Francoluigi’s Pizzeria & High Note Cafe

The streets of South Philly are alive with the sound of music and the smell of fresh garlic rolls ! I had the pleasure of experiencing one of South Philly’s hidden treasures on Saturday night –March 28^th. This hidden gem is called High Note Café’ 1549 S. 13^th street on the corner of 13 th and Tasker it’s masked by the adjoining pizzeria Francoluigi .(Same owner) .‘What a treat for your eyes as well as your stomach. Italian comfort food at its finest. Pasta in a sauce that can only be described as morsels in clouds so light and filling. The perfect combo of a red sauce and a white sauce. The fried calamari is like no other melts in your mouth. The garlic knots are hug for your insides. The fresh mozzarella with the fresh bruschetta is a symphony all by themselves. And the dessert was a decedent ending to a fabulous meal. If the food it’s self isn’t enough to get your mojo a going the entertainment by Kenny Gates and his 88’s was fun and soothing as we sang along and enjoyed our dinner. The whole experience was a scene out of any classic Italian movie. My words doesn’t do this establishment justice, the proof is in the establishment. #bellisimo

Cute little Italian spot with good NY/​NJ style Italian food for a great price!
Food — I had the pizza both times I was here and it was great! Done perfectly — not too soggy, but not too crispy with a great amount of flavor. The baked ziti was great, but the penne that came on the side of the chicken parm didn’t really compare. They give a complementary order of garlic knots, which came out a bit cold, but nonetheless tasted delicious! To end the night, we shared a cannoli, which was scrumptious!
Service — Great! Our waitress was very attentive and helpful — I told her that I was a vegetarian and she did a great job explaining the menu. Everyone let us enjoy our dinner without any distractions even though we were in the aisle. Also, I called in to make a reservation a few hours in advance and explained that I’m coming from a distance so I may be a little late to the reservation, and the gentleman was very understanding and said he’d hold me a table regardless!
Ambiance — Cozy little restaurant with a live pianist to set the mood. Could get a bit loud and «busy» in the sense that there are a lot of staff walking around in a confined area, but it didn’t bother me one bit.
Location — You walk in through the pizzeria and then into the restaurant. Not in the heart of the city, but one good thing about that is that it’s easier to find street parking.
Boyfriend gave this place a 3.7÷5.

Fantastic plain pizza. I’ve had this pizza since I was a kid and they haven’t changed and its a good thing. Call for delivery!

My favorite pizza place in Philly!!! The guys are great that work the pick-​up area. Friendly and personal! I got pizza to go, next time I’ll dine in!

I’ve been ordering pick-​up and delivery quite frequently from here for about a year and a half and I’m never disappointed. Don’t be discouraged by the long delivery times– there’s a reason they’re in such high demand and that’s cause I have yet to find a better pizza in South Philly (with the exception of Lorenzo’s, but they don’t deliver).
The pizza is just so wonderful and the pepperoni they use is the real authentic spicy stuff, cut fresh. I’ve had some other menu items from here– the cheesesteaks, meatball subs, salads, etc. And they’re all equally as satisfying and tasty. Note: don’t order a cheesesteak for delivery cause the cheesy goodness will probably soak through the bun by the time you get it– just pick it up.
Never dined in here, but would love to try some of their pasta dishes some time. Also, Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays they have a great deal of 2 medium pizzas for $ 15.

This review is for my order of buffalo wings. I’ve also had cheesesteaks and pizza, and both have always been excellent. I eat this food regularly.
* First impression: I always cheer silently when opening the box. The wings smell and look great. From time to time, there is some strange butchery; but, not enough to deter my enjoyment.
* Meat: Most of the time, the skin is crunchy, and the meat is great. It always tastes fresh.
* Sauce: Delicious, better-​than-​average red pepper sauce that is balanced between hot and flavorful. The amount is either adequate, or the wings are swimming in it.
* Recommendation: You can’t go wrong. Why the one missing star? Slightly inconsistent; sometimes they are better than other times. Consistency, I believe, is important for wings! However, I’ve never been disappointed.
Kick back with a cold beer (Lagunitas IPA would be my choice) and enjoy a magical meal.

