The Piedmont Triad area is a mecca for ethnic restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for Chinese, Greek, Mexican, Indian, or Italian, you’ll find an eatery serving up your favorites. Italian food is popular for its simplicity, affordability, and taste. When searching for authentic Italian food Greensboro NC offers, stop by Mario’s Pizza.

A Brief History Of Italian Cuisine In America

In the late 1800s to early 1900s, many Italians left their country to resettle in America. Some 4 million immigrants arrived, taking up residence in New York City and other urban areas. While they brought family recipes with them, many of the ingredients weren’t available in their new home. Thus, they created new dishes using ingredients on hand.

At first, only the Italians enjoyed these new recipes. However, that changed after WWII. While fighting in Europe, returning soldiers had grown fond of pasta and other Italian food. To meet the new demand, immigrants began opening restaurants serving Americanized dishes using Italian family recipes.

Top Italian/American Foods

Some of the best Italian food Greensboro NC offers are also the same Italian foods we love here in America. Although, they have transformed a bit from the original. Most of the time, this was due to the availability of ingredients. Below, you’ll find our top 5 Italian/American foods.

1. Pizza

Legend credits an Italian immigrant living in Manhattan in 1905 with opening the first pizzeria in America. Back then, pizza provided an affordable and portable meal for the urban population. Today, it’s an all-time favorite with Americans consuming an average of 40 pizzas per year. Although you’ll find many versions across America, the NY style pizza is the most popular.

2. Lasagna

Lasagna first appeared in Naples during the Middle Ages. As it spread throughout Italy, each region developed a different version. In those days, this dish took many hours, sometimes days to prepare. In Italy, families saved this dish for special occasions because of the time commitment and the expense of meat.

Upon arriving in America, immigrants discovered meat was plentiful and cheap. Moreover, as lasagna became more popular, American cooks simplified the dish. For example, instead of using fresh pasta, cooks used dried versions.

3. Baked Ziti

Another popular dish, pasta al forno, has roots tracing back to the Renaissance. Nobles enjoyed this ancestor to America’s baked ziti at special ceremonies and celebrations. The Italian version could contain meatballs, scrambled eggs, bechamel sauce, or vegetables depending on the area. Most Americanized versions usually use just pasta, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

4. Ravioli

Italians have been cooking up this stuffed pasta since the 16th century. At that time, families simmered ravioli in a broth. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that Italians began cultivating and using tomatoes in recipes.

Then, in the 1950s, the ravioli underwent a transformation. Although historians disagree on the inventor, one chef began serving toasted ravioli. Smothered in tomato sauce or toasted, don’t forget to enjoy a plateful on National Ravioli Day, March 20th.

5. Parmigiana

The earliest form of parmigiana used vegetables layered in a casserole. Although there is a reference to zucchini, the main ingredient was usually eggplant. Native to India and China, traveling Arabs introduced eggplant to the Italians in the 15^th century.

When Italians arrived in America, eggplant wasn’t widely available. Many Americans were suspicious of this vegetable because it is a member of the nightshade family. Plants belonging to this family contain compounds that can be poisonous in high concentrations. However, proteins like chicken were widely available and inexpensive. Thus, cooks began cooking up versions of chicken parmigiana.

FAQs About Finding the Best Italian Food Greensboro NC Offers

When searching for Piedmont Triad restaurants, how do you find the best Italian food Greensboro NC has to offer? Of course, we are a bit biased about our food at Mario’s Pizza. If you haven’t tried our food, you’re missing out on some delicious cuisine! Below, we answer a few of our most frequently asked questions.

Which Italian Dishes Do You Serve?

While we are known for our NY style pizza, we also serve strombolis and calzones. Our entrees include pasta dishes like baked ziti and ravioli, lasagna, and spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce. We also serve both chicken and eggplant parmigiana.

You’ll also find both hot and cold submarine sandwiches. For a lighter meal, you can choose from one of several salads. Plus, we have over a dozen appetizers including toasted ravioli. Finally, you can finish off your meal by indulging in one of our delicious Italian desserts.

