Il Pizzaiolo
8 Market Sq, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222
Il Pizzaiolo Menu
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Address :
8 Market Sq
Pittsburgh, PA, 15222 - Phone (412) 307-5263
- Website https://www.ilpizzaiolom2.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Valet, Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Classy
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Zachary A.
I loved the Mt. Lebanon location and I love the downtown location. This place is a true gem and I don't believe until the new culinary renaissance (there, I said it) in Pittsburgh, did a place like II Pizzaiolo get the attention and growth it truly deserved. They have so many fresh pastas and at prices that make sense. Also, the downtown location has outdoor seating that makes Market Square sparkle like a Lower East Side cafe. If you haven't experienced the new vibe that is budding in Market Square, then you're totally missing out. Get out of the "east end only" mentality and make your way back downtown, to the south, etc.
(4)Giovanni S.
Almost two years into this new establishment and I can detect no deviations in service or food quality. I write this update to gently nudge people to understand what the concept is at il Pizzaiolo. Ron Molinaro, who has been at the original location in Mt. Lebanon since 1996, had a concept to create a place that is as close to authentic Neapolitan food as possible and he does a very good job at it. When I read some criticisms from self described experts....."Cut the Pizza"...or, "I've had $150 bottles of wine.".......or..."crust is different, almost like Indian bread"; or "the pizza, where is the cheese"...., "the coke bottles are too small"..."I've been to Italy, and all over the world...". The self absorbed McBurger eaters among us who could not find Italy on a map. Absolute and total ignorance by folks who have such a tremendous knowledge deficit that frankly it would be better off for them to go suck down the high fructose corn syrup and caramel color coca cola and supermarket frozen pizza that they've grown accustomed to. FYI, they serve the same coke that is served in Italy. No high fructose corns syrup. Ron wants a place that is authentic, even down to the coke he serves. It is not cheap at this place so don't complain about prices or wine, or how the pizza is made or presented or anything else. If you want cheap ingredients, lousy wine lists, pre-made pizza sauce in a can and service for the ignorant, there are many choices. The following is a 'kit' from and Italian website that will send folks everything they need to make a pizza in the style made at il Piizzaiolo: __________________________________________________Â______________ Kit Pizza CÃ Pummarola Ncoppa per preparare la migliore pizza a casa tua con i migliori prodotti del mondo. Composto da: - 500 Gr. bocconcini di Bufala DOP - Gr. 50 di Basilico - Kg. 1 San Marzano DOP - Kg. 25 Farina Caputo blu pizzeria - Num. 1 Pacchetella (Pomodorino del piennolo confezionato al naturale) Il meglio dei Pizzaioli Napoletani __________________________________________________Â______________ The above costs about $50.00 american and remember that the flour will go much farther than the buffalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes.Then again, one does not have the benefit of a $50,000 handmade wood burning oven to cook that pizza in 90-120 seconds. Of course, one could always buy a garden variety pizza oven from a second hand restaurant supply store. What's the difference, right? The point is that the ingredients are quite expensive. It would be much easier to use domestic flour, tomatoes, and cheese. But then, the purpose of the whole endeavor is defeated by cutting important items that would reduce quality, affect taste, and mute the overall experience. My point is that there should be some appreciation from the Pizza Hut crowd of what Ron Molinaro is doing and offering to the public. One thing about social media is that people just can't help pontificating and offering opinions that are without any basis of knowledge. Don't presume to criticize something you do not understand.
(5)Michaela R.
This restaurant is right in Market Square. It has two floors and some outside seating which overlooks the square. I thought the service was really good, the food didn't take very long to get. I had the margarita pizza it was really good made in a wood fired oven. For an appetizer we had breaded zuchini flowers which I wasn't really sure about, because I never had it , but it was really good. Something you should give a try.
(5)Ali I.
Love this place. Food is amazing and it's always a really good experience. Been multiple times and never had a bad thing to say. Definitely recommend.
(5)Jonathan D.
I've dined at Il Pizzaiolo numerous times; most recently on a Sunday evening with a couple visiting from New York city. We arrived at our reservation time of 8p and were seated downstairs in the back right corner. I find the seating arrangements upstairs are a bit more spacious, but they were in the process of closing the section down for the night - understandable. Service was a little shaky on this occasion. Our waiter was one I've had before and not someone that I would characterize as stellar, so we got exactly what I thought we'd get. For the restaurant being quiet, it took almost 5 minutes before he came to the table and then our drinks sat at the bar for a couple minutes while he disappeared. If my guest hadn't blocked me into the booth area, I would have hopped up and grabbed them! We ordered two appetizers, the calamari and a meat and cheese plate. Both were quite delicious - especially the calamari which we found to be nicely cooked - not greasy at all. To my surprise, the restaurant is no longer ordering bread from an outside bakery (boo). Instead, they are serving their own bread straight from the wood burning oven. Guess what? It's basically their pizza dough, in the shape of a mini pizza/pita with no toppings. It's odd and I really missed having real bakery bread with olive oil to dip. Now, I know there are a lot of people that believe bread shouldn't be expected, to which I'd respond...then take it away and don't serve anything at all. We also shared two pizzas, the funghi and diavola. Both were on par with what I've had from Il Piz before. It's close, but nothing like pizza when you're in Italy. I suggested to my guests that they order a slice of tiramisu for dessert - they did and were very happy with their choice. You honestly can't go wrong ordering it from Il Piz. It's a plentiful serving a pure deliciousness.
(3)Jessica D.
Eh.. I'm sorry, I wanted to love this just as much as the Mt Lebo location, but eh... not so much. JH and I went for a celebratory lunch. And for how much it was, thank god we were celebrating. I knew that JH was upstairs as per a text as I was walking over, so when I arrived at the store, I said that my friend was upstairs. The hostess asked if we had a reservation. I said that I thought so and that I knew that my friend was upstairs waiting. I start to move towards the stairs and the hostess moves in front of me. Are we seriously going to have a showdown in the lobby? I give her a look like, are you kidding me? She then said to go upstairs. Really? Really?!?! We started with the fried zucchini. I had just gotten back from Italy, so I can say with some certainty that this is seriously the most authentic fried zucchini ever. However, that is not to say good. When I was in Rome, I ordered fried zucchini and it came in this bubble of dough, fried super crispy and greasy as all get out. Sadly, this was the same. It was so greasy in fact that I was ill most of the day. I then had a pizza with meatballs and it was pretty tasty. Pretty on par with their other shop and I was pleased. But weirdness walking in and greasy fried zucchini make for an unhappy girl when I am dishing out this much money.
(3)Elizabeth B.
After hearing wonderful things about Il Pizzaiolo for years - literally years - I finally had the opportunity to try this restaurant last week with a group of co-workers. I had a wonderful time! First, we ordered wine. The wine list was insanely long and confusing, so we asked the waitress for her recommendation. She told us that there were three house wines, conveniently called the #1, #2, and #3. I believe they were Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. I shared two carafes of the Pinot Noir with a co-worker and thought it was very tasty. The team shared two appetizers, Panzarotti and Fiori de Zucca. The Fiori de Zucca was fried zucchini slices that were good but not my favorite thing ever. I loved the Panzarotti. It kind of tasted like a fried risotto and mozzarella ball. So yummy. Even at the risk of potentially embarrassing myself for taking too much food, I snagged the last one. For my entree, I ordered the Ravioli alla Caprese. The entree was very simple but superbly executed. I hope to come back to Il Pizzaiolo very soon!
(4)Abby R.
Service was very good but the food was very expensive and pretty bland. No salt & pepper to be found :(
(2)David B.
There are slight differences in the menu from the Mt Lebo location and the Downtown. But in general, you get the same high quality food made with fresh and authentic ingredients. I liked sitting upstairs, away from the door, but there's nothing better than sitting outside when the weather is beautiful. Make your reservations way in advance, this restaurant books up quickly, especially during the weekends. I particularly like the pizzas, but everything on the menu is delicious. The wine list is also very good, I don't know that you will see a better Italian wine list in the city. Our waitress was very attentive and made some excellent suggestions for us. She also did not hesitate to bring us a taste of a particular wine before we made our choices. We chose the Carpaccio di Polpo as an appetizer and it was unusual and satisfying (Octopus, lemon and olive oil). I like the renovation of the building, there was a flower shop here at one time, and they did a marvelous job of transforming the place into a fine dining establishment.
(4)Jacob S.
I just messaged a friend telling her that we've got to go back next week. We had dinner at il PIzzaiolo around Christmastime and it was incredible--I think we wore our server out asking for more freshed baked bread. I had the eggplant and it was absolutely fantastic. and to top it off for dessert: sfogliatelle! Just like nonni used to make!
(5)Jenny B.
My husband is obsessed with anything wood fired - and since Il P's location isn't far from our north side abode, we have been making frequent visits to this place. The pizza here is really great--anything we have had (margherita, veggie, and something spicy I can't remember the name of) had been awesome. Their appetizers are great as well--the calamari here is up there with the best I've ever had. I wasn't "wowed" by the salads for the price, but they definitely weren't bad. They have a decent draft beer selection and an extensive (Italian!!) wine list. Most of the wines were unfamiliar to me, but the servers do a great job of helping you pick one if you let them know what you like. The service here is pretty great in general, actually. This place gets really busy, so don't come here for a quiet date night--but it's busy for a reason. It's a great place!!
(4)Tom M.
Great Place in the Square! 6 visits this year and never a bad meal or experience at the table or bar- very consistent; great atmosphere too! Matt is a great service provider!
(4)Rachel M.
Located in market square, so here is the scene, a group of us took a break, sat outside, people watched, drank wine and had a wonderful lazy lunch, it was heavenly. Our waiter, Brett was fantastic, he was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and we all developed a mini crush on him as a result. Started with the mixed salad, Caesar salad and calamari that we all shared and then had pizza. The dough is incredible. Simple and perfect. Brett helped pair the wine and we were content and happy, and enjoyed a perfect afternoon. Followed it off with an espresso with a hazelnut liquor (again thank you Brett). Come here for lunch you will be so happy.
(4)Serena T.
Solid - the food in my opinion tastes exactly like the Mt. Lebo location. That may sound odd...food that is equally comparable at a restaurant with multiple locations, but we've all had that disappointing experience where you think and hope the food tastes the same but doesn't. Well I can assure you that it's equally as great as the food in the Mt. Lebo location. My one issue was the service. I realize they are new to the market square location so will give them time to work on improving the service aspect. A work day lunch hour turned in to two...and while my co-workers and I were all for a relaxing lunch with some wiggle room on our hour lunch, the time it took for the food to come out after placing our order seemed excessive. Especially since people that were seated and placed their order after us received their food before us. Our group was only 3 people so not unusually large. I ordered the margherita pizza which was fresh and cooked to perfection. My co-workers ordered the sandwiches and said that they enjoyed them. I'll definitely be back again with the hopes that service has improved.
(4)William P.
Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy.
(5)Dennis M.
Excellent food! We had a party of 8 and everyone's meal was delicious. Upstairs atmosphere was a bit loud but very comfortable. I would highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)Maia R.
The appetizer caprese with the fresh buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto de Parma, beautiful tomato and basil was fabulous, the serving was large enough for 4 people..Pasta bolognese and pizza funghi was also very yummy. Our waiter Brian was a 5***** star, he made our whole dinning experience complete. Looking forward to going back again!
(4)Courtney Z.
I can't lie, I was a little against going here. I go to an Italian restaurant in Shady Side that served pizza the same way and is delicious. So walking into Il Pizzaiolo all I could think was "there is no way this is better." It was divine! I got pizza, of course! Just got the margherita pizza with prosciutto on top! Seriously what is better than prosciutto? Absolutely nothing, it would turn a vegan! I had gone with family so I had a few other things to try as well! Such as the calamari, umm delicious! I never had it before and I'm so happy I waited to try it. The pasta was equally as amazing. Let's just say my tastebuds were on a whirlwind of flavors! The server was just fantastic. Everything you want in a server.. lol. He was prompt with things and checked on us constantly which made the experience here even better! The prices were a bit higher, but hey money buys happiness. At least in this case it does! I would suggest going here!!!
(5)Carly K.
A great option for lunch on a work day. It's possible to get in and out in an hour because the pizzas literally take 90 seconds to cook. I'm a fan! I had the margherita pizza, and I wasn't disappointed. The sauce was perfect, and they import their mozzarella from Naples. I can get on board with that! My friend had the Quattro formagi pizza, and I could smell the delicious tangyness of the gorgonzola. Yum! The pizzas are a bit on the pricey side, but the toppings are fresh and delicious. I'm looking forward to going back so that I can try some of the salads and pastas. So happy for more options in Market Square!
(4)Alicia S.
This review is not about the food. The food was excellent! Our complaint was with our waiter. He wasn't personable. We never heard about the specials except when we overheard another waiter explaining them to his table. We asked about the wine and received minimal feedback. The big kicker was our waiter taking my beer before it was empty and my plate (which had half of the pasta left) and never asking if I wanted it boxed (which I did!)
(4)Al S.
Had very good service. Great Caesar salad. But the $18 calzone that was filled with cheeses and meats was lacking on the meat!
(3)Chris D.
Best part of the night was how incredibly informed the waiter was... however after we got our food he pretty much disappeared. someone else had to ask us about dessert and clear our plates. Appetizers very good (mozzarella ball was 5 stars!!), drinks ok. Bread was ok and served with infused olive oil that really needed some olive purée, balsamic, or other herbs on the side, but they were nowhere to be found. Mains ok, but not for the price, even the pizza was 'meh.' The pasta with mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallops was way off with the spices for my taste (too spicy for a seafood pasta dish, and I love spicy food, but not for this). We were very happy with walking in on a Friday and them being able to text us when a table was ready, but otherwise I'll keep going to other Italian restaurants no matter if they are cheaper or more expensive.
(3)Ali C.
My fiancé and I were so excited to find this place. We love pizza and used to live in Philly were there are many delicious pizza places. The service was very good. The pizza was good but for $21 dollars I felt the argula and prosciotto pizza was a little overpriced. However, the other pizza we got for $18 was delicous and were every penny (the divalo). Last the house wine was pretty expensive for the quality. I would go back but I was just a little disappointed with the pricing for some products
(3)Joshua H.
Value not good. Wine list is sufficient and well rounded but pricing structure is high. Ordered the $12 Caesar and the $18 Sissiclia Pizza. Caesar not creamy and they use the dried out crutons that are purchased from a big supplier. The olives are good but at the end of the day your still paying $12 for romaine and a bit of dressing with Kalmata olives. As far as the pizza goes, a bit too much sauce which makes it flabby so plan on eating with fork and knife or rolling it up towards the crust and eating as a roll to best enjoy. Very, very little cheese present, making it not worthy of calling it a 'Pizza'. Sorry Il Pizzaiolo, not meeting the cut here. For $18, I expect some cheese at least and understand that it's the most expensive product on a pizza but stop skimping on the cheese since someone is paying $18 for a individual pizza! Service was warm and friendly, with the server Vanessa being warm and welcoming, explaining the specials very well and upselling through the entire experience. You have a great server here, and I will come back to offer her a job in the operation I manage. A side note - the Valet parking in the Market Square is not really worth the $7 it costs as it takes them a solid 10 minutes to grab your car while your freezing cold and they do not offer an option to call ahead to have it ready. This is not reflected on the restaurant as they do not manage this operation, just a little warning if you intend to valet. Might as well just self-park and it will cost you the same or a couple of $$ less.
(2)Tamara M.
Terrific pizza.
(4)Deanna T.
The original Il Pizzaiolo in Mount Lebo is amazing -- it's one of my favorite restaurants. But the downtown location has yet to live up to its expectations. We went on a Friday night and had reservations and didn't sit down for at least 25 minutes after the res. The service was incredibly slow, it took forever to get drinks, and the food was just so/so compared to the original. Which is such a shame because the original is fantastic. They still have work to do on this one.
(2)Christopher M.
My partner and I have walked past this restaurant many times along with myriad Christmas shoppers in Market Square. It's the sister restaurant to a Mount Lebanon location and we thought it would make a cozy New Year's Eve destination. Il Pizzaiolo offers five different house-made pastas and the other pasta dishes they offer are from Pasta Faella, which the house claims as the best pasta in the world. Well, I don't know about all that but our pasta dishes were damn delicious. For starters, we ordered arancini, which are ping pong ball-sized fried balls of rice, coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried. Two were filled with creamy cheese and two were filled with salty pancetta. We've eaten arancini in Milan and these rivaled the originals, although they appeared a bit more carefully prepared here.The meal opened with a sliced round of warm, fragrant bread that had been baked in their 1000º brick oven just moments before. Just that is worth the price of admission. My partner enjoyed Cavatelli con Rapini and I ordered Sedani alla Norma. The pasta was perfectly al dente (to be honest, mine was a smidge too al dente, but that was to my preference anyway--perhaps they have psychic chefs?). The house wine was a Nero d'Avola that was a nice compliment to the pastas although not earthshaking. The pasta dishes were expertly seasoned and generous in portion...neither of us could finish so we got to enjoy more for lunch the next day. Our waitress, Sara was a wonderful part of our meal. She was pleasant and knowledgeable and checked on us just enough times. We sat on the first floor and were pleasantly surprised that (although it was New Years Eve) we had a table suitable for four all to ourselves. After an appetizer, soup, salad, two entrées, bread and a mezzolitro of house red, our bill (including tip) came to about $118. Every swallow was worth every dollar. We thank her and Il Pizzaiolo for a delicious welcome to 2014. There is no doubt...we will be back. Perhaps next time to try one of those wonderful-smelling pizzas that our fellow diners couldn't stop shoveling in.
(5)Anne F.
Went last night for a birthday party of eight. we had fantastic service. No reservations on Saturdays so we put our name in and walked across the Square for a drink. We were told an hour wait but it was about half that. The restaurant is on the small side so we expected to wait... Really nice lighting. Would be great for a date, everyone looks younger in that room, I heard one of our party say. The calamari was tender and well seasoned, one of my benchmarks for a restaurant. All other starters were what was expected with a few nice surprises. That authentic pizza oven is one of the only wood fired ovens I know of in the 'burgh. The dough is phenomenal. Everyone at the table raved about their meals. It's a fun location and a great place for a more authentic Italian meal.
(4)Rebecca G.
This is the most authentic Italian pizza I have had in the US. That being said, some people might not like it. It definitely reminded me of what I had in Rome. The salads were good too! Can't wait to try the other dishes!
(4)Becky Z.
I work downtown, and as a result I'm always happy when new restaurants open. I was excited to try Il Pizzaiolo, which brings a classy storefront to Market Square. Maybe this is the burgher in me talking, but it always seems like the people dining there look like they walked right off the set of Entourage. I'm intimidated by glamour! I prefer to sit outside on their sidewalk patio, as the dining room can get very noisy. Service is variable. The hostesses always seem stressed and while I don't mind waiting, our times have always been at least 15 minutes over the estimate. I've seen a few reviews turn sour regarding the outdoor seating and where diners are permitted to eat/wait. This is actually not their fault. Police have been cracking down on panhandlers and crime in the area. Consequently, one MUST sit in the dining area for the corresponding restaurant. Now onto the food. The wine list is extensive but only includes Italian selections. Most of the servers are knowledgeable and can recommend pairings. The appetizers are decent but are not worth the ~$10-$15 cost. I've sampled both the pastas and the pizzas. The pastas are underwhelming in terms of originality, taste, and size. Entrees come with bread and oil for dipping, but the bread is too salty for my enjoyment. I will never understand why carb-loaded restaurants serve bread with their offerings. It seems redundant. Pizzas are the restaurant's specialty (at a place called Il Pizzaiolo? No way!). The wood-fired pies are good, and vary from the standard Margherita to the more loaded Santa Lucia. But to be honest, all of these pizzas lack imagination. I understand that Pizzaiolo is going for more "classic" recipes but for the prices why not throw in some innovation?
