I found this spot on Yelp while craving a true giant NY style pizza, and even though it had minimal reviews, we had to check it out. For reference, I have had NY pizza in NYC, so I am a tough judge First off, we went on a Friday night and downtown was absolutely crazy. Definitely college season energy. They only have a pickup window, so parking can be a challenge. Pro tip, have one person hop out while the other drives around the block. It made things much easier for us. When I walked up, the staff was super friendly. We chatted about how we moved here from Massachusetts almost two years ago but had never ventured this far downtown before. I really enjoyed the vibe of the area. They do accept cards, and I updated the pricing here to reflect current costs. Now for the pizza. We are always on the hunt for those monster size pies, and this 20 inch pizza did not disappoint. The box barely fit in our truck which gave us a good laugh. We got it home and between us and our teenager, the whole thing was gone. The taste was fantastic and honestly reminded me of one of those little spots in Times Square. There was very minimal grease and none of that heavy heartburn sauce we always joke about. Overall, highly recommend. Our whole pizza was ready in about 10 minutes which was impressive. If you are in the area, even grabbing a slice might just hit that perfect comfort food spot. read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Outside - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Italian Gator is a staple for Gainesville students, residents, and visitors. Did you even come to Gainesville if you didn't stop by for a slice?! This hole-in-the-wall spot has retained its usual charm and flavor despite exploding with popularity! If you want a slice for lunch, a slice post club, a slice because you're hungry, a slice because you're bored - Italian gator is always the answer. Their thin, crispy pizza slices have won hearts over so many years and their absolutely delicious pizza flavor has remained the same through it all! They keep their menu simple with a cheese or pepperoni slice, but both are the most incredible slices of pizza I've ever tasted! If you're ever in Gainesville for any reason, plsssss do yourself a favor and stop by for the best slice Florida has to offer! While you're at it, walk through the most beautiful campus you'll ever see read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Pepperoni Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville staple, ifykyk. Best service, food, and ambiance. Simply cannot be beat, especially at night. read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Stopped by passing through Gainesville. Just as good as it was 11 years ago when I lived here.

It is what it is! Rolling home on a cool Gainesville winter night, I was told at the restaurant where I work that this place was open til 2:00am!! I was going to see how crowded it was, and make my decision on the za accordingly. NO WAITING!!! I casually rolled up to the window and asked for two slices, he asked pepperoni or cheese, and I said BOTH! I paid and tipped with my card right at the window, he put both Italian dreams in a small box for me, and I happily pedaled away! Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of the slices, as I munched them upon entering my warm apartment! Gotta go back! read more

This is some seriously good pizza in Midtown! Italian Gator Italian is a takeout only spot that serves pizza by the slice. It is a walk up and order window type of spot. Located right next to Macdinton's and open very late, it is super convenient for late night grub. The line is usually long during peak hours, but it moves quickly and is always worth it. The slices are roughly $3-4 each and are a great size. You can order by the slice or order a whole 20" pie. They only offer cheese and pepperoni. Although they will occasionally have specials and garlic rolls. It is reminiscent of New York styled pizza and has a thin crust. It isn't floppy either and has a good undercarriage. The crust is cooked to perfection and isn't burnt. It is a little greasy, but in the best way. The cheese to sauce ratio is perfect! It isn't too saucy or too cheesy. The sauce has so much flavor and the blend of cheese on top is really good as well. The pepperonis they use are also really nice. They are larger and thinner than traditional pepperonis. Overall, Italian Gator will become one of my go to places in Midtown. The prices, quality, and flavor of the pizza is enough to keep me coming back. My roommate and I left pleasantly supersede with how satisfied it left us. Will most definitely be returning!! read more

