Now that’s one spicy pizzeria!
A Long Island pizza joint has taken the internet by storm with hilarious skits that mercilessly lampoon rude customer antics—one standout scene features a dining fool getting sprayed with water.
Phil’s Pizzeria in Syosset has been humorously showcasing the frustrating yet comedic exchanges with patrons, employing a lively mix of risqué jokes and colorful language that’s even hotter than their red pepper flakes.
The debut video has gone viral, racking up over 500,000 likes. It features owner Laurino packing a to-go order while a “customer,” played by a staff member, insists, “that slice was supposed to be for here.”
“Did you mention that when you ordered?” Laurino retorts in the video. “Then it’s not your ‘f—ing’ slice, go take a seat, I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
Laurino explained that he and his team never aimed for online fame, but felt compelled to highlight the absurdities that often occur at their bustling North Shore establishment.
“There’s a woman who ordered a house salad without lettuce…then there’s the guy who requests grilled chicken without grill marks,” Laurino shared with The Post.
“One man grabbed a plate too early from a server, stained his clothes, and called the next day seeking six to seven dollars for cleaning—where he got that number, I have no clue.”
“This industry deserves its own reality show,” he added. “I tell everyone, ‘You won’t believe the crazy things that happen here!’”
Unlike other restaurateurs like Keith McNally, who openly criticizes terrible customers, Laurino and his staff keep anonymity, creating skits that have Hollywood production quality but a quintessential New York vibe.
“I started keeping a notepad by the counter to jot down incidents as they arise—and we find new material every day,” Laurino noted, revealing that his team also keeps track of noteworthy happenings.
Sassy & saucy
The entertaining videos critique customers who refer to sauce as gravy, shuffle tables without permission, and talk quietly on their phones—one clip humorously targets aspiring food influencers who grovel for complimentary meals during their visits.
Two major annoyances Laurino commonly faces are patrons who leave trash on the counter instead of using the clearly visible bin nearby, and those who insist on their pizza being excessively well done.
“It’s not a steak,” he scoffed, adding that customers requesting pineapple on their pizza also drive him crazy.
Another frequent irritant, which Laurino captured on film recently, involves hard-of-hearing female customers overreacting when he asks if they’d like a fork or a spoon, taking it the wrong way.
“I’ve had to change it to ‘Would you like a utensil?’” he said.
The videos have propelled Phil’s Pizzeria to 150,000 Instagram followers, becoming so vital to the business that Laurino has brought content creator Gregory Heinrich on board, with his wife, Vincenza, and manager Anthony Corrao regularly featured in the skits.
Corrao often embraces the role of the antagonist, recently filmed getting sprayed with water for portraying a rude customer. He was also derided as an “animale” for carelessly spilling cheese.
Laurino’s “alter ego”—which he claims is quite different from his charming day-to-day persona—is now so recognizable that he was approached for selfies while on vacation and even made an appearance on Z100 with Elvis Duran to discuss grandma-style pizzas.
“Meanwhile, I just feel like a donkey who runs a pizzeria,” joked the owner.
Heated reactions
While most responses to Laurino’s candid comments and antics are upbeat, he has encountered some internet trolls who take things too far.
“One person wrote, ‘I know what car you drive, and I’ll be waiting for you in the parking lot one night,’” noted Laurino, adding that another individual tastelessly suggested he should be shot like conservative figure Charlie Kirk.
“I’ve had to file police reports; I don’t leave here alone after hours anymore… if I see someone following me, I won’t go straight home. Some people just get really mad, and I can’t understand why.”
Despite this, Laurino believes the positivity far outweighs the negativity, and he has no plans to halt the engaging content creation.
“I appreciate everything this has done for the business, and I feel it’s only going to improve from here,” he expressed. “I’m excited for what’s next.”