(2)Nancy H.
I was craving pizza for my birthday so we headed to this cute little place in Market Square. Made a reservation beforehand and they even called to confirm which I thought was odd since it was for Saturday lunch. Service was a bit blotchy, we didn't get bread until we asked for it and my man's espresso came our lukewarm which we promptly sent back. My man got the LUINGUINE ALLE VONGOLE and I got my birthday wish--PIZZA (with mushrooms)! My man ho-hummed his pasta but my pizza was perfect, thin crusted, hot, and flavorful!
(3)Jim V.
I can't express enough how fabulous my pizza Santa Lucia was. This was my second time this week, but this time I didn't share it! The combination of fresh basil , tomatoes , garlic, anchovies and capers on top of the most wonderful wood fired dough is perfection . This place is as good as it gets for authentic Italian Pizza in Pittsburgh. I found it easy to get into and get served during a busy Thursday in Market Square. It's not cheap, but great food never needs to be.
(5)Kelsey H.
This place was amazing. Our waitress Gina knew EVERYTHING about every item on the menu. The pizza and salad was fantastic and everything that came out looked incredible. I wanted to come back a second time but didn't have time. I'll make sure to come back next time in I'm town!!!!
(5)Erin K.
I will preface this review by saying that I grew up going to Il Pizzaiolo in Mt Lebanon which remains one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The food is hands down the best authentic Italian cuisine in Pittsburgh. This newer downtown location, however, was a terrible experience this afternoon. I took my colleagues here for a take out lunch this afternoon, and I was completely embarrassed by the treatment we received - my office and I will never be returning to this location. 1) Overall, the location appeared understaffed - the girl behind the counter appeared extremely stressed out and there was a bit of a wait. As a result, we sat outside at a table to wait for the rest of our meal. 2) My colleague, who is a lifelong vegetarian, noticed that her vegetarian pasta dish had some small pieces of meat in the sauce (we took a taste and confirmed for her). When presenting this to the cashier, rather than simply taking the dish, he said "No, there is no meat in this dish. Show me the meat, I don't believe it." Embarrassingly, she actually had to walk him outside and we pulled out a chunk of meat from the pasta as evidence. He begrudgingly took the dish back inside and we were forced to wait another 10 minutes outside while a new dish was prepared. 3) When the waiter finally returned with vegetarian pasta, he had the nerve to inform us that "for future reference, those ordering take out cannot sit down at outside tables." Where are we expected to wait??? Overall, this was an embarrassing experience for a professional lunch and we will never be returning. The bad customer service overshadows the quality of the food - avoid at all costs for professional meals.
(1)Adam L.
Great pizza with even better tomato sauce ! Although pricey and small portioned. I had the veal chop which was very good but a little on the salty side. The service was fantastic and they had a lot of interesting drink options. I would go back for the pizza.
(4)JBaby S.
Food was good . Pizza was fresh with tomato sauce, but not spectacular. Eggplant parm was great but bucca de beppos is way better. I didn't care for the drink menu but the vodka mint mule was very good. Too many families were here so it's not exclusive. Then a baby carrier came in. It's a tiny place and having kids around makes the evening feel cheap and adds extra noise and chaos Our server Rachel was awful. She never checked on our food after it arrived, never came to offer another drink and we had to ask for the check while she brought the wrong one and made us wait by taking another tables order in the meantime. She was sloppy looking. The blonde hostess was professional looking though. Servers should cover up arm tattoos and have hair neatly contained. We won't be back
(2)Kelly W.
Great choice for dinner while visiting Pittsburgh for the Steelers game. My daughter's choice, but so glad she picked it. Nice atmosphere, although the downstairs tables can be a bit cramped if there is a good crowd in there, which there was. And sitting by the door during the cold weather is not a good choice with the door opening about every 30 seconds from people walking in. Glad they turned the heat up for us! Hostess, waiter, and I'm assuming manager that came over to our table to see how everything was, were all very pleasant and friendly. Waiter was awesome, very knowledgeable and friendly and attentive. I had the eggplant parm and my daughter had the ravioli...both very yummy!!!! We also tried the appetizer....little mozzarella fried balls....so good they melt in your mouth!!! Will definitely visit again next time we're in Pittsburgh!!!
(4)Jim S.
I realize that my original review of this place was pretty scathing and I'm glad to see that my experience does not seem to be the norm based on other Yelp reviewers. I'll rescind all the gory details and leave the following instead: The food was ok. The service we had was terrible. We expected better for a place with a pretty pricey menu. We probably won't be going back.
(2)D T.
Cannot get enough of this place! When I read a bad review on here, all I can say is, "You do not know real Italian food.". If you love chain pizza stores and think that is real pizza, then you will not like Il Pizzaiolo. Every time I go to the Downtown location, the service is perfect and the food is exceptional. This is exactly how my Grandparents made pizza, sadly without the wood oven. I believe I have eaten just about everything on the menu and I think the only thing I was disappointed in was a dessert. But go figure, they didn't make it. Enjoy!
(4)Amy C.
I went for lunch yesterday without a reservation. We were early - most of the tables inside were empty. Nonetheless, we were given a horrible small table in the middle of the room. I requested a table against the wall but were told they were all reserved. No one sat in them for at least 45 minutes. We ordered the salad with the anchovy dressing. It was ok but you couldn't taste any anchovy. I could make a better salad at home in two minutes. And, our table was too small to have a breadbasket. We also split a pizza. We were informed for at least three minutes by our server that the restaurant no longer cuts pizzas because they get soggy in the middle but they bring us these wonderful pizza knives so that we can cut our own. When the pizza came, we cut it in half and split it, then out the big plate under our individual plates because, again, there was not enough room on the table for all the plates. The pizza was fine - actually delicious and not soggy. The tomato sauce is incredible. I don't know if I will go back, though. This restaurant definitely cannot handle a crowd and they are a little rude. I am not sure that the pizza is worth the substandard treatment by the hostesses and the servers.
(2)David O.
It was at Il Pizzaiolo that I interrupted my date's meal to break down what the best types of ethnic foods this world has to offer are. I hate that it's such a cliché for most people to default to shouting "Italian!!!" when they give their answer (which is usually based on one too many refills of the unlimited breadsticks at Olive Garden). But my experience here was a firm reminder to me that as hard as I may try to break the mold and appear cultured, Italian food reigns supreme. Thanks to Il Pizzaiolo for reminding me just how high the bar for amazing Italian food can be set. Delicious! I've always walked past this location while trotting around the Square, but was never really drawn into it before. Fortunately, it was suggested to me we give it a shot and I agreed expecting something no higher than typical. We were seated in a crowded lower level which didn't start things off great, but I'm not very picky with that (upstairs has much more room FYI). It was all uphill from there though. Forgive me for not remembering names, but since the menu is mostly in Italian my comprehension/memory is low. - Appetizer: some kind of stretched mozzarella ball with other Caprese sides. It's a giant ball of cheese so light and easy to eat! Gone! Delicious! - Main course: Some kind of bone-in chicken/sausage dish with potatoes and red peppers. HEAVENLY! The sauce this is cooked in explodes with flavor. - Wine: very good drink selection and lots of wine to choose from. My choice from Puglia made the meal. - Dessert: a nice after dinner espresso and a warmed Fratelli. Conclusion: I hear they import all their food from Italy (Naples style) each Thursday for the freshest, best ingredients. It shows. Good all around. Avoid the crowded lower level (although the bar plays hilarious old silent movies for some dining entertainment down there) and beware the price tag on some of the menu items (can get steep!) and I'm sure this place will bring to remembrance why Italian food is your favorite as well. Ciao!
(5)Diane Q.
Great food and great service. We had the gnocchi and fungi pizza. Wine on tap! Fried cheese ball special was outstanding, as was the mixed green salad.
(5)Martha V.
We were here twice during our visit to Pittsburgh one weekend. Our hotel was right on Market Square, and we were looking for good restaurants within walking distance. The first time we visited was for lunch and we split a pizza - Salsicce and Rapini and it was outstanding. Wonderful, thin crust authentic pizza. The second time we needed a light night snack and sat at the bar. Il Pizzaiolo had no Cabernet (my red of choice) but the knowledgeable bartender offered me a few options and I picked one and was really happy -an Aglianico. I would definitely order it again. We split salumi - excellent stuff. The kitchen was open late on a Saturday, the service was friendly and helpful, and while there were lots of customers, seating was available. There is a wine bar upstairs, but we didn't have an opportunity to visit that part of the restaurant.
(4)Brian C.
This new place in Market Square is very good, I'm not going to say it's the best ever but you'll have a very good meal in an upscale and enjoyable atmosphere. For starters the salumi is great - although they were out of the finocchiona which was a bummer but everything we tried was great. Arancini was unfortunately okay at best - needed some sauce and just more flavor, I would definitely not order this again. The pizza however was great - it would have been nice to see something a little more out of the ordinary like the potato & rosemary pizza I love at Pizza D.O.C. in Chicago or the awesome artichoke, creme fraiche, and preserved lemon pizza I had at Donatella in NYC recently but the combinations were solid and the flavor was great. Crust was maybe a little thicker bread and less charred than most Neapolitan style pizzas but still all around tasty. If you want some pasta or even a chicken dish everything appears to be homemade and will be very good. Service on two visits was a bit on the amateur side but friendly and doing their best. The wine list is nice, and the cocktail list was surprisingly good while the drinks were well made. My colleague who hadn't eaten Neapolitan style pizzas before couldn't stop raving about how good they were. I agree, and I'll continue to frequent Il Pizzaiolo when in Pittsburgh for work.
(4)Kirsten P.
Came to Pittsburgh for a conference, and this place was just wonderful. We came here twice in just four or five days.
(5)Greg A.
Great night with excellent food! The pizza meatball appetizer and calamari are incredible! Keep making it happen like this. We will return.
(5)Anthony R.
Had the veal chop. Good piece of meat priced to please at $34. Only down side is they do not ask you how you want it prepared. It comes medium. I would have liked it med rare.
(4)Michael B.
We went there last week to celebrate my sons 16th birthday. This was his choice, since they get to pick the place on their day. We all love the original so we figured this would be good, but could it be as good as Mt Lebo? Suprise, maybe better!. We always start with the vegetable antipasta and this time they ordered the calamari also.Both were perfect.Then they ordered the D.O.C, the diablo and the lasagna.But even though I loved all those the main thing I wanted was their eggplant.You might not know it, but they have the best eggplant in the city ! I am kinda a fanatic about eggplant and order it everywhere we go.The only one that compares is this restaurant from Venice. Il Pizzaiolo is obviously a lot closer! As for the service: oustanding! I think our server"s name was Vincenza, assisted by another server named Kyle. Hopefully we get their section again. Which should be soon. Real soon
(5)Robert B.
Incredible food (4-5 stars). Horrendous service(0-1 stars). Let me preface this by saying, I never felt the need to continue a comment about poor service on Yelp, until now. Not only was the aloof and ditzy server completely in attentive and disrespectful, but there was zero communication between her, the kitchen and the remaining staff regarding specials. Oh, and if you want your pizza cut, good luck with that. The pizza arrives uncut with no explanation as to why, and more importantly no utensils, other than the dull knife and fork you get for your meal, to cut the pizza with. Is this ridiculous or is it just me?? The only reason we found out about the reason the pizza was not cut was because was asked. Solid. And to save you the trouble of asking, it's because it is a very special style of pizza that they refuse to cut because they do not want the sauce to soak into the crust during the 5 second walk from the oven to the table. They would rather you spend 10 minutes trying to cut it and ruin it yourself. I could go on and on about how the drinks took forever, and it took asking three different waiters to check on them for one of them to finally realize they were never put in, but I think you get the picture. My advice: Get the food to go and bring a pizza cutter with you.
(3)Kavi S.
Service is horrible! Messed up my friends order, served her something with meat when she got a vegetarian meal. It was in the sauce, perhaps the kitchen was just a bit sloppy. So we took our take out order outside and decided to eat while we waited. 15 mins later a waiter came by with the replacement meal, no apologies and said "Just for future reference, we don't allow you to eat on premises when you have a take out order." Are you kidding me! We are waiting because of your mistake and then you're saying we can't sit!. Ridiculous. The girl at the bar was very curt and then was throwing a semi fit, could see through the windows. I suppose it was we were sitting outside ON PREMISES. The food is pretty good, but not the best. Pizza was chewy, which was a little disappointing. Mozzarella is fantastic. Was recommended by a Pittsburgh native who says the Mt. Lebanon was is better. Would go there, never here until they get some new staff.
(2)Mike S.
A favorite restaurant with the same quality as the Mt. Lebanon location. Great pizza and wine bar. One of the best restaurants in downtown.
(5)Neal R.
Most authentic Italian restaurant outside of Italy. Went to Italy last summer and have been craving 2 things: pizza and espresso. Both are as close as you can get at this place. Brick oven pizza is absolutely incredible. My server - I think her name was Sarah - was super professional, helpful and fun. Great night overall. Great upstairs bar. Made for an amazing date night.
(5)Patty B.
had great bellini's, calamari was pretty good, pizza was very good - nice light crust, high quality ingredients.
(4)Snow W.
The bar upstairs is the perfect place to get "after work" drinks. It is definitely an upscale restaurant with a casual atmosphere. I do miss some menu items from the original though! They are similar but not the same restaurant.
(4)Anna M.
My aunt and I went here for dinner on Thursday (third day open!) and it was great! We ordered the the Antipasto Napoli ~ 8 types of cold cooked and seasoned vegetables to start with and paired it with La Fin Du Monde. Each veggie has its own taste and cooking method. It was easy and fun to share. Although we were trying to be healthy by ordering the vegetables, I have to wonder. Next we ordered the Prosciutto E Arugula Pizza. It was eleven inches of heaven. The crisp and chewy dough was fire oven cooked with mozzarella and sliced cherry tomato, than placed on top after cooking (I think) were handfuls of arugula and thin slices of fresh prosciutto. The waitress said this was her favorite pizza when she dropped it off, but I'm sure they are all good. I took my time eating because it was so good. The buildings renovations must have taken time, taste and money. At one point during my conversation we just started to list things we liked about the decor. "I like the big windows that let in all the natural light" "I like the detail on the paint job" "I like the floors" "I like that you can see the mosaic fire oven" "I like the shiny espresso machine" Needless to say the new Market street location is worth a visit.
(5)Anthony S.
Happy to be the first review at the new location! Long time fan of the Mt. Lebo spot. This one is much closer and every bit as good. Ate at the Lebo one last week, and hit this one yesterday; pizza is phenomenal. Good to see familiar faces from the other location at the one down town. Best of luck guys! Margherita DOC is all you need, but the rest of the menu is great too.
(5)Brian C.
Go to Stone Neapolitan Pizza. This place is more expensive and has a restrictive menu (if you can read it). There is no section for toppings. You can taste the wood fire in the pizza. I'm not saying it was good but you can taste it. It was interesting. Their potato stuffed with cheese was tasty with an interesting texture (not sure of the Italian name). The service was good. The location is good too, but if I was in Market Square I would choose a few other restaurants over this place. I won't be back.
(2)Carlin C.
Food is good, but service is absolutely pitiful. We had a table for 10 (after fighting with them to get 2 tables pushed together) and they were unable to split the checks more than 3 ways. After we agreed that this was going to have to suffice, it took 35 minutes to get our check and it was wrong. Once she finally got it right 20 minutes later, she told us that it was going to take a while because of how we are paying (which was via credit card). She then proceeded to tell us it was OUR FAULT and took another 40 minutes to figure it out. There were 3 other people in the entire restaurant, sitting at the bar talking to the other bartender, who was not helping our waitress. There were 5 staff members that just stood there and watched as our waitress struggled. I will never go here again and neither will the 10 people I went with last night. The fact that it was a Tuesday night, with no one in the place and they couldn't get this right is embarrassing. I will make it a point to tell everyone not to come here when they are in the area for a play, etc. There are plenty of other restaurants in this area that will treat you better for the price.
(1)Perry E.
My girlfriend and I decided to give Il Pizzaiolo a try before a show downtown. Upon arrival we were seated outside, let our server know about the show, and ordered drinks. The menu looked very appealing, but would be hard to decipher if you're not a foodie or Italian. There were several instances where I had to translate. We decided to order a pizza and ravioli. The pizza tasted fresh, with quality ingredients, but was fairly traditional otherwise. It was a little strange that they didn't cut the pizza, though. The ravioli was also good, but not overly inspiring. At this point, we began to have trouble finding our server. We had to flag her down as she was about to go back inside after serving another table. We ordered the tiramisu for dessert and it did not disappoint. This was probably the highlight of our meal. We again had trouble finding our server afterwards to pay, though. Overall, Il Pizzaiolo serves pretty decent food, but I'm not quite sure that it's worth going back for due to the prices compared to other italian places and the quality of service.
(3)Mark H.
We came here for dinner during the week while in town for a conference. Overall, we had a positive experience. The service was good, despite it being very busy. We ordered the meatball app, the Salsicce pizza and the chicken scarpariello. Everything was fine, but certainly nothing to rave over. Given all of the other restaurants we visited that week, we would say that Il Pizzaiolo was well above average. The only real downside was the extremely cramped seating arrangements and the high noise level which made normal conversation next to impossible. If Yelp would let me, I'd rate Il Pizzaiolo 3.5 stars - which is better than "A-OK".
(3)Elizabeth Z.
The food was amazing -- my boyfriend and I each had a pizza. And the iced tea is amazing. Unfortunately, we were seated at a very tiny table in the middle of the room, and the servers kept walking by and walking into us. The table wasn't big enough for food and drinks, and our server spent more time on her cell phone than at our table. Definitely a busy place on a Saturday night. Outside seating is adorable.
(3)Andrew S.
The best pizza in PGH. By far. Expensive and you need reservations for lunch but worth it. Not your typical pizza, more euro in approach. Definitely try it.
(5)Jonathan P.
Food was really good, view of market street from second floor was nice, however slow service (10 minutes waiting for the coffee to be made)
(3)Rob O.
Great place. I have been to the Market Square location twice and each time was fantastic. I have had the lasagna and gnocchi and both were amazing.
(4)Susan S.
The food is very good. The service is beyond horrible! Such a shame would love to go back but just can't handle the terrible service
(2)Rachel H.
I have enjoyed Il Pizzaiolo for many lunches since it has opened in Market Square, but unfortunately they have now lost my business for any future meals. I made a reservation via Open Table for our work holiday lunch several days in advance. I then received a call from an Il Pizzaiolo employee 4 hours prior to our reservation telling me that they had no availability and that my reservation had been canceled due to over booking. The employee took no ownership of the error and repeated over and over that it was an Open Table error. This may as well be true and I fully respect that mistakes happen however, I would have expected some level of good customer service on the part of the employee. In my opinion, the restaurant should take ownership of the error with the customer and work out the problem with Open Table separately. Not only did she not offer any other reservation times or some type of remuneration towards a future meal as a way to maintain my business but the employee was rude and disrespectful on the phone. I have had better customer service at a fast food restaurant. Unfortunately due to one employee's behavior, Il Pizzaiolo has now lost my future business.
(1)Osama A.
Just finished eating! This is the WORST pizza that I have ever had! I'm going to eat something else now to change the taste in my mouth! Nothing is good about the pizza! The waiter was so proud about their wines and they forgot the pizza word in their restaurants name!
