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Back in the sixties, an actual Joe manned the ovens of Joe’s Pizza. These days, Sam, a pizza fanatic born and raised in Egypt, owns the corner shop just up the street from Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church. Décor here is decidedly down-class: Faux brick decorates the counter; beveled glass mirrors grace a wall; scarred black plastic-upholstered chairs adjoin the dark tables. As to the menu’s modernizations, they go no further than Hawaiian (canned pineapple rings), white (fresh spinach, garlic, a blizzard of mozzarella), and “grama” (crushed tomatoes, basil, garlic, Romano). There are also the ubiquitous hot plates, heroes, and gargantuan rolls—slabs of dough wrapped around meat or vegetable fillings—along with calzones, garlic knots, and baked or stuffed pasta. A standing favorite of local high school students and construction workers, this pizzeria is equally congenial for a slice on the fly or for flirting with friends near the lone video game. — Helen Zelon

Joe’s special pie, $18; lasagna pie, $18; white pie, $15