Our friends love this place and for me it's pretty good, tough for someone that cannot eat Dairy to really enjoy the food. They are happy to make a lot of the dishes to order with no cheese or butter and they are still good. The bread is baked fresh and ask for oil and balsamic vinegar, its a great combo. Don't worry it's casual dress, portions are generous and they just added outdoor seating! 4 stars because the food is great and the staff is friendly. I would give 5 stars if they had a non dairy option which I understand can be expensive and may not be worth it for the restaurant. read more

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If you are looking for a great Buffalo chicken pizza- you have to go to Maola's. Miguel and his guys make the best around. Hands down. You will not be disappointed. read more

Awesome spot for pizza to go! My neighbors and I were sitting at Hop & Vine and ready for a late night bite. In 40 minutes, delivery Maola's was rolling up with 3 pizzas. It was heavenly. Just what you'd think of when you hear, "good pizza." I had 2 slices of the margarita and it was SO yummy. Good tangy sauce, ample cheese, and not too greasy. I'll try to get there in person one day, but for now, they're my go-to for delivery pizza! read more

Best pizza in the area, great subs. Everyone enjoyed the cheesecake. Modern interior.

Just ate here for the first time today! Huge portions, amazing food. The bread was yummy! Will definitely be coming back!!

I am surprised to see a few negative reviews here but I suppose even the best establishments have an off night from time to time. From my perspective, Maola's is a hit! I've had the pizza, the pasta and even a meatball sandwich. All of them were delicious and fed me for at least 1 more meal at home. We have found the wait staff to be engaging and friendly on each of our 6 visits to Maola's. The only minor downside is the stark lighting in the dining area. I'm not one to take notice of such things normally but for some reason this caught my attention here. Install a dimmer switch and you are approaching perfection. We are glad you guys are here and look forward to many more meals at Maola's. read more

Incredibly delicious food. Ordered eggplant parmesan which was delivered by Grub Hub. It came to the house very quickly and was still warm. The eggplant was perfectly seasoned with lots of delicious cheese melted on top. We will order from there again! read more

This review is primarily about the experience with ordering online and my experience with picking it up. The food has always been solid and last night's food was very good as well. However, the experience was so bad that I felt compelled to give it the lowest score but with a slight nod to the food. Last night, my wife ordered through the Slice app and attempted to use 2 different coupons we had on hand. Both didn't work. They didn't have expiration dates, but we just figured they were no longer active. Oh well, we just let that go. We were hungry and ready to order. We ordered through the Slice app a little past 6pm, selected to receive ASAP and received a notification that the food would be ready between 6:40 & 6:50p. I show up at the restaurant close to 6:50p. The food was not only not ready, but apparently they had not received the order and pulled up it and 3 other orders that they hadn't seen yet. No idea where the hiccup was in that if it was their system or Slice, but regardless, the frustration began. There's no apology for the mishap, and no real information given on what to expect or anything. Almost all of the information I gathered was because the cashier and some other person (waiter/manager/not sure) were talking about it. They said they'd work on it and that was it. No expectation of time or anything as to when all of this would be corrected, so I asked and was told about 15 mins. So I go outside to wait. The time is now 6:52. I patiently wait outside and re-enter the restaurant at 7:09p and notice that that it appears that the cooks are JUST NOW making my pizza and I was right because when I ask, I'm told it will be another 10 minutes (by the cashier) and I say "because my pizza was just placed into the oven right?" and one of the cooks confirms. Again, no sorry for your wait. No sorry for the mixup. Nothing. Meanwhile, the rest of our order had been completed by this time and was just sitting on top of the oven. Thankfully, it did't dry out and still tasted fine. Finally, about 13-14 minutes later, the pizza is done and it's brought to me along with the rest of my order. Again, no apology for the wait or mishap or anything. I'm 100% not asking for a free meal especially in these tough times, but an expectation of proper communication and owning issues is not too much to ask. I get it, things happen, but for no acknowledgement that it took nearly 1.5 hours for an order that at best was supposed to be about 30 minutes is ridiculous. Food, great. Customer service and ordering, atrocious. Can't say it'll be any time soon that we will be returning after this experience. It's not worth the hassle. Unfortunate too, because we've been happy that this place has been open since it came to Cornelius. read more

