I'd like to tell you a story. It's either late 80s or early 90s and it's just me and my mom at The…read morePlaza Mall. We've gone through the routine of JC Penny's, Dillards, and Sears and now it's time for my food court reward for not misbehaving. Many of you might not remember or have been born yet, but the place that took center stage and what was my favorite pizza place to this day was Luca Pizza. I'll always remember a worker wearing their chef's whites offering samples in the dining area, and my mom taking one for each of us. Every time I ate a piece I thought, "man, no wonder the Ninja Turtles love pizza so much". And then one day it was gone. The pizzeria that I loved so much growing up was no longer there, and it felt like it took all my memories with it. I thought that was it. All we have left here in The Valley is global pizza chains. Nothing made with heart. But then a cousin of mine told me that one of the cooks opened up his own place in Mission on Conway called "Pizza di Roma". Familiar faces. Familiar flavors. Familiar memories. After getting a haircut at Tatan's I would drive over and walk through the back entrance after passing their herb garden and get a pie. Things were right in the world, and wouldn't you know it, I came to learn that the full name of Luca Pizza was "Luca Pizza di Roma". Hah! And then one day it was gone. The doors were shut. The lights were off. Surely this can't be happening again right? Of course it was. The story would repeat itself with yet another pizzeria with the same staff called Titto's Pizzeria in Palmview until that too was gone, only this time there was no new incarnation. The spiritual descendants of Luca Pizza in The Plaza Mall were now all gone. There was no more pizza to be made from them anymore. Their story, as far as I know, had ended. And then one day I discovered The Pizzeria. The same cousin recommended it saying it reminded him of Pizza di Roma. Familiar ingredients! Familiar flavors! So, of course, I made the trek to Harlingen. Has anyone ever had that experience where they open the doors to a restaurant and you're immediately hit in the face with the smell that defines their restaurant? For steak houses it's the smell of the smoke coming from a seared steak, for panaderias it's the smell of sugar and freshly baked bread, and for coffee shops it's the smell of the sweetness of freshly ground coffee beans. For The Pizzeria, it was the smell of a caramelized pizza crust, the burnt flour left over in the oven, and the unmistakable heat and smell of a 450 degree oven that has baked thousands of pies in its lifetime. Now, I've been a loyal fan of this local pizza chain for years, and when their Harlingen location first opened, I still remember walking in and feeling like I had stepped into a true, passion-driven pizzeria. The place had energy, heart, and a sense of pride. Perhaps not familiar faces, but familiar flavors and, yes, familiar memories. But lately, something's changed, and not for the better. My recent visits to the Mission location have felt strangely lifeless in comparison. While the ingredients are still fresh, the execution hasn't been keeping up. The crusts come out uneven, the bakes inconsistent, and the attention to detail that once defined them seems to be fading. The frustrating part is that they still have all the ingredients (pun intended) to be great. Every single bite I take I think "This is good, and it's so close to being great, but it's just not there." What's lacking now is technique and care. The fundamentals aren't being applied with the same precision or passion they used to, and the result shows. I genuinely hope they can turn things around, because this isn't a lost cause. They've proven before, especially in those early Harlingen days, that they can deliver pizza with real heart. With a renewed focus on craftsmanship and consistency, they could easily reclaim what made them special. I want to keep cheering for them, but they need to rediscover the spark that once set them apart.

The pizza is very good. The bread knots were awesome. We had the knots, two slices and 2 drinks for…read morearound $14!

