Seby’s Pizza (https://www.sebyspizza.com/) opened in 2025, in the same tiny plaza that is the home of the wonderful Kai Asian Street Fare, in the southwest corner of the intersection of Semoran Boulevard and Howell Branch Road, where Casselberry fades into Winter Park. Pizzaiolo Sebastian “Seby” Donofrio, a third-generation Italian-American, runs a small, casual pizzeria that specializes in New York style pies, something with no shortage of local options but very few that achieve greatness.
We usually order garlic knots from most pizzerias to see how they come out, almost like a quality benchmark. These were nice and fluffy, and the exteriors didn’t get scorched, which happens more often than it should.
I opted for a large pizza for myself, planning to get four meals out of it (two large slices each). I treated myself to the Soho pie, with homemade tomato sauce, a blend of shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses, soppressata, capicola, fresh garlic, and crushed Italian hot cherry peppers. I think I was hoping for actual pickled cherry peppers, maybe chopped up, but I recall a bit of disappointment that it was just the red pepper flakes that most pizzerias have in little shaky-jars on the table, or in tiny packets. And they went really light on them, too (see below), but I have a huge shaky-canister of red pepper flakes at home, so there was plenty of spice to go around… eventually. As much as I love soppressata and capicola, while these bougier cured meats were a nice alternative to the standard pepperoni, I still prefer all cured meats served cold in a sandwich or on a charcuterie platter rather than baked on a pizza until they’re crispy and greasy. I feel like they all lose something that way.
Speaking of which, while it was good New York-style pizza, pizza always loses something on the drive home. That New York style crispiness fades in the car as it steams in the cardboard box. I’m sure I would have had a better first impression if I ate it right there in the restaurant (and yes, they do have a small seating area).
This was the small Little Italy, Seby’s version of a classic margherita pizza, with house-made tomato sauce, fior di latte fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and a dusting of Pecorino Romano cheese. I got this with my wife in mind, who sometimes likes red sauce but sometimes doesn’t, but I ended up eating most of it too. (And in 2026, the year I’m finally eating healthier and losing weight, that’s why I hardly ever order or eat pizza anymore.) 
These were honey garlic jumbo Buffalo-style wings, which my wife requested. She’s a bigger wing fan than I am, especially honey garlic, but I think I ended up enjoying them more than she did. I recall her complaining they were a little too garlicky, and in return, I posited that I would have preferred them with much more garlic. We’re the original odd couple! 
This was another choice my wife made, toasted almond amaretto cream cake, made with amaretto-soaked Savoiardi ladyfinger cookies covered with creamy, rich mascarpone cheese and finished with a toasted almond crunch topping. Like a lot of pizzerias probably do, Seby’s brought this dessert in from Brooklyn. Several of their sumptuous-looking desserts are listed as coming from either Brooklyn or Italy! 
People have been raving about Seby’s Pizza, and I get it, I truly do. It’s nice having another solid New York-style pizzeria so close to home, especially since my absolute favorite in Orlando, John and John’s – A Pizza Shop, is almost 45 minutes away. But while Seby’s was solid enough, if I want that style of pizza without schlepping through Orlando traffic, I feel like the excellent Dough Boyz Pizzeria in nearby Oviedo might edge it out. Seby’s fans (and I know there are many of you) — what should I try next time? And how do YOU, the stalwart Saboscrivnerinos, rank Orlando’s local pizzerias? I’ve reviewed many over the years, but which local landmarks am I still missing?
The Saboscrivner 