This place has been closed for a while after covid owner couldn't make it! A shame loved the pizza.

Absolutely would not recommend. I went in asking about pizzas, the owner (?) seemed pissed off that I was looking at a posted menu and said that they only make pizzas. I tried to order one and half the ingredients from the menu attached to the counter they did not have. We worked through that and when I started a second pizza order the guy blew up and started yelling saying you should have called in for more than one pizza (I would have if there was a menu to find!). I just said never mind and left. Next thing I know, this guy is outside yelling at me calling me a f **** guy and A**** plus a lot of other cursing and yelling, I just stopped listening. I am a pretty easy going person and the Pizza may be good but not worth the attitude i experienced. Would have left a negative if possible! read more

We found this hidden gem a year ago and we are OBSESSED. It's hands down the best pizza we've had. The owner is super friendly and we found out he's actually from Naples, Italy (the birthplace of pizza!) The pizza is super thin crust, and holds well! "Great undercarriage" Only take out, ONLY PIZZA, so call ahead. read more

We've ordered a few pizzas from this place and they are always awesome! Without having to drive an hour or so this is hands down the best pizza in SoCo! read more

La Bella Italia - Pizza Near Me - Friendship, Maryland

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We ordered pizza last night and it was absolutely delicious! It was the best pizza we have had in this area and we will definitely be going back. read more

Take out only (which is fine). The guy was nice enough, the crust is just real burnt. We wanted to like it really.

This pizza place is operated by one entrepreneur from Italy making really good pizza. The restaurant barely survived Covid and he can only make pizza right now. He's usually pretty fast, I generally get my pizza in about 20 minutes but it has taken an a much as 45 minutes when he's really busy. You could stay and eat there but I don't think he can afford a large electricity bill right now so he keeps it minimally lit and heated. It's best if you take it to go but in warmer weather it might be nice to sit outside. Everyone I've talked to in the area loves his pizza. My favorite is the margherita. I definitely recommend paying in cash if you can because he can't afford the charges from the credit card companies and has to charge people extra for using a card. The pizza itself might be a little expensive but is worth it so bring extra in case it's more than you expect because he may not give you a total over the phone. He's a little difficult to understand over the phone and until you get to know him. I hope more people start to support him and enjoy his pizza as much as I do. read more

The pizza is so yummy! All they serve now is pizza. They are open in the late afternoon through the evening. It looks like one guy running the place. They take card or cash. I would suggest cash to save him money. read more

The pizza is our absolute favorite! The menu is somewhat limited but all of the pizza we have gotten is delicious. Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest. Hands down the best pizza in the area! 10/10 recommend! read more

Amazing pizza. The food was great and service was wonderful. I highly recommend stopping by this hidden treasure.

Amazing crust and flavor in these pizzas, but you never know which pizza man you'll get. I mean, it's always the same pizza man, he's the only one working there. Let's just say he's got a Jekyll and Hyde thing happening. One day he's warm and friendly, the next he's like the soup nazi from Seinfeld. "No pie for you!" My kids call it Angry Guy Pizza. Even if you don't get the nice guy and get Angry Guy, you'll still find yourself going back eventually. There's really nothing like it out here in the sticks. Hopefully he'll open up the whole restaurant again. It used to be a great place with a full restaurant. For now, Angry Guy Pizzas only does pizzas. read more

La Bella Italia is a sad reminder of what the Government shut downs did to many small businesses during the pandemic. I frequented this restaurant multiple times because coming from the NY/NJ area, it is very difficult to find pizza that is up to par here in Maryland. I ordered 2 pies last night after learning the business was still open. After speaking to the owner while waiting, I learned that all of his staff returned home to Italy during the pandemic. He is unable to have a full menu because he has been the sole worker for the last 3 years. And for those on here who are complaining about his demeanor, it should be noted that he is from Italy and English is his SECOND LANGUAGE. That being said, the pizza is the best you will find in the area (for Maryland standards). I hope he can get the support he needs and get back up to full speed one day. read more

I really wanted to like this cafe but both dishes were only ok. When I got a look at the menu I was impressed, really wide variety of dishes. I love antipasto and wanted a good entre to go w it so I asked the waiter/cashier (covid setup) for his favorite, veal or linguine. He was enthusiastic about the linguine so I ordered it. Antipasto arrived quickly, just kind of ok. Good variety but the mozzarella and tomato had no basil, the artichokes were fair, the meats were good, though. The clam and calamari linguini was fair. Good sized serving. The outdoor seating is a compromise. Nice breeze but not enough to keep pesky flies away. I will try again. I think their strengths may be pizza or calzone. read more

