antico pizza

calling antico the best pizza i’ve ever had is dubious, but it’s certainly the best i’ve had in atlanta.

over the last two years, antico has been named the “best pizza” in atlanta. that doesn’t even begin to do it justice. in september of 2010, at the international pizza awards (festa del pizza) in naples, antico was named as the best us pizza in the contest. that’s getting close to how good it is.

the secret's been out for some time about the west side's antico pizza. nonetheless, it has taken a few months for lindsey and me to get over there and see how antico compares to other top players on atlanta's pizza scene, such as varasano's and fritti .

good but didn't live up to the hype. i ordered the diavola which came with spicy sopressata, pepperonata, and bufala. it was very enjoyable. having authentic italian pizza is a real treat and i would suggest it to anyone who hasn’t tried it yet.

so what did i like about the pizza? in a country where the majority of pizza contains jarred sauce, processed cheese, and frozen meats, having a made from scratch pizza with all fresh ingredients really makes a difference in taste. anyone can tell the difference between low quality products that aren’t fresh and the stuff that antico uses. the taste surpasses any pizza you have had in the past and promises to be a unique experience.

what did i not like? after everything i heard about this place, i was expecting the pizza to be carried out on a golden pedestal with angels singing. however, this was not the case. what happened was that there was a line out the door and a full restaurant so the workers were slapping the pizza together. as soon as it came out of the oven they slammed it into a box, the lady half way cuts in a terrible fashion, and between all the chaos my pizza didn’t cook evenly. the dough was burnt on one side and the other was about perfect. once i had my hastily put together pizza, it was shoved in my hands and i was shoved out the door soon thereafter. when i did dig into it the peppers were scrunched on one side, the bufala was spotty at best with a few bites being completely without it, and combined with a few burned bites of dough, it was just not the perfectly crafted pizza i had heard it was.

amazing!! the environment, the food, the drinks, the whole thing was very memorable! i ordered the diavola pizza which had perfect crust and was very spicy, the ingredients were so fresh and delicious. the cheese melted perfectly over everything. the ovens and the entire kitchen are in plain site from your seat. the layout of the joint was so different and interesting. you can bring your own wine but i ended up drinking an aranciata san pellegrino soda, so authentic. it was just a wonderful experience and meal, everyone must go!

what?! u kidding?!. i really don't understand what all the fuss is about concerning this place. the owner and staff don't know what they're doing...they can't even communicate because the staff is italian and the owner is american and doesn't speak italian (those he makes a ridiculous attempt, just to please the crowd - if there happen to be journalists present).several of the staff are rude, the music is atrociously loud, and the owner has a ridiculously huge ego that just won't quit. he thinks he's all-that and always prefaces any talk about his restaurant with "my multi-million dollar business". almost as if he needs to reassure himself that his place is worth the hype (it isn't). plus, his son is always there (isn't that against the law?) and makes customers crazy. you can see on people's faces that they came for a pizza, and don't want the included entertainment by an 8-year who has a penchant for guns and bombs. oh, and i'm not really sure how this guy got his pizza-making certificate. watching him work the pies is like watching mickey mouse make pizza.

antico's is one of the most talked about pizzerias in atlanta.

best enjoyed in the privacy of one's own home.. i had been looking forward to sampling this very special pizza since a friend told me about it. he was correct, it is probably the best pizza in the city. so much so that once tasted, every other pie will be anticlimactic and seem prefab. it will be a real struggle to have to back to eating any other pizza. this is the real deal and better or just as good as all of the hype surrounding it. that's the good news.

the bad news isn't so bad really, since the pizza is the most important part of the story. once ordered, get the pizza, put plenty of fresh chopped garlic and grated parmesan cheese on it, carry it out and enjoy it in the quiet comfort of you own home. the dining experience at antico pizza is a memorable one, for all of the wrong reasons.

table space is very limited and will undoubtedly be family style. you will be sitting in the kitchen and it will be uncomfortably hot and cramped. the combination of the room acoustics, blaring italian music and the multitude of voices, make the atmosphere absolutely unbearable. also be aware that there is a sink located near the front room dining table, were most customers go to wash their hands as well as to fill up their cups with drinking water. i do not know how this gets by the health inspector. the lone restroom isn't even marked so it is a bit tricky to find the first time.

service is less than polished. when i ordered two waters with my margarita pizza they charged me for bottled water that i did not request. i then received someone else's pizza and i mentioned this to the order person. by the time the one that we ordered arrived, they tried to assure us it was the same as the wrong one we were given. it was not. our correct pizza was noticeably larger and of course, fresh and hot out of the oven. they ended up making a new one for us.

i have no problem paying close to $18.00 for six, thin slices of pizza when considering the superior quality of the product. what i will not do is have my digestive tract jostled during the eating process by noise levels approaching that of a 747 during takeoff.

best pizza i have ever had plain and simple.

quality ingredients served in a rustic cafeteria like atmosphere.

would instantly come back.

ate here earlier in the day before it got packed and it was amazing. i got the diavola pizza which is so so so delicious. it's the right amount of spicy, and one pizza is enough for two people. best pizza i've had hands down

i didn’t have pizza this good all over italy! simple place simple menu, and pizza cooked to perfection. grab a diavalo and a bottle of red wine a sit down at a community table and watch the kitchen. don’t forget to grab a gelato across the street.

had the chance of eating at this little gem while visiting atlanta for some baseball games.  we visited the battery location which was just perfect!  we sat at the outside bar area because the weather was so perfect that day!  food and service was excellent!  we shared the napoletana pizza which was amazing!  we had never had broccoli on pizza before and it is definitely something that will be revisited because it was delicious!  great atmosphere also and we will definitely be back!

probably the best i have had in my life! casual ambiance with a short and crisp menu. love the huge brick oven in the center. i ordered the margherita with some pepperoni on top. hand stretched fresh dough , especially imported from italy, and then topped with the tomato sauce, basil leaves, garlic, pepperoni and mozzarella. loved the simple flavors and the texture of the base crisp from the outside and then nice and soft at the center was pretty amazing! when in atlanta this place is a must must try!

great pizza, not much else to say. communal style sitting and packed to the gills with people but the pizza is legit and as authentic as i believe pizza could be.

service was amazing quite the place where you can sit next to people and carry on a conversation pizza was absolutely perfect crispy yet chewy crust toppings or extremely good the value is phenomenal truly a 5