Pauly's NY Pizza & Ice Cream in Baltimore: New York Slice and Soft Serve in Canton
Pauly's NY Pizza & Ice Cream is a counter-service pizzeria and ice cream shop in Canton that sells by-the-slice New York-style pizza alongside soft serve and scooped ice cream. The operation is small, walk-up focused, and positioned as an affordable quick meal or snack rather than a sit-down destination, though a handful of seats line the front window.
What Pauly's actually is
The shop specializes in thin-crust, fold-able slices in the New York tradition: cheese and pepperoni sold fresh throughout the day, with rotating specialty pies listed on a board behind the counter. The pizza is baked in a deck oven and held in a warming case; slices are boxed or plated on request. The ice cream side operates as a separate counter, offering soft serve in cups and cones, plus hard-packed scooped flavors that rotate seasonally. Both halves of the business function independently, so a customer can grab pizza without ice cream and vice versa.
Menu and pricing
A plain cheese slice runs $2.50 to $3.00; pepperoni is roughly 50 cents more. Specialty slices, when available, range from $4.00 to $5.50 depending on toppings. Soft serve in a cone is $3.50; a cup of scooped ice cream with one flavor starts at $4.00 and scales up with additional scoops. Prices are subject to change; verify current figures by phone or in person. The shop does not advertise a kid's menu, but slice and soft serve portions suit younger appetites.
How it compares to other Baltimore pizza
Pauly's operates in a different mode from Brick Oven in Federal Hill, which offers wood-fired Neapolitan pies for table service at $16 to $24 per pizza. It is also distinct from Spike & Charlie's, a tavern-style operation in Canton focused on thin, crispy square pies sold by the box. Pauly's slice model and price point most closely parallel Northeast pizzerias like Mama Mia in Fells Point, where similar by-the-slice pricing and soft serve pairing create a casual grab-and-go experience. Choose Pauly's for a quick, cheap lunch or snack; choose Brick Oven for a sit-down Neapolitan meal; choose Spike & Charlie's for party-size rectangular pies.
Who it suits and who it does not
Pauly's works best for people in or near Canton seeking a $6 to $8 lunch, walkers and cyclists who want minimal transaction time, and households with young children who favor soft serve over other desserts. The lack of table seating or dining room makes it poor for groups lingering over a meal or for diners seeking a full dinner experience. It is not positioned as a date-night or special-occasion venue.
What the first visit involves
Walk in, check the specialty board, and order at the counter. Payment by card or cash accepted. Slices are made to order or pulled from the warming case. If you order soft serve, a separate staff member handles the ice cream station. Total transaction time is typically under five minutes. The shop opens directly onto the street with minimal seating; most customers eat while walking or take food away. Parking on the surrounding Canton streets is free but can be tight during peak hours (lunch, after school, weekend afternoons).
Hours, parking, and logistics
Pauly's is located in Canton, a walkable neighborhood near the waterfront with street parking and municipal lots within a few blocks. Hours run roughly 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, but confirm by phone before a late visit, as hours occasionally shift seasonally. The shop is accessible by car or on foot; the nearest public parking lot is a short walk on fleet street or surrounding side streets. No delivery or online ordering is offered; pickup and walk-in only.
Pauly's fills a specific niche in Baltimore's pizza landscape: it delivers New York slice tradition at prices that do not require budgeting, paired with a no-frills ice cream counter that rewards impulse visits. For Canton residents and workers seeking a fast, inexpensive lunch, it is a reliable choice.
