DeVinci’s

A GREAT place. I’m still coming here after decades and unfortunately we only make it about once a year. Tonight we weren’t sure how late they stayed open. We came in about 12 minutes before closing. Being from a restaurant family, this is a big no no and especially on Fathers Day. They begged us to stay. The service and food was impeccable. The food and service is always top notch. Thank you for decades of memories. Our server was a gentleman by the name of Will. Please ask for him. I had the Soprano pizza, the kids had a meatball sub sandwich and a pepperoni calzone. The food was PERFECT.

I truly haven’t eaten at DiVinci’s in 20 plus years.
I’m getting several of the old favorites to see where everything rates. I was surprised to see the less than fabulous rating I remember from my childhood memories. Waiting on my to-​go a couple of the bar regulars tell me the Italian specials are the way to go naturally after I’ve called in for a Mona Lisa, Stromboli sandwiches a «Hawaiian» for the olé Nag & kids.
The restaurants appearance really hasn’t changed to much if I remember correctly. It’s still really small, but kept up neat. Don’t really remember the bar much as this may be before the days of this consumption;
Here’s the grade «Stromboli Sandwich» Excellent!
The ever so famous Mona Lisa was good
A Hawaiian for the olé nag and kids. FAIR! There is really to many places to get better pizza. Maybe I hit a bad night, I don’t know other than its not what I’m accustomed. One of the regulars suggested that I come back and try the nightly specials.

We love this place.
Very cool little time capsule pizza joint. Discovered quite by accident, but I’ve been here ½ dozen times now, or basically whenever I find myself in Birmingham. We played musical chairs with the menu for a while, and finally landed on the El Fuego pizza. Its the best pie this side of Boston. Loaded with toppings and flavor, and the tip of the heat scale, just perfect. I also hear the calzones are very good but I was too busy munching on my pizza to notice.
Last time I was in town, was for the birth of my daughter’s first child, and as happy as she was, she’d been on a hospital food diet for about 4 days, and I offered to get some takeout. She wanted a DeVinci’s pizza. So I went and got 4 pies for the whole crew, and my normally refined daughter tore into that thing like a rabid she-​wolf. It was semi-​hilarious, but thats how good the pizza is here.
BTW, take these complaints with a heaping tablespoon of salt. Its the internet, what are you gonna do.

Charming vintage setting with super nice staff. I had the Italian Rope Sausage and my wife had the Chicken Parm. Very nice portion size — we both ended up taking some home. Hospitality off the chart — very homey feeling and comfortable.

It’s our favorite pizza place in Birmingham. The Mona Lisa is our favorite option on the menu. Outside seating. The cheese and crust are unique. If you like a lot of sauce, ask for extra. We bring our out of town friends here. It’s a local establishment with much higher quality than any chain. Enjoy!

Ok, so after decimating DeVinci’s on the rating/​review scale because of a bad service experience, and in an effort to be as fair as possible, I decided to give the place at least one more chance to show me personally why reviews from other patrons are so much higher than my own. My verdict — I’m still not understanding why, and that may be my fault entirely.
My wife and I revisited DeVinci’s a couple weeks ago (a Friday night) and definitely received much better customer service than the previous visit, especially via the person whom we assume is the current owner (or at least the person handling the money for the evening) and our server (who wasn’t over-​accomodating, which was great and is unnecessary), but was present whenever we needed something more at the table. So far so good! The food, however, was not appealing really at all unfortunately, and the great service couldn’t make up for it. My wife tried the stromboli sandwich w/​homemade chips, and I tried the beef ravioli; and although she thought hers was good and took leftovers home, she never got back to those leftovers which is atypical, even mentioning that she wasn’t interested in finishing them. I didn’t have any leftovers remaining, but the food tasted like it’d just come from the fridge and was heated up on the spot, and the marinara sauce tasted very much canned. Even the garlic bread loaf seemed like an oversized hot dog bun with mozzarella melted on top to compensate. I wasn’t expecting Maggiano’s presentation-​level converted to taste in DeVinci’s food, but I at least hoping for something that tasted as if a bit more thought had gone into it. I could be completely wrong regarding how the food was prepared (i.e., a little too much snark), but my expectation and my experience definitely came nowhere near each other. Pretty disappointing meal in all honesty…
I’m thinking maybe DeVinci’s gets good reviews because of potentially two reasons — 1) perhaps I ordered the wrong thing, and the name of the game here, and basis for most reviews, is pizza, pizza, all day pizza; and/​or 2) perhaps there is a bit of attachment to the place for locals that adds to its likeability. In any case, not being a local and not ordering pizza may be what did me in I guess. So, I’m willing to give it *one* more try, to see if the pizza makes up for whatever happened on that plate last time. But considering other very good italian food options around town (Salvatore’s, New York Pizza just to name a couple), if things don’t work out this time, there’s really no reason to push things much further.
As always though, YMMV.