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The place was dingy and the owner said he only had pizzas available. I was slightly disappointed because I saw the menu online and there were lots of options. I still decided to order a pizza since I was already there. I put in my order and the owner said that he didn't have that particular pizza. Then, he listed off a bunch of pizzas that he didn't have, which narrowed down the menu even more. I decided that I didn't want to eat there, so I politely said thank you and started to walk out. He got angry and started cursing and following me out. Once I exited the door he locked it behind me while glaring at me. The experience was kind of scary. I actually thought he was going to attack me. It was unprofessional and I have never experienced anything like that in my life. I will never go to that place ever again. read more

The pizza was awesome. The toppings I got on my LA Bella Italia special were fresh. Talking with the owner, he was very friendly and socialble. They are doing takeout only at this point, and it is well worth visiting to get a great NY style pizza. read more

Probably the best pizza in the area! The owner is from Italy and does everything on his own. Its carry out only but you will not be disappointed! read more

The service was nice it was a genuine Italian culture that brought life to it all. The pizza was cooked completely fresh in front of me and honestly wasn't half bad. A definite 6/10. The bad thing is they did not have everything they have listed on the menu. They do not seem very busy but also only seemed to have one employee working. The service was fast and the pizza was good. That is the first time I have had it in a good while. Would still recommend for quick pizza. read more

La Bella Italia - New York Style Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Friendship, Maryland

We ordered takeout.... and let's just say, putting it softly, it didn't go well. I ordered the ravioli and it sucked. The sauce was like a vinegar wine flavor (ew), gnocchi was subpar, and don't even get me started on the "chicken" on crunchy noodles (chicken parm?). experience 1/10 pizza was gud read more

La Bella Italia - wow burnt ? chicken? i guess. not really sure - Pizza Near Me - Friendship, Maryland

The pizza is really good, however the owner is pretty hostile and rude, especially over the phone. I wish he would change his demeanor so that it was a more pleasant experience. I would only get the pizza to go, even if you could sit inside the restaurant, is is pretty shabby and the owner seems off somehow so I'd feel uncomfortable being in there. I do hope his business thrives and I wish him well, but it makes me sad when someone is their own worst stumbling block to their business. You'd think if he was struggling he would try to be extra polite to the people coming in. I paid $32 for 2 cheese pizzas. read more

The pizza is pretty darn good. We love a thin, crispy yet chewy crust and he makes a good one. It's pretty much takeout pizza only and with limited hours, but we get pizza often from him. Best around. We hope others give him a chance! read more

Very kind man running the restaurant, absolutely spectacular pizza. Always our go-to.

This is the first time I have tried this place and I went in there and a young Italian fella took my order. Very nice guy and I got a large meatlovers pizza. Took 20 minutes from order until it was ready. Got home and the pizza was absolutely delicious. Pizza had a perfect amount of sauce on it, and a good amount of even amount of toppings. Bottom was cooked perfectly. Me and my wife enjoyed it very much and it was a great experience for us. I'm from New York and this is as close to NY Style brick pizza as you will get in my opinion. We will definitely be back. (P.S.) I did not experience the older fella/owner that others have mentioned in there reviews. When I went inside there had only been the one guy in there and he was great. read more

La Bella Italia - Pizza Near Me - Friendship, Maryland

This is a great restaurant and great food however if you try to go online and order through Yelp it leads you to grub hub and they will have an option for pickup. I never actually selected pickup because why would I when ordering though a delivery service. Anyways, the order was placed as a pick up. After arguing with the owner (who was not at fault) I realized what had happened. So now La Bella Italia doesn't get paid since Grub hub canceled the order. So note to all, use the Grub hub app and do not go through Yelp! They suck when ordering online. read more

I see what people are talking about in the prior reviews of this place. I just called to place a carryout order and the man who answered the phone, presumably the owner, yelled at me (for daring to call, I guess) and hung up the phone. Bizarre. read more

