Fuoco di Napoli

Went there yesterday. Based on recommendations I tried both the del Re and Regina Margherita pizzas. I felt that the pizza was better than both Double 00 and Verasano’s.
Like Antico, you aren’t paying for the décor, the pizza’s were great and I feel that this place is on par with Antico, next place to try will be STG.
The outdoor seating is nice.

It’s decent. It’s not Antico, which is the standard by which most «authentic» pizza places should be judged. This fact kind of surprises me, since there are Antico people working there. The other surprising thing? All of these other reviews talk about amazing service… I must have come on an off night, because there was nothing special here.
Pregnancy has given me the most horrible aversion known to pizza fanatics… an aversion to the char on pizza crust. This is no one’s fault, so no points deducted for it. Nevertheless, I did manage to get through a few bites of the crust here, and I decided that the crust was thicker and drier than I wanted it to be. I do hold places like Da Vinci’s to different standards than I hold places like Fuoco, only because they describe their aim differently. If I had gone into Fuoco with different expectations, I might feel a little differently.
To talk briefly about the service — BD and I were getting take-​out, so we weren’t expecting anything exceptional, but it was a Thursday night and it was surprisingly quiet in the restaurant… and the girl who took our order could barely tell us about any of the pizzas. She ended up basically grabbing a menu and reading the menu to us. Kind of a disappointment. She was perfectly nice, but… eh. By the time she was done reading to us, I wished I had just grabbed the menu, sat down for a sec, and then ordered on my own.
The quality of the ingredients was great… something felt a little too salty, but I couldn’t identify specifically what it was. We ended up getting a Margherita with salami, so I was expecting a little saltiness, but not the amount that I experienced.
While this review may not sound terribly positive, we by no means had a bad experience! It was average. Slightly above-​average pizza, above-​average outdoor seating… but average is a good word.

I think this is my new favorite pizza joint. I love the thin crust, and the pizzas are so very flavorful. I prefer thin crust, so I think it’s better than Antico, whose crust has gotten thicker over time.
They gave our whole party (of 6) free cannolis, even though I was the only one with the Unilocal app for the check-​in deal. Perfect end to a delicious meal.

I have to give it up to the people at Fuoco di Napoli for their generous and attentive service. I came here for a casual birthday dinner and our party received a custom pizza, on the house. But, wait, there’s more. Afterwards, we were treated to a plate of cannolis. That was really unexpected and considerate. All that aside, the servers won me over with their helpfulness and friendliness.
This place has outdoor seating. While they have large tables outdoors, they do not have as many inside, Which kinda sucked for our large group. But, we did manage to fit the group in a small, semi private room located towards the back of the restaurant. The space was a bit cramp for our group, but the rest of the restaurant seemed spacious, especially compared to other similar pizza places. The atmosphere is casual and almost family oriented. The walls are adorned with pizza paddles decorated by customers. Although when we went, they didn’t have any paddles for us to decorate. oh well.
I hate to say it but despite the great service, the pizza was not what I was hoping for. In the end, i think the pizza should have been the highlight of Fuoco more than the service. I thought this place was considered a competitor of Antico. The pizza was good. It is definitely good enough for me to come back occasionally. But the crust and the texture of the dough was off. The crust was a little thicker and not as soft as other Neapolitan pizza. I usually devour my whole pizza slices, but at fuoco di Napoli, I gave up on eating the crust.
The Fuoco di Napoli and de Rel are the two most popular according to one of our servers. They were good, but a little on the salty side. There is a cheeseless pizza. I think it is great the option is there for those with sensity to lactose, but it was not too tasty. No surprises, it tasted like tomato sauce on dough.

