Benny's Big Time Pizzeria

Benny’s is INCREDIBLE! Fresh and house made ingredients, carefully curated details, amazing service and ambience….and the gluten-free pizza is killer!! I’ve searched high and low for a decent gluten-free pizza crust, and Benny’s Detroit style outdoes them all by FAR. It’s just the best ever. We finished dinner with the flourless chocolate cake (torta caprese)! Benny’s is a must try- we were so impressed!!

I booked a reservation at Benny’s Big Time before even booking my flight to town—yes, it’s that good. This is the kind of place where we already knew our order before glancing at the menu: the Benny’s Caesar to start (a must), followed by the iconic vodka pasta and the Pineapple Express pizza—both consistently crave-worthy. A surprise highlight was the Friday night Lambrusco special, which paired perfectly with the meal and set a fun, laid-back tone. But what really made the night memorable was our server, Clara. Her genuine love for the restaurant, the food, and the people behind it was contagious—my friend and I were just about ready to apply! Benny’s delivers on flavor, warmth, and charm. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifteenth, it always feels like the right choice.

Great place for some of the best Pizza in the area. True story fish and chips on Friday are the best hidden meal in the area. Salads are🤌

This South Front Street pizzeria is a wow. Check the menu daily. If they run out of an ingredient they change up what they make. If they get something new...same. I recommend the pizza...pick one and work your way around. This place hops so get there early or prepare to wait.

We went to Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria today!! Don’t know what has taken us so long- I guess the location in town, but what a cute spot with delicious food!! The House Salad was AMAZING!! I split it with my husband, who is gluten free. I wish I had taken a picture. It was beautiful, colorful, and the dressing was light and delicious. Next time I will try the Caesar Salad for sure! It looked very unique on the menu. I enjoyed the Pineapple Express pizza. My boys loved the Margherita pizza and the Tony Pepperoni. My husband enjoyed the gluten free Carleone pizza but said the crust was a bit thick and heavy. We will definitely be back!

Better than any pizza in Denver. The crust and dough is amazing. Great texture and flavor. Can't recommend it enough. Ordered Tony pepperoni, meating of the minds, hi barbie, little greenie and margherita. Amazing pizza. Would totally visit again just for the pizza. Thank God I have family here and more reasons to visit than just pizza. Will be back 10/10

Benny's Big Time paid off for sure. Dined on a crowded Friday night with 8pm reservations. Seems like a celebration-type restaurant, with lots of large groups. Downside is the volume was really loud and hard to have a conversation. Chicken parm bites and salad to start. Dee-lish. All the pizza look amazing and we ordered two to share, along with the rigatoni. Everything was delicious and the service was top notch. It's a must visit place and we'll be back for sure.

Amazing! Everything about this place is awesome: drinks, decor, service and of course food. Their pizza is some of my favorite in town. They always have great deals and specials and very consistent with food quality.

Absolutely amazing! My husband and I were able to get a table at Benny's Big Time Pizzeria and I now understand why it's always booked. The service was great and the food was outstanding. I wish I could eat their house salad over and over. We split a large house salad and it came in a huge bowl that I thought there was no way we would finish, but we ate every bite. Then my rigatoni alla vodka came out and it was perfect. Everything was so fresh and I could not recommend it more. If you are looking for a delicious meal in a homey, inviting restaurant then try them out.