Pizza rated a 4. Service is a 0 if possible. While the pizza is delicious, the customer service is a joke. Today was my first time going in to pick up the pizza and it will probably be my last. As I waited for the pizza to be ready, the cashier was clearly swamped between taking orders, managing front of the house, prepping for the back of the house, AND dealing with the bipolar owner making the pizzas. I was in shock as I watched what unfolded in front of me as I waited: the owner cursing at the cashier, slamming food around in the kitchen, and aggressively handling customers. I understand that staffing is an issue and restaurants are swamped; however, there is never a reason for an owner to be verbally abusive to his staff or to patrons. I have never felt so physically insecure in a restaurant. Almost like the owner is a volcano waiting to erupt. This man is completely unapproachable and cannot handle any criticism. It's a shame. This place could be a gem if a tyrant weren't running it. read more

Wow!!!!! This place has the BEST pizza around!!!! The owner seemed friendly so not sure what the other reviewers are talking about. TRY this place out!!! read more

We enjoy the pizza and calzone! I am glad they survived COVID times and am looking forward to trying other items. Love the salads too.

Can't think of a better pizza place in the area. Very reasonably priced too. This is the place to go for pizza.

Ok so I have been back a few more times to see if that one night was a fluke. Well what I have discovered is that this restaurant is consistently inconsistent. I have gotten the veggie calzone the last few times. The first time it was perfect! the second time burnt not too badly then I got one still doughy? I have noticed that when a man named Lucca (I'm pretty sure that was his name) was there that was when I would get the good food. I am a youth leader across the street and when we did our youth kick off we got a lot of pizza from them and I had a slice of peperoni and to my surprise it was good. read more

I came to this place only once when I lived in Maryland, and vowed to never go back. I was accompanied by a friend who knew the owner, and we both love Italian food so we were very excited. But then we actually got our meals... he ordered the linguine with clams, and I got fettuccine with shrimp and scallops. BOTH of our dishes had to be sent back, which I've never done before or since then, but the seafood was not properly cleaned at all - the clams were gritty and full of sand, and many of the shrimp hadn't been deveined. The owner came over and was very apologetic and I almost felt bad because it was a lot of food going to waste, but these are supposed to be basic restaurant practices - though I suppose maybe not for some people. So we each ordered a new item off the menu, since we didn't really trust that new plates of the same dish would be any better. I went basic with the chicken parmigiana, since in my experience it's fairly difficult to actually mess up a meal so simple, but... they did. The chicken was extremely dry and the sauce tasted like watered-down ketchup, almost like it came out of a can. My friend ordered veal which was also still not very good, but at that point we'd already been for a long time so we just ate what we could, paid the bill and left. I used to drive by this place every day on my way to work, and I couldn't help but cringe every time I saw it because I was always reminded of this dreadful experience. read more

Haven't been here in over a year as the last time the food was terrible. Sadly a year later it's WORSE!! Ordered a lasagna, delivered in a aluminum tray with one noodle laying around in a circle, one broken up meatball in the middle, some type of cheap cheese not mozzarella, and a little of marinara sauce. Tasteless and bland. Will NOT be returning. Threw it in the trash and went to another restaurant. read more

La Bella Italia - Pizza Near Me - Friendship, Maryland

We stopped on our way from meeting friends and planned to order Papa John's as we normally do on the weekend. We have passed it so many times in the six years we've lived here and haven't had the chance to stop so we decided tonight was the perfect night for it. My husband went in and wanted a pizza so was looking on the menu. The middle aged guy said "what do you want!" (in a very exasperated tone). And said he wants to order a pizza. The guy told him "it takes time" and my husband said it was fine as I was in the car feeding our 2 month old. And then the guy took a call-in order on speaker and the lady was trying to order something that was not pizza but was on the menu and he - clearly annoyed - said "only pizza!!!!".... So the lady just kept with the pizza order. Then he came back to get my husband's order. A bit alarmed he ordered the combination type pizza that was on the menu. And he said "I'm not making it takes too long".... Then the guy went to the back in the kitchen and slammed stuff into the oven, and came back to my husband. My husband had enough, and slid the menu towards him and said "have a nice night" and agitated the guy said "cíao" (not in a nice way) and my husband said "ya know, you are a f*** a***"... this guy said "oh you're gonna talk to me like that in my store?!" And said "yes, because you are..." and followed my husband out of the restaurant telling him to "suck his co**" and "get off his property" as he was already across the street. Some neighbors a few doors down were literally thumbs upping my husband saying the guy in the store is a complete jerk and acts like this to many customers. Needless to say; we won't be back. I'd rather have chain pizza than whatever he serves any day and I suggest you do the same. CíAO. read more