(1)Glenn C.
30 bucks for a caesar salad and pizza is no bargain. They charged 2 dollars per topping so my pizza was 21 dollars. Pizza was good. Lots of mushrooms but few pepperonis. First time here. Small restaurant that was very noisy. No room upstairs. I had to sit at the bar. It was annoying that the servers kept bumping into me. Ice cubes were extra for my water. Just kidding had to ask for them. Salad dressing was too heavy and ditto for the bread. Bar prices are very high.
(3)Chris S.
Simply one of the best meals I've ever had. I had the Italian Wedding soup with five awesome, homemade meatballs. Then had the lasagna, with homemade egg noodles and sausage. To finish off we had a shoebox-sized piece of tiramisu. They also have a wide variety of craft beers from Italy. The service was awesome, it's in the heart of downtown. And, for the quality, a great value. Will be there again for sure.
(5)Zachary A.
I loved the Mt. Lebanon location and I love the downtown location. This place is a true gem and I don't believe until the new culinary renaissance (there, I said it) in Pittsburgh, did a place like II Pizzaiolo get the attention and growth it truly deserved. They have so many fresh pastas and at prices that make sense. Also, the downtown location has outdoor seating that makes Market Square sparkle like a Lower East Side cafe. If you haven't experienced the new vibe that is budding in Market Square, then you're totally missing out. Get out of the "east end only" mentality and make your way back downtown, to the south, etc.
(4)MaryAlice R.
I went here before attending a Pittsburgh Symphony concert and it ended up being a fantastic evening. I got the Paccheri All'Amatriciana pasta dish and it was delicious! It had a little bit of a kick to it, but it was not too much or too little. I also had a glass of wine to go along and it went perfectly with the pasta dish. This place for me is a special event kind of place since the prices are a little high for my liking. However, I am sure I will be back eventually and will probably try the pizza.
(4)Kelsey S.
The pizzas here are delicious. Very light and fresh. My favorite pasta dish is the gnocchi. Their wine list is HUGE and they also have a ton of imported Italian beers. A little on the pricey side, a mushroom pizza will run you $17.00, and I was able to eat the whole thing! My only complaint is that they don't carry Bud Light or ranch dressing, two things I must have with pizza!
(3)Adam L.
Great pizza with even better tomato sauce ! Although pricey and small portioned. I had the veal chop which was very good but a little on the salty side. The service was fantastic and they had a lot of interesting drink options. I would go back for the pizza.
(4)Lauren H.
Try the breaded mozzarella appetizer. The mozzarella and pasta is homemade in house daily. You will be ruined for mozzarella sticks after this. Both my meal and my boyfriends were amazing. We are from Chicago and therefore pretty picky about Italian food, and this place is an A+. Outstanding food and service. Brett was incredibly helpful with my dietary restrictions, and provided excellent service.
(5)Elizabeth M.
This place is a great authentic Italian eatery right in the heart of downtown in Market Square! We had the special appetizer of the evening, zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and then fried. They were so delicious I would have gladly downed a whole plate of them as my meal. I shared a pizza with my mother. We got the margherita, so nothing out of the ordinary, but it was nonetheless delicious. I think I still prefer Mercurio's pizza over Il Pizzaiolo, but it's nice to have two great authentic pizzeria restaurants within our great city! For dessert, I had the chocolate cake with chocolate gelato and it was so so decadent and rich. I thought I was only going to have a bite or two, but ended up scarfing down nearly the whole thing. Yum yum.
(5)Amanda V.
I went for lunch and was not impressed. The decor of the restaurant was nice and clean but the food was just okay. I had the margarita pizza which was very pricey for a personal pizza on lunch. There was very little fresh mozzarella to the point you didn't get to enjoy cheese. I had two piece of fresh basil on the entire pie. The basil flavor should be in every piece or every other at least. The crust was also not crispy once you got the center of the pizza. I can't say I will be going back for the pizza. You can definitely get better pizza for a better price elsewhere.
(2)Amy B.
The appetizers are great (calamari, mussels, buffalo mozzarella, meatballs)!!! BUT the pizza for being a certified member of the American Italian AVP Napoletana. WAS PATHETIC... it was soggy, floppy, and no taste... (should be soft, flavorful, etc...) this was my 2nd attempt to try at their downtown location, compared to Mt. Lebanon and same result....disappointment. Pathetic and why have a brick oven if that's the final product. Great selection however for a simple menu though.... veal, chicken, fish..... stick with those and the appetizers. :)
(3)Heather F.
One of my favorite restaurants downtown. I have been here numerous times since 2013. Friday or Saturday nights, after work, weekday lunches, I've been there. Sometimes I make reservations which I think is recommended if you know in advance you want to go there. Other times I have walked in, and have been seated relatively quickly, but I definitely recommend reservations if you have a large party. Service is always friendly and quick. The food has always been consistently good. It is not overly fussy or complicated. Simple, but good. I have had the margarita pizza many times, and a few of the pasta dishes as well. This summer I had the roasted vegetable salad which is more of a vegetable plate/platter many times and it was always very fresh and delicious. The prices are a bit on the higher side, but the atmosphere and good food are well worth it. I also enjoy their wine selection and the Roman Mule which is their take on a Moscow Mule is also good. Also important to note, they have a handful of vegetarian options, and some of the pasta dishes are vegan as well. I never expect someone to cater to me and I rarely ask for something to be made vegetarian or vegan, so I always appreciate when a restaurant has vegan and vegetarian options already on the menu. I was told their house made pasta is not vegan though, fyi. Only negative is the upstairs is only accessed via stairs, there is no elevator for customers in a wheel chair. But there is a good amount of seating down stairs. I always recommend this place to visitors and friends, I hope it stays in market square for a long time.
(5)Mihaela C.
My Italian boyfriend wanted to take his parents to get some pizza. They obviously know a thing or two about pizza, so he picked this place based on recommendations about the quality of the pizza. We walked in on a Sunday night at 7:00 pm and got seated right away without a reservation. The weather was beautiful and we got a table on the patio. Great start to a meal! Everybody else at the table got pizzas (Margherita, Funghi and Diavola). Prices are a little on the high side, $18 ish. Everybody liked the pizza, so, it was worth it. I ordered mussels, unknowing how rude and unprofessional out waitress Barbara was going to be. One of the reasons I order mussels is because I love to dip the bread in the sauce. The menu doesn't mention per sei that there is bread included, but I have never had a bowl of mussels without bread. When the mussels arrive, I get no fork for the mussels or a bowl for the shells. No problem, I use my regular fork and the side plate we were given in the beginning. When Barbara comes around, I ask for some bread. She tells me that someone dropped the wrong kind of bread (rolls) this morning and they don't have any. Ok, no problem. I ask if I can have one of those rolls or some plain pizza dough. Before even asking the kitchen she tells me that they prepare the dough in a special way and that I probably can not have any because they have to make sure they have enough for pizza. She comes back a minute later and she tells me that I can't have any. I kindly told her that she should have told me in the beginning they don't have any bread for the mussels and I would have ordered something else. She told me she doesn't take her mussels with bread, so she didn't think it was a big deal that they were out of bread. Then she said they will have bread tomorrow. I said, that's great, but I won't be here tomorrow, she looked me straight in the eye, said OK with an annoyance in her voice and walked away. When she came around again, I asked for a bowl for my shells, her response was: "They were supposed to give you one!", well lady, you are my server, you are supposed to make sure I got one. I was a server as well, and I know that when a restaurant is half way decent, they first off, tell you when something is not available, offer a substitute or a discount. None of these were offered by Barbara, instead we got an attitude. At the end we asked if we can get a discount because my dish was incomplete, she said she asked the manager which said no, because it doesn't say on the menu it comes with bread. If it weren't for my boyfriends' parents there, I would have asked to talk to the manager, but I didn't want to cause a fuss. Also, it wasn't for the few dollars discount I was looking for, it was for the principle of such bad service and not letting customers know before they order that they were out of bread. Btw - I got the mussels in spicy marinara, and they were good. Too bad I wasn't able to enjoy too much of the sauce, just some with the outer crust from my boyfriend's pizza. So, if you run out of pizza dough do you not tell people you did and you bring the rest of the ingredients baked on a plate and tell them you didn't think it was important because you are on a carb free diet? For the prices that you have on the menu, there is a minimum service level required, which was not delivered. I have to agree with other reviews that your service is bad. Your location will get you the tourists customers, but not repeat local customers if you don't train your wait staff. Service and Professionalism: 0 stars Food: 4 stars Recommended: No
(2)Arin S.
I should start by saying that although I live in the South, I grew up in the Midwest, so the sticky-sweet honey-darling attentiveness of Southern waitresses is often more off-putting to me than charming. Thankfully (?), our waitress had none of that. We arrived for lunch just before 3pm, so it wasn't busy, and were given a nice table next to the patio doors. We did have with us a five-year-old, but he's a quiet one, and given that there were only three other diners in the whole place, and that we bought him an $18 pizza, I hardly think this should explain the attitude from the server. In fact, I'm not even sure she knew she was being rude, but after rolling her eyes at the little one's request for pepperoni (which they had anyway), responding to another of our party's request not to have whole leaves of basil on her pizza with, "There are only two or three leaves on it anyway. You can pick them off," and responding to a request to see a coffee menu after dinner with, "We don't have *coffee*; we have espresso. And we don't have a coffee menu," (in Italy, it's all 'caffé', and the options had clearly been listed in one of the dinner menus she had taken away earlier), we decided to go somewhere else for dessert, to give her back her empty table that she so evidently coveted. Lovely pizza, reminiscent of my time in Italy. Irritating service.
(3)Amy S.
My fiancé's sister took us there for dinner this weekend to celebrate just getting engaged and WOW! I had been here once in the past. I was actually at the original one in Mt. Lebanon years ago and remember loving it but for whatever reason I hadn't gone back until this weekend. I really don't know why and it most definitely won't be 5ish years before I go again. I got the Quattro Fromaggio pizza -or something like that. It was delicious. Both my fiancé and his sister got a gnocchi dish with different sauces. The gnocchi melted in your mouth, it was so good. Our appetizer was absolutely delicious. I forget what it was called. It was a cheesy bread concoction, so good. I really don't think you could go wrong here with whatever you order. This place knows good Italian food.
(5)Eric T.
Top notch Italian food in the heart of the city. Started with the fried mozzarella with pesto and marinara. Without question, the best I've ever had. Then had a very tasty Mista salad. After reading other reviews, I knew it would be an 'on top of old smokey' meatball night. I went with the old school rigatoni with marinara and meatballs. The meatballs were as tender and good as others had said. The portion was generous and pasta cooked to perfection...with just the right snap when I bit down. No mush mounds being served here. My 21 year old son was just as impressed. He had the margarita pizza with meatball. I sampled a piece after seeing the big pizza oven and reading the rave reviews. The crust was especially good. Crisp with a hint of sweetness. The service was also excellent. Our server, Casey, (a Cameron Diaz look-a-like) checked on us throughout our meal.
(5)Laura H.
I am very torn here-the food was a very solid 4 stars but the service was maybe 2 stars (more like 1.5) at best (and that is coming from someone who waited tables all through college so I am more than patient and understanding). The only thing really going in my server's favor from last night was that our party of 6 was going to the Cabaret (to see Girls Only-which I HIGHLY recommend by the way) and he did get us out of there by 7:15, just enough time to walk over before the show. Let me go into further detail...... Our party of 6 had 6:00pm reservations and we were seated promptly upon arrival in the upstairs area. Market Square offers a valet service for (I believe) $7. I'd highly suggest using it given the parking situation in the area. Our party of six was put at, what appeared to me, to be a table more suitable for 4 people and we were situated right by the stairs. We didn't even have enough room for the bottle of water to stay on the table once our meals arrived. My mom and I were the 4th and 5th people out of our party of 6 to arrive, and we were told my the other three women that they had been sitting there for at least 10 minutes without so much as a greeting from waitstaff. Our 6th person arrived approximately 10 minutes after my mother and I and only then did our server (I wish I could remember his name-all I remember is the distinctive tattoo on his neck and I'd prefer not to identify him in that manner) come over to ask if we wanted sparkling or still water. We had been looking at the menus for quite some time already (timeline described above) and clearly wanted to order an appetizer as well as wine. My mom's friend started speaking and what did the server do- he interrupted her speaking and said, "Hold on a minute and I will be right back." We were pretty floored. He didn't come back in a minute, however, it was a full 7 minutes later!!! And, nothing against smokers because I smoked at one point too, but he came back reeking of cigarettes to the point that it was pretty nasty-and I rarely say that since I used to have that habit myself. At that point he took our drink orders (coffee, 2 glasses of red, and 2 of white), and AGAIN, my mom's friend attempted to order an appetizer and he scurried off while she was speaking! He took at least another 7 minutes to bring over our drinks. Then we FINALLY got to hear the specials that evening. At this point, we were beyond ready to order to make our show, so with a couple of modifications due to the specials we ordered (family style and shared): the pizza special of the day which was a pancetta and fig pizza with a balsamic drizzle and zucchini flowers (we had this cut into 6 so each of us could have a slice. I could have eaten the entire thing myself, it was VERY good!), the Ricotta gnudi (the other special for Wednesday that came in a sage butter sauce. Besides the pizza, this was the next favorite item at our table.), the cavatelli rapini ( Sausage, Rapini, Garlic,White Wine, Pecorino, Olive Oil), the pollo limone (Chicken Breast, Lemon, White Wine, Parsley, Butter), the PARMIGIANA MELANZANE (Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella, Marinara, Parmigiano, Basil), and the VITELLO PARMIGIANO (Veal Cutlet, Fresh Mozzarella, Marinara, Spaghetti, Parmigiano). The cavatelli was cooked perfectly al dente (per the server it was homemade pasta), the sausage was spicy yet not overpowering too. I only had a small piece of the pollo limone but the lemon butter sauce was quite juicy and flavorful. The eggplant parm tasted as if it was fresh out of the backyard garden! The sauce was perfectly seasoned with basil and the eggplant was plentiful. The veal parm was very tender and I enjoyed the sauce but was not impressed with the spaghetti pasta, which I do not believe was made on premises. Our pizza came out very quickly as did our entrees. We cleaned every plate; as I said, the food was excellent last night. When he asked about checks he split it up 6 ways, even though we said there were two "couples" that could be put together and then two single women. He gave a check to my mom's friend's daughter who CLEARLY did not look an age where she would be paying her own tab. Then he took FOREVER to run the credit cards through-at least 10 minutes. When dining out, I expect service to be on par with the price tag, and this service was in no way worth the $180 price tag of the meal. Although we were all disappointed in the service we received, our meals were quite tasty. When we were leaving, we noticed other servers bringing bread to their tables-yet another thing our server failed to do, which would have been quite appreciated given the lengthy wait for him to take our orders. I would come back here for the food, however, if I received this server again, I would politely ask the host/hostess for a different section to sit in.
(3)Michael K.
Perhaps I chose unwisely from their menu but the sausage pizza I ordered (Salsiccia) was just OK. I would have preferred it to have been cooked a little more crispy and found it a little soggy. I was overwhelmed in a good way though with their offering of beers and most of them Italian to boot. I ended up with a Moretti La Rossa in a bottle that I had never sampled before and loved it. Arriving before 6pm, the place was mostly empty and I had no trouble snagging a downstairs table without a reservation. My server took a while to "find" me initially but after that service was fine. Prices were a little on the high side but I kept everything under my T&E threshold and was fine with it.
(3)John Z.
There's better Italian food out there! To start, Italians are famous for bread and pasta, this place had neither . Bread tasted like it came off the super market shelf, not even olive oil could make it better. My wife had the Gnocchi which were suppose to be home made. Again the tasted like the came out of a bag or frozen, definitely not fresh! I had the Veal Parm. Breading was soggy, soaked in oil and over done. The Spaghetti was too Al Dente and overwhelmed with sauce, I couldn't even finish my meal which says a lot for me . Trust me, we have had better Italian food!
(2)Bus Driver I.
First of all, Nice place. Great patio and wonderful service. Ordered the Calamari Arrabbiata style with a glass of 2011 Aglianico Terredora. Excellent.... Insalata Salmone next... Even Better ! Finished with the Tiramisu. . Outstanding..... Ask for Jeremy, he'll walk you through the wines and the menu. I'll be back....
(5)Hilary H.
What a lovely spot for an al fresco lunch! Il Pizzaiolo is as authentic Italian as I've had in Italy -- the menu reads like one I ordered from in Taormina, the pizza taste like those I've had in Rome... Il Pizzaiolo is impressive, and if you're a fan of Italian fare, you won't be disappointed in this spot. My girl and I sat down for a celebratory lunch, popped a few glasses of prosecco and went to town on the amazing special of the day, Burratta. Sure, it was $20 but it was $20 so well spent -- happiness on a place, I tell ya. It was fresh, slightly firm, incredibly creamy and so deliciously cheesy I cannot even find the words to accurately describe it. The fact that it was paired with the freshest-of-the-season heirloom tomatoes and a drizzle of slightly tangy olive oil made me swoon. I was impressed with the service, too. Our waiter was attentive and sweet, and totally got that we were in for a fun experience. He helped us choose a pizza and checked in regularly to see that we were happy and everything was to our liking. He was really excellent, along with everything else. As I mentioned, we sat outside overlooking the square, so while I didn't spend much time in the actual restaurant, it was energetic, casually classy and very reminiscent of European eateries I've been to. It was bustling, pleasantly noisy and lively. Definitely check Il Pizzaiolo out if you've a hankering for fresh pizza, great Italian food and a fun time. You won't be disappointed!
(5)Delaney C.
We went here for the first time last night and it was nothing short of amazing. Walking in, you are hit with an awesome atmosphere and amazing smells. We made a reservation and were seated in an awesome table upstairs. Shortly after we were seated, our waiter, Brian, came to our table and asked if we had dined at Il Pizzaiolo before. We both said no. Brian gave a history of the restaurant, and told us how all of the food is imported weekly from Italy. He then gave us an in depth run down of the menu, going through each category of food and explaining every dish. He made awesome recommendations on food and wine. For the wine, we told him the kind that we usually drink, and he recommended a reasonably priced bottle that we both ended up loving. For food, we started with the Insalata Caprese which was amazing. The cheese tasted so fresh it almost melted in your mouth. For my meal, I had the Margherita DOC pizza which was made in a woodfired oven and tasted authentic. My boyfriend had the Rigatoni Con Polpette which he loved- and i obviously had to try. It was arguably some of the best sauce I've had. And they spoiled him with 6 meatballs in the dish. Both of us were very happy with our meals. The awesome atmosphere combined with amazing food, and outstanding service from our waiter Brian has definitely put Il Pizzaiolo on our list of favorite restaurants. We will definitely be back! Oh and I forgot to mention, the food makes great leftovers! :)
(5)Kristy A.
On my go-to list from now on! This place is bigger than it first appears, with a dining room and bar upstairs. I loved the decor on both floors, but it was the food that makes me want to go back again and again. I sampled the mixed greens salad, the bread, the Margherita pizza, and the prosciutto pizzas. The salad was the only thing I wouldn't write home about. The bread is a soft pillow of deliciousness. I couldn't resist. Both pizzas were flavorful, with crispy crusts and a great sauce. Word to the wise though - they come uncut unless you specifically ask them to cut it. We topped the whole thing off with some white wine (couldn't tell you what kind since I suck at Italian wines). My only real complaint is that while there were open at lunchtime on a Sunday, they don't have a lunch menu. Our bill for two people splitting the food listed above came to over $100 ($44 of which was wine).