Saturday 1/18/25 around 330pm: Service varied from rude to cocky to gracious depending on who we were interacting with. Ambiance was not jazzy. It was boisterous in a bar room brawl type of way. Food was just okay. To start off, we were basically asked, "what we wanted" or "why were we there" by the "Hostess" when we arrived. Since there was not a line or any other customers waiting, she had no reason for not seating us, so seat us she did...in the very back corner of the restaurant at the galley pass thru. We were not only hit by staff as they passed by, we were often asked to move up closer into the corner when food was being served to other tables. We were also told by our waiter that the large tomato sauce can was the "tip jar" and we could just put cash in there whenever we were ready to leave. This was long before the food had even arrived. Overlooking the cold greeting, horrible seating arrangement and odd waiter behavior was our first mistake. ***water glass & plate were dirty~should've left*** Actually ordering food, waiting on it and then eating it was our second. Bright side of dining experience: We ordered 2 draft beers and thoroughly enjoyed them. Highly recommend giving Flying Machine Brewing Company Alta Mar Mexican Lagers a try but not necessarily from here. You can find them at Harris Teeter. We ordered Mushroom Bruschetta for our Starter and it was just okay. Barely warm bread and mushrooms were cold. Gorgonzola butter is the star here. You can easily make this compound butter at home. For our pizza, we played it safe with the Space Jam. Not sure why it's called that but crumbled meatball sounded like a good choice for meat topping. Pizza wasn't fully cooked, very pale bottom crust and barely browned edges. Note: Menu informs you that pizza takes at least 20 minutes to cook properly. Ours was out in about 10 minutes. Meatball had good flavor. I did not properly finish the pizza as I couldn't eat any of the undercooked "cornicione". No leopard pattern here. I had such high hopes for this experience and was seriously craving good pizza. I've been a fan of Viv's for a long time. I think they should've stuck with the Boiler Room vibe on this one. Save yourself the headache, this pizza is simply not worth the hype of Vivian Howard's name. It's closer akin to Ben's art. IYKYK Pizza is not true Neapolitan (Napoletana). There is only one pizzeria in North Carolina that is certified by the international organization AVPN and this ain't it, y'all. Also, for those that order this pizza 'To Go/Pickup/Delivery' and then give bad reviews, you should know better. Neapolitan~style pizza should be eaten immediately due to the thin crust. Otherwise center is a soggy mess & often sticks to cardboard.

Already one of my favorite restaurants in Wilmington. SCHEDULE a reservation. It gets busy quick and all for the good. The food, service, menu - all pretty amazing. An assortment of pastas, sauces, flavors, ingredients. As for their pizzas which include red and white sauce listings. The salad itself was impeccable. Large, could feed 3-4 people even. Tossed and dressed perfectly with all the best ingredients you want in a salad. The pizza was the main thing I had my eye on. Came out perfect - sauce, dough, pepperoni, and the chili were actually pretty spicy but still very edible. The service was great, very kind and attentive. Highly recommend, and guaranteed to visit again.

Always an enjoyable pizza when we go to Benny's big time pizza. A lot of items are on the menu, but we love it when we can find a woodfired pizza. My wife and I went for the pepperoni and banana peppers on the pizza. Can't say anything bad about this place. Service was fantastic and the place was very cozy and inviting.

Very impressed with the food this time. Ive been 3 times and this time was the best by far. We had the pork belly bites, super delish paired with some pickled onion. Love that! The house Caesar is way more that was is expected. Super tangy dressing on a fresh greens, Brussels and more. The fungi pizza was light and tasty. We paired it with a side of tomato sauce which really kicked it off! The rigatoni was okay. It felt a little undercooked. But good flavors. The inside is bustling and vibrant. The service was amazing! Not a huge fan of the cocktails I sample. All a little on the sweet side for me but other than that all and all it was a good experience!

Went back to Benny's to try lunch and everything was excellent. Our waitress was kind and the staff were very welcoming. They offer personal size pizzas at lunch time which is great! They had a wonderful musical playlist and a chill atmosphere.

Amazing experience all around! I highly recommend making reservations because the place was busy. We ordered a small Benny's Caesar salad and garlic knots for appetizers. The salad was the perfect amount for two people. Benny's puts Brussels sprouts in it. I am usually not a fan of that vegetable, but it tasted really good in the salad. It probably helped that some parts were fried. The garlic knots were also fried. Everything tastes better fried! For our entree, my husband and I shared the 2021 Space Jam pizza. Again, this was the perfect amount for two people. Their pizzas are Neapolitan style so the crust was lightly charred. Our server was super nice. We were in a party of six and sometimes people weren't the quickest ordering, but she was extremely patient. Seating was close together, but it didn't feel that anyone was intruding in my space and I couldn't hear any conversations from other people's tables. The bar area was really cool. Be prepared to parallel park because it is street parking.

