Lil Capo Pizzeria 5.0/5 The Closest Thing to New York…read morePizza I've Found in Arizona Growing up in Upstate New York, I admittedly have high standards when it comes to pizza. After moving to Arizona in 2007, I've spent years searching for a slice that genuinely reminds me of home. While there are plenty of decent pizza spots throughout the Valley, very few capture that authentic New York style. Lil Capo Pizzeria absolutely does! Ironically, I first discovered Lil Capo after an Arizona Cardinals game. Like many people, I wasn't interested in paying stadium prices for mediocre food, so I jumped on Yelp looking for something nearby. Lil Capo had outstanding reviews, so we decided to give it a try. I'm glad we did because it's now my benchmark for New York-style pizza in Arizona. The first thing that stood out was the crust. This is exactly what a New York slice should be--thin, crispy on the bottom, slightly chewy inside, sturdy enough to fold, and never overloaded with grease. So many places think "New York style" simply means making a large slice. Lil Capo understands it's really about the balance of crust, sauce, cheese, and texture. Every bite reminded me why I miss pizza back east. The sauce has just the right amount of sweetness and acidity, the cheese is perfectly proportioned, and everything tastes fresh without trying to reinvent what already works. Sometimes simplicity executed well is the hardest thing to accomplish. Pizza: 5/5 Service was equally impressive. The staff was welcoming, friendly, and efficient. After selecting our slices, they quickly reheated them to perfection and had them on our table within minutes. It's exactly what you want from a neighborhood pizzeria--fast, relaxed, and genuinely hospitable. Service: 5/5 I also appreciated the atmosphere. Lil Capo isn't trying to be flashy or trendy. Instead, it has that classic neighborhood pizzeria feel where the focus stays exactly where it should--on making outstanding pizza. It's casual, comfortable, family-friendly, and somewhere you could easily become a regular. The pricing is another pleasant surprise. Considering the quality of the pizza and the generous slice sizes, I found everything to be very fairly priced. Overall Finding authentic New York-style pizza in Arizona has been surprisingly difficult over the years, but Lil Capo delivers exactly what I've been searching for. Authentic New York-style crust Excellent sauce-to-cheese ratio Minimal grease Friendly, efficient service Fair prices Comfortable neighborhood atmosphere I've eaten pizza throughout New York my entire life, and Lil Capo remains the closest I've found to the real thing anywhere in Arizona. Whenever I'm on the west side of the Valley--or heading to or from a Cardinals game--I find myself looking for an excuse to stop in. Next time, I'm skipping the slices and ordering an entire pie. If you're a fellow New Yorker living in Arizona and craving a slice that tastes like home, Lil Capo should be at the top of your list.

World-class pizza in AZ!…read more I have traveled the world and had many Pizzas, and this is hands-down one of the best pizza places I've ever experienced. Tucked away in the Westgate Mall, it's a compact, modern little spot that likely gets buzzing during the lunch hour. The service is excellent--you just order at the counter and they bring the pizza out to you. If you're in the area, do not pass this up. We'll absolutely be returning on our next trip to Arizona!

I just wanted to update my old review because now they're killing it. I noticed it appears to be…read moreall new staff and they make the same delicious food in a very timely manor and have been extremely polite genuine and kind people. So far I've had the cheese pizza which was amazing and I don't even like cheese pizza. I also had the Philly cheesesteak, meatball sub and many variations of wings. All of the food was amazing and the sauces for the wings are delish. Definitely my favorite pizza place again. Killin it!

The atmosphere was very welcoming and family friendly. Customer service was a five-star. The wings…read morewere crispy. They are covered in a good amount of sauce. But they were just average wings that have had multiple times. A cheese pizza was my least favorite give that a two star. There is more cheese than undercarriage. The sauce wasn't too sweet, which was a plus. The pepperoni I give a three star. It was just OK. Garlic knots were kind of cold and had decent flavor, I'd get that two star for the fact they were cold and three star on flavor. Good customer service, they brought a coloring book and crayons for my toddler which was great. Okay pizza, good lunch specials for a good price.

It is a little bite of Italy. We stopped in having noticed it a number of times on drive-bys…read more Tasted as good as it smelled from the parking lot. Cozy, dark interior with lots to look at on the walls. Old school Italian atmosphere which we enjoy. Had the lasagna, house salad and "fancy" roll. As were good. The sauce on the lasagna was tasty, the dressing on the salad just right (not too overpowering) and while I do not know exactly what a "fancy" roll is supposed to taste like, I was delicious to me. I'll be back.

Food was a 4 for us, service(Becky) a 5 and ambiance a 3…read more Fried calamari was good, my wife loved her eggplant parmesan, and my veal Piccata was just OK. Enjoyed the live music, photos of famous(?) dead Italians struck us as rather strange. Might help if the dead Italians were identified. We will return but not near the top of our list. Lots of parking, despite comments by other people.

Pizza so good that I can't get a picture because part of it is gone when I open the box…read more My family LOVES this pizza and so do I. Quality ingredients, light and crispy. Phenomenal all around! We have gone here several times and they have never missed. Ashley the sever is fantastic, she remembers our name and has always been super intentional with us. This reminds me of a simpler time when you were a regular somewhere and greeted like a friend. It's an old school place with classic vibe and I highly recommend if you are in the area, want a good pizza, and amazing service then swing by here.