(5)D T.
Cannot get enough of this place! When I read a bad review on here, all I can say is, "You do not know real Italian food.". If you love chain pizza stores and think that is real pizza, then you will not like Il Pizzaiolo. Every time I go to the Downtown location, the service is perfect and the food is exceptional. This is exactly how my Grandparents made pizza, sadly without the wood oven. I believe I have eaten just about everything on the menu and I think the only thing I was disappointed in was a dessert. But go figure, they didn't make it. Enjoy!
(4)Jim S.
I realize that my original review of this place was pretty scathing and I'm glad to see that my experience does not seem to be the norm based on other Yelp reviewers. I'll rescind all the gory details and leave the following instead: The food was ok. The service we had was terrible. We expected better for a place with a pretty pricey menu. We probably won't be going back.
(2)Natosha D.
Where to begin with this place.... Unprofessional is an understatement. I've been here twice. On my first visit, I went to a business dinner. I am in a professional dinner with colleagues and a random waiter starts stalking my table and finally drops off a note :: photo attached. Hitting on me!! Asking me out - circle YES OR NO. Why do you even have time - you're at work and I'm doing business!! I wasso so so embarrassed! Thanks Il Pizzaiolo!!! Next, I decide to try lunch. HUGE mistake. The Il Pizzaiolo was empty. A few people at the bar. Multiple staff members. We were bumped between 3 different servers. Ordered meatballs as an appetizer - our 2nd waiter/bartender drops them off stating they are the "freshest, hottest meatballs in town!" - a blatant lie. We didn't even eat one full meatball. The food was OK, we did eat a little of our meals. EVEN BAD PIZZA IS GOOD. While we were waiting for our bill, from our third waitress, we observed a group of il pizzaiolo employees (including our third waitress), criticizing the undergarment choices of a hostess. Apparently she wasn't permitted to wear the black bra straps with the open back, then she changed that and came back and they told her that her dress was see through...so she changed again. All observed while waiting for the check. Completely done eating....FINALLY, I see a moment of clarity as our waitress remembers us in the corner, the ONLY patrons in the whole Il Pizzaiolo As I leave I ask for a manger - after I already paid my check and tipped my server - it took about 10 or so minutes to find him. He then informed me that my opinion was "interesting" as they "do not ever receive complaints." After responding that this is highly unlikely and I'm just trying to give feedback to help - he promptly told me he doesn't need to listen to this type of stuff from "people like you" - black, female, not in my usual business clothes? What is a people like me? Never ever ever going back.
(1)Danielle K.
We stopped into Il Pizzaiolo while in Pittsburgh over the weekend and I was very impressed! We started with the spicy calamari and a Caesar salad. The calamari was among the best that I have ever had - it tasted fresh, crispy and just slightly spicy and its also a pretty large portion. The Caesar salad was just ok, olives were a nice touch. The complimentary bread that is brought out with oil and vinegar is probably best skipped. It's just plain white, flavorless bread and they're probably doing you a favor by not serving amazing bread that you'll just fill up on. For my entree, I ordered the Pappardelle Funghi, which was amazing. I also tried a bite of the meatballs, which were very tender and tasted as if they were stuffed with a delicious cheese. They also have a wide variety of pizzas. I thought the prices were fair. I would certainly recommend this restaurant to others traveling to Pittsburgh and will make sure to visit again when I can!
(5)Joaquin M.
The calamari was good.... The marinara sauce is to die for and so is the mozzarella cheese... Service is good . Now the cons.... The gnocchi tasted as it came from the supermarket isle.... Not good at all.... The pizza.... Where is the cheese ?!?!?!? The cokes.... They sell these tiny coke bottles... So we probably had 3 each.... And the dessert we saw the tiramisu it looked amazing!!! But our big mouths said we wanted to have some gelato and they told us they have gelato.... Gelato $9 for 3 scoops.... It Tasted as regular frozen burn ice cream.... Not gelato.... I will not be coming back here.....
(2)Madeline N.
My friends and I chose Il Pizzaiolo for our annual mother/daughter dinner this year. During college, we started a tradition that once a year we get together (four friends and each of our moms) to eat yummy food and catch up with each other. Seeing as this was our fifth mother/daughter dinner and our past four years had all been wonderful choices, we wanted to make sure we kept up with the streak. Fortunately, we were successful yet again! We were seated upstairs, which had a very nice atmosphere! The windows kept the room very light and the volume was low enough that we were able to talk to each other comfortably. We had heard poor reviews about the service, but we did not have any problems. Our waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. He moved at a more relaxed pace, but because we were so busy catching up, the pace was perfect for us. The food was pricey, but it was delicious! There were so many items on the menu that I wanted to try, but I decided to order the spinach ricotta gnocchi (the special pasta of the day for Wednesdays on their menu) and I loved it! It was a decent portion, but I wanted more! Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal. We were also all happy with our drinks! I would definitely recommend to others in the mood for good Italian food.
(4)Sheila B.
This has become one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh. It's perfect for group outings, special occasions, or just grabbing a bite to eat late at night. It has a casual, rustic feel to it with solid wood tables, subway tile behind the upstairs bar, and of course the beautiful wood burning oven. The food is by far the star here. The calamari is fresh, crispy and just delicious. The wood-fired pizzas have that delicious sweet dough that is so well known and loved from the caramelization process created in the intense heat of the wood fired oven. The toppings are exquisite. Unfortunately, that did recently take their Burata pizza off the menu. The Burata cheese would melt on the pizza creating a pseudo cheesy cream sauce that was out of this world. I think I'm drooling... Don't worry though! The Burata pizza may be no more, but any of the others are also delicious! The prosciutto makes the stuff you get at the average store look like shoe leather. It's salty, tender and melts in your mouth. Oh and the pizza is not the only star at this place. The pasta is OMG good as well! At my recent visit I had the gnocchi which were light, delicious pillows of goodness in your mouth. Yep, I'm definitely drooling :-) If you're looking for a tasty beverage to enjoy with your meal, have no fear! They have all sorts of Italian imported beers, various beers on tap, and bottled craft beers. Try the Anchorsteam beer, because what is better in this world than a good beer with an even better pizza? The service is also something to tout about at this place. During my most recent visits, Brian was our server and did an outstanding job. Have a question about a cheese, an Italian meat, or a beer? He knows the answer and will help you find something you'll enjoy. His expertise definitely made the hard decision of what to order much easier. Overall, I will be here again and again!
(5)Jenni H.
Another great visit at this restaurant ! We came for dinner for my fiancé's birthday. We sat upstairs (which is adorably charming ). Matthew was our server, he was excellent and so was the food ! I had the pappardelle with mushrooms and cream sauce, he had the linguine with seafood ! We loved everything and will be making the drive from greensburg to come again !
(5)Rissa D.
So....where to begin.... This place is extremely overpriced. I got a margarita pizza. It was a 4 cut and $18!? Wait what?! Yes, you heard correctly. $18. Way to pricey for a 4 cut pizza no matter how you cook it. The rest of my party got pasta. Which was even more expensive than my pizza and the serving size wasn't even that large. Additionally, I have a food allergy and couldn't eat any of the appetizers except the calamari. What does this tell you? They could make meatballs without the herb I'm allergic to? Well, this means that they aren't fresh. Could they be frozen? Maybe, but who actually knows. Lastly, if they lowered the prices of their food, they would be much better off.
(2)Jason H.
Food was ok. It was definitely overpriced, especially considering that there is much much better Italian food at other places in Pittsburgh for the same price point. Service was not good at all. Very little attention was paid to us. When we asked for recommendations on wine, our waiter told us that he didn't really know much about Italian wine. He actually laughed at us when we asked a question about something on the menu. When I ordered my meal using the Italian phrase (as it is on the menu), he didn't understand me. Again he laughed! There are so many better options in Pittsburgh for great food.
(2)Wil C.
This is a nice little place. Mainly staffed by college kids I would imagine, so please don't expect anything remarkable service wise. Even the bartender looked like she was just old enough to drink. And poured wine with a jigger. I kid you not. Pretty high prices, food wasn't great but wasn't terrible. Nothing really to say all too positive or negative. Yes, the gnocchi were almost perfectly done, but on the other hand my pasta was still chewy enough to almost qualify as gum. The main issue is that there are so many great traditional real Italian restaurants in Pittsburgh, I think this place is working 95% off of it's location downtown. So, cannot recommend, but if you have some time and are stuck downtown, give their gnocchi a try and let me know what you think.
(2)Nick F.
Wow, I was really impressed with their pizza here. Very good. They do it in the Italian style where the pizza is not cut into pieces but where you eat it with a fork and knife. Almost everything about this place is European style right down to serving glass bottles of Coke instead of a bottomless plastic cup (a plus if you ask me). They also had pretty decent espresso that I had after lunch. The place was not too crowded a lunch time and we were able to get back to the office in plenty of time. I would definitely go back here the next time I am in town.
(4)D D.
Went here for lunch slightly before noon on a weekday. The place wasn't too busy so we were seated within a few minutes but after seeing two servers seat other parties after us and then walk past us to give those parties water first, we left. Very disappointing experience.
(1)TheBurghSpor K.
I really love Il Pizz. The food is consistently great, the wine selection is fantastic and the atmosphere can't be beat for an Italian restaurant in the downtown Pittsburgh area. The Pizza: Let me preface with, I've been to Italy many times and my mother lived there for years, so I'd like to say I "know" pizza. I've had many variations of the pizza here and all have been solid with quality ingredients. To be honest, the pizza is just better at Piccolo Forno in Lawrenceville. Entrees: Ok so, this is MY PLACE for simple spaghetti and meatballs. This comfort food is my jam and is my go to. The sauce here is delicious and borderline drinkable. Meatballs are just right, portion is perfect and the noodles could not get more perfectly al dente. Friends of mine have also raved about the gnocchi or the cavatelli. Atmosphere: Love it. I prefer the upstairs, it feels dark and cozy. The bar is great, easy to grab a glass of wine (or 5), a great cheese plate and glass of wine. The chairs for the tables are oddly not balanced right, so watch yourself when getting up or hanging your jacket... I've seen many chairs down. So why 4 stars? While I love this place to pieces, the service has been hit or miss, borderline I want to give them 2 stars for how bad it has been. If you get the wrong bartender, they can be extremely snobby to the point that it is uncomfortable. WTF?! Italian is supposed to be welcoming and warm, and they have some serious work to do in this department. Lose the entitlement, make me feel like this is my home and I'll bounce you up to 5!
(4)J C.
I had the Margherita Doc. Pizza was good(4 stars) but .... (for reference) I say this as someone who eats at Mozza in LA, Bianco in Phoenix, and other gourmet pizza restaurants in NY...the pizza was overpriced at $18 for lunch. For what it is, it is overprices by 20-25%. Since there are apparently other high quality pizza places in Pittsburgh's downtown area, I'm surprised they get away with their prices. Service was prompt and friendly.
(3)Molly H.
I'm giving multiple level of stars to this place. I would like to give it 3.5, but I can't. Service...5. Our waiter (beyond being handsome) was excellent. Explained the menu in great detail and was very informed of all the ingredients, transport of items and depths of the wines and cocktails. Bravo! Atmosphere....4-5. Cozy, quaint. A little loud, but with the walls and flooring and amount of people tucked in here, that can happen. Food 3-4....antipasti platter. Great selection, not enough. 4 olives? Really? And, 2 pieces of bread for 6 people. Shouldn't have to ask for more. Pizza. I had the sausage and rapini. It was good. Crust is different...almost like an Indian bread. I liked. Rapini was fresh. Sausage was under flavor. Needed salt or parm within the pizza. I know the big deal from them now is that they are not cutting the pizza to maintain the integrity of the crust. Three words: CUT THE PIZZA. I don't want to shake the table cutting it and it didn't keep the crust crisp by not cutting it. Bottom was a bit soggy. Friends had pasta, ravioli, prosciutto pizza and veal. All were good. Have to say meatballs were great. Not the best, but great. We did have an appetizer of fried mozzarella balls that was heavenly. Tiramisu was okay. Price....1-2. I'm just not in to paying 15+ for a glass of wine and 18-22 for a pizza for 1-2 (maybe 2 if you get apps). I've had a 150 dollar bottle of wine and I'm telling you it's not all that different from a $25 bottle. I understand that all this food is flown in by Italian pilots humming Vivaldi, but I've had some pretty great Italian cuisine that beats this place on price by far. All in all...will I go back? Debatable.
(3)Zeribe E.
Great food good portions. Fast service. Questionable staff. I came one evening and because I didn't look the part they assumed I couldn't afford the food or maybe they didn't want my business. Only thing I didn't like upon entry.
(4)Prinzzess F.
Bartender has been talking to employees and giving them all espressos and I've been here 5mins without her asking if we wanted a drink.... (We are and have been the only customers here) Now she's sitting at a table stuffing her face. All we have had is water brought. Really? Ok she brought our pizza, asked if we needed Parmesan. And left. Done with pizza and only got water whole time. What's with Pittsburgh and pizza soup tho. Pizza was so runny it slid off into my lap. This is very similar to nearby stone but crust was way better there. And they have no staff (just a cashier) and I was still offered a beer. And the pizza was half the price there.
(2)Brian C.
The food was excellent and deserved 5 stars. However the service was rather slow so I have to give it a 4. Definitely will be going back to try the brick oven pizza.
(4)Money B.
There was a long wait to get in. Seemed like there were a lot of loud mouth italians and mobster-wanna be's. The place is pricey. I ordered margherita pizza. It looked nice but there was NOTHING great about the flavor, it was plain. Not really looking to eat her again unless they improve the flavors.
(3)Ehsan B.
From DC and will simply say there isn't a restaurant with better Italian food than this place. Everything was incredible. Meatballs, Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna, etc.
(5)Barry R.
If you remember your Italian grandmother lovingly hand making you pizza dough and noodles then you will be transferred back to her dining room at Il Pizzaiolo. We had the meatball appetizer, a personal pizza and a pasta. Everything was freshly homemade, well seasoned, and full flavored. My wife and i went on a random Thursday afternoon, and it was still so busy, you couldn't get a table without a reservation. We were promptly seated at the bar upstairs, and were immediately asked our drink order and given menus by a friendly and knowledgeable waitress. I'm not usually a huge pizza fan, but I'd heard so many good things about the pizza here that I had to try it. It completely lived up to the hype. My wife got the pasta which was fluffy, homemade, and equally delicious. All the food came out very quickly, hot from the oven. They make every effort to help workers get back on time from their lunch break. They also had an impressive fine liquor, wine, and beer list, including belgium classics Chimay and Hoegaarden on tap. Whether you're going for the fast, excellent service, the drink selection, the pleasant atmosphere, or some of the best Italian food you'll find anywhere (including Venice), Il Pizzaiolo is a perfect choice. It seems so wonderful for all occasions, it's tempting to head here for every meal, but there is one drawback. Premium pizza has a punishing price. Our lunch (1 personal pan pizza, 1 pasta, 1 shared appetizer, no drinks or dessert) was $50 with tip. If you're willing to settle for more pedestrian fair, that's the price of 10 foot long subway italian sub lunches at the subway less than 100 feet away. From that perspective it's not a great lunchtime value. Il Pizzaiolo also does not offer happy hour specials (They're busy all the time, so there's no incentive for them to discount). On the other hand, despite taking great pride in being cheap, I absolutely feel like we got our money's worth. For a special occasion, Il Pizzaiolo offers a flawless italian dining experience, and while I didn't used to think a personal pizza could be worth $18, Il Pizzaiolo's really is that good. I heard from a friend the eggplant parmigiano is even better and I'm already on the hunt for the next special occasion that justifies going back for secondi!
(5)Akshatha R.
After walking around the Pittsburgh downtown for a while, we decided to get some Italian food. A good cozy, crowded place in the Market Square. Great service. I ordered the meatless Gnocci, which was delicious. My husband did not like his food so much. Loved their Tiramisu.
(4)Faith A.
I love me some Il Pizzaiolo... Everything about our date night here was pretty awesome. It was a Friday night, we had a reservation so we were promptly taken to our table, the service was great, and the food and wine were delicious. We went with the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo... so good I tracked it down at a wine store in NY and will pick up a few (much more cost effective bottles) bottles when I am working in the Buffalo area. We had apps and salads and I do not recall exactly which ones, so I am sorry that I am at a loss here. I will say that my margherita pizza and my husband's gnocchi were two of the best things I have ever eaten. He loved the tiramisu too (a close second to Groceria Italiana's I believe). There is nothing that I dislike about this place. I cannot wait to come back and this time, it is my turn to get the gnocchi (it was that good). I recommend this spot for date night :)
(5)Rachel C.
Dare I say this location is better than the Mt. Lebo one? Maybe I'll just leave it as it's both different but equal. It's really weird walking in here for me because I was in the spot when it was a flower shop. I worked right next door at the Starbucks and was friendly with the staff. But the transformation is incredible! It's really beautiful inside and surprisingly fits a lot of people. Probably because they've also opened up the upstairs as well. With dark wood and intimate lighting, it still gives off that old world charm, but has a modern twist with a fancy pants bar both upstairs and downstairs. With the absence of the Mt. Lebo patio, this spot has a more urban feel, which I also like. The hubs and I split the Quattro Formaggi (Fresh mozzarella, fontina, asiago, gorgonzola, pecorino romano, extra virgin olive oil) and the Diavola (San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh spicy salami, calabrian chili pepper, pecorino romano, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oilmozzarella) pizza. Both were equally delicious, but I think I favored the Diavola more. I liked the red sauce and slight spiciness, but it wasn't overpowering, which was great for me. Although the Quattro was also fantastic and super cheesy. It was unlike any pizza I've had before, which is a good thing. Be prepared to take a while to scan their extensive wine list. I usually recognize a handful of names, but here I only recognized Chianti. Thankfully our server helped us pick out a tasty wine (crap, I forgot it... it was red...). Make sure to make a reservation, especially on the weekend, because they get packed! I'm so happy to have this joint in town now. Although it will be hard to avoid when I'm down there now. I just want to stuff all the pizzas in my mouth!
(5)Kristin P.
I'll start with saying I'm in love with the interior of this place. The blue tile on the wood oven is gorgeous, as well as the white stone bar and table tops. I was just looking around at every detail in awe. I knew I was in for a treat! We waited until 1pm to go to lunch because I've seen the noon crowd. This proved to be a good move - we were seated right away. I got a pizza that included cherry tomato sauce, anchovy, garlic, capers, olives and basil. As soon as I took a bite, I realized how they could charge $15 for a personal sized pizza. You can tell that each ingredient is top-of-the-line. They don't mess around when it comes to quality. I want to come back and try every variety! I also want to try some of their homemade pasta. If this pizza is some reflection on the rest of the menu, I can't wait to come back!
(5)Ali C.
My fiancé and I were so excited to find this place. We love pizza and used to live in Philly were there are many delicious pizza places. The service was very good. The pizza was good but for $21 dollars I felt the argula and prosciotto pizza was a little overpriced. However, the other pizza we got for $18 was delicous and were every penny (the divalo). Last the house wine was pretty expensive for the quality. I would go back but I was just a little disappointed with the pricing for some products
(3)Maia R.
The appetizer caprese with the fresh buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto de Parma, beautiful tomato and basil was fabulous, the serving was large enough for 4 people..Pasta bolognese and pizza funghi was also very yummy. Our waiter Brian was a 5***** star, he made our whole dinning experience complete. Looking forward to going back again!
(4)Adam H.