So I moved to the area about 6 months ago and have tried several pizza spots and although I've had some very delicious pizza, I think this one is my very favorite so far it had amazingly delicious flavor lets be fair I didn't try the plain pizza I got the Talk'in shiitake white pizza and I truly can't wait to go get it again!!! The center of the pie was lacking a little in firmness but the rest and the crust was chef's kiss !!! I went in to pick it up and the hostess was very friendly and helped me right away ! The atmosphere was also really nice I think I will dine in next time they really have my vote I loved it so much !!!

What a find! We were in town for a couple days and in the mood for pizza at lunchtime. I saw Benny's mentioned on a few "must try" lists for NC and specifically, Wilmington. It was very close by to where we were so we decided to try it. It was about 2pm on Sunday, and Benny's opened at 1pm, so great timing. The only lunch hours they have are Saturday and Sunday, during the week they open at 5pm. It is on a street with street side parking but luckily we got a spot in front. It is a solid brick building with a very cool vibe. The inside is very lively. Not your typical pizzeria here, for sure. Loved it immediately. Good choices for different starters and pizzas. No trouble choosing a favorite. We started out with small salads. The small is enormous so glad I did that, and loaded with toppings. Love a salad with lots of ingredients in it. The pizza looked a little larger for me than I wanted so we decided to share one pizza. That's not to say a hungry guy or gal couldn't finish one. I just knew I didn't want a whole pizza so we picked one and shared. The pizza has a chewy crust with crispy edges on it and delicious sauce. We only tried the Big Cheese, but from looking around, I am looking forward to trying other pizzas here. It is one of their basic pizzas, about 12"-15" so you definitely could share, and they serve it on an empty sauce can. I love that! They had a couple desserts on the menu, which we did not try, so this review is limited to 2 small house salads and one pizza. If you are in the Wilmington area, near downtown, stop in to Benny's Big Time.

Benny's has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Wilmington. They have Neapolitan style pizzas with options for everyone from vegetarians to meat lovers to white or red pizzas. My personal favorite is the Big Cheese. While they are called a pizzeria, make sure to try out some other portions of the menu. Their take on chicken parm is outstanding and the pickled peppers they use are like crack. They also run some pretty great specials, such as margarita mondays with deals on Margaritas and Margarita pizzas. The ambiance is a bit higher than casual and makes a perfect place for a date. I am excited to keep trying out the rest of the menu!

Great pizza and salad, great service Sat at the bar and the bar tender was so helpful! Loved it!

This place provided one of the most fun meals I've had in a long time. My friends and I came to Wilmington for a long weekend in September and we heard from multiple locals that Benny's was an awesome place to go for a bigger group dinner. My thought was "a pizzeria?" Thank goodness we went ahead and came here. First, the space is super cool. It's really big, high ceilings, is well-lit without being weird, and you can feel it's a fun atmosphere just when you walk in. They had a great list of drinks - beers, cocktails, wine - so definitely something for everyone. I don't remember everything we ate because we shared a number of things but standouts I do remember are the Kevin McCalister pizza, the wings, and the meating of the minds pizza. This place is bomb and whenever I'm back in Wilmington I'll be coming here 100%.

Came on a Sat night around 6:30 and the place was already packed. Fortunately, we were able to get seated (4 of us) at the end of the bar. They have some local brew options that was a good start. We had the Meating of the Minds ($20), Pizzaiolo Special ($20) and the Flo ($18). All of us really enjoyed the pizza's....but we tended to like the red sauce pizza's more than the white sauce. Crusts were a little burnt....but it seemed to be inevitable to get the interior of the pizza cooked properly. Service from the team at the bar was good. We would come back again!