Had lunch here yesterday. Rice balls, penne vodka, tortellini in meat sauce, and a personal pizza WERE ALL AMAZING. You all need to eat here. read more

this place is great. omg, staff=amazing, food=awesome & me=excited4dinner!! arriving soon. thanks maola's for your hard work & dedication. we really appreciate it ~ now more than ever. so! lake norman {east} count on maola's pizza and restaurant, self-isolation doesn't have to mean deprivation! maola's pizza and restaurant keeps us satisfied! it is a treat for the whole family. it helps right now especially, when we maybe miss those little things we took for granted, like the taste of a great meal we did not have to prepare ourselves, or the little thrill we get when we get to try something new, or the appreciation for a dish we know we could never re[licate ourselves, and my favorite, especially when it comes to maola's pizza and restaurant, the romance of an italian date night. it takes us back in our memories. for us, it's always á la lady & the tramp, our first date & our last - it was a lunch date, at maola's pizza and restaurant. stay well everyone & be strong. we will get thru. xoxo, j. read more

All items were prepared as requested. Had a grandmother pizza. Cheese ,sauce and basil Total yum. Only drawback was the edge of crust Bland and hard. Also had a eggplant sub. Fresh roll and was a zen moment of flavor when the first bite was taken! We also ordered a side of meatballs and were we glad we did!! Big and bursting with taste! Served in sauce. These will be added to all our future orders and yes we will be back! read more

We ordered dinner tonight from Maola's and it was excellent!! Ordered 3 salad's with grilled shrimp and chicken, exceptional. We also dined in a few weeks ago and had some excellent Italian dishes. Maola's will not disappoint!! We highly recommend it... read more

Not the greatest experience, food underwhelming, pizza crust hard without enough crunch, mussels overseasoned and over cooked, sausage and peppers also overcooked, sausage chewy. Slow service to get appetizers. Prices decent but the food quality shows. read more

We stopped in becasue so many have given this a great review. So glad we did. We enjoyed the meal very much. I had eggplant and spaghetti and the bread was super fresh. Not as good as Mama's in Huntersville but its close and well priced. I will be back. read more

I have ordered from Maola's Restaurant before & enjoyed the entree. However, this evening I ordered delivery. The item delivered was not what I ordered. I did not care for the meatballs that were delivered & chose not to eat them. I'm not sure I will order again. Truly disappointed. read more

Tasty and fresh! Super kind and friendly staff and great with kids. The salads are large and fresh if you're looking for something healthier they have options. We had the garlic knots and a white pizza and both were delicious. A quiet little shopping center with a surprise restaurant. We will be back! read more

I am so grateful this restaurant opened. REAL Italian food, REAL NY pizza...it's a taste of home in NC. The owners are from Phil's Pizza on Long Island. All their food is authentic, home made and fresh. They even make their own salad dressings. Portions are huge (plan for leftovers) and prices are reasonable. Most important, the food is delicious. Wow, just wow. You need to try this place! I will be returning often. read more

My brother told me about this place. I ordered a chicken parm sand to go. Drove it to Davidson green space out side library. Sat in open area , opened it and sand still piping hot. More chicken than you know what to do with and the bread fantastic. Oh yeah you can split it. Job well done from a NY boy.. read more

Maola's Pizza and Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

This place is just awesome and tastes just like home. If you want great Italian food this is the place to go. Any bad review is either just a one off situation or they don't know what good Italian food is. I can't count how many times my wife and I have eaten here. The only time I had a complaint was once when my eggplant was a little undercooked. That was one time out of at least one hundred times. Give it a shot. You won't regret it. read more

Wow!!! I rarely do reviews like this but I had to reward this establishment for an incredible dining experience.. I was visiting family in the area and decided to take everyone out to dinner. Party of 8. We just happened to be passing by and asked for a table. We were warmly greeted and even though they were busy, we were accommodated. We started with a couple pizzas. I'm Italian from NY and not the easiest to please, and wasn't expecting much in this area for Italian food. Boy was I wrong. The NY pizza was as good as I've ever had. Perfectly cooked crust and can tell they use fresh ingredients. Everyone's dinner was so good we had to share! Portion size was more than adequate and nobody left hungry. My compliments to the chefs.. if you are looking for a Great place, great food and great service, don't look any further. This is your stop. read more

Maola's is the best Authentic Italian pizza & pasta I hav head in many years & their portions are easily enough for 2 people... Great Curbside delivery!, read more

We only had the pizza. The NY pizza comes in one size. It was "greasy". Not our favorite. We will try another place for pizza.