Great pizzas for a quick lunch hour. We were in the area for work and wanted something pretty tasty but didn't have a ton of time. This place isn't fast food by any stretch but for a fresh pizza, it is pretty quick. A local friend recommended it to us and the menu looked awesome. I love an authentic style pizza and anything with prosciutto makes me happy! The pizza came out after a pretty quick wait and it looked awesome. The flavors were rich and wait for it, real! I am so sick of the canned sauces and the dried herbs used in most places. Even the "fancier" places are cutting corners. But this place was the real deal. Amazing tastes from the real ingredients. I was going to take some pizza home but that didn't last and I ate the whole thing. Oops My only complaints was that the pizza could have been a little more evenly topped. I had a small issue with the distribution of the toppings. I'm not really complaining here, just trying to explain why I only gave 4 stars. A very easily fixed problem and it didn't take away from our experience. Still very good and I will be back for sure!
(4)Laurielee T.
While this place is quite cute . The pizza is terrible and overpriced. Let me start by saying I went expecting great things from the reviews . Caesar salad , not good and soggy crust pizza . After I said I was in no hurry. And I wanted it well done . Staff was very nice but I was so disappointed . I unfortunately could not recommend it.
(1)Ashley H.
Being a HUGE fan of the Mt Lebo location, the BF and I opted to go here for our anniversary dinner before going to the Benedum to see Elf the Musical. Reservations were made, but ugh... I felt like we got the worst seat in the house. Smack dab in the middle of the floor, constantly bumped by passers by and anytime the front door opened, I experienced a huge chill. Needless to say, I dined with my winter coat on. Brrrr... Our waitress seemed nice but proved to be clueless... very unlike the Mt Lebo location - their staff never disappoint! She read the specials off her cheat sheet, but it was so loud in there we could barely hear her anyway. I told her I was debating on the dinner special she described as a hearty seafood stew with muscles, clams, fish, in a tasty broth or CAVATELLI CON RAPINI which is a favorite of mine. She paused and said she would go with the special because their fish is always fresh and being such a cold day, the stew would be lovely to warm up with. SOLD! ...Can I change my order please???? Overcooked flavorless fish that tasted like it was cooked separately from the stew itself. Ick! I am a HUGE seafood fan, but I couldn't eat this. The broth wasn't bad, but it was NOT cooked with the seafood. Plus this was anything but a hearty stew. I actually was left HUNGRY! This dish was exceptionally disappointing. The BF felt bad and thought maybe some tiramisu would make me feel better. After all, they're made in house and the Mt Lebo tiramisu is usually quite tasty. Unfortunately this one was just dry... At this point, I just wanted to leave. When our waitress finally came around after fratranizing in the back of the house (yes we saw it.... in fact, you can see all things in the back of the house from where we sat. Not cool when you see the staff goofing off...) we left. Thankfully the Benedum sold candied almonds. Highlight of my evening. Next time I want to go to Il Pizzaiolo, I'll go to the Mt Lebonon location.
(2)Giovanni S.
Almost two years into this new establishment and I can detect no deviations in service or food quality. I write this update to gently nudge people to understand what the concept is at il Pizzaiolo. Ron Molinaro, who has been at the original location in Mt. Lebanon since 1996, had a concept to create a place that is as close to authentic Neapolitan food as possible and he does a very good job at it. When I read some criticisms from self described experts....."Cut the Pizza"...or, "I've had $150 bottles of wine.".......or..."crust is different, almost like Indian bread"; or "the pizza, where is the cheese"...., "the coke bottles are too small"..."I've been to Italy, and all over the world...". The self absorbed McBurger eaters among us who could not find Italy on a map. Absolute and total ignorance by folks who have such a tremendous knowledge deficit that frankly it would be better off for them to go suck down the high fructose corn syrup and caramel color coca cola and supermarket frozen pizza that they've grown accustomed to. FYI, they serve the same coke that is served in Italy. No high fructose corns syrup. Ron wants a place that is authentic, even down to the coke he serves. It is not cheap at this place so don't complain about prices or wine, or how the pizza is made or presented or anything else. If you want cheap ingredients, lousy wine lists, pre-made pizza sauce in a can and service for the ignorant, there are many choices. The following is a 'kit' from and Italian website that will send folks everything they need to make a pizza in the style made at il Piizzaiolo: __________________________________________________Â______________ Kit Pizza CÃ Pummarola Ncoppa per preparare la migliore pizza a casa tua con i migliori prodotti del mondo. Composto da: - 500 Gr. bocconcini di Bufala DOP - Gr. 50 di Basilico - Kg. 1 San Marzano DOP - Kg. 25 Farina Caputo blu pizzeria - Num. 1 Pacchetella (Pomodorino del piennolo confezionato al naturale) Il meglio dei Pizzaioli Napoletani __________________________________________________Â______________ The above costs about $50.00 american and remember that the flour will go much farther than the buffalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes.Then again, one does not have the benefit of a $50,000 handmade wood burning oven to cook that pizza in 90-120 seconds. Of course, one could always buy a garden variety pizza oven from a second hand restaurant supply store. What's the difference, right? The point is that the ingredients are quite expensive. It would be much easier to use domestic flour, tomatoes, and cheese. But then, the purpose of the whole endeavor is defeated by cutting important items that would reduce quality, affect taste, and mute the overall experience. My point is that there should be some appreciation from the Pizza Hut crowd of what Ron Molinaro is doing and offering to the public. One thing about social media is that people just can't help pontificating and offering opinions that are without any basis of knowledge. Don't presume to criticize something you do not understand.
(5)Ali I.
Love this place. Food is amazing and it's always a really good experience. Been multiple times and never had a bad thing to say. Definitely recommend.
(5)Michaela R.
This restaurant is right in Market Square. It has two floors and some outside seating which overlooks the square. I thought the service was really good, the food didn't take very long to get. I had the margarita pizza it was really good made in a wood fired oven. For an appetizer we had breaded zuchini flowers which I wasn't really sure about, because I never had it , but it was really good. Something you should give a try.
(5)Jonathan D.
I've dined at Il Pizzaiolo numerous times; most recently on a Sunday evening with a couple visiting from New York city. We arrived at our reservation time of 8p and were seated downstairs in the back right corner. I find the seating arrangements upstairs are a bit more spacious, but they were in the process of closing the section down for the night - understandable. Service was a little shaky on this occasion. Our waiter was one I've had before and not someone that I would characterize as stellar, so we got exactly what I thought we'd get. For the restaurant being quiet, it took almost 5 minutes before he came to the table and then our drinks sat at the bar for a couple minutes while he disappeared. If my guest hadn't blocked me into the booth area, I would have hopped up and grabbed them! We ordered two appetizers, the calamari and a meat and cheese plate. Both were quite delicious - especially the calamari which we found to be nicely cooked - not greasy at all. To my surprise, the restaurant is no longer ordering bread from an outside bakery (boo). Instead, they are serving their own bread straight from the wood burning oven. Guess what? It's basically their pizza dough, in the shape of a mini pizza/pita with no toppings. It's odd and I really missed having real bakery bread with olive oil to dip. Now, I know there are a lot of people that believe bread shouldn't be expected, to which I'd respond...then take it away and don't serve anything at all. We also shared two pizzas, the funghi and diavola. Both were on par with what I've had from Il Piz before. It's close, but nothing like pizza when you're in Italy. I suggested to my guests that they order a slice of tiramisu for dessert - they did and were very happy with their choice. You honestly can't go wrong ordering it from Il Piz. It's a plentiful serving a pure deliciousness.
(3)Jessica D.
Eh.. I'm sorry, I wanted to love this just as much as the Mt Lebo location, but eh... not so much. JH and I went for a celebratory lunch. And for how much it was, thank god we were celebrating. I knew that JH was upstairs as per a text as I was walking over, so when I arrived at the store, I said that my friend was upstairs. The hostess asked if we had a reservation. I said that I thought so and that I knew that my friend was upstairs waiting. I start to move towards the stairs and the hostess moves in front of me. Are we seriously going to have a showdown in the lobby? I give her a look like, are you kidding me? She then said to go upstairs. Really? Really?!?! We started with the fried zucchini. I had just gotten back from Italy, so I can say with some certainty that this is seriously the most authentic fried zucchini ever. However, that is not to say good. When I was in Rome, I ordered fried zucchini and it came in this bubble of dough, fried super crispy and greasy as all get out. Sadly, this was the same. It was so greasy in fact that I was ill most of the day. I then had a pizza with meatballs and it was pretty tasty. Pretty on par with their other shop and I was pleased. But weirdness walking in and greasy fried zucchini make for an unhappy girl when I am dishing out this much money.
(3)Elizabeth B.
After hearing wonderful things about Il Pizzaiolo for years - literally years - I finally had the opportunity to try this restaurant last week with a group of co-workers. I had a wonderful time! First, we ordered wine. The wine list was insanely long and confusing, so we asked the waitress for her recommendation. She told us that there were three house wines, conveniently called the #1, #2, and #3. I believe they were Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. I shared two carafes of the Pinot Noir with a co-worker and thought it was very tasty. The team shared two appetizers, Panzarotti and Fiori de Zucca. The Fiori de Zucca was fried zucchini slices that were good but not my favorite thing ever. I loved the Panzarotti. It kind of tasted like a fried risotto and mozzarella ball. So yummy. Even at the risk of potentially embarrassing myself for taking too much food, I snagged the last one. For my entree, I ordered the Ravioli alla Caprese. The entree was very simple but superbly executed. I hope to come back to Il Pizzaiolo very soon!
(4)Abby R.
Service was very good but the food was very expensive and pretty bland. No salt & pepper to be found :(
(2)David B.
There are slight differences in the menu from the Mt Lebo location and the Downtown. But in general, you get the same high quality food made with fresh and authentic ingredients. I liked sitting upstairs, away from the door, but there's nothing better than sitting outside when the weather is beautiful. Make your reservations way in advance, this restaurant books up quickly, especially during the weekends. I particularly like the pizzas, but everything on the menu is delicious. The wine list is also very good, I don't know that you will see a better Italian wine list in the city. Our waitress was very attentive and made some excellent suggestions for us. She also did not hesitate to bring us a taste of a particular wine before we made our choices. We chose the Carpaccio di Polpo as an appetizer and it was unusual and satisfying (Octopus, lemon and olive oil). I like the renovation of the building, there was a flower shop here at one time, and they did a marvelous job of transforming the place into a fine dining establishment.
(4)Jacob S.
I just messaged a friend telling her that we've got to go back next week. We had dinner at il PIzzaiolo around Christmastime and it was incredible--I think we wore our server out asking for more freshed baked bread. I had the eggplant and it was absolutely fantastic. and to top it off for dessert: sfogliatelle! Just like nonni used to make!
(5)Tom M.
Great Place in the Square! 6 visits this year and never a bad meal or experience at the table or bar- very consistent; great atmosphere too! Matt is a great service provider!
(4)Jenny B.
My husband is obsessed with anything wood fired - and since Il P's location isn't far from our north side abode, we have been making frequent visits to this place. The pizza here is really great--anything we have had (margherita, veggie, and something spicy I can't remember the name of) had been awesome. Their appetizers are great as well--the calamari here is up there with the best I've ever had. I wasn't "wowed" by the salads for the price, but they definitely weren't bad. They have a decent draft beer selection and an extensive (Italian!!) wine list. Most of the wines were unfamiliar to me, but the servers do a great job of helping you pick one if you let them know what you like. The service here is pretty great in general, actually. This place gets really busy, so don't come here for a quiet date night--but it's busy for a reason. It's a great place!!
(4)Rachel M.
Located in market square, so here is the scene, a group of us took a break, sat outside, people watched, drank wine and had a wonderful lazy lunch, it was heavenly. Our waiter, Brett was fantastic, he was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and we all developed a mini crush on him as a result. Started with the mixed salad, Caesar salad and calamari that we all shared and then had pizza. The dough is incredible. Simple and perfect. Brett helped pair the wine and we were content and happy, and enjoyed a perfect afternoon. Followed it off with an espresso with a hazelnut liquor (again thank you Brett). Come here for lunch you will be so happy.
(4)Serena T.
Solid - the food in my opinion tastes exactly like the Mt. Lebo location. That may sound odd...food that is equally comparable at a restaurant with multiple locations, but we've all had that disappointing experience where you think and hope the food tastes the same but doesn't. Well I can assure you that it's equally as great as the food in the Mt. Lebo location. My one issue was the service. I realize they are new to the market square location so will give them time to work on improving the service aspect. A work day lunch hour turned in to two...and while my co-workers and I were all for a relaxing lunch with some wiggle room on our hour lunch, the time it took for the food to come out after placing our order seemed excessive. Especially since people that were seated and placed their order after us received their food before us. Our group was only 3 people so not unusually large. I ordered the margherita pizza which was fresh and cooked to perfection. My co-workers ordered the sandwiches and said that they enjoyed them. I'll definitely be back again with the hopes that service has improved.
(4)William P.
Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy.
(5)Dennis M.
Excellent food! We had a party of 8 and everyone's meal was delicious. Upstairs atmosphere was a bit loud but very comfortable. I would highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)Courtney Z.
I can't lie, I was a little against going here. I go to an Italian restaurant in Shady Side that served pizza the same way and is delicious. So walking into Il Pizzaiolo all I could think was "there is no way this is better." It was divine! I got pizza, of course! Just got the margherita pizza with prosciutto on top! Seriously what is better than prosciutto? Absolutely nothing, it would turn a vegan! I had gone with family so I had a few other things to try as well! Such as the calamari, umm delicious! I never had it before and I'm so happy I waited to try it. The pasta was equally as amazing. Let's just say my tastebuds were on a whirlwind of flavors! The server was just fantastic. Everything you want in a server.. lol. He was prompt with things and checked on us constantly which made the experience here even better! The prices were a bit higher, but hey money buys happiness. At least in this case it does! I would suggest going here!!!
(5)Carly K.
A great option for lunch on a work day. It's possible to get in and out in an hour because the pizzas literally take 90 seconds to cook. I'm a fan! I had the margherita pizza, and I wasn't disappointed. The sauce was perfect, and they import their mozzarella from Naples. I can get on board with that! My friend had the Quattro formagi pizza, and I could smell the delicious tangyness of the gorgonzola. Yum! The pizzas are a bit on the pricey side, but the toppings are fresh and delicious. I'm looking forward to going back so that I can try some of the salads and pastas. So happy for more options in Market Square!
(4)Alicia S.
This review is not about the food. The food was excellent! Our complaint was with our waiter. He wasn't personable. We never heard about the specials except when we overheard another waiter explaining them to his table. We asked about the wine and received minimal feedback. The big kicker was our waiter taking my beer before it was empty and my plate (which had half of the pasta left) and never asking if I wanted it boxed (which I did!)
(4)Al S.
Had very good service. Great Caesar salad. But the $18 calzone that was filled with cheeses and meats was lacking on the meat!
(3)Chris D.
Best part of the night was how incredibly informed the waiter was... however after we got our food he pretty much disappeared. someone else had to ask us about dessert and clear our plates. Appetizers very good (mozzarella ball was 5 stars!!), drinks ok. Bread was ok and served with infused olive oil that really needed some olive purée, balsamic, or other herbs on the side, but they were nowhere to be found. Mains ok, but not for the price, even the pizza was 'meh.' The pasta with mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallops was way off with the spices for my taste (too spicy for a seafood pasta dish, and I love spicy food, but not for this). We were very happy with walking in on a Friday and them being able to text us when a table was ready, but otherwise I'll keep going to other Italian restaurants no matter if they are cheaper or more expensive.
(3)Joshua H.
Value not good. Wine list is sufficient and well rounded but pricing structure is high. Ordered the $12 Caesar and the $18 Sissiclia Pizza. Caesar not creamy and they use the dried out crutons that are purchased from a big supplier. The olives are good but at the end of the day your still paying $12 for romaine and a bit of dressing with Kalmata olives. As far as the pizza goes, a bit too much sauce which makes it flabby so plan on eating with fork and knife or rolling it up towards the crust and eating as a roll to best enjoy. Very, very little cheese present, making it not worthy of calling it a 'Pizza'. Sorry Il Pizzaiolo, not meeting the cut here. For $18, I expect some cheese at least and understand that it's the most expensive product on a pizza but stop skimping on the cheese since someone is paying $18 for a individual pizza! Service was warm and friendly, with the server Vanessa being warm and welcoming, explaining the specials very well and upselling through the entire experience. You have a great server here, and I will come back to offer her a job in the operation I manage. A side note - the Valet parking in the Market Square is not really worth the $7 it costs as it takes them a solid 10 minutes to grab your car while your freezing cold and they do not offer an option to call ahead to have it ready. This is not reflected on the restaurant as they do not manage this operation, just a little warning if you intend to valet. Might as well just self-park and it will cost you the same or a couple of $$ less.
(2)Tamara M.
Terrific pizza.
(4)Christopher M.
My partner and I have walked past this restaurant many times along with myriad Christmas shoppers in Market Square. It's the sister restaurant to a Mount Lebanon location and we thought it would make a cozy New Year's Eve destination. Il Pizzaiolo offers five different house-made pastas and the other pasta dishes they offer are from Pasta Faella, which the house claims as the best pasta in the world. Well, I don't know about all that but our pasta dishes were damn delicious. For starters, we ordered arancini, which are ping pong ball-sized fried balls of rice, coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried. Two were filled with creamy cheese and two were filled with salty pancetta. We've eaten arancini in Milan and these rivaled the originals, although they appeared a bit more carefully prepared here.The meal opened with a sliced round of warm, fragrant bread that had been baked in their 1000º brick oven just moments before. Just that is worth the price of admission. My partner enjoyed Cavatelli con Rapini and I ordered Sedani alla Norma. The pasta was perfectly al dente (to be honest, mine was a smidge too al dente, but that was to my preference anyway--perhaps they have psychic chefs?). The house wine was a Nero d'Avola that was a nice compliment to the pastas although not earthshaking. The pasta dishes were expertly seasoned and generous in portion...neither of us could finish so we got to enjoy more for lunch the next day. Our waitress, Sara was a wonderful part of our meal. She was pleasant and knowledgeable and checked on us just enough times. We sat on the first floor and were pleasantly surprised that (although it was New Years Eve) we had a table suitable for four all to ourselves. After an appetizer, soup, salad, two entrées, bread and a mezzolitro of house red, our bill (including tip) came to about $118. Every swallow was worth every dollar. We thank her and Il Pizzaiolo for a delicious welcome to 2014. There is no doubt...we will be back. Perhaps next time to try one of those wonderful-smelling pizzas that our fellow diners couldn't stop shoveling in.
(5)Anne F.
Went last night for a birthday party of eight. we had fantastic service. No reservations on Saturdays so we put our name in and walked across the Square for a drink. We were told an hour wait but it was about half that. The restaurant is on the small side so we expected to wait... Really nice lighting. Would be great for a date, everyone looks younger in that room, I heard one of our party say. The calamari was tender and well seasoned, one of my benchmarks for a restaurant. All other starters were what was expected with a few nice surprises. That authentic pizza oven is one of the only wood fired ovens I know of in the 'burgh. The dough is phenomenal. Everyone at the table raved about their meals. It's a fun location and a great place for a more authentic Italian meal.
(4)Rebecca G.
This is the most authentic Italian pizza I have had in the US. That being said, some people might not like it. It definitely reminded me of what I had in Rome. The salads were good too! Can't wait to try the other dishes!
(4)Nancy H.
I was craving pizza for my birthday so we headed to this cute little place in Market Square. Made a reservation beforehand and they even called to confirm which I thought was odd since it was for Saturday lunch. Service was a bit blotchy, we didn't get bread until we asked for it and my man's espresso came our lukewarm which we promptly sent back. My man got the LUINGUINE ALLE VONGOLE and I got my birthday wish--PIZZA (with mushrooms)! My man ho-hummed his pasta but my pizza was perfect, thin crusted, hot, and flavorful!