I typically go to this place whenever I have a celebration or something bit happening as their prices are on the high end. Even though the price is high, you do get way more than what you pay for. The food is some of the best food I have had in the area. My favorite type of food here is the California Pizza. While the name is kinda meh, the taste is what brings me back to it. It is not a typical pizza as it has fresh whole grape tomato's and is a white pizza, it is still really tasty. I have also gotten their Spaghetti and meatballs too and the sauce is so good that I want to lick it up off the plate. The staff is also very nice and is extremely helpful when you need it. While I do love this place and give it 5 stars, I'd really give it 4 3/4 stars as there is a few things wrong, but it has nothing to do with the food. One point that I don't like is the order numbers. Sometimes I decide to order out of this place and instead of giving you a name, they give you a number for your order. It isn't a huge deal but I have gotten the number wrong a few times because of problems with the phone. Another mark is the parking in this area is not the best as it backs out onto the main road and I've seen some close calls on people getting into crashes. However, that has more to do with the size of the property and the fact that it is a historic building (which does have pictures of the original owners of the property and information about the original use of the building in their lobby). Overall, would recommend going to this place, you get great food, good service and a little history lesson. read more

Rude!! I'm assuming he is the owner, and he had the WORST attitude. I understand being stressed since the quarantine, but don't take it out on your paying customers! This man stomped into the door in front of my boyfriends mother and I, slung the door open almost hitting me and didn't even bother to hold it open. He THROWS the phone he had in his hands, a notepad and something else on the counter. I tel the young woman at the counter my order number and the angry man YELLS at me "20 more minutes!" from across the counter. This is 35 minutes after my order was called in and I was told it would be ready in 25 minutes on the phone. He then shouts "you can either wait or leave it. Your choice." This is downright RUDE! After another 25 minutes of waiting, still nothing. Nothing was offered at all for the extended wait either. Even an apology would have been nice. The food is nothing to brag about. It certainly isn't worth the headache that comes along with ordering from here. Got the food home and it's flavorless! And the pizza is not right. No excuse! read more

Will not return. Unfriendly staff that hardly spoke English. Pizza was mediocre at best. Ordered three toppings with extra sauce which was applied to top of pizza, spinach which was frozen and not fresh and the sausage, which I've never seen silvered sausage before. It looked like it was sliced or shaved and then chopped. Hard to even recognize. Very disappointed. There were flies landing on the pizza inside the display case and around the restaurant. I don't understand how it has gotten good reviews. I believe this is an Italian restaurant in name only. Staff appeared to be Spanish not Italian. Dominos has nothing to worry about! read more

First time with the new owner. Went to their website and was directed to Grub Hub. Thought it odd, but ordered pick-up, a pie and an eggplant sandwich. They get back 20-40 minutes. What can go wrong, right? Wrong. Show up 40 mins later, and he doesn't have a clue. Like he never worked with GH. So, it's going to take another 40 he says. Now, the wife is home right? Hungry. So I wait. Look the pie and EP were pretty good, but he needs to tighten upl his public face. read more

Bella Italia has the best pizza in Maryland. If you ever lived in Europe, you will appreciate this pizza. Highly recommend!

My dad and I were headed out to Herrington Harbor and decided to stop by this little pizza shop. We ended up finding a spot in Italy, the pizza was fresh from the oven and it was so good we had to get another one. The price on the menu is not expensive at all, pretty reasonable if you ask me. If anybody is going down Friendship Rd, make sure to stop by to grab a bite if you're hungry! read more

La Bella Italia - You can see my little bite mark at the tip of the pizza, oops. - Pizza Near Me - Friendship, Maryland

Came to this restaurant for the first time with my husband and we were not knowing what to expect but we were really pleased and happy with the service and the flavor of the pizzas we are going to be ordering pizza tonight from there for the third time. I definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

Ordered a Meatball Sub and Sicilan pizza. All I can say about the meatballs is "Where's the Beef?" It had to much bread in the mix. Totally tasteless. I love Sicilian pizza, but the sauce had this sour taste. Hadn't been there for while and probably won't go back. read more