct visit is the most reliable approach.
2 Amys works well for small groups of two to four. For parties of six or more, there is no confirmed private dining or large-group reservation option in our records. Arrive early on a weekend , the 11 am Saturday or Sunday open is your leading shot at accommodating a larger table without a long wait. For a group dining experience in D.C. with confirmed private options, Albi or Causa are worth considering instead.
Weekend lunch is the better first visit. The room is calmer, service is less pressured, and the 11 am start on Saturdays and Sundays means you can arrive early and get seated without the wait that builds by early evening. Dinner is perfectly fine, but the short closing time of 9 pm means you need to arrive by 7:30 pm at the latest to eat comfortably. If you're deciding purely on experience quality, weekend lunch wins.
No specific menu data is confirmed in our records, so we won't fabricate dish names or descriptions. What the OAD Cheap Eats recognition does confirm: the pizza is the reason to come. Chef Peter Pastan's kitchen follows a Neapolitan approach, so expect thin-crust, high-heat pies. Order the pizza. Beyond that, ask your server what's good on the day , at this price point and with this level of critical recognition, the kitchen earns the trust.
Casual. This is a neighborhood pizzeria with OAD Cheap Eats credentials, not a white-tablecloth room. Jeans, a t-shirt, or smart-casual are all appropriate. You will be overdressed in a blazer and underdressed in nothing , the middle ground is anything you'd wear to a good friend's dinner party.
Booking difficulty is low. For weekday dinner, same-week or even same-day booking is typically feasible. For weekend lunch, arriving at or near the 11 am Saturday or Sunday open handles most walk-in situations without a reservation. If you're visiting on a busy weekend evening, booking a day or two ahead is sensible but rarely requires the two-to-three week lead time you'd need at Rooster & Owl or Oyster Oyster.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Amys | Pizzeria | Easy | |
| Oyster Oyster | New American, Vegetarian, Vegetarian (Sustainable) | $$$ | Unknown |
| Albi | United States, Middle Eastern | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Causa | Peruvian | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Rooster & Owl | Contemporary | $$$ | Unknown |
| Rose’s Luxury | New American, Contemporary | $$$$ | Unknown |
What to weigh when choosing between 2 Amys and alternatives.
Bar seating is a practical option at 2 Amys and suits solo diners or pairs well. It can be a faster route to a spot during busy periods than waiting for a table. For groups of three or more, a table is the more comfortable call.
2 Amys is a Neapolitan pizzeria, so the menu is built around wheat-based dough and dairy. Vegetarian options exist within that format, but if gluten-free crust or vegan cheese are requirements, this kitchen is not set up around those substitutions. Check directly before visiting.
2 Amys works for small groups of four to six without much friction. Larger parties should contact the restaurant ahead of time, as the dining room at 3715 Macomb St NW is not a high-capacity space. Weekend lunch is the more forgiving slot for groups compared to weekday evenings.
Weekend lunch is the practical pick. Saturday and Sunday service opens at 11 am, which means shorter waits and a more relaxed room than the weekday dinner window of 5–9 pm. If you want a quieter experience, arrive close to opening.
2 Amys holds an Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats ranking, which points to the pizza as the core reason to visit. Order the Neapolitan-style pies rather than treating them as a side to appetisers. The kitchen's reputation is built on the pizza format specifically.
No dress code applies. 2 Amys is a neighbourhood pizzeria ranked by Opinionated About Dining in the cheap eats category, which signals the register clearly. Casual clothes are the norm; there is nothing here that requires dressing up.
Booking pressure at 2 Amys is low compared to most D.C. restaurants with comparable recognition. Same-week planning is generally sufficient, and walk-ins are realistic if you arrive at or near opening, particularly at weekend lunch. Weekday evenings tend to fill faster than midday weekend slots.
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