I’m always on the look out for new pizza places to try, so when I heard about Francoluigis, I was sold.
We ordered delivery, which was super quick and friendly, even on a Friday night. We started with the antipasti salad for two, which was very hearty, but did not come with dressing. At first, we thought it was already on the salad, but after a few bites, we learned it wasn’t. Perhaps they just forgot to include it? No big deal, we dressed it up ourselves!
My husband, a white pizza lover, got his way and we ordered the Mario Lanza. The hot sausage was delightfully spicy, but I’m not the biggest white pizza fan, so I look forward to ordering a red pie from these guys soon.
The fried ravioli were a bit of a disappointment as they lacked flavor. I still ate them all though because you can’t let fried raviolis go to waste!
We’d order from Francoluigis again and try some of their other offerings.

I recently moved right across the street from this place and couldn’t be happier that they’re so close by. They sell pizza by the slice in some delicious varieties (um hello roast pork and broccoli rabe) and other tasty takeout. The 5 dollar tomato pie is a ridiculous deal and trust me it’s DELICIOUS (I’m a tomato pie snob; most of it grosses me out). They’re always busy as hell but prompt, efficient and friendly. Major points for no credit card minimum. Last but not least: case of six packs for sale and they’ve got a decent variety. So. Convenient.
I’ve never eaten in here, so I can’t speak to the restaurant side, but I’ll be a loyal takeout customer as long as I live on Tasker.

Very nice. Friday and saturdays they have live music. Staff was very helpful and nice for our party of 14 people. Portion are large so make sure you are hungry. The pizza was very good. Two of the pasta dishes were just a tad overcooked. I would eat here again.

Seriously the BEST calamari and pizza in south philly.

We were invited to dinner by friends, our reservation for 6 was at 5 and the owner refused to allow us to sit even though one of us was disabled and there was ZERO guests in the dinning room until the entire party had arrived. During our mediocre dinning experience the dining room was NEVER filled. Our server was delightful, however, the antipasto is awful and the gnocchi is terribly dense … I brought left overs home to my 10 yr old twins who told me that they really prefer Bistro de Marino’s (Collingswood) gnocchi because they are not ‘thick’ lol! My children know better! Our bill was $ 500…so although ALONE in the dining room we still managed to do some damage but I would never return because the owner has NO grasp of hospitality.

My fiancé and I have been ordering from Francoluigis for almost 4 years. We love their food but their delivery time is usually an hour, which we are willing to accept. What we can’t accept is what happened tonight. We were told an hour and then after 1.5 hours we called and they said it would be delivered soon. As 2 hours came, we called and they said it would be here any minute. And guess what? It was never delivered us. Totally unacceptable. The story is that our food was delivered. Umm we are still hungry and the only thing they offered to do was refund our money. Like what?!

This place is awesome! I got delivery: came quick and really hot! Baked Ziti and a fried Raviolis are dynamite! Way to go!

Boyfriend and I stop in semi-​regularly for a couple of slices and a beer or two. The staff is always friendly, no matter how busy they are. I always get a slice of tomato pie and a slice of cheesesteak. I’m convinced this is the best pizza in South Philly.

My lady and I ordered an antipasta for 2 and a large pie. The artichokes on the salad had turned so we sent them back and requested some fresh artichokes. I told the waitress not to make a new salad, just to replace the bad artichokes. She returned with a side of artichokes and said that the chef thinks that what we were tasting was just sharp provolone that had touched the artichokes. They made both of our mouths tingle. They were bad! And we know what sharp provolone cheese tastes like. When a chef can’t put aside his or her pride and do what’s safe for his/​her customers, I worry about what else happens in that kitchen. The second batch was bad too. We had to taste the bacteria biproducts twice and cringe because the chef didn’t trust us.
The server was a young girl who was sweet, but had no idea how to serve tables. She just simply was not trained on the basics.
The onions on the pizza were caramelized. Some people may prefer that, but I would expect onions as a pizza topping to be raw and then cook a bit with the pizza. Not the biggest deal, but I like a bit of a crisp onion on my pie and you gotta admit that is the norm. I wish the menu said «carmelized».
Also, I’ve never been served a can of soda without the can. It was poured into a glass, so I figured it was fountain and that it was free refills. I finished my soda before my food came to find out there were no free refills upon requesting another. Bummer.
None of this stuff is that big of a deal, but when there are hundreds of great pizza places in all directions, you gotta do a better job to keep me coming back. This place was just placed at the back of the line for me. I will come back after all else fails.

