Tucked along the busy stretch of Old York Road in Elkins Park, Apizzeria 888 by Sebastian is easy to miss, writes Michael Klein for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
There is no sign, no delivery service, and no marketing push. Yet owner Sebastian Besiso has cultivated a steady following by focusing on a tightly crafted, highly personal style of pizza that stands apart from the area’s traditional offerings.
Besiso, who manages every step of the operation himself, produces about 40 pies a night for walk-in and call-ahead customers.
He uses the small space as a testing ground for a larger technology platform he is developing, designed to give pizzerias more control over ordering and customer engagement without relying on third-party apps.
The pizza itself reflects a meticulous approach shaped by Besiso’s engineering background. His “Roma” pie features a crisp, remarkably thin crust, aged cheeses, a light tomato-basil sauce, and toppings such as beef pepperoni or sausage.
He relies on long-aged dough, minimal yeast, and careful temperature control within a decades-old Blodgett deck oven to achieve a signature crunch.
Even his packaging is deliberate. Each box is hand-punctured for ventilation to preserve texture during transport. As he looks ahead to a future dine-in concept, Besiso is also developing panuozzo sandwiches to round out his menu.
To learn more about the innovative Apizzeria 888 in Elkins Park, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on MONTCO Today in October 2025.