I had high hopes. I was expecting Fuoco di Napoli to be the Antico of Buckhead, but unfortunately it’s not. Antico’s pizza is way better. Where Fuoco has Antico beat, though, is in its outstanding service and ample indoor and outdoor seating. If Fuoco could only capture the magic of the pizza at Antico, then it would be the bomb. I’m not a fan of Antico’s service or seating arrangement, but they do make the best pizza in town.
Fuoco is located in Buckhead on Pharr Rd, east of Peachtree St. (not on the stretch between Peachtree and Piedmont where Atlanta Fish Market, Taka, and Pricci are located, but further west). The restaurant has several large wooden communal tables, inside and out, so finding a seat shouldn’t be a problem. The setup is ideal for groups. Patio seating is covered and there is plenty of parking. The space inside has an open kitchen so you can see the pizza oven and the pizzaioli making the pizzas from scratch. Customer-​decorated pizza peels adorn the walls.
I visited Fuoco with a large group of about 15. We sat at the table in the back. The table is located in a semi-​private, elevated area with its own air conditioning unit. The design for this small space is poor. The air conditioner was installed close and low to the table so it blows cold air not only on the customers, but on the pizzas too. The table and chairs seem too big for the space. If you have a full party, this space gets really cramped. It’s hard to walk by people once they’re seated. Better to sit outside across from the registers or out on the patio.
Fuoco has 7 authentic Neapolitan pizzas on its menu, priced between $ 14 and $ 17 each. The pizzas only come in full sizes. You can split about 1 – 2 pizzas between every 2 – 3 people. I tried 5 of the 7 pizzas. They were:
Regina Margherita (Cheese Pizza) — San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, basil, olive oil
Fuoco di Napoli (Fire of Napoli) — San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, spicy salami, hot peppers, basil and olive oil
Pizza del Re (King’s Pizza) — San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, artichokes, black olives, basil, olive oil
Marinara — San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, and olive oil
Pizza Sopresa (Surprise Pizza) — chef’s special pizza
Generally, I was disappointed in the pizza. I came with an empty stomach, ready to devour Fuoco’s deliciousness. The pizza wasn’t bad, but it was nowhere near Antico or even Double Zero or Varasano levels. Maybe I shouldn’t have had such lofty expectations. I never got to experience Fuoco when Enrico Liberato was the pizzaiolo. He left in March (
), so that may be one of the reasons why I didn’t think the pizza was great.
There were many culprits — the crust, the cheese, and the meats. As one of my pizza connoisseur tablemates commented, Fuoco’s pizza tasted more like New York pizza than Neapolitan pizza. I inhale that Antico crust like it’s nothing. Fuoco’s crust took some work to go down. The mozzarella cheese was rubbery, perhaps maybe due to the cold air blowing down on our pies, and the ham and salami were salty. The salami on the Fuoco di Napoli pizza was exceptionally salty. I know these are cured meats and they’re supposed to be salty, but the saltiness was too much. Others at the table agreed.
That said, as mentioned previously, the pizza wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t what I was hoping for and, as Robert M. mentioned in his review, it leads me to believe Fuoco is just another «run of the mill pizza joint.» Sad to say because I wanted to like this place. Plus, the entire staff was so friendly and accommodating that I wanted to write them a glowing review.
Of the 5 pizzas I tried, my favorites were the Regina Margherita and the Pizza del Re. I thought the artichokes were a nice touch on the Pizza del Re. The Fuoco di Napoli was spicy and I loved the hot peppers, but I found that pizza to be a letdown. The Marinara was OK, but expectedly very plain. It’s the only option for those who are lactose intolerant. The Pizza Sopresa contained just about everything. It was like a supreme pizza with tomatoes, olives, meats, spinach, and seasonings.
The cannoli (3 for $ 4) were good. Fuoco’s version has powdered sugar and chocolate chips.
Red pepper flakes are provided at each table, but Parmesan cheese is not. It can be requested. Unlike Antico, Fuoco does not have a cheese and spice bar where you can grab extra seasonings and hot peppers. If you dine in, plates and silverware served are disposable.
In summary, Fuoco has the right space, location, and excellent customer service. If they can improve their pizza, then they’ll really stand out.