Hands down some of the best pizza in town.... amazing…read more The place was nice and empty when I went with my wife...I liked how it has several different seating options (bar, booth, outside patio). Only negative comment were that we entered and no greetings from the staff. We stood there ready to order for like 3-4 mins...the girls just kept on making pizzas...no "we'll be right with you".. nothing. It was pretty awkward standing there...like they wanted to avoid even eye contact. On to the pizza...I love the choose your own toppings places. They have numerous combinations you can choose from as far as cheese goes (mozzarella, parmesan), veggies, and proteins. I had the cauliflower crust with pepperoni, sausage, chorizo, jalapenos, mushrooms, and banana peppers. The pizza came out piping hot and delicious! Again...it was delicious. Whether it was the crust or the combination of ingredients or the way it was made...as they say it was a "perfect pizza pie". The crust was perfectly toasted...the thickness of the pizza was thin crust type so it wasn't extremely filling. Sometimes you only eat 2-3 slices at other places and you feel loaded down with the flour. I ate the whole thing and didn't feel like I had a 2lb weight on my stomach. My wife also loved her pizza...loved it. Great thing of this place is they had draft...and several selections. I had the local 5x5 Bombshell draft and it was a perfect complement to the pizza. They also had other types of fruit drinks of combinations that aren't found elsewhere (cucumber/mint, mango/lemonade). We sampled a few and each one tasted natural and not pumped full of sugar. Overall... this place is a definite 5 star (even though the workers don't greet you)... recommended to everyone.

Better experience this time. Got cuts right. I prefer more char on the crust, but can understand…read morewhy this is not a standardized practice at a chain. Bottom dusting on crust has even improved: either gone with a finer grain cornmeal or with a wheat flour.

i love this place! everything is always so fresh and…read moredelicious the environment is amazing i love the decorations and the general vibe. always positive and kind

Loved the pizza and service when dining in. I'm always for the deep dish. Owner is a sweetheart and…read morefeels comfortable and like home.

Pizzas were outstanding and the side dishes were a great compliment to the pizzas. This is the 3rd…read moretime we have had food at/from Stefano's and it seems to get better each time.

We ordered pizza from here on 5.26.24, late at night, stuck in an airport hotel due to a flight…read morecancellation. The feelings needed to be eaten. Stefano's came to the rescue at the last minute through Door Dash, the pizza showing up hot and heavy. We ordered the 14 inch Cheese Pizza topped with beef, jalapeños, onions, and olives. It had a unique taste coming from I don't know what - and it was delicious. The jalapeños were especially spicy, which was a plus. I very much recommend this for good local pizza.

Cafeteria style--Not even close--yeah I know Im 5 miles from the border of Mexico but I needed some…read moreItalian!! The sauce was terrible--the pasta terrible--the meatballs inedible! Even the salad dressing in the envelope was terrible. What was I thinking.

Do not recommend. Ordered online through drive thru, did not got the pizza I order and only 2…read moreslices out of 4 that I paid for, nor did I get the cheesecake that I also paid for and the order of breadsticks were also not in my order. Do not spend your money or time here. I wasted my money, never again will I come here.

Best pizza in Edinburg in my opinion. It's the closest pizza I can eat happily since moving from…read moreLos Angeles, California. Meet lovers Calzone and Stromboli are delicious and full of great meats.

I was really looking forward to this restaurant after hearing great things. With the baby asleep in…read morethe car we opted for takeout: pizza and wings. The pizza was fine, nothing special, and the wings were on the dry/tough side. Maybe I caught it on an off night, but it didn't wow me like I'd hoped.

Love the pizzas! Service is great and ambience is wonderful…read more I usually order DRAG IT THRU THE GARDEN!!! Full of veggies and cheese.

Visiting from Dallas and was told this was one of the best. For 58 dollars I should have just got…read morea CiCi pizza. It was over done and basically nothing on it. If you are Visiting from a North Eastern state that has REAL Pizza - don't waste your time..... Our pizzas looked nothing like the photos.....

Consistently good food, clean place good ambience A McAllen…read morefave Sometimes the noise level gets a little loud, so if this is for a romantic evening, you'll have to put up with a lot of noise

Went for lunch a couple weeks ago and it was a nice atmosphere. I ordered the lasagna and it was…read morepretty good. Server was also awesome, definitely a cool spot down here.