(3)Becky Z.
I work downtown, and as a result I'm always happy when new restaurants open. I was excited to try Il Pizzaiolo, which brings a classy storefront to Market Square. Maybe this is the burgher in me talking, but it always seems like the people dining there look like they walked right off the set of Entourage. I'm intimidated by glamour! I prefer to sit outside on their sidewalk patio, as the dining room can get very noisy. Service is variable. The hostesses always seem stressed and while I don't mind waiting, our times have always been at least 15 minutes over the estimate. I've seen a few reviews turn sour regarding the outdoor seating and where diners are permitted to eat/wait. This is actually not their fault. Police have been cracking down on panhandlers and crime in the area. Consequently, one MUST sit in the dining area for the corresponding restaurant. Now onto the food. The wine list is extensive but only includes Italian selections. Most of the servers are knowledgeable and can recommend pairings. The appetizers are decent but are not worth the ~$10-$15 cost. I've sampled both the pastas and the pizzas. The pastas are underwhelming in terms of originality, taste, and size. Entrees come with bread and oil for dipping, but the bread is too salty for my enjoyment. I will never understand why carb-loaded restaurants serve bread with their offerings. It seems redundant. Pizzas are the restaurant's specialty (at a place called Il Pizzaiolo? No way!). The wood-fired pies are good, and vary from the standard Margherita to the more loaded Santa Lucia. But to be honest, all of these pizzas lack imagination. I understand that Pizzaiolo is going for more "classic" recipes but for the prices why not throw in some innovation?
(2)Erin K.
I will preface this review by saying that I grew up going to Il Pizzaiolo in Mt Lebanon which remains one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The food is hands down the best authentic Italian cuisine in Pittsburgh. This newer downtown location, however, was a terrible experience this afternoon. I took my colleagues here for a take out lunch this afternoon, and I was completely embarrassed by the treatment we received - my office and I will never be returning to this location. 1) Overall, the location appeared understaffed - the girl behind the counter appeared extremely stressed out and there was a bit of a wait. As a result, we sat outside at a table to wait for the rest of our meal. 2) My colleague, who is a lifelong vegetarian, noticed that her vegetarian pasta dish had some small pieces of meat in the sauce (we took a taste and confirmed for her). When presenting this to the cashier, rather than simply taking the dish, he said "No, there is no meat in this dish. Show me the meat, I don't believe it." Embarrassingly, she actually had to walk him outside and we pulled out a chunk of meat from the pasta as evidence. He begrudgingly took the dish back inside and we were forced to wait another 10 minutes outside while a new dish was prepared. 3) When the waiter finally returned with vegetarian pasta, he had the nerve to inform us that "for future reference, those ordering take out cannot sit down at outside tables." Where are we expected to wait??? Overall, this was an embarrassing experience for a professional lunch and we will never be returning. The bad customer service overshadows the quality of the food - avoid at all costs for professional meals.
(1)JBaby S.
Food was good . Pizza was fresh with tomato sauce, but not spectacular. Eggplant parm was great but bucca de beppos is way better. I didn't care for the drink menu but the vodka mint mule was very good. Too many families were here so it's not exclusive. Then a baby carrier came in. It's a tiny place and having kids around makes the evening feel cheap and adds extra noise and chaos Our server Rachel was awful. She never checked on our food after it arrived, never came to offer another drink and we had to ask for the check while she brought the wrong one and made us wait by taking another tables order in the meantime. She was sloppy looking. The blonde hostess was professional looking though. Servers should cover up arm tattoos and have hair neatly contained. We won't be back
(2)Kelly W.
Great choice for dinner while visiting Pittsburgh for the Steelers game. My daughter's choice, but so glad she picked it. Nice atmosphere, although the downstairs tables can be a bit cramped if there is a good crowd in there, which there was. And sitting by the door during the cold weather is not a good choice with the door opening about every 30 seconds from people walking in. Glad they turned the heat up for us! Hostess, waiter, and I'm assuming manager that came over to our table to see how everything was, were all very pleasant and friendly. Waiter was awesome, very knowledgeable and friendly and attentive. I had the eggplant parm and my daughter had the ravioli...both very yummy!!!! We also tried the appetizer....little mozzarella fried balls....so good they melt in your mouth!!! Will definitely visit again next time we're in Pittsburgh!!!
(4)Amy C.
I went for lunch yesterday without a reservation. We were early - most of the tables inside were empty. Nonetheless, we were given a horrible small table in the middle of the room. I requested a table against the wall but were told they were all reserved. No one sat in them for at least 45 minutes. We ordered the salad with the anchovy dressing. It was ok but you couldn't taste any anchovy. I could make a better salad at home in two minutes. And, our table was too small to have a breadbasket. We also split a pizza. We were informed for at least three minutes by our server that the restaurant no longer cuts pizzas because they get soggy in the middle but they bring us these wonderful pizza knives so that we can cut our own. When the pizza came, we cut it in half and split it, then out the big plate under our individual plates because, again, there was not enough room on the table for all the plates. The pizza was fine - actually delicious and not soggy. The tomato sauce is incredible. I don't know if I will go back, though. This restaurant definitely cannot handle a crowd and they are a little rude. I am not sure that the pizza is worth the substandard treatment by the hostesses and the servers.
(2)Kelsey H.
This place was amazing. Our waitress Gina knew EVERYTHING about every item on the menu. The pizza and salad was fantastic and everything that came out looked incredible. I wanted to come back a second time but didn't have time. I'll make sure to come back next time in I'm town!!!!
(5)Jim V.
I can't express enough how fabulous my pizza Santa Lucia was. This was my second time this week, but this time I didn't share it! The combination of fresh basil , tomatoes , garlic, anchovies and capers on top of the most wonderful wood fired dough is perfection . This place is as good as it gets for authentic Italian Pizza in Pittsburgh. I found it easy to get into and get served during a busy Thursday in Market Square. It's not cheap, but great food never needs to be.
(5)Deanna T.
The original Il Pizzaiolo in Mount Lebo is amazing -- it's one of my favorite restaurants. But the downtown location has yet to live up to its expectations. We went on a Friday night and had reservations and didn't sit down for at least 25 minutes after the res. The service was incredibly slow, it took forever to get drinks, and the food was just so/so compared to the original. Which is such a shame because the original is fantastic. They still have work to do on this one.
(2)David O.
It was at Il Pizzaiolo that I interrupted my date's meal to break down what the best types of ethnic foods this world has to offer are. I hate that it's such a cliché for most people to default to shouting "Italian!!!" when they give their answer (which is usually based on one too many refills of the unlimited breadsticks at Olive Garden). But my experience here was a firm reminder to me that as hard as I may try to break the mold and appear cultured, Italian food reigns supreme. Thanks to Il Pizzaiolo for reminding me just how high the bar for amazing Italian food can be set. Delicious! I've always walked past this location while trotting around the Square, but was never really drawn into it before. Fortunately, it was suggested to me we give it a shot and I agreed expecting something no higher than typical. We were seated in a crowded lower level which didn't start things off great, but I'm not very picky with that (upstairs has much more room FYI). It was all uphill from there though. Forgive me for not remembering names, but since the menu is mostly in Italian my comprehension/memory is low. - Appetizer: some kind of stretched mozzarella ball with other Caprese sides. It's a giant ball of cheese so light and easy to eat! Gone! Delicious! - Main course: Some kind of bone-in chicken/sausage dish with potatoes and red peppers. HEAVENLY! The sauce this is cooked in explodes with flavor. - Wine: very good drink selection and lots of wine to choose from. My choice from Puglia made the meal. - Dessert: a nice after dinner espresso and a warmed Fratelli. Conclusion: I hear they import all their food from Italy (Naples style) each Thursday for the freshest, best ingredients. It shows. Good all around. Avoid the crowded lower level (although the bar plays hilarious old silent movies for some dining entertainment down there) and beware the price tag on some of the menu items (can get steep!) and I'm sure this place will bring to remembrance why Italian food is your favorite as well. Ciao!
(5)Diane Q.
Great food and great service. We had the gnocchi and fungi pizza. Wine on tap! Fried cheese ball special was outstanding, as was the mixed green salad.
(5)Martha V.
We were here twice during our visit to Pittsburgh one weekend. Our hotel was right on Market Square, and we were looking for good restaurants within walking distance. The first time we visited was for lunch and we split a pizza - Salsicce and Rapini and it was outstanding. Wonderful, thin crust authentic pizza. The second time we needed a light night snack and sat at the bar. Il Pizzaiolo had no Cabernet (my red of choice) but the knowledgeable bartender offered me a few options and I picked one and was really happy -an Aglianico. I would definitely order it again. We split salumi - excellent stuff. The kitchen was open late on a Saturday, the service was friendly and helpful, and while there were lots of customers, seating was available. There is a wine bar upstairs, but we didn't have an opportunity to visit that part of the restaurant.
(4)Brian C.
This new place in Market Square is very good, I'm not going to say it's the best ever but you'll have a very good meal in an upscale and enjoyable atmosphere. For starters the salumi is great - although they were out of the finocchiona which was a bummer but everything we tried was great. Arancini was unfortunately okay at best - needed some sauce and just more flavor, I would definitely not order this again. The pizza however was great - it would have been nice to see something a little more out of the ordinary like the potato & rosemary pizza I love at Pizza D.O.C. in Chicago or the awesome artichoke, creme fraiche, and preserved lemon pizza I had at Donatella in NYC recently but the combinations were solid and the flavor was great. Crust was maybe a little thicker bread and less charred than most Neapolitan style pizzas but still all around tasty. If you want some pasta or even a chicken dish everything appears to be homemade and will be very good. Service on two visits was a bit on the amateur side but friendly and doing their best. The wine list is nice, and the cocktail list was surprisingly good while the drinks were well made. My colleague who hadn't eaten Neapolitan style pizzas before couldn't stop raving about how good they were. I agree, and I'll continue to frequent Il Pizzaiolo when in Pittsburgh for work.
(4)Kirsten P.
Came to Pittsburgh for a conference, and this place was just wonderful. We came here twice in just four or five days.
(5)Greg A.
Great night with excellent food! The pizza meatball appetizer and calamari are incredible! Keep making it happen like this. We will return.
(5)Anthony R.
Had the veal chop. Good piece of meat priced to please at $34. Only down side is they do not ask you how you want it prepared. It comes medium. I would have liked it med rare.
(4)Michael B.
We went there last week to celebrate my sons 16th birthday. This was his choice, since they get to pick the place on their day. We all love the original so we figured this would be good, but could it be as good as Mt Lebo? Suprise, maybe better!. We always start with the vegetable antipasta and this time they ordered the calamari also.Both were perfect.Then they ordered the D.O.C, the diablo and the lasagna.But even though I loved all those the main thing I wanted was their eggplant.You might not know it, but they have the best eggplant in the city ! I am kinda a fanatic about eggplant and order it everywhere we go.The only one that compares is this restaurant from Venice. Il Pizzaiolo is obviously a lot closer! As for the service: oustanding! I think our server"s name was Vincenza, assisted by another server named Kyle. Hopefully we get their section again. Which should be soon. Real soon
(5)Robert B.
Incredible food (4-5 stars). Horrendous service(0-1 stars). Let me preface this by saying, I never felt the need to continue a comment about poor service on Yelp, until now. Not only was the aloof and ditzy server completely in attentive and disrespectful, but there was zero communication between her, the kitchen and the remaining staff regarding specials. Oh, and if you want your pizza cut, good luck with that. The pizza arrives uncut with no explanation as to why, and more importantly no utensils, other than the dull knife and fork you get for your meal, to cut the pizza with. Is this ridiculous or is it just me?? The only reason we found out about the reason the pizza was not cut was because was asked. Solid. And to save you the trouble of asking, it's because it is a very special style of pizza that they refuse to cut because they do not want the sauce to soak into the crust during the 5 second walk from the oven to the table. They would rather you spend 10 minutes trying to cut it and ruin it yourself. I could go on and on about how the drinks took forever, and it took asking three different waiters to check on them for one of them to finally realize they were never put in, but I think you get the picture. My advice: Get the food to go and bring a pizza cutter with you.
(3)Kavi S.
Service is horrible! Messed up my friends order, served her something with meat when she got a vegetarian meal. It was in the sauce, perhaps the kitchen was just a bit sloppy. So we took our take out order outside and decided to eat while we waited. 15 mins later a waiter came by with the replacement meal, no apologies and said "Just for future reference, we don't allow you to eat on premises when you have a take out order." Are you kidding me! We are waiting because of your mistake and then you're saying we can't sit!. Ridiculous. The girl at the bar was very curt and then was throwing a semi fit, could see through the windows. I suppose it was we were sitting outside ON PREMISES. The food is pretty good, but not the best. Pizza was chewy, which was a little disappointing. Mozzarella is fantastic. Was recommended by a Pittsburgh native who says the Mt. Lebanon was is better. Would go there, never here until they get some new staff.
(2)Mike S.
A favorite restaurant with the same quality as the Mt. Lebanon location. Great pizza and wine bar. One of the best restaurants in downtown.
(5)Anthony S.
Happy to be the first review at the new location! Long time fan of the Mt. Lebo spot. This one is much closer and every bit as good. Ate at the Lebo one last week, and hit this one yesterday; pizza is phenomenal. Good to see familiar faces from the other location at the one down town. Best of luck guys! Margherita DOC is all you need, but the rest of the menu is great too.
(5)Brian C.
Go to Stone Neapolitan Pizza. This place is more expensive and has a restrictive menu (if you can read it). There is no section for toppings. You can taste the wood fire in the pizza. I'm not saying it was good but you can taste it. It was interesting. Their potato stuffed with cheese was tasty with an interesting texture (not sure of the Italian name). The service was good. The location is good too, but if I was in Market Square I would choose a few other restaurants over this place. I won't be back.
(2)Anna M.
My aunt and I went here for dinner on Thursday (third day open!) and it was great! We ordered the the Antipasto Napoli ~ 8 types of cold cooked and seasoned vegetables to start with and paired it with La Fin Du Monde. Each veggie has its own taste and cooking method. It was easy and fun to share. Although we were trying to be healthy by ordering the vegetables, I have to wonder. Next we ordered the Prosciutto E Arugula Pizza. It was eleven inches of heaven. The crisp and chewy dough was fire oven cooked with mozzarella and sliced cherry tomato, than placed on top after cooking (I think) were handfuls of arugula and thin slices of fresh prosciutto. The waitress said this was her favorite pizza when she dropped it off, but I'm sure they are all good. I took my time eating because it was so good. The buildings renovations must have taken time, taste and money. At one point during my conversation we just started to list things we liked about the decor. "I like the big windows that let in all the natural light" "I like the detail on the paint job" "I like the floors" "I like that you can see the mosaic fire oven" "I like the shiny espresso machine" Needless to say the new Market street location is worth a visit.
(5)Carlin C.
Food is good, but service is absolutely pitiful. We had a table for 10 (after fighting with them to get 2 tables pushed together) and they were unable to split the checks more than 3 ways. After we agreed that this was going to have to suffice, it took 35 minutes to get our check and it was wrong. Once she finally got it right 20 minutes later, she told us that it was going to take a while because of how we are paying (which was via credit card). She then proceeded to tell us it was OUR FAULT and took another 40 minutes to figure it out. There were 3 other people in the entire restaurant, sitting at the bar talking to the other bartender, who was not helping our waitress. There were 5 staff members that just stood there and watched as our waitress struggled. I will never go here again and neither will the 10 people I went with last night. The fact that it was a Tuesday night, with no one in the place and they couldn't get this right is embarrassing. I will make it a point to tell everyone not to come here when they are in the area for a play, etc. There are plenty of other restaurants in this area that will treat you better for the price.
(1)Neal R.
Most authentic Italian restaurant outside of Italy. Went to Italy last summer and have been craving 2 things: pizza and espresso. Both are as close as you can get at this place. Brick oven pizza is absolutely incredible. My server - I think her name was Sarah - was super professional, helpful and fun. Great night overall. Great upstairs bar. Made for an amazing date night.
(5)Patty B.
had great bellini's, calamari was pretty good, pizza was very good - nice light crust, high quality ingredients.
(4)Snow W.
The bar upstairs is the perfect place to get "after work" drinks. It is definitely an upscale restaurant with a casual atmosphere. I do miss some menu items from the original though! They are similar but not the same restaurant.
(4)Perry E.
My girlfriend and I decided to give Il Pizzaiolo a try before a show downtown. Upon arrival we were seated outside, let our server know about the show, and ordered drinks. The menu looked very appealing, but would be hard to decipher if you're not a foodie or Italian. There were several instances where I had to translate. We decided to order a pizza and ravioli. The pizza tasted fresh, with quality ingredients, but was fairly traditional otherwise. It was a little strange that they didn't cut the pizza, though. The ravioli was also good, but not overly inspiring. At this point, we began to have trouble finding our server. We had to flag her down as she was about to go back inside after serving another table. We ordered the tiramisu for dessert and it did not disappoint. This was probably the highlight of our meal. We again had trouble finding our server afterwards to pay, though. Overall, Il Pizzaiolo serves pretty decent food, but I'm not quite sure that it's worth going back for due to the prices compared to other italian places and the quality of service.
(3)Mark H.
We came here for dinner during the week while in town for a conference. Overall, we had a positive experience. The service was good, despite it being very busy. We ordered the meatball app, the Salsicce pizza and the chicken scarpariello. Everything was fine, but certainly nothing to rave over. Given all of the other restaurants we visited that week, we would say that Il Pizzaiolo was well above average. The only real downside was the extremely cramped seating arrangements and the high noise level which made normal conversation next to impossible. If Yelp would let me, I'd rate Il Pizzaiolo 3.5 stars - which is better than "A-OK".
(3)Elizabeth Z.
The food was amazing -- my boyfriend and I each had a pizza. And the iced tea is amazing. Unfortunately, we were seated at a very tiny table in the middle of the room, and the servers kept walking by and walking into us. The table wasn't big enough for food and drinks, and our server spent more time on her cell phone than at our table. Definitely a busy place on a Saturday night. Outside seating is adorable.
(3)Jonathan P.
Food was really good, view of market street from second floor was nice, however slow service (10 minutes waiting for the coffee to be made)
(3)Andrew S.
The best pizza in PGH. By far. Expensive and you need reservations for lunch but worth it. Not your typical pizza, more euro in approach. Definitely try it.
(5)Rob O.
Great place. I have been to the Market Square location twice and each time was fantastic. I have had the lasagna and gnocchi and both were amazing.
(4)Susan S.
The food is very good. The service is beyond horrible! Such a shame would love to go back but just can't handle the terrible service
(2)Rachel H.
I have enjoyed Il Pizzaiolo for many lunches since it has opened in Market Square, but unfortunately they have now lost my business for any future meals. I made a reservation via Open Table for our work holiday lunch several days in advance. I then received a call from an Il Pizzaiolo employee 4 hours prior to our reservation telling me that they had no availability and that my reservation had been canceled due to over booking. The employee took no ownership of the error and repeated over and over that it was an Open Table error. This may as well be true and I fully respect that mistakes happen however, I would have expected some level of good customer service on the part of the employee. In my opinion, the restaurant should take ownership of the error with the customer and work out the problem with Open Table separately. Not only did she not offer any other reservation times or some type of remuneration towards a future meal as a way to maintain my business but the employee was rude and disrespectful on the phone. I have had better customer service at a fast food restaurant. Unfortunately due to one employee's behavior, Il Pizzaiolo has now lost my future business.