If you’re looking for a fancy, schmancy pizza place akin to Varasano’s, you’re in the wrong place, my friend. If you’re looking for some good pizza, cooked to order and quick, Fuoco di Napoli’s your place.
I was going to an evening movie with a friend last week and we needed someplace in Buckhead for a bite beforehand. He suggested Fuoco di Napoli and I readily agreed since I hadn’t tried it yet, and am always game for anything once.
We arrived before the dinner crowd (if there ever was one for a Wednesday night), stepped right up to the counter and ordered a Pizza del Re off the menu board — half with ham (my half), half without (his) and two sparkling waters. All of Fuoco di Napoli’s pizzas are pre-​designed on a menu board up front and run the gamut from the very traditional Italian margherita pizza to the exotic pizza soprese (chef’s choice of the day). It’s not a big menu, but there’ll be something for any pizza eater on there. Plus, the pizzas are definitely big enough to share between two unless you’ve been fasting for several days in which case, one could eat it on his own. I don’t advise this though.
Then we took a seat at a huge round dining table in the back and watched the pizza guys through the glass making our pizza from scratch. I love when you can watch them make the pie in the open and then see it shoved into the brick oven. About 20 minutes or so after we ordered out came dinner.
Mmm boy! This was some good pizza — nice thin, crispy crust, not too much sauce or cheese, lots of toppings (artichokes, ham, mushrooms, olives), and hot and fresh. It was slightly lopsided, which affected the taste not at all, but because the chefs weren’t satisfied with its shape, they made a second pizza and boxed it up for us to take home free of charge. What a nice surprise! Two for the price of one for no real reason other than aesthetics according to the makers! That’s sweet!
Just because of that, Fuoco’s has certainly earned itself a new fan from me. Good job.

Wow! This is probably the best example of customer service I’ve experienced in a very long time.
Today I stepped out of the office for a few minutes, running home nearby, and returned to find. .. a huge, delicious pizza (and a Mr Pibb!) on my desk. Courtesy of Fuoco! How awesome is that! It had sausage and pepperoni and lots of basil (and Lori was nice enough to note that they’re happy to accomodate requests for extra sauce or basil, etc). My co-​workers and I got a yummy mid-​day surprise!
Thanks so much, y’all — pretty sure you just got a new daytime patronage source from our whole crew!

I don’t do well with change. I’m still writing «2011» on checks, and my best friend is still in my phone with her maiden name, though she’s been married since 2009.
Apparently, Fuoco di Napoli doesn’t do well with change either, as my recent visit after their owner and liquor, uh, «issues,» was not as good as my first. My first time visiting shortly after they opened was fantastic. The pizza was better than Antico, and the chef’s surprise pizza was truly a wonderful surprise, topped with fresh arugula and dropped off at our table by Enrico with a whole bottle of truffle oil for drizzling. Then, as we were leaving, they brought by free mini-​cannollis which were decadent and just the right size for a splurge.
Contrast this to last night, where we watched a server drop a pizza, a cook ignite his wooden pizza paddle, they ran out of Parmesan cheese, and we got a chef’s surprise pizza that the server was unable to tell us what the surprise toppings were (they turned out to be extra cheese, green olives, and pepperoni). The pizza was still delicious, but not quite as fantastic as before. The crust recipe seems to have changed. It’s no longer fluffly on the edges/​crust (like you can see in Antico’s pictures) and chewy. Now it’s just like a really good crispy thin crust. We sampled a calzone which was stuffed with meat and a great value at only $ 15, but I probably wouldn’t order it again because it didn’t have enough ricotta in it for my tastes. The $ 7 salad might seem overpriced, but it was plenty big enough for three to share, and the pear gorgonzola dressing was very good.
Overall, I’ll probably still continue to come here over Antico because there’s plenty of parking, tons of seating, you can actually hear the people you’re eating with, and the pizza is still very good. Though pizza quality and service have slipped some since my initial visit (which would have been an easy five star), I’m pretty sure I’ve given four stars to Dominos in the past, so Fuoco definitely still deserves «I’m a Fan» status in my book.

