A tomato-and-cheese square slice at Frankie’s costs $2.10, which is still a useful reason to stop in when the craving is specific and the budget is not grand. The crust is crisp, the sauce is straightforward, and the format is the point: this is Miami’s long-running square-slice pizzeria and takeout counter, not a Chicago-style shop. Frankie’s has been serving Westchester since 1955, first near the University of Miami and then, from 1957, at its present Bird Road address. Expect a compact counter operation, outdoor waiting and seating, and a crowd that often comes for takeaway rather than a long meal. At peak times, a line can form outside.
Karpo can check Frankie’s current hours before you leave, help with the route to Bird Road, and suggest a nearby backup if the queue is longer than expected.
Why Frankie’s square slice belongs to Westchester
Frank and Doreen Pasquarella opened Frankie’s Pizza on Valentine’s Day in 1955 after moving from Steubenville, Ohio. Frank’s family had bakery experience there, and the square shape is tied to the bakery pans brought south from Steubenville. Some of those pans are still reported to be in use. The original shop began near the University of Miami before moving to Bird Road in 1957, when the surrounding area still had open land and orange groves.
That history matters because Frankie’s is not borrowing a square-slice identity for effect. It has been making this style for decades, and Miami-Dade recognises the pizzeria as a Westchester legacy business. The shop remains family-run by sisters Roxanne and Renee Pasquarella, with a third generation working in the kitchen. The result is less about a polished restaurant experience than a durable local counter where the pan, the sauce and the takeaway habit have stayed central.
The best first order is still the $2.10 slice
Start with the Tomato & Cheese Pizza Slice if the aim is to understand Frankie’s properly. At $2.10, it keeps the crisp crust and house sauce in view without burying them under toppings. The Deluxe Pizza Slice is $3.14 and comes with five toppings, while a one-topping square slice is listed at $2.44. Those prices make it easy to compare a plain corner with something busier, or to add a second slice without turning the visit into a large order.
For home eating, the Two Toppings Pizza starts at $13.20 and can be ordered fully baked or half-baked. The half-baked option is the more practical choice when crispness matters: finish it in your own oven rather than letting the pie soften during the journey. Ask for well-done or extra-crispy pizza as well; both are explicit preparation options on the current ordering menu. A garlic roll starts at $3.50, cheese or pepperoni rolls from $4.76, and chocolate tres leches is $4.00.
The Bird Road counter is built for takeaway
Frankie’s is best understood as a counter and takeout operation rather than a conventional indoor dining room. The interior is compact, with a worn Formica counter, practical work surfaces and a small galley kitchen. There are a couple of benches for waiting, while outdoor seating sits behind the shop. At busy times, the queue can move into the parking area, so this is not the place to assume that a table will be waiting.
There is also a small tradition attached to the takeaway routine: to-go boxes traditionally receive a bonus slice on top. It is the sort of detail that makes the counter feel connected to its own history, even when the order is simply a slice and a roll. For the crispiest result, collect the food promptly and eat it soon after. Recent delivery reviews repeatedly report late or cold orders, so third-party delivery is the weaker choice when texture is the priority.
Choose your timing carefully on Bird Road
Frankie’s is closed on Mondays. It is generally open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Friday and Saturday listed as extending to 11 p.m. Some current directories list a 10 p.m. closing every day, so a late visit needs a quick check before setting off. The operating pattern is strongly takeout-oriented, and peak hours can produce an outdoor line rather than a quiet wait inside.
Walk-ins are the norm, and no reservations are listed. Pickup and delivery ordering are available online, but ordering ahead does not change the basic nature of the place: it is a counter built around pizza leaving the premises. Earlier visits should make the queue easier, while Friday and Saturday evenings are the times to allow more patience. If the plan is a whole pie at home, half-baked is worth considering before the order is placed.
Getting to Frankie’s at 9118 Bird Road
The address is 9118 Bird Rd., Miami, FL 33165, in Westchester. Driving is the simpler option, with a parking lot listed for the venue. That suits Frankie’s style: collect the box, decide whether to eat at the rear outdoor tables or take it home, and avoid carrying a hot pizza farther than necessary. The shop’s location on the Bird Road corridor also makes it a practical stop during a wider Westchester outing.
Metrobus 40 and 87 serve the Bird Road corridor. Moovit lists the SW 87th Avenue at SW 40th Street stop as about an eight-minute walk from the nearby Bird Road Plaza. For visitors combining the pizza with another nearby stop, Arbetter’s Hot Dogs is about four blocks east, while Bird Bowl Bowling Center is another Westchester legacy business dating to 1956. Tropical Park is also listed among nearby takeout-friendly destinations.
Frankie’s or Arbetter’s for a Bird Road stop
Arbetter’s Hot Dogs is the clearest nearby alternative, not because it offers a similar slice, but because it gives the same stretch of Bird Road another long-running local landmark. It is about four blocks east, making it a useful backup when Frankie’s is closed, the queue is inconvenient or the group wants something other than pizza. Frankie’s has the stronger case when the purpose of the visit is a crisp square slice and a quick takeaway order.
The tradeoff is simple. Frankie’s offers a more distinctive piece of Miami food history, a narrow menu built around square pizza and rolls, and prices that keep a small order manageable. Arbetter’s provides a different kind of Bird Road institution. Neither should be treated as a polished sit-down destination. At Frankie’s, the useful plan is to order the plain slice or a five-topping deluxe, ask for extra crispness, and leave room for the possibility that the best seat is at home.
- Address: 9118 Bird Rd., Miami, FL 33165, in Westchester.
- Hours pattern: Closed Mondays; generally 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, with Friday and Saturday often listed until 11 p.m.; verify before a late visit.
- Reservations: Walk-in only; no reservations listed. Pickup and delivery ordering are available online.
- Getting there: Metrobus 40 and 87 serve the corridor; driving is simpler, with a parking lot listed for the venue.
- Price band: Tomato-and-cheese square slice $2.10, deluxe slice $3.14, one-topping slice $2.44, and two-topping pizzas from $13.20.
Tags: #Miami #Westchester #FrankiesPizza #SquareSlice #PizzaNearMe #BirdRoad #MiamiEats #TakeoutPizza #CrispyCrust #HistoricPizzeria #MiamiLandmarks #PizzaSlice #Arbetters #TropicalPark
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Ask Karpo first
Before heading to Frankie’s in Westchester, ask Karpo to check today’s hours, the current wait, the quickest route or whether Arbetter’s is the better nearby backup.
