Balistreri's Italian-American

Kathryn R.

Joined 6 months ago

i have always loved your restaurant, i can't wait to come back to milwaukee for a visit and experience your cuisine again! kathryn.

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Scott N.

Joined 1 year ago

I have been a satisfied diner at Balistreri's for over 30 years. A recent visit, however, indicated that the original is getting a bit long in the tooth, with numerous hand-scratch deletions on their menu (menu specialties, at that).

I have been around since the Saturday Dungeness Sea Crab special. You not only can't find that, but their signature sicilian steak has gone the way of the DoDo bird. It also takes a tough swallow, that despite how good the pizza tastes, a recent visit of pizza and eggplant for three came in at over $60.

I will go back, but not real soon....

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MareeK

Joined 2 years ago

Best pizza in town!. Tried for the first time the other night. It's the best pizza in town. And as someone has already mentioned, fresh mushrooms are the way to go.

Staff couldn't be more friendly & helpful. 5 Stars, all the way!

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Jason Paulick

Joined 2 years ago

4th Best Pizza Experience in Wisconsin. When in Milwaukee for pleasure this is a favorite pizza stop of mine. I do love the supreme pizza and unfortunately I have never ventured away from the pizza selection at Balistreri’s. Next time I will have to force myself to try something different. The sauce is spicy and the crust is thin and tasteful so if this is what you look forward to in a pizza give Balistreri’s a try.

• The wait can be pretty lengthy so visit at an off peak time.

• The establishment is an older building with a medium floor space it can get kind of cramped.

• No outdoor seating.

• They could offer a better Italian environment.

• The staff is polite and courteous, quick to fill drinks and fulfill requests.

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MrMicah

Joined 3 years ago

Excellent Italian Food. I actually hesitate to write a review of this establishment, as the wait time to get a table is already quite lengthy, and I don't wish to add to it.

That being said, I highly recommend Balistreri's Restaurant for anyone looking for high quality Italian-American fare. Their pizza is AMAZING (I do recommend paying extra for the fresh mushrooms vs. the canned)... it comes as NO surprise that it is consistently ranked among Milwaukee's best. The fried eggplant is a personal favorite (not available on Fridays until very late at night, after the fish fry is through).

The Chicken Parmigiana is my favorite among the entrees. Entree portions are decently sized and affordable.

Balistreri's is by far one of my favorite Milwaukee restaurants. If you haven't tried the food, do yourself a favor and fix that mistake soon! I would suggest going at an off-peak time, as the wait time can be quite lengthy during normal dinner times.

Doesn't Recommend

Vincenzio

Joined 4 years ago

unless you love canned mushrooms. The service was fantastic. The pizza was awful. The crust has NO flavor -- it is, however, very thin...which is normally good. Like eating cardboard that was slightly burned. Nice amount of toppings...if you don't mind everything coming out of a can. Overpriced. The eggplant was

incredibly greasy, and it's not peeled, so it also has a

slightly bitter taste. There is a LOT of it, however.:( The sausage has a nasty texture, and slightly overwhelming peppery taste. We gave it three tries and are not going back, ever.

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kjsupvest

Joined 4 years ago

Best Pizza We Ever Had. Amazingly thin - real Italian sausage and stretchy mozzarella. You can't find a thin crust like this with all the toppings. We travel 600 miles three or four times a year to have their pizza. It's incredible.

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IWillTryIt

Joined 5 years ago

Very disappointing.. After reading so many positive reviews I was psyched to try the "Best Pizza in Milwaukee"

The crust is not only cracker thin, cracker is exactly what it is. No yeast in this dough, it's unleavened. Crispy, crunchy, but no chewy goodness underneath.

I've heard great things about the sausage, I ordered it, I saw it, but I never tasted it. In fact, the only thing I could distinguish was the overwhelming flavor of black pepper.

Very disappointing after such a build up, ok, but nothing more.

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nathosp33

Joined 7 years ago

Hands Down, Best Pizza in Milwaukee!. Being originally from Chicago, we tend to be extremely critical of pizza, italian beef and hotdogs. Balistreri's is easily the most flavorful pizza restaurant in town and rivals "home Run Inn" and "connies" from chicago. Both of their locations are equally great and only a couple of blocks apart from one another.

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germanalewench

Joined 7 years ago

Best Italian Restaurant in Milwaukee. My grandma gave me a dollar to try french fried eggplant when i was 8 years old, ever since, its been my favorite food!! The pizza isn't my favorite because I like thick crust, but I can assure you that if you like thin crust it's good. Also the pizzas there are made JUST LIKE they are in italy, when I went to rome the pizza there was exactly the same! Definitely try the eggplant, it tastes like french fries but better...ohhhhh its so good....but they dont serve eggplant on fridays because they have their fryers busy doing the fish fry on fridays! Its best to have an early or late dinner there on weekends, but if you have to wait its usually not more than 20 minutes or a half hour, and its definitely worth the wait. If you have to wait, then check out the chocolate shop next door! (Dessert!!)