I dream about this pizza all the time. No, really. When I crave pizza, I specifically crave Fuoco di Napoli pizza. It is SO. GOOD.
I’ve been 3 times now and admittedly I’ve gotten the same pizza each time: the margherita with sausage added on. This is one of those meals that even when you are belly-​is-​about-​to-​burst full you just want to keep eating. The other reviews have gone into the specifics on the pizza, so I’ll talk a little about customer service.
Every time I’ve been the service has been pretty awesome. On my second visit, I was meeting a friend who was running way behind. Since I know the pizzas come out very fast here, I let them know I’d just hang out at a table until she arrived. About 5 minutes later they delivered a salad to my table, they said I shouldn’t have to stay hungry while waiting for my friend. And then as my friend and I were wrapping up our meal, they delivered us some canolis on the house as well. All other times I’ve been, someone has always stopped by to make sure everything is perfect.
Just to clarify — I don’t love fuoco because they gave me free stuff on that visit. I love them because when I’m there, I feel like family. I feel like they genuinely want to take care of me and make sure I have a great experience. And every time, I have.
What I love most is that this place is really chill– in the sense that even though the pizza is top-​notch-​Italian-​amazingness, it still feels like a place you can go and pig out on pizza with friends. There is plenty of space to spread out and the covered patio is great for the wonderful spring weather.
It’s sad their no longer BYOB, and I do hope they start selling alcohol soon. BUT they are open on Sundays– HORRAY– because I’m always feeling like pizza on Sundays.

Look, we all know Enrico was banished back to the homeland by now… but I’ve been back to Fuoco about 5 times since he disappeared and I honestly felt it was just as good as ever. Well… after today’s experience, Fuoco went from the king of the hill to a run of the mill pizza joint.
I am only hoping that this is a one time problem because it was a Saturday afternoon and they decided to put two guys on the ovens who could give a crap about what a real Margherita is supposed to look like or taste like.
I am Fuoco’s biggest fan… but if this is the go-​forward product I want nothing to do with it. The crust was like a cracker. No chew, no flavor. The crust has always been one of the bright spots for Fuoco. The end crust crumbled on the bite. It was a huge layer of cheese like a greasy NY style pizza instead of a Margherita. Plus, I asked if they changed the cheese and they said no, but it sure tasted and pulled like it. Char? Not really, more like a nice even browning that resembled George Hamilton’s face. Grease that you could taste, the kind of grease that repeats on you for days.
Just the truth. I’ll come back again because of how good they typically are… but if it comes out like this again… they are going to lose customers fast.

One word: Legit.
Had the Fuoco di Napoli again, and loved it. The crust was on the thin side, but there was again that initial slight crisp in the first bite I took that made me fall in love with this place the first time.
The Veggie pizza was alright, but I’d just come back for the namesake pizza.

A few updates since my last visit:
— Open 7 days a week now
— No longer BYOB
— They now have a tap water option for frugal people like me
— Pizza Del Re is good — best part was the artichokes
— I still love the Margherita — although sadly the basil is still sparse
— Get a free cannoli if you do Unilocal check-​in

Finally! I was able to try Brick Oven pizza! I love this place from the friendly staff to décor.
My brother got the Fuoco Di Napoli which is their specialty pizza ($ 17.00 which made a large-​they only have one size) made with San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, spicy salami, hot peppers, basil and olive oil. Very delicious! The pizza could have used alittle more basil.
Also, there was check-​in special on Unilocal to receive a free Cannoli which was very yummy!
This is an awesome pizza joint! Highly recommended!
They do no sell alcohol, so you can bring your own beer/​wine.

I prefer this place over Antico for the following reasons:
1. No snotty/​hippie workers. The cashier was so friendly and accomodating, very down-​to-​earth. The owner (Enrico?) was so welcoming and very glad to help us find seats in the small space. The other guy delivering our pizza brought it out promptly and quickly retrieved some extra marinara sauce at our request.
2. More seating. You’ll still probably have to sit with some random people at a table, but definitely more available than Antico. Plus they have a great outdoor patio area. We went on a Saturday night and found a seat right away.
3. It’s also BYOB. Enough said.
4. My pizza wasn’t burnt. It was more doughy, but I like my carbs so I was okay with that.
5. We got free cannolis by «checking in» here. Most excellent.
6. You’ll run into someone you know. It’s a happening place!