Pizza was great and sauce was very tasty! Service was very attentive and fast. If you're on the go I would say it's a great option. They do not offer seating but it definitely gives that "NY corner pizza place" to the establishment. Will definitely be back for more :) read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Current menu. - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I once met a really cute waiter And damn how I wanted to date her I took her out for pizza But every boy that meets her She bats her lashes and says "see you later" So I needed something to bait her She said FL Pizza can frustrate her So I took her to Gainesville Which she now calls Amazeville Cuz of slices from Italian Gator! Someone wanted me to hang out in the Swamp with them. I was like, nah, See you later, I'm at Gator. When Italia something, you better listen, and Italia, this is damn good pizza. I hope you listen to what Italia. When you meet me, your Gaydar may go off, but personally, my Gator goes off when I get near this excellent late night Gainesville FL pizza. So this is very tasty pizza, and I enjoyed every bite. Better still, it's open til 3am, "manned" by the cute girl with lots of tats who was getting harrassed by a drunk guy (so I told him to GTFO and I think she was slightly grateful, but told me that she has to deal with this kind of thing almost constantly on weekend nights).... annnnyway, what kinda pizza do you expect late at night in a Florida college town? I mean FL pizza sucks....... but this one is great! Not world class... but then neither was your Uncle in my bedroom last night. If it was in New York or New Jersey or Buffalo or Detroit then I certainly wouldn't be able to give it five stars, obviously those places are home to the best pizza in the world, but if we're talking about Florida - and there's a lot of really bad Pizza down here - and this is actually really good pizza, so between this and a wonderful girl working here, and the crap that she has to put up with (drunks and abusive and harassing people), then there's no chance in the world I would not give it a five. It's not even too overpriced either. And if you're wondering what to get your gf for dinner... Gator one of these slices. Done with this review now. See you later, Italian Gator. read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Pizza cake - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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A Gainesville staple, if you haven't stopped by Italian Gator for a quick slice, do you really live in Gainesville? One of the first spots that I visited when I moved to Gainesville, I love that Italian Gator skips all the frills and gimmicks. It's just simply fabulous pizza! When it comes to great pizza, the debates can go on forever of who's is best but I have no issue in choosing a Top 5 and this is one of them in town. I've always enjoyed great customer service with the employees there and it's refreshing. With great combo options under $7 or so each, Italian Gator fails to disappoint with their slices that are often bigger than my head! So the next time that you're craving a slice of pizza, you know where to go! read more

I've always known about Naples (the italian part of florida) but holy shit did I just discover the real little italy of Florida. And guess what it's located in Gainesville. Italian Gator is spectacular, marvelous, absolutely bonkers. Firstly, i'm a female and the man who served the pizza complimented my friends and I. Not only was my ego boosted, but my appetite grew larger. I got my pizza is probably three seconds. Maybe four. The pepperoni pizza was a whirlwind. With the perfect amount of pepperoni to pizza ratio I would even strongly suggest this to vegans. But surprisingly enough, that was not the star of the show. The Garlic Knots are fucking spectacular. Like seriously spectacular. They're doughy, garlicky, and just overall perfect. Just perfect. read more

Ask around on the University of Florida campus and I'm sure the students will confirm that Italian Gator Pizza is a most-stop after a long night out in midtown. Now while Florida is not particularly known for its pizza, nor is Italy known for their alligators, this is as close as you'll come to a NY style pizza slice in Gainesville. You can't beat the price or location of this window pizza shop. Remember to be nice to the workers, they have undoubtedly been hassled by some drunk college students earlier on in the night. This pizza definitely hit the spot and I plan to return the next time I am out late night in midtown Gainesville. read more

We get a whole cheese pizza and it's a tasty thin slice New York style. When they're busy it can take some time so order by phone when you can. My only quibble is I always forget which days they are closed. This place is a stand-outside window extremely popular with UF students. read more

Got some pizza here after a graduation. It was wonderful! We got two large pepperoni and cheese pizzas and they were huge! Definitely recommend this place! read more

Their website says they're open they aren't. I walked all the way here for absolutely nothing.