These were some pretty good slices!…read more They are very thin but still held up and provided a pretty good crunch. I would have enjoyed a little more cheese as it was very thin near the bottom. But when I got a good amount further up it was a really great bite! The seasoning added another layer of flavor that I really enjoyed. Lastly, the crust. It was delicious. The crust itself had this texture that reminded me of a breadstick. Light in the middle with a subtle crunch. The atmosphere was very laid back. The staff were very friendly. As soon as I came in I was greeted. Great slices for the price! 3*** = Good but no separation from similar restaurants 4**** = Set themselves a part with quality food and I want to go back. 5*****= You have to go out of your way and make a special trip to try the deliciousness that is there!

I grabbed two large pepperoni pizzas and let me tell you - it was absolute fire. The crust had that…read moreperfect crisp, the cheese was gooey and stretchy (you know the kind that deserves a slow-mo cheese pull), and the pepperoni had just the right amount of crisp on the edges. The highlight of the pizza? The SAUCE. I recommend extra sauce! Trust. You ever wondered how those cartoon pizzas you wish you could get your hands on were like? This pizza would help you scratch that itch! I walked in and the colors were warm and cozy. The restaurant was clean and the smell was amazing! The lady at the front was super sweet and handed me my pizza like it was a newborn baby - told me to be careful because it was hot on the bottom. No problem for me... that's exactly how I like it! When I got home, it was still piping hot and tasted just as amazing as it looked. Let's just say this pizza could model! If you're in Peoria and craving classic, no-nonsense, made-with-love pizza - this is your spot.

Pizza and Deb were amazing the staff were friendly and I was able to get in and out just as soon as…read morethey opened. Store was clean and welcoming

I stopped in for a quick lunch to grab some single slices of pizza and added several ingredients to…read morea single slice

I hope my doctor isn't following me or sees this. I'm not suppose to be having carbs…read more I am always looking for a good pizza place. I've driven by this place several times. The name never gave me confidence that it was an authentic New York pie. This week I decided to give it a try. It was a little less expensive than what I was expecting. Nowadays, it's a treat to be able to buy a pie for under $20. I was a little skeptical. I got a cheese pie to go, so I can't say too much about the service but Kami was ready when we got there so I guess that's good service. Good crust, good sauce and good cheese. Not great, but very good. I'll admit I'm a little bit picky when it comes to pizza being from the East Coast. I would try this place again and maybe I'll get adventurous and try something other than a cheese pie next time. 3 1/2 is my ratings.

Continuing through American established restaurants by state, for New York, Grimaldi's Pizzeria…read more When I lived in AZ, I had Grimaldi's a few times and thought their pizza was great. I moved away to the DC area in 2011, but visited my parents in general around Christmastime. Then, in late January-early February 2021, I helped my parents move across the US to where they live now in Lancaster, PA, only about 100 miles drive instead of a long flight across the US. My dad let me have his birthday free Grimaldi's pizza since they were busy with moving stuff. I drove from my parents far west valley home on the last day they were there for an early dinner on that warm Thursday, January 28, 2021. They had plenty of outside seating, which I opted for. I feel like the inside was closed for dine-in because of Covid, but I was also trying to be cautious as I didn't want to catch Covid while driving my parents across the US. Thankfully, it was a beautiful Sunny & 75 F with calm winds. On that note, on that Sunday 4 days earlier when I left DC, I ate outside before getting to DCA airport (even I think having the option to eat inside) with a cold 38 F high, but I was being super careful before my trip. The server was friendly & efficient. I got a pizza with sausage. It was a thin NY style pizza, which was delicious, although I stopped eating pork later in 2021. But there are a wide variety of toppings, and I would have found something else good that would've worked. Additionally, I opted to buy dessert to be nice; some Oreo cake, which was solid. But the real highlight is their delicious pizza.

I was really disappointed with my recent experience at Grimaldi's at Park West, especially since…read morethis was a restaurant I previously enjoyed. I made a reservation in advance to meet my family for dinner before a nearby event. When I called that morning, I initially requested a 4:00 PM reservation. The employee explained that their pizza oven is unavailable from approximately 3:15-4:15 PM for a routine process they perform on the oven, so pizza would not be available during that time. Because we were specifically coming for pizza, I asked if moving our reservation to 4:15 PM would work instead. I was told yes and that the oven would be ready at that time. Based on that information, I moved our reservation rather than looking elsewhere for dinner. I arrived before my family, and almost immediately after sitting down, the server greeted me by asking, "Did they tell you it's going to be 45 minutes for a pizza?" Apparently, the oven was still not ready. I explained that I had specifically moved our reservation to 4:15 because I was told the oven would be available then. Had I been told there was a possibility of another 45-minute wait, I simply would have made a reservation somewhere else. I appreciated the server being upfront about the wait once I arrived, but this should have been communicated when I made the reservation. I was also disappointed with how the situation was handled. Being immediately greeted with a warning about a 45-minute wait, rather than an acknowledgment or apology for the miscommunication, was not a great way to start the experience. I was surprised there did not appear to be a manager available to address the situation or offer any kind of accommodation. We ultimately left and found another nearby restaurant that was able to accommodate our family before our event. I used to enjoy coming to this location, which makes this experience even more disappointing. Unfortunately, after the poor communication and lack of customer service, I don't see myself returning.

Relaxing atmosphere, soothing music, great staff, and a variety of food and bakery options. This…read morefood, as well as the baked goods, are well worth the time and energy.

The food was delicious and the staff very professional, courteous, and attentive. My drinks were…read morealways filled.