Where Can I Find Mario’s Pizza?

You’ll find our restaurants at the following locations:

• 5824 Samet Drive, High Point
• 2645 North Main Street, High Point
• 1066 Hanes Mall Boulevard, Winston-Salem
• 2205 Cloverdale Avenue, Winston-Salem
• 266 Harvey Street, Winston-Salem
• 1469 River Ridge Dr. Clemmons
• 4215 Wendover Avenue, Greensboro
• 1575 New Garden Road, Greensboro
• 3354 W. Friendly Ave Suite 412 Greensboro (Friendly Center)

Thus, we’re not far if you live in one of Greensboro’s surrounding communities:

• Lindley Park
• Colfax
• Oak Ridge
• Pleasant Garden
• Summerfield
• Browns Summit
• McLeansville

Does Mario’s Pizza Serve The Best Italian Food Greensboro NC Offers?

Many of our customers seem to think so and we believe you will too. Our customers love our NY style pizza and extra-large slices. Furthermore, our patrons praise our other menu items for their fresh taste and deliciousness.

Plus, Mario’s Pizza has a generous loyalty program. It’s free to join and you earn points every time you eat at any of our locations. Moreover, we’ll give you a slice of our tasty pizza just for joining. You can become a member by downloading our app or asking a team member the next time you visit.

In north-central North Carolina lies the beautiful city of Greensboro. In the early years, Greensboro existed as a village. As time passed, the city grew to the third-largest city in North Carolina. Today, the city boasts plenty to do from hiking to shopping. Of course, you’ll be looking for a great place to dine after your excursion. Discover the Friendly Center food option everyone is talking about, Mario’s Pizza.

Food at Friendly Center Mario’s Pizza

Some of our options include:

• Pizza by the slice
• NY-style pizza
• Gluten-free pizza
• Cauliflower crust pizza
• Stromboli
• Calzone
• Subs
• Salads
• Spaghetti
• Cheese Ravioli
• Meat Lasagna
• Baked Ziti
• Chicken Parmigiana
• Eggplant Parmigiana
• Numerous Appetizers
• Cannoli
• Limoncello Mascarpone Cake
• Cheesecake
• Tiramisu

Mario’s Pizza’s kid’s menu includes:

• Cheese pizza slice
• Pepperoni pizza slice
• 4-piece chicken tenders (served with fries)
• Meatball sub (served with fries)
• Spaghetti
• 3-piece cheese sticks
• Ham & cheese sub (served with fries)
• 4-piece ravioli

Now that you’ve seen our great menu for all ages and tastes, let’s check out some fun stuff to do in Greensboro!

Fun Things To Do In Greensboro

From a textile mill town to a vibrant sports and cultural metropolis, Greensboro is one of America’s most diverse cities. Whether you’re looking for excitement or connecting with nature, the city has both modern-day attractions and historic sites. Below we list a few great things to do.

1. Tours

If you’re a resident, you know the story of Nathaniel Greene and the battle with Cornwallis’s army in 1781. You can visit the site of the battle where the armies met at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Other local historical sites include Blandwood, International Civil Rights Center & Museum, and the Greensboro History Museum.

Maybe you’d prefer tours covering other cultural aspects of Greensboro. Do you know the stories of ghosts who haunt several buildings in the city? Or perhaps you’d prefer a taste tour with visits to the city’s best restaurants and food shops.

2. Museums

Spending time at a museum offers people a fun way to learn. Museums can also inspire and help us connect with others. Aside from history exhibits, Greensboro has many museums offering a wide variety of interests. Some of the more popular destinations include the Science Center, Children’s Museum, Weatherspoon Art Museum, and the Richard Petty Museum.

3. Gardens

Greensboro’s gardens offer a place to relax, enjoy nature, or take photos. With special plantings, display gardens, and sculptures, you can connect with nature to reduce stress and improve your mood. Sometimes, you’ll stumble across a wedding party since these are popular sites for photo shoots. Best of all, admission is free to these gardens:

• Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden
• Greensboro Arboretum
• Bog Garden at Benjamin Park
• Gateway Gardens

4. Shopping

Many people love to shop whether they’re buying for themselves or another person. Greensboro boasts some great stores to find everything you need from new to antique. One of the most popular shopping destinations is Friendly Center.