Good job Enrico! Parking may be a little problem if the place is crowded, but there’s street parking too. Awesome service and great pizza!
FOOD: We had the REGINA MARGHERITA Cheese pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, basil, olive oil with sausage. Great crust and tasty cheese, no need for the sausage. I actually like this one better than Antico’s. We also got the FUOCO di NAPOLI Fire of Napoli with San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, spicy salami, hot peppers, basil and olive oil. Talk about spicy! Both were delicious and worth coming back again.
FYI — when they run out of dough, they may close for the day, so come early!

I want to be a fan, but they can’t even give you water without charging you $ 1.50 a bottle. A little ridiculous, I think.
The pizza is good. It’s not Antico’s good, but it does stay within the confines of more classically italian pizza than american pizza. If this is close by, it’s worth it. But since I have to drive past Antico’s to come here, I can’t say I’ll be coming back very often.
If they could give you cups with water, given their price, they would earn 4 or 5 stars. I mean, it’s just water. That aside, they are very nice!

For pizza in Atlanta, this is truly as good as it gets. I even put it above Antico, not because the pizza is better (I put them on the same level), but because there is way more space with easy parking.
I came with a group of 9 people and we ordered 6 pies or so to try different things. Really every pizza we had was fantastic, it all depends on what you want on it. The crust is chewy, light, and comes with a perfect char. The ingredients are all fresh and they’re not stings with the toppings.
My favorite was the margherita with sausage, but the special pie that Enrico brought us, with arugula, carmelized yellow peppers, and mozzarella was also excellent. If you want the special pie you’ll just have to ask for those toppings. If you want some heat, try the Fire of Napoli that has chilis on it. Not crazy hot, but gives it a nice flavor.
I really enjoyed the laid back vibe here, especially since it’s BYOB with no fees. I brought beer with no problem.
The owner came around a few times to check on us and even gave us that last special pie for free. He talked (in an Italian accent) about his dough and pizza making process, and you can really tell he loves his craft.
Top it off with a round of free cannolis and you’ve totally sold me!

So I came back to Fuoco Di Napoli for my UYE. I gave them a couple of weeks to become consistant and get used to the pizza making business. I must say, this place seemed to have improved a lot since I last went.
Their crust was still amazing. It’s slightly thicker than their competitors. It has good chew and spring to it. It tasted great. The char was also perfect.
We ordered a couple different pies. Their Fuoco Di Napoli pie seemed like a favorite among the group. Watch out, it’s pretty spicy if you get a piece with a chili pepper on it. I liked the heat in this pie.
Their Pizza de Re was great too. This one had an issue with the sogginess. But that’s to be expected with the crust and this amount of toppings. I loved the artichokes. It was another solid pizza.
Their Margherita with sausage was insane. This was my favorite pie ever. I like pure Margherita pizzas, and I never thought about putting sausage on it. The sausage made this pizza go from near perfect to perfect.
Their sopresa looked like Pizza de Re with all the ham and olives. In fact, I couldn’t tell them apart. The only difference seemed like he replaced the artichokes with zucchinis. Oh well, it still tasted good though.
We ordered about six pies so Enrico just made us another sopresa pie on the house. That’s pretty cool of him. It had arugula, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and olives. It was awesome. He should add this to the menu.
Not only that, they gave us cannolis on the house too. They were delicious. It was extra delicious because it was free.
My only complaint was that these pies are expensive. I think that’s okay because you are paying for quality. I can’t compare this to Antico’s prices because I haven’t been to Antico in a long time so I can’t remember. Besides, since we got some free pies and cannolis, the price didn’t seem too bad at the end.
Like I mentioned in my previous review, I love how they have a lot of space here. You can take groups of 10 or more. In fact, you can make a reservation if you’re bringing 12 or more people.
Oh yeah, this place is BYOB. So don’t forget to bring your booze if you want to drink.
They have a great, friendly staff; the pizzas are awesome; and there’s a lot of space to sit. What more can you ask for? 4.75 stars.

