It’s nestled comfortably by the road, joined by other various stores in the plaza. Its clear-glass door oozes a warm light, inviting customers into a casual, welcoming atmosphere. An expansive front window stretches across the entrance, splayed with bold lettering—“Make it with love,” it reads—and a row of sleek black stools lies just beyond it. Above it all, a sign proudly stands, spelling: New Wave Pizza. 

New Wave Pizza in Turnersville was recently rebranded from All About the Crust 2 and embraced several renovations on March 3, 2025. Owner Gary Lincoln aimed to shift their modus operandi and ultimately minimize human error by integrating new technology into the classic ordering system. As part of this change, phone orders are no longer accepted. Instead, customers can order through the restaurant’s website, at the new kiosks, or via the cashier. 

New Wave Pizza features a spectrum of American favorites, including pizzas, wings, fries, sandwiches, and their recently added smash burgers and exclusive “boneless bombers.” Prices range from $10 to $20 (excluding their larger wings selections), while appetizers typically fall in the $6 to $10 range. 

My family and I walked in at around 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday when the restaurant was bustling with other customers. The restaurant looked like a typical pizzeria—a sizable kitchen buzzing with working staff and a compactly arranged dine-in area, all encompassed with red-and-green-schemed walls and illuminated by bright lights. However, New Wave Pizza wouldn’t be a “new wave” without something to set it apart, and it does so with two new ordering kiosks built at the entrance. These kiosks eased the ordering process, and we were able to place our orders surprisingly quickly despite the crowd of customers. 

We settled on two things: Mega Fries ($10.34) as an appetizer and a customized large, half-cheese, half Hot Honey Pepperoni pizza ($19.13) as an entree. While ordering, we were impressed with the level of customization offered. Customers can control multiple facets of their order, such as the addition of a topping from their extensive list of toppings or even the size of the pizza’s cut.

Our food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering, starting with the Mega Fries. Served in an aluminum foil pan, the fresh fries were loaded with melted cheese bacon bits. Initially, I was extremely skeptical of its price—$10 for some fries, cheese, and bacon seemed a bit unreasonable. However, the portion was generous and the cheese was copious. 

The first bite of this was like having your palate thrust into a new world of intense cheesy goodness. The flavor hits you as soon as it enters your mouth—an explosion of richness from the savory bacon bits and the boldness of the melted cheese. Each bite also maintained a good texture; the gooeyness of the melted cheese paired with the crispy exterior and fluffy interior of the fries was only enhanced by the crunchy texture of the bacon bits. At some point, the dish’s intense flavor did get a little overwhelming for my preferences, as the saltiness builds up. 

The cheese pizza was decent—comparable to what you’d find at any standard pizzeria—but the Hot Honey Pepperoni lived up to its status as a customer favorite. At first glance, it looked great, with cupped pepperoni scattered across the four slices, drizzled with an incredibly generous amount of the restaurant’s hot honey sauce. It tasted as good as it looked. All the flavors harmonized together well—the smooth, buttery cheese, the smoky spice of the pepperoni, and the perfectly balanced hot honey sauce. Together with the thin and crispy crust, the Hot Honey Pepperoni became the family favorite.

However, what stuck out the most wasn’t the food or even the restaurant’s new technology, but the service. The waitress not only delivered our food (much unlike the other pizzerias I’ve visited) but also went out of her way to interact with customers. Several times she engaged in playful conversation with nearby children and even offered to clean up all our trash. The service was also speedy, courtesy of the restaurant’s new ordering system. 

While the “new wave” theme wasn’t a major presence on my visit—aside from the kiosks, which were the only notable modern addition— the restaurant still offered a great experience. New Wave Pizza’s inviting atmosphere, well-crafted dishes, and generally reasonable prices all met expectations, but it was their exceptional service that truly exceeded them.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Grace Li ('28)

The customized half-cheese and half Hot Honey Pepperoni pizza.