(1)Osama A.
Just finished eating! This is the WORST pizza that I have ever had! I'm going to eat something else now to change the taste in my mouth! Nothing is good about the pizza! The waiter was so proud about their wines and they forgot the pizza word in their restaurants name!
(1)Joaquin M.
The calamari was good.... The marinara sauce is to die for and so is the mozzarella cheese... Service is good . Now the cons.... The gnocchi tasted as it came from the supermarket isle.... Not good at all.... The pizza.... Where is the cheese ?!?!?!? The cokes.... They sell these tiny coke bottles... So we probably had 3 each.... And the dessert we saw the tiramisu it looked amazing!!! But our big mouths said we wanted to have some gelato and they told us they have gelato.... Gelato $9 for 3 scoops.... It Tasted as regular frozen burn ice cream.... Not gelato.... I will not be coming back here.....
(2)Bus Driver I.
First of all, Nice place. Great patio and wonderful service. Ordered the Calamari Arrabbiata style with a glass of 2011 Aglianico Terredora. Excellent.... Insalata Salmone next... Even Better ! Finished with the Tiramisu. . Outstanding..... Ask for Jeremy, he'll walk you through the wines and the menu. I'll be back....
(5)Heather F.
One of my favorite restaurants downtown. I have been here numerous times since 2013. Friday or Saturday nights, after work, weekday lunches, I've been there. Sometimes I make reservations which I think is recommended if you know in advance you want to go there. Other times I have walked in, and have been seated relatively quickly, but I definitely recommend reservations if you have a large party. Service is always friendly and quick. The food has always been consistently good. It is not overly fussy or complicated. Simple, but good. I have had the margarita pizza many times, and a few of the pasta dishes as well. This summer I had the roasted vegetable salad which is more of a vegetable plate/platter many times and it was always very fresh and delicious. The prices are a bit on the higher side, but the atmosphere and good food are well worth it. I also enjoy their wine selection and the Roman Mule which is their take on a Moscow Mule is also good. Also important to note, they have a handful of vegetarian options, and some of the pasta dishes are vegan as well. I never expect someone to cater to me and I rarely ask for something to be made vegetarian or vegan, so I always appreciate when a restaurant has vegan and vegetarian options already on the menu. I was told their house made pasta is not vegan though, fyi. Only negative is the upstairs is only accessed via stairs, there is no elevator for customers in a wheel chair. But there is a good amount of seating down stairs. I always recommend this place to visitors and friends, I hope it stays in market square for a long time.
(5)Nick F.
Wow, I was really impressed with their pizza here. Very good. They do it in the Italian style where the pizza is not cut into pieces but where you eat it with a fork and knife. Almost everything about this place is European style right down to serving glass bottles of Coke instead of a bottomless plastic cup (a plus if you ask me). They also had pretty decent espresso that I had after lunch. The place was not too crowded a lunch time and we were able to get back to the office in plenty of time. I would definitely go back here the next time I am in town.
(4)Mihaela C.
My Italian boyfriend wanted to take his parents to get some pizza. They obviously know a thing or two about pizza, so he picked this place based on recommendations about the quality of the pizza. We walked in on a Sunday night at 7:00 pm and got seated right away without a reservation. The weather was beautiful and we got a table on the patio. Great start to a meal! Everybody else at the table got pizzas (Margherita, Funghi and Diavola). Prices are a little on the high side, $18 ish. Everybody liked the pizza, so, it was worth it. I ordered mussels, unknowing how rude and unprofessional out waitress Barbara was going to be. One of the reasons I order mussels is because I love to dip the bread in the sauce. The menu doesn't mention per sei that there is bread included, but I have never had a bowl of mussels without bread. When the mussels arrive, I get no fork for the mussels or a bowl for the shells. No problem, I use my regular fork and the side plate we were given in the beginning. When Barbara comes around, I ask for some bread. She tells me that someone dropped the wrong kind of bread (rolls) this morning and they don't have any. Ok, no problem. I ask if I can have one of those rolls or some plain pizza dough. Before even asking the kitchen she tells me that they prepare the dough in a special way and that I probably can not have any because they have to make sure they have enough for pizza. She comes back a minute later and she tells me that I can't have any. I kindly told her that she should have told me in the beginning they don't have any bread for the mussels and I would have ordered something else. She told me she doesn't take her mussels with bread, so she didn't think it was a big deal that they were out of bread. Then she said they will have bread tomorrow. I said, that's great, but I won't be here tomorrow, she looked me straight in the eye, said OK with an annoyance in her voice and walked away. When she came around again, I asked for a bowl for my shells, her response was: "They were supposed to give you one!", well lady, you are my server, you are supposed to make sure I got one. I was a server as well, and I know that when a restaurant is half way decent, they first off, tell you when something is not available, offer a substitute or a discount. None of these were offered by Barbara, instead we got an attitude. At the end we asked if we can get a discount because my dish was incomplete, she said she asked the manager which said no, because it doesn't say on the menu it comes with bread. If it weren't for my boyfriends' parents there, I would have asked to talk to the manager, but I didn't want to cause a fuss. Also, it wasn't for the few dollars discount I was looking for, it was for the principle of such bad service and not letting customers know before they order that they were out of bread. Btw - I got the mussels in spicy marinara, and they were good. Too bad I wasn't able to enjoy too much of the sauce, just some with the outer crust from my boyfriend's pizza. So, if you run out of pizza dough do you not tell people you did and you bring the rest of the ingredients baked on a plate and tell them you didn't think it was important because you are on a carb free diet? For the prices that you have on the menu, there is a minimum service level required, which was not delivered. I have to agree with other reviews that your service is bad. Your location will get you the tourists customers, but not repeat local customers if you don't train your wait staff. Service and Professionalism: 0 stars Food: 4 stars Recommended: No
(2)Eric T.
Top notch Italian food in the heart of the city. Started with the fried mozzarella with pesto and marinara. Without question, the best I've ever had. Then had a very tasty Mista salad. After reading other reviews, I knew it would be an 'on top of old smokey' meatball night. I went with the old school rigatoni with marinara and meatballs. The meatballs were as tender and good as others had said. The portion was generous and pasta cooked to perfection...with just the right snap when I bit down. No mush mounds being served here. My 21 year old son was just as impressed. He had the margarita pizza with meatball. I sampled a piece after seeing the big pizza oven and reading the rave reviews. The crust was especially good. Crisp with a hint of sweetness. The service was also excellent. Our server, Casey, (a Cameron Diaz look-a-like) checked on us throughout our meal.
(5)Amy S.
My fiancé's sister took us there for dinner this weekend to celebrate just getting engaged and WOW! I had been here once in the past. I was actually at the original one in Mt. Lebanon years ago and remember loving it but for whatever reason I hadn't gone back until this weekend. I really don't know why and it most definitely won't be 5ish years before I go again. I got the Quattro Fromaggio pizza -or something like that. It was delicious. Both my fiancé and his sister got a gnocchi dish with different sauces. The gnocchi melted in your mouth, it was so good. Our appetizer was absolutely delicious. I forget what it was called. It was a cheesy bread concoction, so good. I really don't think you could go wrong here with whatever you order. This place knows good Italian food.
(5)Matthew S.
Every time I go to Il Piz it's a great experience. Me and 3 friends split the veal, the diavolo pizza, mussels and cavatelli. All meals were excellent. Our server was attentive and knowledgable. I think the prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food. One of my favorite places to eat in the Burgh.
(5)Laura H.
I am very torn here-the food was a very solid 4 stars but the service was maybe 2 stars (more like 1.5) at best (and that is coming from someone who waited tables all through college so I am more than patient and understanding). The only thing really going in my server's favor from last night was that our party of 6 was going to the Cabaret (to see Girls Only-which I HIGHLY recommend by the way) and he did get us out of there by 7:15, just enough time to walk over before the show. Let me go into further detail...... Our party of 6 had 6:00pm reservations and we were seated promptly upon arrival in the upstairs area. Market Square offers a valet service for (I believe) $7. I'd highly suggest using it given the parking situation in the area. Our party of six was put at, what appeared to me, to be a table more suitable for 4 people and we were situated right by the stairs. We didn't even have enough room for the bottle of water to stay on the table once our meals arrived. My mom and I were the 4th and 5th people out of our party of 6 to arrive, and we were told my the other three women that they had been sitting there for at least 10 minutes without so much as a greeting from waitstaff. Our 6th person arrived approximately 10 minutes after my mother and I and only then did our server (I wish I could remember his name-all I remember is the distinctive tattoo on his neck and I'd prefer not to identify him in that manner) come over to ask if we wanted sparkling or still water. We had been looking at the menus for quite some time already (timeline described above) and clearly wanted to order an appetizer as well as wine. My mom's friend started speaking and what did the server do- he interrupted her speaking and said, "Hold on a minute and I will be right back." We were pretty floored. He didn't come back in a minute, however, it was a full 7 minutes later!!! And, nothing against smokers because I smoked at one point too, but he came back reeking of cigarettes to the point that it was pretty nasty-and I rarely say that since I used to have that habit myself. At that point he took our drink orders (coffee, 2 glasses of red, and 2 of white), and AGAIN, my mom's friend attempted to order an appetizer and he scurried off while she was speaking! He took at least another 7 minutes to bring over our drinks. Then we FINALLY got to hear the specials that evening. At this point, we were beyond ready to order to make our show, so with a couple of modifications due to the specials we ordered (family style and shared): the pizza special of the day which was a pancetta and fig pizza with a balsamic drizzle and zucchini flowers (we had this cut into 6 so each of us could have a slice. I could have eaten the entire thing myself, it was VERY good!), the Ricotta gnudi (the other special for Wednesday that came in a sage butter sauce. Besides the pizza, this was the next favorite item at our table.), the cavatelli rapini ( Sausage, Rapini, Garlic,White Wine, Pecorino, Olive Oil), the pollo limone (Chicken Breast, Lemon, White Wine, Parsley, Butter), the PARMIGIANA MELANZANE (Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella, Marinara, Parmigiano, Basil), and the VITELLO PARMIGIANO (Veal Cutlet, Fresh Mozzarella, Marinara, Spaghetti, Parmigiano). The cavatelli was cooked perfectly al dente (per the server it was homemade pasta), the sausage was spicy yet not overpowering too. I only had a small piece of the pollo limone but the lemon butter sauce was quite juicy and flavorful. The eggplant parm tasted as if it was fresh out of the backyard garden! The sauce was perfectly seasoned with basil and the eggplant was plentiful. The veal parm was very tender and I enjoyed the sauce but was not impressed with the spaghetti pasta, which I do not believe was made on premises. Our pizza came out very quickly as did our entrees. We cleaned every plate; as I said, the food was excellent last night. When he asked about checks he split it up 6 ways, even though we said there were two "couples" that could be put together and then two single women. He gave a check to my mom's friend's daughter who CLEARLY did not look an age where she would be paying her own tab. Then he took FOREVER to run the credit cards through-at least 10 minutes. When dining out, I expect service to be on par with the price tag, and this service was in no way worth the $180 price tag of the meal. Although we were all disappointed in the service we received, our meals were quite tasty. When we were leaving, we noticed other servers bringing bread to their tables-yet another thing our server failed to do, which would have been quite appreciated given the lengthy wait for him to take our orders. I would come back here for the food, however, if I received this server again, I would politely ask the host/hostess for a different section to sit in.
(3)Michael K.
Perhaps I chose unwisely from their menu but the sausage pizza I ordered (Salsiccia) was just OK. I would have preferred it to have been cooked a little more crispy and found it a little soggy. I was overwhelmed in a good way though with their offering of beers and most of them Italian to boot. I ended up with a Moretti La Rossa in a bottle that I had never sampled before and loved it. Arriving before 6pm, the place was mostly empty and I had no trouble snagging a downstairs table without a reservation. My server took a while to "find" me initially but after that service was fine. Prices were a little on the high side but I kept everything under my T&E threshold and was fine with it.
(3)John Z.
There's better Italian food out there! To start, Italians are famous for bread and pasta, this place had neither . Bread tasted like it came off the super market shelf, not even olive oil could make it better. My wife had the Gnocchi which were suppose to be home made. Again the tasted like the came out of a bag or frozen, definitely not fresh! I had the Veal Parm. Breading was soggy, soaked in oil and over done. The Spaghetti was too Al Dente and overwhelmed with sauce, I couldn't even finish my meal which says a lot for me . Trust me, we have had better Italian food!
(2)Hilary H.
What a lovely spot for an al fresco lunch! Il Pizzaiolo is as authentic Italian as I've had in Italy -- the menu reads like one I ordered from in Taormina, the pizza taste like those I've had in Rome... Il Pizzaiolo is impressive, and if you're a fan of Italian fare, you won't be disappointed in this spot. My girl and I sat down for a celebratory lunch, popped a few glasses of prosecco and went to town on the amazing special of the day, Burratta. Sure, it was $20 but it was $20 so well spent -- happiness on a place, I tell ya. It was fresh, slightly firm, incredibly creamy and so deliciously cheesy I cannot even find the words to accurately describe it. The fact that it was paired with the freshest-of-the-season heirloom tomatoes and a drizzle of slightly tangy olive oil made me swoon. I was impressed with the service, too. Our waiter was attentive and sweet, and totally got that we were in for a fun experience. He helped us choose a pizza and checked in regularly to see that we were happy and everything was to our liking. He was really excellent, along with everything else. As I mentioned, we sat outside overlooking the square, so while I didn't spend much time in the actual restaurant, it was energetic, casually classy and very reminiscent of European eateries I've been to. It was bustling, pleasantly noisy and lively. Definitely check Il Pizzaiolo out if you've a hankering for fresh pizza, great Italian food and a fun time. You won't be disappointed!
(5)Delaney C.
We went here for the first time last night and it was nothing short of amazing. Walking in, you are hit with an awesome atmosphere and amazing smells. We made a reservation and were seated in an awesome table upstairs. Shortly after we were seated, our waiter, Brian, came to our table and asked if we had dined at Il Pizzaiolo before. We both said no. Brian gave a history of the restaurant, and told us how all of the food is imported weekly from Italy. He then gave us an in depth run down of the menu, going through each category of food and explaining every dish. He made awesome recommendations on food and wine. For the wine, we told him the kind that we usually drink, and he recommended a reasonably priced bottle that we both ended up loving. For food, we started with the Insalata Caprese which was amazing. The cheese tasted so fresh it almost melted in your mouth. For my meal, I had the Margherita DOC pizza which was made in a woodfired oven and tasted authentic. My boyfriend had the Rigatoni Con Polpette which he loved- and i obviously had to try. It was arguably some of the best sauce I've had. And they spoiled him with 6 meatballs in the dish. Both of us were very happy with our meals. The awesome atmosphere combined with amazing food, and outstanding service from our waiter Brian has definitely put Il Pizzaiolo on our list of favorite restaurants. We will definitely be back! Oh and I forgot to mention, the food makes great leftovers! :)
(5)Akshatha R.
After walking around the Pittsburgh downtown for a while, we decided to get some Italian food. A good cozy, crowded place in the Market Square. Great service. I ordered the meatless Gnocci, which was delicious. My husband did not like his food so much. Loved their Tiramisu.
(4)Kristy A.
On my go-to list from now on! This place is bigger than it first appears, with a dining room and bar upstairs. I loved the decor on both floors, but it was the food that makes me want to go back again and again. I sampled the mixed greens salad, the bread, the Margherita pizza, and the prosciutto pizzas. The salad was the only thing I wouldn't write home about. The bread is a soft pillow of deliciousness. I couldn't resist. Both pizzas were flavorful, with crispy crusts and a great sauce. Word to the wise though - they come uncut unless you specifically ask them to cut it. We topped the whole thing off with some white wine (couldn't tell you what kind since I suck at Italian wines). My only real complaint is that while there were open at lunchtime on a Sunday, they don't have a lunch menu. Our bill for two people splitting the food listed above came to over $100 ($44 of which was wine).
(5)Natosha D.
Where to begin with this place.... Unprofessional is an understatement. I've been here twice. On my first visit, I went to a business dinner. I am in a professional dinner with colleagues and a random waiter starts stalking my table and finally drops off a note :: photo attached. Hitting on me!! Asking me out - circle YES OR NO. Why do you even have time - you're at work and I'm doing business!! I wasso so so embarrassed! Thanks Il Pizzaiolo!!! Next, I decide to try lunch. HUGE mistake. The Il Pizzaiolo was empty. A few people at the bar. Multiple staff members. We were bumped between 3 different servers. Ordered meatballs as an appetizer - our 2nd waiter/bartender drops them off stating they are the "freshest, hottest meatballs in town!" - a blatant lie. We didn't even eat one full meatball. The food was OK, we did eat a little of our meals. EVEN BAD PIZZA IS GOOD. While we were waiting for our bill, from our third waitress, we observed a group of il pizzaiolo employees (including our third waitress), criticizing the undergarment choices of a hostess. Apparently she wasn't permitted to wear the black bra straps with the open back, then she changed that and came back and they told her that her dress was see through...so she changed again. All observed while waiting for the check. Completely done eating....FINALLY, I see a moment of clarity as our waitress remembers us in the corner, the ONLY patrons in the whole Il Pizzaiolo As I leave I ask for a manger - after I already paid my check and tipped my server - it took about 10 or so minutes to find him. He then informed me that my opinion was "interesting" as they "do not ever receive complaints." After responding that this is highly unlikely and I'm just trying to give feedback to help - he promptly told me he doesn't need to listen to this type of stuff from "people like you" - black, female, not in my usual business clothes? What is a people like me? Never ever ever going back.
(1)Amy B.
The appetizers are great (calamari, mussels, buffalo mozzarella, meatballs)!!! BUT the pizza for being a certified member of the American Italian AVP Napoletana. WAS PATHETIC... it was soggy, floppy, and no taste... (should be soft, flavorful, etc...) this was my 2nd attempt to try at their downtown location, compared to Mt. Lebanon and same result....disappointment. Pathetic and why have a brick oven if that's the final product. Great selection however for a simple menu though.... veal, chicken, fish..... stick with those and the appetizers. :)
(3)Danielle K.
We stopped into Il Pizzaiolo while in Pittsburgh over the weekend and I was very impressed! We started with the spicy calamari and a Caesar salad. The calamari was among the best that I have ever had - it tasted fresh, crispy and just slightly spicy and its also a pretty large portion. The Caesar salad was just ok, olives were a nice touch. The complimentary bread that is brought out with oil and vinegar is probably best skipped. It's just plain white, flavorless bread and they're probably doing you a favor by not serving amazing bread that you'll just fill up on. For my entree, I ordered the Pappardelle Funghi, which was amazing. I also tried a bite of the meatballs, which were very tender and tasted as if they were stuffed with a delicious cheese. They also have a wide variety of pizzas. I thought the prices were fair. I would certainly recommend this restaurant to others traveling to Pittsburgh and will make sure to visit again when I can!
(5)Madeline N.
My friends and I chose Il Pizzaiolo for our annual mother/daughter dinner this year. During college, we started a tradition that once a year we get together (four friends and each of our moms) to eat yummy food and catch up with each other. Seeing as this was our fifth mother/daughter dinner and our past four years had all been wonderful choices, we wanted to make sure we kept up with the streak. Fortunately, we were successful yet again! We were seated upstairs, which had a very nice atmosphere! The windows kept the room very light and the volume was low enough that we were able to talk to each other comfortably. We had heard poor reviews about the service, but we did not have any problems. Our waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. He moved at a more relaxed pace, but because we were so busy catching up, the pace was perfect for us. The food was pricey, but it was delicious! There were so many items on the menu that I wanted to try, but I decided to order the spinach ricotta gnocchi (the special pasta of the day for Wednesdays on their menu) and I loved it! It was a decent portion, but I wanted more! Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal. We were also all happy with our drinks! I would definitely recommend to others in the mood for good Italian food.