This is the kind of pizza Buckhead has always lacked. Nothing between Peachtree Street and Roswell Road can compare to Fuoco Di Napoli. Our new Italian hot spot is a true rival of Antico Pizza.
Saturday morning we woke up around 10:30 craving pizza. We thought about driving down to Antico or ordering takeout from Napolil Pizzeria. Then I remember my pal Unilocaler Laura W. talking about this great new pizza place that opened up only four weeks ago.
Kevin P. knew exactly where we were going after looking it up on Google maps «Oh, it’s where the old McTighe’s used to be,» he proclaimed, «right behind my old office.» So we hopped in the car and scooted down into the heart of Buckhead.
I’m glad my hubby knew where to park (and that we drove our SUV) because the parking lot behind the back of the building is kind of sketchy with its decrepit pavement, metal fence and barbed wire. I suppose its safe though because Fuoco Di Napoli keeps a huge stack of firewood out back for their wood-​burning oven. This joint seems like home turf for the Atlanta mafia.
Upon entering on Saturday at lunch time the crowd was sparse with no line and only three other couples waiting on their pizza. The space looks like a true Italian export. A massive brick oven and kitchen area take up the back quarter of the restaurant. Unlike Antico, there are ample tables plus a patio out front that’s going to be rocking come springtime.
We ordered the house pizza Fuoco di Napoli or «Fire of Naples». It was the perfect amount of pie for a hungry couple. We waited less than 10 minutes for our pizza and it didn’t disappoint as it came straight from the oven to our table oozing in mozarella goodness. Wow does the name fit the entrée! After reading Angela M.‘s review I know it’s because the chef dips his tongs in the oil of the spicy peppers and drizzles it over the pizza.
If you’ve read my recent reviews, you know I’m on a quest for the best bacon pizza in Atlanta. Well it’s not bacon, but the salami atop our pizza was cooked to crispy perfection. While it wasn’t bacon it totally hit my savory spot.
Oh, and I mention it’s BYOB with no corkage fee? I’m a very happy Lauren P.
At one point, the chef starting chatting up another guest in fluent Italian, and although I took a few courses in college, he was talking so fast the only word I could make out was tutti which means «all» or «together». Well all together, we’ll be going
back to Fuoco di Napoli very soon.

Amazingly good pizza!
Having read Robert M’s review, I immediately made plans for family pizza night. I love that they have online ordering and can select a pick up time, so I was able to order and pay for my pizza when I had time during the day.
I arrived early, 5:15 for my 5:30 pickup. There were 6 people on the premises, all employees, half prepping pizza ingredients, half decorating for Christmas. The cashier verified my online order and told the guys in the back to go ahead and make it up early. I held up my 1-​year-​old so that he could watch the pizza making through the glass. The pizza is medium sized, not much sauce, lots of cheese. I got the Fuoco di Napoli (Fire of Naples). As the pizza chef (who is Italian) put together the pizza, he dipped the tongs in the oil of the spicy peppers and drizzled it over the pizza. YUM! It only took a few minutes to cook it «crispy» as requested in the stone, wood-​burning oven. They even held it up towards the center of the inner dome to get nice char on it. After the pizza chef placed it in the box, another gentleman cut it into slices.
Since I’d already paid online, I just walked out after that. There was still no one there, but there’s plenty of seating, large and small tables. We’ll definitely be back to enjoy it there once we can better coordinate family schedules.
About 20 minutes later, we were home and seated round the table to dig in. Man, this is great pizza! Even 20 minutes later! The crust didn’t get soggy in the middle. There was just enough tomato sauce. The spicy pepper oil gave it a really nice kick. The char on the edge was still nice and crispy. And it wasn’t too greasy.
This is my new favorite Neapolitan pizza in town. Hands down.
(Just a note… I don’t think they’re open on Sundays, since you can’t select a delivery time on Sundays and no one answered the phone around 5:30pm).
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