It's pizza and it's gonna be available when you need it most. This is a game day/tailgate MUSTafter 7-8 drinks you gotta pull Up to that little window and get whatever slice your heart desires before you end up blacked-out on the side of the street. The service is fast and the pizza will be out by the time you order it. No place to sit though so you might have to walk around midtown looking for your friends in the mean time. read more

Italian Gator is perfect for a late night slice of pizza. They are super quick and the pizza is very affordable. However, I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're not going out at midtown because you'll have to wait in a big crowd of drunk people. The pizza is great though, and I wish it was open more hours because I think a lot of students would use it as a lunch spot since it's right across from campus. read more

I usually come here after a night at midtown and it is packed with college students; the line extends past the street and is difficult to navigate. Nonetheless, the workers do a great job of managing the crowd and have orders taken/given almost immediately. They also seem to be very experienced with handling drunk college students and will refuse to take an order if the customer is rude/too intoxicated. A slice of cheese pizza is slightly over $2, and the slice is decently sized. As always, it is cheaper to order an entire pie, but this place is known for their pizza by the slice. Since there is no seating, you will have to stand around or take your pizza elsewhere to eat. I wouldn't say it's the best pizza ever, but for the convenience and hours, a slice of pizza here will hit the spot. read more

Great place to grab pizza by the slice between classes or late night. Conveniently located right across campus. Employees seem to always be preoccupied with something else and forget to extend a courtesy greeting but the pizza is great. Can't blame them though, as they have to deal with intoxicated students if you go later in the night. Don't let that turn you away though. Cool place, my go to spot for late night pizza by the slice. read more

Yum! I went to get some pizza for lunch on Friday and really enjoyed the 2 slices that I got from Italian Gator. I have walked by this place time and time again but never stopped. I decided to try it out on Friday since I had a coupon. I loved it! I ordered 2 slices of Cheese Pizza and a large Diet Coke. The Pizza was great. It was not overly greasy and had a perfect texture to it. The pizza tasted great. The slices are large and easily folded to make a little pizza sandwich. I really enjoyed them and can see why they have a long line when the bars let out. I am for sure going to go back here and I recommend this place for sure! read more

I love you Pizza by the Slice, but your service was a little disappointing tonight. The food is great, ample, and well-priced for a small place open for food at 2:30 am, but don't take advantage of your customers and tell them how their food should taste if they complain. My pizza was cold and hard, which is below-standard for such a reputable place. I felt like I was eating cardboard. How dare the worker respond to me that it is not? When I approached her about my unsatisfactory food, she didn't even offer to at least reheat or replace it. I cannot say anything negative about this place, because it does have great pizza and the BEST garlic knots you will ever taste. However, manners are important. Telling the customer that they are wrong indicates a lack-ness of them. Whoever she is, I hope she doesn't last long working for them. To all my yelpers, this is spot to visit not only after nightlife experiences, but also in-between classes. It is easily accessible and located across from campus. Service is also fast. Do visit, and do fall in love! read more

My family was visiting from outside of the country. They wanted something American and I thought this would be the perfect place. We had a waitress, Shirley who was amazing! Even though my family didn't speak English she made sure to engage and make them feel welcomed. I can't wait to come back!! read more

Great place for grabbing a slice of pizza while experiencing a night scene in the heart of UF area. Slices are always yummy. Quick service and friendly staff read more

EASILY THE BEST PIZZA IN GAINESVILLE!! Slices are great but getting a large pie is OUTSTANDING!! Thin crust, sweet sauce, oily orange cheese that flops down OMG!!!! Fantastic. Parking and hours of operation are the only issues. We always take two people to get it. One drives and loops around the block while the other jumps out to pick up. Totally worth it. Promise! read more

This place is great! Their pizza is delicious, cheap, fast AND they are open late. Definitely recommend!

Can't add toppings to individual slices when you go later in the night. Also, handing out hundreds of paper plates to (mostly drunk) college students isn't very environmentally conscious. I feel like I see them littering almost every street within a five mile radius. It's ridiculous--the pizza is the plate. read more

