Stephano’s Town Plaza Cafe

Meat lovers pizza *insert Homer drool*. I usually get a side of ranch to go with it as well. This place and Ricatonni’s has the best pizza IMHO. Two different styles but delicious. If you have high blood pressure stay away because it is LOADED with sodium.

Food was not terrible. The lady up front was dogging the place about how bad she hated it there and couldn’t wait to quit. First words out of her mouth were, «it’s going to be a long wait time!» Pretty sure not the way to greet customers. I had never been there before and I wanted to check out the menu. Was there to pick up food and bring back to my wife’s labor room at the hospital. She huffed at me because I wasn’t ready to order. They looked slow and I had no idea why she was acting as if they were in the middle of rush hour. Finally I ordered and while I waited, she continued to gripe about how she had to do all the work, all the while customers in line behind me are laughing and her co workers are just looking on. If I was the owner, think I would have let her go and got someone that would have a better attitude and promote my business.

The Chicago Fire and wings are the best!

A small, quiet Italian café tucked away in a shanty shopping center. Steve’s location is not what it once was in downtown Florence, but that didn’t change his outstanding food. I gave five stars for several reasons. Here’s why:
1. Just like when he first opened Steve can be seen through a kitchen window sitting there hand-​making and hand-​crafting every thing that is ordered. What a statement. He doesn’t have a kitchen full of staff who prep the food. I mean, for decades he’s perfected everything on the menu and has done it with such a personal touch and great service. You know when you order at Stephano’s you are going to eat something that was personally made by Steve right then for you. That’s awesome.
2. I ordered a 10″ Mega Supreme Pizza ($ 9.99) and I’ll tell you right now that it is the best pizza in the Shoals. It arrived piping hot on the pan it was baked in with Mount Vesuvius piled on top of it: pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, black olives, and green olives. BOOM! It was a mighty 10″. Unlike a 10″ Mellow Mushroom pizza, I couldn’t finish the one Steve crafted. And it’s cheaper than Mellow’s! The price of his pizza maybe a tad higher than the normal chains, but it is way worth it. I won’t order pizza from anywhere else from now on.
3. The cheesecake. There aren’t words in our tongue that would do justice in trying to describe its perfection. J.R.R. Tolkien might be able to do so in some Elvish tongue… Nevertheless, I’ll brave the attempt to do so. I ordered one slice ($ 3.25) and it was a giant; a statuesque shape like one of New York’s. In his 20+ years I can testify that Steve has perfected the art of making cheesecake. It was the best I have ever tasted (and I’ve tried some from NYC).
All this to say, go to Stephano’s. It’s awesome food at great prices. My counterparts ordered his subs which are way cheap for what you get (a little over $ 5 for a combo). Steve offers a wide variety of tasty subs, and his hot wings are fantastic, a nice blend of spices and sauces.
Before we part here’s a tip: try some of his Buffalo Fries.

For several years, I was part of the staff at Stephano’s and saw first-​hand how Steve carefully made the pastas, pizza dough, and cheesecake from scratch every day.
Years later, it’s still my turn to place for fresh pizzas and fantastic cheesecakes. Now, if Steve would bring back the chocolate chip cheese-​pie dessert: in a word… stupefying!

Really great pizzas and subs coming out of this place. I have always called in my order for takeout and have never actually eaten in the restaurant proper. Things look clean enough though. Looks like a buffet setup. Stephen (same Stephano’s that was located in downtown Florence for so many years) is still cooking it up and his father is still wooing them in the restaurant. Excellent service. Pizza is a few bucks more than the big-​box places, but IMHO worth it.
Local legend secret… Stephen’s cheesecake! A must!