Had such a great experience last week, we came back for another Tuesday night. This time we chose the Meeting of the Minds and the Kevin McCallister. Loved the deep flavor of the meat paired with the bright red onions, but hands down we loved the rich ricotta, taleggio and hot honey combination of the Kevin McCallister. Simply a delicious white pizza. Stand out! We repeated that delicious Caesar salad with the Brussels Sprouts as well. We were seated at a two top table with our server Lauren, who was excellent, attentive and responsive. Happy this place was recommended to us during our stay in Wilmington.

Best pizza I have had in a long time. We had three types of pizza, cheesy bread and brussel sprouts plus dessert. All of the dishes were amazing. Service was exceptional, this was our first visit and she made us feel right at home like we were family. Atmosphere is casual and laid back with an open kitchen concept. Highly recommend!!

We were at the Wilmington Coffee Festival, we got over caffeinated but in the best way and a little hungry so we dicided to go Benny's Big Time Pizza to have a good time and we did. We chose 2 pizzas to share, one Margarita Pizza and one Pizza Carbonara size small. The crust was perfectly thin like "Pink Mama" in Paris and the quality of the other ingredients was exeptional. It lives up to Vivian Homard's name. The atmosphere was like the one you can find in New York at some Jazz Bars with their giant leather seats that were really confortable. To finish that's a place I recommend to any pizza lovers.

This is a great place to have a family dinner, date night, solo date night, friend get together... you name it, there's something for everyone. Good service. Pizza was yum!

Salad was large enough to share and the pizza was awesome!! Little noisy but overall good experience...

Looking for a trendy spot to enjoy with friends and family or to go on a date night? Benny's is the perfect place! The menu includes quite a few options for appetizers, three different pastas , & a list of red and white pizza. On Thursdays they have a special where you can get two pizzas and a salad for around $30 so that is what we chose. The pizza was cooked perfectly, with a great sauce to topping ratio. Usually, I am not a salad person but it was one of the best I've had out at a restaurant. Our waitress suggested the snickerdoodle cookies for dessert & we paired it with chocolate gelato which was very rich. Can't wait to visit Benny's again on a margarita Monday!

one word- DELICISH So so good, perfect, amazing, yummy in my tummy, authentic italian food. Absolutely impeccable. The margarita pizza was hot, fresh, and just amazing. The basil was crunchy and the sauce was perfect. Im not a fan of tomato chucks so this pizza not having it was a plus for me. 10/10 The STAR of the meal was the garlic knots. An absolute 10000/10. When you think of garlic knots, these are them. They are oily, garlicky, and loaded with parmesan. Just so perfect and amazing. I miss them. Service was great! It was very, very busy but we got seated within 15 minutes and our server came quick, took our order quick, and the food came out quick. The restaurant was so so cute. So vibey and a perfect place for date night. The authenticness was so much fun to eat in. Bennys, you are my valentine. Thank you infinity for those AMAZING knots. much love to you

They know how to make pizza margherita Not too much sauce . Just the right amount of cheese 800' oven Nice buzzy atmosphere and excellent service. They keep their red wines in the frig ??!!

For the price, it's good pizza. But honestly for the high price point, it's not 5 stars. I do have to give them credit where the credit is due, the drinks were phenomenal and the service was very commendable! We overall had a nice experience and would go back for a date night, but I honestly think I would be choosing to sit at the bar over the dining booths because it was loud enough to feel like a bar atmosphere. P.S. I wish every restaurant served pizza on massive leftover tomato cans like this place does.

Yes to pizza with hot honey (Kevin McCalister). Yes to garlic knots. Yes to the great service especially with a late reservation. Not quite sure about the olive oil cake (could have been a bit moister). Overall, great experience for this former New Yorker who grew up with superb pizza.

We had a wonderful evening with three generations of family. The roasted Brussels were a great kickoff. The pizzas were terrific as always and the gluten free offering was a hit. Lauren, our server was awesome, from her smile to her Harry Potter tattoo.