An outdoor shopping mall, Friendly Center has over 150 unique stores. For example, if you’re looking for unique women’s clothing, stop in Anthropologie. This store is a unique, full-lifestyle shopping destination carrying a large assortment of accessories, clothing, and home decor.

Afterward, visit a sweet shop for a sugary treat. For over 100 years, See’s Candies have been making and selling a variety of chocolates, lollipops, and brittle.

What about perfume? Scent Workshop is a studio where you can attend workshops to learn how to create custom candles, lotions, and perfumes. You can create a personal, signature smell that tells your story.

Of course, this is only a very small sampling of all the shops you can find at Friendly Center. You can view the complete listing of stores in the mall’s directory.

5. Dining

After spending a day out and about, who wants to go home and cook? However, if you’ve been out on a family excursion, eating out can really add up. Unless, you stop by Mario’s Pizza. To help your budget stretch further, we offer lunch and dinner specials as well as daily deals. Plus, we also have a kids’ menu with options at $5 or less.

FAQs About Finding Great Friendly Center Food

Mario’s Pizza is the newest Friendly Center food option. If you’ve never dined at our restaurant, you probably have some questions. Below, we’ve answered a few commonly asked ones.

What’s On The Menu?

As you see from above, we have an extensive menu that includes authentic Italian dishes like baked ziti, parmigiana, spaghetti, and lasagna. Plus, we serve NY style pizza as well as several specialty pies like our vegetable and meat lovers. In the mood for a calzone or stromboli? You’ll find those on our menu as well.

In addition, we have a dozen appetizers including wings, garlic knots, and toasted ravioli. Moreover, we have a brand-new wing flavor, dry rub buffalo lemon pepper. However, it’s only available at our Friendly Center location.

Of course, we didn’t forget about dessert. We serve tiramisu, cannoli, cheesecake, and limoncello mascarpone cake.

Where Are Mario’s Pizza Restaurant Locations?

Our Mario’s Pizza Friendly Center location is near Harris Teeter, next to Midtown Olive Oil. Plus, we have several other restaurant locations throughout the Piedmont Triad area:

• 1469 River Ridge Drive, Clemmons
• 2205 Cloverdale Avenue, Winston Salem
• 1066 Hanes Mall Boulevard, Winston Salem
• 266 Harvey Street, Winston Salem
• 2645 North Main Street, High Point
• 5824 Samet Drive, High Point
• 4215 Wendover Avenue, Greensboro
• 1575 New Garden Road, Greensboro

What Are Your Hours?

Our restaurants are conveniently open Monday through Thursday from 11 AM until 9 PM. On Friday and Saturday, we’re open from 11 AM to 9:30 PM. We’re also open Sundays from 12 PM until 8 PM.

Do You Have A Loyalty Program?

We love to reward our loyal customers with free food, cashback, and special offers. Plus, we send you a treat for your birthday and give you a slice of pizza just for signing up. Simply download our app or let your server know the next time you order.

Are you ready to dine at Mario’s Pizza Friendly Center food location? We’re ready to meet you!

Whether simple or exotic, every culture has its version of the sandwich. Savory, hot or cold, big or small, the sandwich is a universal comfort food. So, when you have a yearning for the best Italian sub near me, where do you go?

Searching For The Best Italian Sub Near Me?

While there isn’t a standard type of Italian sub, there are certain guidelines to create the perfect sandwich. To begin with, your choice of bread must hold moist fillings without getting soggy. With a thin crust and fluffy interior, Italian bread is the perfect way to begin building your sub.

Next, let’s talk about the fillings. Many people argue over what constitutes the best ingredients. Ultimately, you want to choose cured meats, cheese, and vegetables that give you a full range of flavor and texture. Of course, you need to top it off with oil and vinegar.