(4)Brian C.
The food was excellent and deserved 5 stars. However the service was rather slow so I have to give it a 4. Definitely will be going back to try the brick oven pizza.
(4)Money B.
There was a long wait to get in. Seemed like there were a lot of loud mouth italians and mobster-wanna be's. The place is pricey. I ordered margherita pizza. It looked nice but there was NOTHING great about the flavor, it was plain. Not really looking to eat her again unless they improve the flavors.
(3)Zeribe E.
Great food good portions. Fast service. Questionable staff. I came one evening and because I didn't look the part they assumed I couldn't afford the food or maybe they didn't want my business. Only thing I didn't like upon entry.
(4)Ehsan B.
From DC and will simply say there isn't a restaurant with better Italian food than this place. Everything was incredible. Meatballs, Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna, etc.
(5)Sheila B.
This has become one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh. It's perfect for group outings, special occasions, or just grabbing a bite to eat late at night. It has a casual, rustic feel to it with solid wood tables, subway tile behind the upstairs bar, and of course the beautiful wood burning oven. The food is by far the star here. The calamari is fresh, crispy and just delicious. The wood-fired pizzas have that delicious sweet dough that is so well known and loved from the caramelization process created in the intense heat of the wood fired oven. The toppings are exquisite. Unfortunately, that did recently take their Burata pizza off the menu. The Burata cheese would melt on the pizza creating a pseudo cheesy cream sauce that was out of this world. I think I'm drooling... Don't worry though! The Burata pizza may be no more, but any of the others are also delicious! The prosciutto makes the stuff you get at the average store look like shoe leather. It's salty, tender and melts in your mouth. Oh and the pizza is not the only star at this place. The pasta is OMG good as well! At my recent visit I had the gnocchi which were light, delicious pillows of goodness in your mouth. Yep, I'm definitely drooling :-) If you're looking for a tasty beverage to enjoy with your meal, have no fear! They have all sorts of Italian imported beers, various beers on tap, and bottled craft beers. Try the Anchorsteam beer, because what is better in this world than a good beer with an even better pizza? The service is also something to tout about at this place. During my most recent visits, Brian was our server and did an outstanding job. Have a question about a cheese, an Italian meat, or a beer? He knows the answer and will help you find something you'll enjoy. His expertise definitely made the hard decision of what to order much easier. Overall, I will be here again and again!
(5)Jenni H.
Another great visit at this restaurant ! We came for dinner for my fiancé's birthday. We sat upstairs (which is adorably charming ). Matthew was our server, he was excellent and so was the food ! I had the pappardelle with mushrooms and cream sauce, he had the linguine with seafood ! We loved everything and will be making the drive from greensburg to come again !
(5)Rissa D.
So....where to begin.... This place is extremely overpriced. I got a margarita pizza. It was a 4 cut and $18!? Wait what?! Yes, you heard correctly. $18. Way to pricey for a 4 cut pizza no matter how you cook it. The rest of my party got pasta. Which was even more expensive than my pizza and the serving size wasn't even that large. Additionally, I have a food allergy and couldn't eat any of the appetizers except the calamari. What does this tell you? They could make meatballs without the herb I'm allergic to? Well, this means that they aren't fresh. Could they be frozen? Maybe, but who actually knows. Lastly, if they lowered the prices of their food, they would be much better off.
(2)TheBurghSpor K.
I really love Il Pizz. The food is consistently great, the wine selection is fantastic and the atmosphere can't be beat for an Italian restaurant in the downtown Pittsburgh area. The Pizza: Let me preface with, I've been to Italy many times and my mother lived there for years, so I'd like to say I "know" pizza. I've had many variations of the pizza here and all have been solid with quality ingredients. To be honest, the pizza is just better at Piccolo Forno in Lawrenceville. Entrees: Ok so, this is MY PLACE for simple spaghetti and meatballs. This comfort food is my jam and is my go to. The sauce here is delicious and borderline drinkable. Meatballs are just right, portion is perfect and the noodles could not get more perfectly al dente. Friends of mine have also raved about the gnocchi or the cavatelli. Atmosphere: Love it. I prefer the upstairs, it feels dark and cozy. The bar is great, easy to grab a glass of wine (or 5), a great cheese plate and glass of wine. The chairs for the tables are oddly not balanced right, so watch yourself when getting up or hanging your jacket... I've seen many chairs down. So why 4 stars? While I love this place to pieces, the service has been hit or miss, borderline I want to give them 2 stars for how bad it has been. If you get the wrong bartender, they can be extremely snobby to the point that it is uncomfortable. WTF?! Italian is supposed to be welcoming and warm, and they have some serious work to do in this department. Lose the entitlement, make me feel like this is my home and I'll bounce you up to 5!
(4)Wil C.
This is a nice little place. Mainly staffed by college kids I would imagine, so please don't expect anything remarkable service wise. Even the bartender looked like she was just old enough to drink. And poured wine with a jigger. I kid you not. Pretty high prices, food wasn't great but wasn't terrible. Nothing really to say all too positive or negative. Yes, the gnocchi were almost perfectly done, but on the other hand my pasta was still chewy enough to almost qualify as gum. The main issue is that there are so many great traditional real Italian restaurants in Pittsburgh, I think this place is working 95% off of it's location downtown. So, cannot recommend, but if you have some time and are stuck downtown, give their gnocchi a try and let me know what you think.
(2)Lauren H.
Try the breaded mozzarella appetizer. The mozzarella and pasta is homemade in house daily. You will be ruined for mozzarella sticks after this. Both my meal and my boyfriends were amazing. We are from Chicago and therefore pretty picky about Italian food, and this place is an A+. Outstanding food and service. Brett was incredibly helpful with my dietary restrictions, and provided excellent service.
(5)Elizabeth M.
This place is a great authentic Italian eatery right in the heart of downtown in Market Square! We had the special appetizer of the evening, zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and then fried. They were so delicious I would have gladly downed a whole plate of them as my meal. I shared a pizza with my mother. We got the margherita, so nothing out of the ordinary, but it was nonetheless delicious. I think I still prefer Mercurio's pizza over Il Pizzaiolo, but it's nice to have two great authentic pizzeria restaurants within our great city! For dessert, I had the chocolate cake with chocolate gelato and it was so so decadent and rich. I thought I was only going to have a bite or two, but ended up scarfing down nearly the whole thing. Yum yum.
(5)Molly H.
I'm giving multiple level of stars to this place. I would like to give it 3.5, but I can't. Service...5. Our waiter (beyond being handsome) was excellent. Explained the menu in great detail and was very informed of all the ingredients, transport of items and depths of the wines and cocktails. Bravo! Atmosphere....4-5. Cozy, quaint. A little loud, but with the walls and flooring and amount of people tucked in here, that can happen. Food 3-4....antipasti platter. Great selection, not enough. 4 olives? Really? And, 2 pieces of bread for 6 people. Shouldn't have to ask for more. Pizza. I had the sausage and rapini. It was good. Crust is different...almost like an Indian bread. I liked. Rapini was fresh. Sausage was under flavor. Needed salt or parm within the pizza. I know the big deal from them now is that they are not cutting the pizza to maintain the integrity of the crust. Three words: CUT THE PIZZA. I don't want to shake the table cutting it and it didn't keep the crust crisp by not cutting it. Bottom was a bit soggy. Friends had pasta, ravioli, prosciutto pizza and veal. All were good. Have to say meatballs were great. Not the best, but great. We did have an appetizer of fried mozzarella balls that was heavenly. Tiramisu was okay. Price....1-2. I'm just not in to paying 15+ for a glass of wine and 18-22 for a pizza for 1-2 (maybe 2 if you get apps). I've had a 150 dollar bottle of wine and I'm telling you it's not all that different from a $25 bottle. I understand that all this food is flown in by Italian pilots humming Vivaldi, but I've had some pretty great Italian cuisine that beats this place on price by far. All in all...will I go back? Debatable.
(3)Jason H.
Food was ok. It was definitely overpriced, especially considering that there is much much better Italian food at other places in Pittsburgh for the same price point. Service was not good at all. Very little attention was paid to us. When we asked for recommendations on wine, our waiter told us that he didn't really know much about Italian wine. He actually laughed at us when we asked a question about something on the menu. When I ordered my meal using the Italian phrase (as it is on the menu), he didn't understand me. Again he laughed! There are so many better options in Pittsburgh for great food.
(2)J C.
I had the Margherita Doc. Pizza was good(4 stars) but .... (for reference) I say this as someone who eats at Mozza in LA, Bianco in Phoenix, and other gourmet pizza restaurants in NY...the pizza was overpriced at $18 for lunch. For what it is, it is overprices by 20-25%. Since there are apparently other high quality pizza places in Pittsburgh's downtown area, I'm surprised they get away with their prices. Service was prompt and friendly.
(3)Prinzzess F.
Bartender has been talking to employees and giving them all espressos and I've been here 5mins without her asking if we wanted a drink.... (We are and have been the only customers here) Now she's sitting at a table stuffing her face. All we have had is water brought. Really? Ok she brought our pizza, asked if we needed Parmesan. And left. Done with pizza and only got water whole time. What's with Pittsburgh and pizza soup tho. Pizza was so runny it slid off into my lap. This is very similar to nearby stone but crust was way better there. And they have no staff (just a cashier) and I was still offered a beer. And the pizza was half the price there.
(2)Barry R.
If you remember your Italian grandmother lovingly hand making you pizza dough and noodles then you will be transferred back to her dining room at Il Pizzaiolo. We had the meatball appetizer, a personal pizza and a pasta. Everything was freshly homemade, well seasoned, and full flavored. My wife and i went on a random Thursday afternoon, and it was still so busy, you couldn't get a table without a reservation. We were promptly seated at the bar upstairs, and were immediately asked our drink order and given menus by a friendly and knowledgeable waitress. I'm not usually a huge pizza fan, but I'd heard so many good things about the pizza here that I had to try it. It completely lived up to the hype. My wife got the pasta which was fluffy, homemade, and equally delicious. All the food came out very quickly, hot from the oven. They make every effort to help workers get back on time from their lunch break. They also had an impressive fine liquor, wine, and beer list, including belgium classics Chimay and Hoegaarden on tap. Whether you're going for the fast, excellent service, the drink selection, the pleasant atmosphere, or some of the best Italian food you'll find anywhere (including Venice), Il Pizzaiolo is a perfect choice. It seems so wonderful for all occasions, it's tempting to head here for every meal, but there is one drawback. Premium pizza has a punishing price. Our lunch (1 personal pan pizza, 1 pasta, 1 shared appetizer, no drinks or dessert) was $50 with tip. If you're willing to settle for more pedestrian fair, that's the price of 10 foot long subway italian sub lunches at the subway less than 100 feet away. From that perspective it's not a great lunchtime value. Il Pizzaiolo also does not offer happy hour specials (They're busy all the time, so there's no incentive for them to discount). On the other hand, despite taking great pride in being cheap, I absolutely feel like we got our money's worth. For a special occasion, Il Pizzaiolo offers a flawless italian dining experience, and while I didn't used to think a personal pizza could be worth $18, Il Pizzaiolo's really is that good. I heard from a friend the eggplant parmigiano is even better and I'm already on the hunt for the next special occasion that justifies going back for secondi!
(5)D D.
Went here for lunch slightly before noon on a weekday. The place wasn't too busy so we were seated within a few minutes but after seeing two servers seat other parties after us and then walk past us to give those parties water first, we left. Very disappointing experience.
(1)Faith A.
I love me some Il Pizzaiolo... Everything about our date night here was pretty awesome. It was a Friday night, we had a reservation so we were promptly taken to our table, the service was great, and the food and wine were delicious. We went with the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo... so good I tracked it down at a wine store in NY and will pick up a few (much more cost effective bottles) bottles when I am working in the Buffalo area. We had apps and salads and I do not recall exactly which ones, so I am sorry that I am at a loss here. I will say that my margherita pizza and my husband's gnocchi were two of the best things I have ever eaten. He loved the tiramisu too (a close second to Groceria Italiana's I believe). There is nothing that I dislike about this place. I cannot wait to come back and this time, it is my turn to get the gnocchi (it was that good). I recommend this spot for date night :)
(5)Amanda V.
I went for lunch and was not impressed. The decor of the restaurant was nice and clean but the food was just okay. I had the margarita pizza which was very pricey for a personal pizza on lunch. There was very little fresh mozzarella to the point you didn't get to enjoy cheese. I had two piece of fresh basil on the entire pie. The basil flavor should be in every piece or every other at least. The crust was also not crispy once you got the center of the pizza. I can't say I will be going back for the pizza. You can definitely get better pizza for a better price elsewhere.
(2)Rachel C.
Dare I say this location is better than the Mt. Lebo one? Maybe I'll just leave it as it's both different but equal. It's really weird walking in here for me because I was in the spot when it was a flower shop. I worked right next door at the Starbucks and was friendly with the staff. But the transformation is incredible! It's really beautiful inside and surprisingly fits a lot of people. Probably because they've also opened up the upstairs as well. With dark wood and intimate lighting, it still gives off that old world charm, but has a modern twist with a fancy pants bar both upstairs and downstairs. With the absence of the Mt. Lebo patio, this spot has a more urban feel, which I also like. The hubs and I split the Quattro Formaggi (Fresh mozzarella, fontina, asiago, gorgonzola, pecorino romano, extra virgin olive oil) and the Diavola (San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh spicy salami, calabrian chili pepper, pecorino romano, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oilmozzarella) pizza. Both were equally delicious, but I think I favored the Diavola more. I liked the red sauce and slight spiciness, but it wasn't overpowering, which was great for me. Although the Quattro was also fantastic and super cheesy. It was unlike any pizza I've had before, which is a good thing. Be prepared to take a while to scan their extensive wine list. I usually recognize a handful of names, but here I only recognized Chianti. Thankfully our server helped us pick out a tasty wine (crap, I forgot it... it was red...). Make sure to make a reservation, especially on the weekend, because they get packed! I'm so happy to have this joint in town now. Although it will be hard to avoid when I'm down there now. I just want to stuff all the pizzas in my mouth!
(5)Kristin P.
I'll start with saying I'm in love with the interior of this place. The blue tile on the wood oven is gorgeous, as well as the white stone bar and table tops. I was just looking around at every detail in awe. I knew I was in for a treat! We waited until 1pm to go to lunch because I've seen the noon crowd. This proved to be a good move - we were seated right away. I got a pizza that included cherry tomato sauce, anchovy, garlic, capers, olives and basil. As soon as I took a bite, I realized how they could charge $15 for a personal sized pizza. You can tell that each ingredient is top-of-the-line. They don't mess around when it comes to quality. I want to come back and try every variety! I also want to try some of their homemade pasta. If this pizza is some reflection on the rest of the menu, I can't wait to come back!
(5)Adam H.
Great pizzas for a quick lunch hour. We were in the area for work and wanted something pretty tasty but didn't have a ton of time. This place isn't fast food by any stretch but for a fresh pizza, it is pretty quick. A local friend recommended it to us and the menu looked awesome. I love an authentic style pizza and anything with prosciutto makes me happy! The pizza came out after a pretty quick wait and it looked awesome. The flavors were rich and wait for it, real! I am so sick of the canned sauces and the dried herbs used in most places. Even the "fancier" places are cutting corners. But this place was the real deal. Amazing tastes from the real ingredients. I was going to take some pizza home but that didn't last and I ate the whole thing. Oops My only complaints was that the pizza could have been a little more evenly topped. I had a small issue with the distribution of the toppings. I'm not really complaining here, just trying to explain why I only gave 4 stars. A very easily fixed problem and it didn't take away from our experience. Still very good and I will be back for sure!
(4)Laurielee T.
While this place is quite cute . The pizza is terrible and overpriced. Let me start by saying I went expecting great things from the reviews . Caesar salad , not good and soggy crust pizza . After I said I was in no hurry. And I wanted it well done . Staff was very nice but I was so disappointed . I unfortunately could not recommend it.
(1)Ashley H.
Being a HUGE fan of the Mt Lebo location, the BF and I opted to go here for our anniversary dinner before going to the Benedum to see Elf the Musical. Reservations were made, but ugh... I felt like we got the worst seat in the house. Smack dab in the middle of the floor, constantly bumped by passers by and anytime the front door opened, I experienced a huge chill. Needless to say, I dined with my winter coat on. Brrrr... Our waitress seemed nice but proved to be clueless... very unlike the Mt Lebo location - their staff never disappoint! She read the specials off her cheat sheet, but it was so loud in there we could barely hear her anyway. I told her I was debating on the dinner special she described as a hearty seafood stew with muscles, clams, fish, in a tasty broth or CAVATELLI CON RAPINI which is a favorite of mine. She paused and said she would go with the special because their fish is always fresh and being such a cold day, the stew would be lovely to warm up with. SOLD! ...Can I change my order please???? Overcooked flavorless fish that tasted like it was cooked separately from the stew itself. Ick! I am a HUGE seafood fan, but I couldn't eat this. The broth wasn't bad, but it was NOT cooked with the seafood. Plus this was anything but a hearty stew. I actually was left HUNGRY! This dish was exceptionally disappointing. The BF felt bad and thought maybe some tiramisu would make me feel better. After all, they're made in house and the Mt Lebo tiramisu is usually quite tasty. Unfortunately this one was just dry... At this point, I just wanted to leave. When our waitress finally came around after fratranizing in the back of the house (yes we saw it.... in fact, you can see all things in the back of the house from where we sat. Not cool when you see the staff goofing off...) we left. Thankfully the Benedum sold candied almonds. Highlight of my evening. Next time I want to go to Il Pizzaiolo, I'll go to the Mt Lebonon location.
(2)Glenn C.
30 bucks for a caesar salad and pizza is no bargain. They charged 2 dollars per topping so my pizza was 21 dollars. Pizza was good. Lots of mushrooms but few pepperonis. First time here. Small restaurant that was very noisy. No room upstairs. I had to sit at the bar. It was annoying that the servers kept bumping into me. Ice cubes were extra for my water. Just kidding had to ask for them. Salad dressing was too heavy and ditto for the bread. Bar prices are very high.
(3)MaryAlice R.
I went here before attending a Pittsburgh Symphony concert and it ended up being a fantastic evening. I got the Paccheri All'Amatriciana pasta dish and it was delicious! It had a little bit of a kick to it, but it was not too much or too little. I also had a glass of wine to go along and it went perfectly with the pasta dish. This place for me is a special event kind of place since the prices are a little high for my liking. However, I am sure I will be back eventually and will probably try the pizza.
(4)Kelsey S.
The pizzas here are delicious. Very light and fresh. My favorite pasta dish is the gnocchi. Their wine list is HUGE and they also have a ton of imported Italian beers. A little on the pricey side, a mushroom pizza will run you $17.00, and I was able to eat the whole thing! My only complaint is that they don't carry Bud Light or ranch dressing, two things I must have with pizza!
(3)Chris S.
Simply one of the best meals I've ever had. I had the Italian Wedding soup with five awesome, homemade meatballs. Then had the lasagna, with homemade egg noodles and sausage. To finish off we had a shoebox-sized piece of tiramisu. They also have a wide variety of craft beers from Italy. The service was awesome, it's in the heart of downtown. And, for the quality, a great value. Will be there again for sure.
(5)