I was trying to determine whether 3 or 4 stars would be appropriate. The food is 4 stars, but the wait time is pretty long which brings overall to 3 stars.
My friend and I were one of two parties in the restaurant for Saturday lunch. We ordered garlic cheese loaf which was tasty, but it took forever for us to get it (15 minutes). For an entrée we split the 12″ Mona Lisa and it was quite tasty! Very hearty pizza with plenty of toppings in every bite. I must say, it was a little overpriced for a 12″ pizza: $ 22. For that price I would expect the atmosphere to be more like that of Slice in Lakeview.
I could see this restaurant going on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares because the food is good, but the service is just kind of lacking. Our waitress was very friendly, but the place just needs some TLC and a kitchen overhaul. It has the potential to really be something great.

Mona Lisa pizza was a masterpiece. Nice local casual Italian. Great service. It was our first visit, but we will go back.

Mona Lisa did it all! Best pizza I have had in years. I went in based on Unilocal reviews and it did not disappoint. Yes the parking is tight but you can find a spot nearby. The staff was friendly and helpful.
Next time I am in town I will be back!

Great pizza! Give the MonaLisa a try and you will not leave hungry!

I’m torn between 3 or 4 stars but I feel like their friendliness bumped it up. We were greeted immediately and saw consistently smiling faces through our dining experience.
I imagine the parking could deter folks from coming. I believe I counted 7 spaces in the lot. Thankfully because we were there on a Saturday night when the hotdog joint next door was closed we could park in one of their spaces. There was one sign for accessible parking in the bushes, I still haven’t figured out where that spot was.
You can seat yourself at the bar, on the patio, the small front dining area, or the larger dining area in the back. The back area had a couple of parties and the patio had screaming children. It was a no brainer that we sat in the peaceful front dining area.
FYI the women’s’ restroom was NOT wheelchair accessible. I didn’t check the men’s…that could’ve be awkward and that’s why I specify women’s.
They didn’t have a huge amount of diners at first but there were a lot of people coming in for takeout and I think that’s what held up our order for so long. We came here expecting a wait so we couldn’t complain about the amount of time it took to receive our food.
We ordered a 16″ Mona Lisa pizza which comes with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, ham, black olives, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and double cheese. My husband also tried the Stromboli sandwich.
The Stromboli was not good at all in our opinion. The meat concoction looked so gross hanging out of the bread in a rubberized state. You couldn’t taste any steak and the blob of filling just had a strange flavor resembling a bad mix of Worcestershire and mushroom gravy. Highly disappointed in this $ 8.75 dish.
The pizza was pretty darn good. It was extremely hearty, loaded with toppings, and blanketed with a comforter of cheese. The crust was not your typical chewy, limp crust but more like a biscuit taste and stout enough to hold up to all of the toppings. I feel that it was worth the $ 27 price tag. Two pieces filled me up quickly. The pizza ended up being more than my husband and I could eat in two meals.
PROS of pizza:
Very hearty with plenty of toppings
Each bite had a unique taste
Crust held up to the toppings
The blanket of cheese on top held on the toppings and was not too greasy
The pizza overall wasn’t too greasy
Sauce was good when you could actually taste it
I love onions and there were a lot of them, well diced for those who care
Quality was worth the price
CONS of pizza:
Sauce was only apparent towards the edge of the pizza. I might see if they’ll do extra sauce.
Italian sausage wasn’t noticeable, I want to be able to taste my Italian sausage
If you’re sharing a pizza with others and you think you’ll pick off what you don’t like, it ain’t happening. The cheese on top reduces your visibility of their location so prepared to be surprised in each bite.(I didn’t necessary mind this, just a warning for picky eaters).

Only go on the weekend when it’s busy. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time. You notice how the ceiling is falling into your food & how bad the service is… This is a far-​right wing joint, so if you don’t like making Republicans rich, don’t eat here. It’s a dump. If you must eat here, get take-​out.

Joined some of my family for dinner at Devinci’s this past Friday. Hard to believe I’ve never been in the 30 years that I’ve lived in Birmingham, but now I can say I have dined in at Devinci’s! Both my husband and grandmother said «we won’t have trouble getting a table» even though it was a Friday night close to 7pm. They were WRONG! It was packed – especially since we were a party of 5.
We waited for about 15 minutes. The staff was very friendly and apologetic for the wait. Others began to pile in to wait and as soon as we saw a four table group get up, one in our party ran over and grabbed the table. The staff was concerned the table may be too small, but it was really fine. Not even 5 minutes later, the waiter told us a larger table opened in the back room and we would probably be more comfortable there. My grandmother, who is typically very cold natured, said she would rather sit where we were, by the front door — where it wasn’t too hot. Apparently the back room is sweltering warm and crowded!
We had ordered some cheesy garlic bread while we waited and it arrived shortly after we were seated. Nothing exciting — the cheese wasn’t that great and it didn’t taste like it had any garlic :(We’ve been on a search to find tasty eggplant parmigiana, so my husband and I definitely ordered that. We saw the Rondelle had good reviews, so decided to share it as well. Both came with garlic bread on the side. Again, not that exciting. I did enjoy the 2 dishes, though. The Rondelle was very interesting and the eggplant was better than most we’ve had recently.
I’m not sure we’ll be back anytime soon – but if we do return, I want to try the pizza. Maybe it’s better?