MARGARITA MONDAY IS AWESOME I went with my girlfriend and her grandma out to Benny's last Monday, and it was amazing! Her Ama liked the margarita ($5 on Mondays), and we shared the crispy Brussel sprouts and Brussel sprout Caesar salad to start. The Caesar at Benny's is a must! The tangy and zesty dressing combined with the crispy and slightly bitter sprouts is delicious! We also got two sizable Margherita pizzas for 10 bucks a pop (only on Monday). The meal was very filling and delicious. They have hot honey for your pizza if you like that too. Great service and nice decor, pretty loud inside.

Back again and it never disappoints. The Southern Fried Chicken Bites were delicious. We also had the rigatoni alla vodka with pancetta, comes with buratta. Very good! Since it was Margarita Monday we also got a Margherita pie and I got the strawberry margerita with sugar - awesome. Service was great.. Kelly was our server and was friendly and helpful.

I'd been on the hunt for somewhere new to try and decided to give Benny's a shot. I knew I wanted pizza, but I didn't want the same old same lackluster NY style pizza that so many places make. We made reservations based on other reviews but it wasn't terribly busy on the Sunday we went even with the vendor fair going on Nextdoor. The service was phenomenal! Everyone was friendly and our waitress was great. We got a Tony Pepperoni, a grandma style, and a white pizza as well as pull apart cheese bread. I've tried pizza all over the country and this was hands down my favorite and best pizza I've ever had anywhere I've been to. You can tell everything is fresh made to order with fresh ingredients. The building is very very nice inside and out and whoever controls the music has the greatest playlist I'ver ever heard in a restaurant. Benny's was everything we were all hoping for and then some!

We had the most perfect meal at Benny's this past weekend. We had Margherita Pizza and Tony Pepperoni Pizzas and both were delicious! (Tasted great as leftovers the next day too, BTW). Lots of drink choices...I had a basic Margarita and it was exactly the way I like it. We saved room for the Olive Oil cake and found it to be quite tasty. Our server Lauren was perfectly attentive and knowledgeable. We were seated in the back corner. You're in close quarters with other guests, but we didn't mind at all. We like the vibe here and can't wait to return. Parking is a bit tricky...we had to park on the street a block away. Loved that we could make a reservation...will definitely do that next time too.

AMAZING! My husband and I were searching for an Italian restaurant in Wilmington and we discovered Benny's. We ordered a house salad, garlic knots, spaghetti and meatballs and the rigatoni alla vodka. They are a pizzeria but their pasta is 10/10. The salad was so crispy and fresh. The garlic knots were different but in a good way! They are fried pizza dough with lots of butter and garlic. The pasta was the star of the show. It was absolutely delicious. Their marinara is the best I have ever had. Our server, Mia, was so sweet and helpful. You definitely need to come here if you are in the Wilmington area!!

I got a Margarita pizza for takeout, tasted like cardboard with pizza sauce and it was burnt so bad, I had to remove some of the charred crust

Can't say enough about one of our favorite restaurants. We always arrive early and snag a couple seats at the bar to enjoy a pizza or the fish and chips.

Great food! Great Atmosphere. Came all the way from New Bern. Authentic Restaurant! I'll be back!

It's really good both time we went there Some of the sides were burned but doesn't effect the taste Just a little expensive

Amazing pizza!!! We have been searching for a pizza like this for months!!!! Great service! Great ambiance! The pizza comes with that hint of bitter char only a wood burning oven can deliver. A must try!! Great job guys!!

One night I was just craving Benny's pizza so I ordered takeout from them. It's so easy to order with them, and they are pretty accurate for the time to come pick it up. There are some parking spots in the little parking lot on the side of the building specifically for Benny's pick up so you don't have to massively stress about parking (that area is hard to find a spot!). We ordered Mozz tots, the Green Monster, Casarecce alla vodka, and a torta. Everything was absolutely delicious and still warm by the time I got home.