Italian Gator Pizza should totally gets 5 stars, but I gave it 4 because I would be a big hypocrite if I gave it 5 stars while shaming you for eating, liking oily, sugar added, white flour, fast food pizza. So here is the situation; if you are female over the age of 16, or a male over 26 (life is sexist and unfair, get used to it) eating this pizza late at night will soon give you body and self-esteem issues, and, before you know it, none of your sexy clothes fit, and you hear husband say something like, "DAMN BABY, you make those stretch pants look good!" He thought if he said it that way, he would not have to sleep on the couch. But you see, the pernicious thing about this little window that serves up slices of fat and calories with very little food value, is it's perfect location where your booze addled brain shifts into make bad decisions mode -- location, location, location -- and it seems perfectly rational, drunk at 2am, to buy a slice, and if you manage to get it to your mouth - each slice comes with a sobriety testing paper plate with structural integrity seemingly inversely proportional to your blood alcohol level - those greasy, nasty slices go down your throat like little bites of heaven, making you become so happy and full of love, that you may wonder if you are eating or having sex. The sex analogy really works here because the slice finishes long before you are ready for it to be over, and the guilt and remorse for what you have just done to yourself is instantaneous. If your regular guy is fresh healthy whole foods, you have have gotten drunk and cheated on your guy again. Luckily - location, location, location - there is a Catholic Church right next door. You run in and begin confessing immediately. "Father forgive me for I have sinned!" You expect absolution, but the priest says, "DAMN BABY, you make those stretch pants look good!" So you run back out of the church holding the crust between your thumb and forefinger like a crucifix, lift it to the sky and scream, "I THOUGHT YOU ONLY HATED AMPUTEES!" Yes, that was me outside St Augustine Catholic Church July 4th. I am so embarrassed. Only former ZBT brothers know how I feel. So, Italian Gator, 4 stars. Don't go there; don't eat that. I will see you 2:15am Sunday morning. It's a date. Don't complement my stretch pants. read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

My all time favorite food is pizza. I have eaten at just about every major pizza chain there is. I have also eaten at A LOT of the small, family owned, hole in the wall type of pizza places in Florida and outside of Florida. My favorite style of Pizza is NY style crust. I've read some reviews about this establishment on Yelp, Google and Trip Advisor. Most people who left a review described being out with friends and being intoxicated while eating this pizza, so I assumed that due to them being drunk their opinion of the pizza may not be fair. This place is literally a hole in the wall. It is across from The Swamp between two other establishments. If it weren't for the Internet, I may have never heard about this place. It is very easy to miss unless you know exactly where it is. This is not a sit down restaurant or place to have dinner. It is literally the size of a closet with a small window as their only way to serve you. Their intentions are to serve slices to the college students, but you can order any pie you want and pick it up. You can also have it delivered by a non related delivery service, but for a huge fee. This place is right on University Ave, so traffic is INSANE. Although traffic is bad, it was worth the fight to try this pizza. It definitely met my blew expectations out of the water. I called and ordered their only size, a 20" pie. I got just cheese to try it out, for $17. It was made, baked and ready in 15mins Let me tell you, this is the BEST PIZZA I have EVER eaten. I do not know how they do it but it is absolutely amazing. If I dare say, perfection. I will never be satisfied with another pizza from anywhere else. If you love pizza, you will LOVE this place. read more

Italian Gator Pizza - 20" Cheese pizza for $17! - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I return to Gainesville several times a year (usually for a sporting event of some kind), and every time I'm back, I feel transported back to the days of my late teens/early 20's. Well, I am back in Gainesville for the weekend to watch my gators kick butt in baseball regionals, and I decided to visit one of my favorite old spots-- Italian gator pizza. Now circa 2000/2001 this was one of my drunk go-to spots. It's basically a pizza stand that serves slices to college students (usually drunk ones coming out of the bars peppering the block). Now that I am in my 30's and on the wagon, I popped out at about 7:15 and stone sober. Despite the decade that has passed and my more coherent state of mind, this was still the great pizza I remember. Is it the best in the world? No, but it is noticeably above average and it is a trip down memory lane for me with every bite. read more

par for a long island enclosed regional shopping center south of the L.I.E. The Italian gator scores higher because it understands the equation for college pizzerias- either 1, rep the school/mascot or 2 rep Italy(we knew to remind the eater it's Italian because it tastes like comm majors are making it (not hot girls though)) read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

A staple of my freshman year of college, and will always hold a place in my heart. Nothing compares to slice of pizza from Italian gator after a long night at mid. And I stand by that. My friend from FSU came to visit and she still talks about this pizza to this day. read more

