Are you searching for the best Italian restaurants near me? Here at Mario’s Pizza, we bring an authentic taste of Italy to the North Carolina Triad. Bring your family into any of our locations in Winston-Salem, High Point, Greensboro, or Clemmons to learn more about this delicious cuisine.

What is Authentic Italian Cuisine?

Like most cuisines in the United States, Italian food came to this country as people immigrated from Italy in the 1800s. This cuisine became more mainstream throughout North American in the 1920s, especially in east coast locations such as Brooklyn which our family called home until the 1980s when we came to North Carolina. We use family recipes originally from Calabria, Italy, so you’re getting a real taste of Italian cuisine.

First off: pizza. We serve New York-style pizza that comes in 10″, 15″, 17″, 19″, and giant 24″ party size. As is traditional, our pizzas have a thin crust for the perfect foldable slice. We top it with our family’s tomato sauce and, of course, a generous layer of cheese.

Pasta is another staple in Italy. In fact, the national dish is spaghetti bolognese. Here at Mario’s, we offer a number of popular pasta dishes. Here are our top four favorites:

1. Baked Ziti
2. Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
3. Baked Ricotta Cheese Ravioli
4. Eggplant/Chicken Parmesan

Traditionally, authentic Italian cuisine does not include much meat, especially because dinner tends to be served later than we’re used to here in the US, as late as 10 PM. Instead, it heavily favors veggies and herbs for a slightly lighter meal. However, as Italian cuisine fused with American cuisine during the 20th century, diners started to see more meat on the menu. Today, one of our favorite dishes is our homemade meat lasagna. It’s the perfect combination of fresh tomato sauce, pasta, cheese, and meat.

Eat Like an Italian with Your Whole Family at Mario’s

If you’re looking for an Italian dining experience, bring your entire family to Mario’s. At its heart, Italian food is all about family. Mario’s is owned and operated by three brothers, and we love providing a tasty, casual dining experience for all ages, as well as at our sister restaurant, Tony’s Pizza, which has locations in Mooresville, Charlotte, Hickory, and Huntersville.

We believe good food doesn’t have to be fussy. We cater to families and even have several super affordable kids’ meal options, available every day, including:

• meatball sub with fries
• ham and cheese sub with fries
• cheese or pepperoni slices of our New York-style pizza
• pasta (spaghetti or ziti with your choice of sauce and optional meatballs)
• stuffed cheese ravioli with marinara or butter sauce
• chicken tenders (grilled or crispy) with fries

Our kids’ meals also include a drink in a reusable cup, which you can take home to use over and over again.

Delicious Italian Desserts at the Best Italian Restaurants Near Me

We love a sweet treat at the end of any meal. Our family recipes feature traditional ingredients to create classic desserts. Here’s what you’ll find at all Mario’s locations to satisfy your sweet tooth:

• Tiramisu – This dish is a coffee-lover’s dream. It has layers of coffee-dipped ladyfingers and thick mascarpone-based cream, with a dusting of cocoa on top.
• Cannoli – We start with a fried pastry tube, and when it is perfectly crispy we fill it with sweet cream. Our cannoli dessert also features chocolate chips and is topped with powdered sugar.
• Limoncello Mascarpone Cake – For this dessert, we use layers of Sicilian lemon sponge cake and mascarpone cream. It is reminiscent of limoncello, which is a lemon liqueur common in southern Italy. You can enjoy our white chocolate-topped cake without worrying about a hangover!

Additionally, we have a New York cheesecake on the menu. We can’t forget our Brooklyn roots!

You Can’t Have the Best Italian Restaurants Near Me without Pizza

While we do offer a wide variety of authentic Italian dishes, it wouldn’t be an Italian restaurant without the pizza. You can order a pie with your favorite toppings, or choose from our specialty options:

• 5 Boroughs – Our meat lover’s option, complete with the five pizza boroughs: bacon, beef, sausage, ham, and pepperoni
• Pizza Bianco – A simple white pizza with ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and lots of fresh garlic
• The Worx – This is our “everything” pizza, which is topped with pepperoni, sausage, beef, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, bell peppers, and black olives
• The Greenhouse – Our veggie lover’s pizza has tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, black olives, spinach, and mushrooms

You can also simply choose your own toppings to create a custom pie. We offer a huge range of options (everything you’d expect to find at a pizzeria near me from pepperoni to pineapple). Additionally, you can choose our premium toppings, which include:

• Premium meats: grilled or crispy chicken and steak
• Feta cheese
• Artichoke hearts
• Broccoli
• Anchovies
• Kalamata olives
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Roasted red peppers

You can even get your toppings on just half of the pie. So, if your family just can’t agree, you can get mushrooms and anchovies on one side and spinach, bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes on the other side. You and your family can enjoy creating new combinations to find that perfect family-favorite order.

FAQs about Italian Food at Mario’s

You can call us any time if you have questions about our menu. One of the things that makes us the best Italian restaurants near me is our customer service. We love our customers! Here are a few frequently asked questions we hear to get you started:

Do you offer any specials?

Yes! We have daily meal specials. In addition, we offer a lunch special; get a pepperoni or cheese slice, along with a side and drink for one low price. Our lunch special is available until 4 PM daily.

Is there a loyalty program?

You can get a free slice of pizza just for signing up for our rewards program. You’ll also earn points on every order, which allows you to earn discounts on future orders. You can sign up here for iPhones or here for Androids or simply ask our wait staff to help you sign up the next time you dine at our restaurant. We hope to see you soon!