Absolutely great! It’s quiet and quaint, nicely dim lighting and great food! I had the rondelle and my husband had the baked ziti, both were amazing in their simplicity! Simple genuine homemade flavors and the garlic bread was perfectly toasted and soft in the center. Very reasonably priced and the portions aren’t too big, although both my husband and I ended up taking half of each of ours home. The waiter didn’t check up on us unless I flagged him down, but I liked the fact that we didn’t have someone interrupting us every 10 minutes asking if I needed a refill, so it was more intimate. Definitely would recommend if you are looking for a great Italian dive to get away from the big franchises. We loved it and will definitely go back!

We met a friend here a couple weeks ago. My hubby had never tried Devinci’s food, but I had a couple of times. I love the way the interior has been redecorated! It really looks much better. However, I found the pizza to be too dough-​filled. I detest thick dough pizza. The cheese wasn’t great either; it tasted too waxy.
However, in the past, I’ve found other menu items much better. I would give their dishes a try versas the pizza. My hubby took the leftovers for lunch. He says the pizza doesn’t warm up well because of dough.

Cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant in Homewood. Prices are reasonable, food is fresh.
Here’s what I’ve had…
Stromboli Steak Sandwich: $ 8.75; excellent homemade roll; very tender, thin strips of steak; provolone cheese is melted into the brown gravy, which binds the steak, mushrooms, and onions together; lacked seasoning (particularly garlic); served with Cape Cod potato chips; B+
Lasagna with Italian Sausage: $ 12.95; baked, with copious amounts of bubbly cheese; not greasy like most lasagnas; served with a homemade garlic loaf (loaded with melted butter and garlic); generous portion but skimped on the meat; A–

How has the Unilocal world not found this place yet? Working in town for a couple days and I was told to try this place and I am so glad that I did!
Great pizza, was told they have been buying their cheese directly from Italy for 30 years. I had the vegetarian and added banana peppers. Side salad was better than most with mushrooms, black olives, cucumber slices, and a great house red vinaigrette dressing. Server was very friendly, small town feel to this place as it is not very big at all.
Definitely recommend this place if you looking for some good pizza and small town atmosphere.

This is a little place that could easily be missed. The atmosphere within is so-​so, nothing great. The service was awful when we went for lunch. It was very slow. Took 45 minutes to get our order. Pizza was decent though, but nothing special to have to wait that long. The service was so bad, didn’t ever get refills, but I don’t blame the server as there was only one and the place was pretty packed. There was also a bartender who attended to us once she realized how slow everything was. We never got our checks, so walked up to pay instead as we wanted to get back to the office. This place may not be the best place to eat at if you have a deadline or timed lunch. I don’t think I’d go back. This could be a one time bad experience, but has left a sour taste.

If I wanted my last meal on earth be pizza, this is it. I have never seen pizza cooked this way before. The toppings are all buried beneath a layer of incredible thick, delicious, melting cheese that just spills as tear away at it. I usually can stomach two slices but I could hardly go through the second.
The Mona Lisa contained a layer of pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, and vegetables hides underneath a thick layer of cheese. The florentine had a layer of pesto sauce hides underneath even MORE cheese. I couldn’t finish this slice. The crust is so soft and tearable. It’s the perfect size. It’s barely enough to hold the magic above it.
The service here is good as any other place. Even if it was bad, you wouldn’t know because your party or the waiters will probably have to roll you out the door to your car. It’s ridiculous this place is anything less than a 4. As of this review, I consider this my favorite pizza place in Birmingham.
Refrigerator Test: Move the pizza around after you put it in the fridge for a day. Otherwise the crust sticks to the bottom and you end up tearing off all the toppings. It’s still delicious and the best cold pizza I’ve had yet.

Backstory: I’m from Florida. I grew up hearing all about how great DeVinci’s is (both parents lived in Birmingham for a while), and now I finally got to try it.
AWESOME. I must say, it lived up to the impossible hype that my parents put on it. The Mona Lisa is so tasty, and I actually dislike meat on my pizza, so that’s saying something. We also got the Florentine, which had such a generous amount of spinach on it it was unreal. The crust is completely authentic, unlike anything I’ve ever had before, super tasty, lovely crunch, not too much salt, and slightly thicker than a thin crust but not so gross and thick to be considered thick crust.
Our waiter was great, super speedy, nice, chatty, awesome. He also brought our food out the second it was ready. I know this because our pizzas were piping hot! YUM!