Balistreri's Italian-American

10/04/07

Best Pizza Ever!!!!!

Contributor at Insider Pages

My family has been going to Balistreris for pizza for years. Never disappointed in the quality of the food. Staff is always very friendly. Might have to wait a bit on a Friday or a Saturday night to get a table but is well worth the wait. Must try.

07/09/09

unless you love canned mushrooms

by Vincenzio at Citysearch

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.

• Pros: GREAT service
• Cons: lousy food

02/15/09

Best Pizza We Ever Had

by kjsupvest at Citysearch

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.

02/23/08

Very disappointing.

by IWillTryIt at Citysearch

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.

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: Pizza

10/14/06

Hands Down, Best Pizza in Milwaukee!

by nathosp33 at Citysearch

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.

• Pros: Great food, period! Who cares about the rest.
• Cons: Can be the wait. Recommend going around the corner to their Bluemound location.

09/08/06

Best Italian Restaurant in Milwaukee

by germanalewench at Citysearch

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!!)

• Pros: Amazing food, fast and attentive service
• Cons: Parking can be a problem when its busy on weekends, but you wont have to walk much more than a block when its busy

06/24/06

Best Pizza in Milwaukee Area

by rwlade at Citysearch

I began my "pizza career" at the Caradaro Club in the third ward as a freshman at Marquette in 1953. When they went under I switched to Balistreri's which moved from 2nd place to first IMHO.

I now live in Florida, but go back to 68th and Wells every time I'm in town. The eggplant is fantastic as an appetizer and the pie (pepperoni [and cheese] only, please) is out of this world. If you want 20 toppings, I suggest you visit Gino's in Chicago. Keep the number of toppings down to keep the crust crunchy.

• Pros: Great food and service
• Cons: Long waits, crowded and usually noisy.

05/11/06

Soggy Pizza

by asdfman at Citysearch

If you get more than 4 toppings, request your pizza WITHOUT sauce; get olive oil instead...I know it sounds crazy, and the sauce is good, but the crust is crispier if you have a lot of toppings...

05/11/06

A Sicilian version of Chuck-E-Cheese Pizza

by memelander at Citysearch

I've been here 3-4 times and I like the red and white check board table cloth motiff and the service was friendly. The food is great if you have had you taste bud's shot off, surgically removed or otherwise wern't born with taste buds to begin with. They charge extra for (certain) "fresh" veggies on the pizza- meaning that its stright out of a can. The crust is thin alright but not crispy and the prices are to high for the product. I guess if you want the pricy nostalgia for Milwaukee's 1st pizza joint your in luck. If you want Italian food try another restaurant. It is ok for kids in that the blandness of the ingredients won't make them cry and you won't have to chase them through plastic ball pits either.

06/15/04

Hooked on their Pizza!

by rwals at Citysearch

I've been coming here for years, and the pizza has always been great! They have the best thin crust pizza in the metropolitan area. The flavor will bring you back time and again. We've come here to celebrate various occasions, even a wake for my Mom 17+ years ago, who enjoyed Balestreri's too when she was with us. Be sure to have some eggplant, it's succulent taste will bring you back for more.

• Pros: Great Food, Friendly Staff, Quaint Interior
• Cons: , Peak time waiting

06/15/04

Balistreri's

by unomonkeyboy at Citysearch

I've been going to Balistreri's since I was dating in high school which was 34 years ago and the food and atmosphere has not changed. I've introduced my children to Balistreri's over the years and now we have another generation going with my grandson. People travel big distances to enjoy Balistreri's and that's no tease - You don't even mind the wait at times - It's just part of the experience - You'll see... Outstanding!

• Pros: Excellent Food, Atmosphere, Inexpensive