08/21/2026
More than a month ago, I would get a slice of pizza from the DC Slices food truck for lunch at my worksite from time to time. I wasn’t a big fan of how thin the pizza was, especially when a single pepperoni slice cost $6. Then I suddenly remembered having a slice from FRANK & LUKE’S N.Y. Pizza Kitchen sometime last year, so I decided to stop by and try it again to see if it tasted as good as I remembered. Turns out, it did AND it was cheaper.
So far, I’ve tried their pepperoni, vodka, and buffalo chicken slices, and I’ve liked all three. Great crust and flavours. I even shared a few slices with a kid I used to babysit, and he liked them too. And don’t get me started on their buffalo chicken cheesesteak. Great stuff!
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of interviewing the general manager, Humberto Soto. He has been the manager since Frank & Luke’s opened in August 2019, and he got to tell me a bit about himself and how he ended up there. Humberto came to this country 14 years ago and worked his way up through the restaurant industry. He started as a dishwasher for 3 months before spending 9 months as a cook, followed by 3 years as a server and another 3 years as a manager at a different restaurant. During that time, he also became a huge Nationals fan. For the past 7 years, he has been the general manager at Frank & Luke’s.
His wife works with the Italian owners, Gianluca and Francesco, who own Nonna Angela's Italian Bistro & Wine Bar along with five other restaurants, including Frank & Luke’s. They eventually convinced Humberto to join the company, and he has been managing the same location ever since. Along the way, Gianluca and Francesco taught him how to prepare Italian cuisine, including pizzas and subs. For Humberto, it was another opportunity to expand what he had already learnt from working his way through the restaurant industry. He doesn’t regret joining them. As he told me, it has been an amazing 7 years.
That Italian and New York influence is also a big part of what Humberto believes sets Frank & Luke’s apart from other restaurants in the Crofton area. Gianluca and Francesco are Italian and grew up in New York, bringing both influences together in their recipes. Pizza may be their biggest seller, especially their New York-style pizza, but Humberto considers Frank & Luke’s a lot more than just a pizza joint. They also serve pasta dishes, fresh salads made with produce delivered daily, and a whole selection of cheesesteaks. Their spaghetti and meatballs are a favourite among regular customers while the menu features seven different kinds of cheesesteaks. According to Humberto, some customers drive 30 to 40 minutes just to get one because they consider them some of the best in the area. After trying their buffalo chicken cheesesteak myself, I can understand why.
Of course, I couldn’t have an entire conversation about Italian food without bringing up food crimes. I’ve been watching Lionfield’s reels on social media lately, so I had to ask Humberto what he considers the biggest Italian food crime. His answers came pretty quickly: pineapple on pizza and people putting ketchup on their pizza. He also gets a kick out of customers ordering a veggie pizza… and then adding bacon and ham to it. I suppose the vegetables still count?
He also shared one of the strangest requests he has received. A customer ordered a pizza with pepperoni on the right half and cheese on the left. When she received it, she complained that it wasn’t what she wanted. Humberto simply turned the pizza around and asked if that was how she wanted it. Suddenly, everything was perfect. “Oh yeah, thank you,” she told him. Problem solved!
Beyond the funny customer stories, Humberto kept coming back to one thing throughout our conversation: community. Frank & Luke’s works with several local schools and organisations, and Humberto shared a particularly funny relationship with one local PTSO director who also happens to be named Humberto. When the organisation places large orders of 50 or 60 pizzas, there’s an ongoing joke about Humberto ordering from Humberto and Humberto picking everything up. The restaurant also gives back to the community, including donating food to the local fire department for an event next week.
That relationship with the community extends to their regular customers. Humberto wanted to emphasise that Frank & Luke’s is a family-owned restaurant, and they try to treat their customers like family almost as though they are welcoming people into their own private kitchen. One regular comes in 3 or 4 times a week and orders the same thing every time. The staff know her order so well that when they see her walk in, they can start making it without even needing a ticket. I personally know a couple who go there most Fridays, and they even have their name labelled on a table. That tells you something about the kind of relationship this restaurant has built with its customers.
And now there’s a particularly good reason to stop by. Frank & Luke’s is celebrating its seventh anniversary with specials running throughout the entire week. They’re leaning into the lucky number seven with a casino-style celebration featuring games and prizes. Customers who spend $25 will have opportunities to win prizes such as gift cards, pizzas, subs, and desserts while the slot machine offers a $50 gift card as the jackpot.
7 years after opening its doors in August 2019, Frank & Luke’s has become more than a place to grab a New York-style slice. It’s a family-owned Italian restaurant with loyal regulars, community connections, plenty of personality, and apparently cheesesteaks good enough for people to drive 30 or 40 minutes to Crofton for. Their anniversary celebration runs all week next week, so this might be a pretty good time to stop in, grab a slice, spin for a prize, and see what Humberto and the Frank & Luke’s family have been cooking.
Just please don’t put ketchup on the pizza.
Frank and Luke’s N.Y. Pizza Kitchen
1153 MD-3 Spc 30
Gambrills, MD 21054