Some friends of mine and I were heading back to another friends house on Tasker and even though we were in the burgeoning restaurant Mecca of Passyunk, we just wanted something simple to take out. Tasker friend casually suggested Francoluigi because it was a block away from his place.
Coming from the Burbs, I know the corner pizza shop can be hit or miss. It took me a good couple of years to find the right one in Ridley. So I can’t be faulted for imagining just a simple neighborhood pizza place when my buddy mentioned it. As I walked in, I realized that, hey, it’s South Philly… even a local pie is going to blow anything in the Burbs out of the water.
Not only is Francoluigi a great example of South Philly pizza, it may just be one of the best pies you weren’t aware of. Opera singers love it, I can tell you that much based on all of the pictures on their wall of fame. And really, if a 300lb tenor gives his approval, who am I to disagree?
It was a busy Friday night but we were able to get in and order a pie to go within a ½ hour. We appropriately went for the South Philly Pie, which pretty much had all of the traditional pizza toppings.
They sell beer to go and have beer on tap for dining in (or even waiting for your takeout). They also sell wine and I watched as an old local drank a glass while he waited for his sandwich to go. It was pretty awesome.
The pizza itself was well above average bordering on best in the city. The crust is the key, really dense and crispy and held the crazy amount of toppings like a champ. When I go again, I’ll opt for a simple pie, either cheese or pepperoni or sausage. But damn was it good especially with a Lions Head to wash it down.
Overall, this place just screams South Philly authenticity. Family run, community friendly and killer food. I’ll be back for sure and I’ll pass much more trendy places on Passyunk to get there.

My husband and I have been going to High Note for many years.
We almost always have an excellent meal, and always-​always enjoy their great service.
High note is so named because the owner is a huge fan of opera and music in general. The walls are padded with photos of all kinds of well-​known musicians and singers from all over the world, many of whom have met the owner and/​or dined at High Note. There is live piano music which is lovely, as well as singing from the waitstaff, who in addition to being well versed in Italian cuisine, also happen to be professional opera students. I have been to other Italian restaurants where this same musical ambiance is attempted, but none can match the quality and professionalism of High Note.
One of their signature dishes is the Bolognese alla Bergonzi (baked riggatoni), which is the point of my dining experience. When it is good, it is one of the best – no the BEST – Italian dish I have ever had in my life!!! When it is off a little, I want to cry and wish I hadn’t made the trip downtown to bother. They have a family recipe which somehow adds cinnamon or something totally unexpected to the sauce and just completely lights yo up when you eat it. It is so so so good. Nothing like it ever when they make it well. My husband has enjoyed a sampling of many different dishes and specials, but I always go for the same.
We also often get their antipasto which is $ 15 but HUGE, absolutely will feed 4 people easily. It is excellent every time! Fresh made bread is also wonderful, even better dipped in olive oil with a little salt, ”molto buono!” Italian desserts are classic standards and well done.
I did learn recently that I may have to call ahead to make sure they have my Bolognese alla Bergonzi because they were out once recently and I was heartbroken. So if you have a favorite make sure to have a back up, or call ahead like me.

Spent a lovely Valentine’s date here. We had early reservations at 5 and they had a table ready in the lovely Italian café attached to the pizza parlor. It’s truly a hidden gem in south philly. You wouldn’t even know how nice it is by the outside. The live jazz in the background set the perfect mood for the dinner.
We split a bottle of Malbec and looked through the menu. I ordered the eggplant and tomato pizza and my date got the chicken and shrimp rigatoni (special) which was phenomenal. We finished dinner with heir chocolate covered Italian ice cream. It’s not on the menu but you can ask for it.
The dinner was cozy, private, and couldn’t have asked for better!

Top 5 Buffalo Chicken pizza in the city. And it’s real chicken. They tend to get busy, so prepare for that.
Friendly staff, slices for sale if you’re in a rush before catching the Tasker/​Morris subway. One of the more notable pizza places in Philly for sure.

We called ahead to order a tomato pie and a cheesesteak pizza, and they had it ready for us when we got there. Its hard to find parking in that area, so i suggest someone stays in the car while someone runs in to pick up if you are not eating it. The tomato pie’s sauce was very tasty. The cheesesteak pizza had great flavor. We actually put ketchup on it, and it truly tasted amazing like that.