My favorite Italian restaurant added acoustic guitar player this past Saturday and last Friday! Maolas in little Cornelius on Main Street has the best Italian food ,pizza , heros veggie plates, wraps etc, all made to order,it takes a little longer but they have wine, beer, and liquor and great Sangria! and now live music, i'll take the wait for some great food! we went to a chain restaurant 3 weeks ago (O.G) and waited 45 mins for a seat and 30mins for gross pasta at a huge cost! they fill ya up on the bread and salad to charge ya these prices, Ill take the husband wife mom and pop restaurant and wait for my made to order entrees any day Thankyou hope they get live music on the Wednesday wine special and Thursday special beer days, but either way great not rushed night out. read more

My dearest friend brought me to Maola's for my birthday lunch. Most importantly, their social distancing protocol is impeccable. We were seated quickly and our server was friendly and welcoming. We placed our order and our meal was absolutely delicious. Very authentic as the tomato sauce had life. Not spicey, just tangy and had energy. Open to interpretation LOL! At the end of our meal, our waiter surprised me with a hot fudge sundae with a canoli!! Great experience. Maola's is now a favorite. It's located by the Food Lion in Cornelius, so easy parking. read more

Called in a couple of pizzas, guy who answered the phone was friendly (means a lot these days). The pizza was still too hot to eat when we got it back to the brewery. Crust was crispy, sauce and cheese were just right. Toppings were perfect. Wish we lived closer to Cornelius, would definitely eat here often. Thanks for the great customer service and delicious pizza. read more

Great restaurant. Have eaten there three times now and the pizza is the best in the area. The deliver to Barley Market which is a great pairing! read more

Great food, nice and clean dining room, good service! The lobster ravioli was delicious!!!!

Massive and super yummy meatball subs. I've had a few of the local places to compare. Don't forget to get some garlic knots to go with whatever you've ordered. read more

Don't get takeout here unless you want to wait for 30 min. They are so slow. I don't know why they are so slow. Maybe I caught them on a bad night but the wait was ridiculous. read more

One of the few places offering shrimp parmigiana in our immediate area. Caesar Salad was excellent, cold and plenty of dressing. Bread, oil and vinegar provided was hot and tasty. Friendly, efficient service with generous potions at good prices. We will be back soon. read more

It seems very difficult to find a decent Italian restaurant around town so I am thrilled I tried this place tonight because it was fantastic! Both the food and the service were great. My cheese stuffed shells were enough to fill me for dinner and have a full lunch for tomorrow. My boyfriend loved the tortellini with meat sauce. Every staff member we encountered was welcoming and friendly. We will definitely be back! read more

After recently moving, we have been on the hunt food a good italian restaurant. We tried Antico Italian Restaurant, but realized it was just okay and very expensive($100+ for a dinner of 4). We tried Maola's and loved it! They have reasonable prices and good food. I had the eggplant rollatini which was incredible. Ravioli was good, but would definitely recommend the eggplant. We also had garlic knots for an appetizer- they were good but portion was enough for about 2 people. Also, the service was great. Would recommend this place! read more

Dined here for the first time and thought that the food was average, nothing special. It was good for what you pay for and they definitely provide large portions! I had the eggplant parmesan, which I would likely not get again. The pizza did look very good! If you're looking for a more upscale, authentic Italian restaurant, I probably wouldn't recommend this spot but it is fantastic for kids and families. The decor is simple and comfortable. The music was extremely loud though, and it was heavy rock, which was a bit distracting during a family dinner. read more

This place is amazing, I've been searching for a good carbonara for years and finally found it here. Authentic atmosphere, great staff, and very good food. Will be back for more soon! read more

So far the pizza I've had in the LKN area. Crust was to my liking and the mozzarella had the flavor I like. I haven't tried any other of the menu items yet but will update when I do. read more

Had lunch at Maola's. The only negative was, to much food for lunch, if that can be considered a negative. Service was awesome and the food was even better. Since I often eat lunch in town, I would love to see a lunch menu with daily specials. But, with that said this restaurant was very much needed and I believe will become a very popular eatery in Cornelius. read more

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Slowww service. I understand that they may be understaffed due to covid but the amount of people standing around and still having to wait 15 mins for every refill is ridiculous. Their "meat sauce" is not a sauce, it is legit ground beef with no sauce at all. A side of fries is $6, for a total of 8 fries?? Overpriced. will not be going back. read more

This was the first time eating their pizza. Food was ready in time when picked up. The Margarita pizza was okay but the sauce was too sweet for us. Others may like their sauce just not for us. read more

I ordered takeout in the restaurant for the first time as well as a drink while I waited. The place looks cozy and inviting. I chose the "NY style" pizza, a little thinner than expected but the flavors together with the cheese was amazing! I almost finished the whole thing by myself because it was so delicious. Price was fair for the size of the pizza. My margarita was perfection. Would definitely love to come back to enjoy another meal! read more

Maola's has excellent Italian! If you are looking for a sandwich, their chicken parmesan sub is awesome. It is large enough for two and love how it is toasted. Also want to give a shout out for their excellent take out service, take out is simple and always packaged well. read more