Here at Mario’s, we make our Italian sub sandwiches with delicious bread and the freshest ingredients. Layers of ham, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and banana peppers sit atop our 8 or 12-inch loaves. Finally, we slather on mayo and drizzle oil and vinegar over everything. There’s no doubt about it when you’re searching for the best Italian sub near me! We have it at Mario’s Pizza.

Other Delicious Subs On The Menu

What if you want a hot sub? Or vegetarian? Don’t worry! Mario’s Pizza has you covered. We serve many different kinds of sub sandwiches to satisfy your taste.

You can choose one of our classic subs, steak, grilled chicken, or chick-o-filly. Plus, we can prepare these sub sandwiches 2 different ways, Mario’s or Philly style. Mario’s Way has cheese, banana peppers, onions, mayo, lettuce, tomato, oil, and vinegar. Or, pick Philly style with cheese, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions.

Perhaps, you’re in the mood for a parmigiana sub? We’ve got eggplant, chicken, and meatball subs smothered in our famous Marinara sauce and melted mozzarella.

Of course, choose our vegetarian sandwich if you’d rather skip the meat. It’s loaded with peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, and mozzarella.

Top 5 Reasons To Visit Mario’s Pizza

With so many pizzerias in town, why should you choose Mario’s? We’ve put together a list explaining how we stand out from other Italian restaurants.

1. Great Tasting NY Style Pizza

Outside of “the Big Apple”, it’s very difficult to find authentic NY style Pizza. Unless of course, you have some Italian brothers from Brooklyn. Brothers Vinny, Tony, and Mario relocated to North Carolina in 1981. Since then, the brothers have been serving up delicious slices to patrons all across the state.

2. Convenient Locations

We’ve located Mario’s Pizza throughout the Piedmont Triad area to make ordering convenient. Our locations include restaurants in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, and Clemmons. Plus, we’ve just opened a new eatery at Friendly Center.

Moreover, we serve the same great food at our sister store, Tony’s pizza. You’ll find these restaurants in Charlotte, Hickory, Huntersville, and Mooresville.

3. Online Ordering and Home Delivery

Who doesn’t love the convenience of online ordering and home delivery? Simply visit our website and pick your location. Place your order and we’ll have it hot and ready when you come to pick it up. Or, choose delivery and one of our transportation partners will bring your meal to your home.

4. Lots of Menu Choices

In addition to delicious subs and pizza, we also serve several freshly made salads and authentic Italian entrees. Plus, we have over a dozen appetizers to begin your meal. And to finish it off, choose one of our sweet desserts. Additionally, we have a kids’ menu with smaller-sized portions and a price you’ll love.

5. Loyalty Program

As a family restaurant, we want to help you make dining out affordable. That’s why we offer you a fabulous rewards program that’s free to join. Simply download our app or ask your server to sign you up next time you order.

Then, start earning great rewards for doing what you love, eating our delicious Italian food. Plus, we offer double point days, games with special prizes, and rewards for social sharing.

FAQs About Mario’s Pizza

If you’re not familiar with our restaurant, you probably have some questions. Below, we answer some of our most commonly asked ones.

Do You Offer Catering?

Planning an event? Sub sandwiches are easily portable allowing your guests to grab and mingle. Plus, they don’t have to mess with forks or knives. Whatever the size of the crowd, you’ll find the best Italian sub near me at Mario’s.

Moreover, you can combine subs with our delicious NY style pizza, appetizers, or trays of our traditional Italian food. We do ask that you contact your nearest Mario’s at least 72 hours before your event. This way we’ll have your food ready when you need it.

Can You Make Gluten Free Pizza?

We offer 2 types of gluten free crusts. First, we can make a rice flour crust that’s similar to a traditional pie. Additionally, we can bake a tasty cauliflower crust. Plus, many of our toppings are gluten free. Just ask your server for help when you place your order.

However, we realize that some people can react strongly to even a tiny amount of gluten. While we take precautions against cross-contamination, we make all our food in the same kitchen.

Where Can I Find Out About Special Offers?

Typically, we do offer daily specials and we list these on our website. However, we also love giveaways like free pizzas. These we announce on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Follow Mario’s Pizza on these social media channels so you never miss a deal!