Super quick and convenient. Good pizza and very cheap. No place to sit down to eat though, and parking can be rough in Midtown. You'll have to eat standing up or grab your pizza and take it to sit somewhere at UF. Best pizza in Gainesville though, coming from a New Yorker! read more

Italian Gator has my absolute FAVORITE pizza in all of Gainesville! I could not recommend it enough! They don't have a huge variety due to being a hole in the wall by campus, but hey "quality over quantity." They always have cheese and pepperoni with a different pizza of the day each day. My favorite is "White Pizza Wednesday." I'm addition to the best pizza in town, they also have some great garlic rolls! If you're in the University Ave area and are craving some pizza, this is the place to go! read more

We found this place by accident after being told that a to-go order of sushi that requires zero cooking would take 40 minutes. What a find!! This pizza took me back instantly to NY. Instant service. Quick, easy, delicious and inexpensive. read more

I really enjoyed the slice we got on St. Patrick's Day, it hit all the right spots. Perfect DN (Drunk Noms). I am usually hard to impress when it comes to NY style pizza, but this comes pretty close. It tasted great. I need to head back during the day (& sober) to see if it holds up. If it does I will probably bump it up to 5-stars. read more

Good slice of pepperoni and the garlic knots are AWESOME! Walk up only no seating. I think $3.59 for a slice of pepperoni is high especially with so many choices in the area. read more

A tiny little window on University (right next door to JimmyJohns), with the best pizza in Gainesville. Thin, crispy, perfect pizza, with oregano! Oregano! I've actually requested oregano from pizza chains when ordering - only to have more than half say that they dont even have oregano as a spice. It is as close to a New York style slice I've had down here. It's a bit greasy - on some days, anyways - but I have no complaints. Its pretty cheap as well, you can get 2 slices of cheese and drink for about $6. ETA: Garlic rolls! Garlic rolls to die for. read more

Great NY style pizza for those late night cravings. It convenient because you can just walk up to the window and order. I usually order 2 cheese slices and a drink which comes to $6.99. I find that the tomato sauce is on the sweeter side which I love. The pizza comes out pretty quickly as well! read more

Italian Gator Pizza - Cheese slices - Pizza Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

As a gator alum from 06-10 I could not wait to get back to Gainesville and PBS was one of the reason why. I organized a small frat reunion for the South Carolina game and couldn't wait to re-create all my favorite Friday night activities. After beat the clock at Balls, the tradition was to always grab a slice before hitting grog beat the clock. Being that my wife had never had PBS, I constantly talked up PBS and even flagged it as one of my favorite pizzas. It lived up to the billing, and then some. Honestly, living in Miami there is nothing like PBS. The slices are quite big but I could easily take down 2-3 slices in a single sitting. The pizza itself is just incredible. Freshly made, very often PBS takes pride in its authentic ingredients. We ordered a cheese slice each and 10 minutes later we returned for a second slice. I LOVED PBS when I was in school and loved it even more on my alum return trip. As I'm writing this review now, my mouth is watering. This isn't just good "drunk" pizza, its phenomenal. read more

After 8 years in Gainesville my boyfriend finally dragged me here. And yes, it's yummy. Is greasy, and chela, and comes on a paper plate. And you will sit and eat your pizza next to a homeless man on a nearby bench. Or maybe next to a drunk college student crying because the pizza is so delicious. And trust me, for a moment you will laugh. And then you will realize you could cry too. For a walk up window this pizza is perfect. Cheese, sauce, thin crust, toppings if you need them. But trust me when I say they're not necessary. Just much and be happy. read more

I love these guys. It's literally a hole in the wall place but the service is always friendly and quick and the pizza is sooo good. People always forget how good this place is because most of their clients are drunk - the bittersweet fate of being a midtown food place that's open late. Avoid on game days during football season because they raise the prices and after 12 am because everyone at midtown is literally the scum of the earth between 12 am and 3 am. Like, if you interact with their 2:45 am customers, you will have an existential crisis. And lose your faith in humanity. And wonder how exactly UF selects its students. Seriously. Tuesday afternoons they have meatball subs! Which are better and cheaper than the meatball subs at Larry's read more