Food is so so; expensive ! I won't return. Best of luck to them where other places are great!

Great pizza and service, first time there, and will be back soon, really enjoyed my time there.

Bruh. First, I'm a sucker for old world pepperonis. This place was recommended to me as a delicious pizzeria to get on doordash. I had a busy night at home, and when I tell you this pizza was EXACTLY what I needed, it was perfect. I, of course, ordered on doordash so I can't speak much to the ambiance or service, but the Tony Pepperoni pizza was SO good, and it will definitely be my go-to doordash pizza order. HIGHLY recommend.

Meeting of minds/// get the foody award Explosions of flavor best on wed wine night

I reviewed this restaurant in the past with a higher rating. Not this time. Their pizza is as close as you are going to get to a NY crispy crusted pizza. Service was top notch by Nathan. Ambiance is noisy, so you will struggle to hear your group conversation. This rating is based on two things; cocktails and cost. I had the "Gin and Basil Smash" cocktail. It came in a whiskey sour glass and an extra large ice cube. The cube took up 40% of the glass volume. The Gin was non-existent. My friend's gin martini was watered down. The real shocker was the price for a glass of wine, $18.00!! Beware: A glass of their red Italian blend is going to cost almost a much as one of their pizzas. Two glasses and we were out $36.00. Three glasses between the two of us, $54.00!! Should have bought a bottle or drank beer. Our total tab for pizza, a small house salad, and drinks was $120.00! Just saying; a pizza and salad dinner.

I highly recommend a visit to Benny's. The name doesn't really fit the vibe. Sounds like Chucky Cheese to me but couldn't be further from that. Beautiful spot, lively crowd and delicious food. Not my fav pizza style but it's very good. We had a great Caesar salad. Very non traditional but definitely delicious. Tried a Cuban sandwich inspired pizza, El Jefe. And The Big Cheese. Clara, our server was an absolute delight and brought us an on the house dessert. So sweet. I'll be back there again soon

We had to wait to be seated 30 mins or so, but the food was great, the service was amazing. The wife recognized Benny as she is a big fan of Vivian Howard's TV Shows, and Vivian refers to him as the Farmer and the wife addressed him that way (Hope he didn't take offense, it bothered the wife the rest of the night, I told her if it bothered him, he wouldn't have taken a Picture with you! lol) in the words of the immortal Monty Python "Get on with it". We Ordered the Mushroom Pizza, so Flavorful perfectly cooked, we sat at the the little end place next to the bar and the Bartenders were amazing, and attentive. This will be our new Pizza place, for the foreseeable future!

A great find on the "other" side of town. We were a party of 8 after a show at Thalian Hall. Had a 5p reservation and they were ready for us. Great service and everyone enjoyed the unique pizzas and especially the brussel sprouts appetizers! Within the hour the place was packed and folks doing carry out orders kept a steady flow. This is truly a Wilmington experience.

Best pizza we've had in the area. Great ambience and service. Will definitely be our "go to" pizza place.

This is no pizzeria. This is a gourmet pizza restaurant that serves legit cocktails. It was slammed when we tried to visit without a reservation but the very good host found us three seats at the bar, which was great because we got to see the two bartenders work their magic. We ordered 3 cocktails and 2 pizzas, but actually got 3 pizzas because the bartender put in the wrong pizza. We told him it was fine and we would be happy to eat the pizza we mistakenly got. It was very good, too. But he insisted that we get the pizza we did order and had it boxed up to go. Great pizza, great cocktails, great service. It's not Pizza Hut prices, but if you can afford it, it's worth it.

Food was great! Atmosphere was great! Our waitress was very friendly and impressive with remembering everyone's order and we had three different tickets, she remembered everyone's and handed us all the right receipts. I wish I remembered her name but if it helps, we were there on 5/5 at 5 we were a party of 6. She was amazing!!!

Had 3 coffee beans in my espresso martini just as I like it. Pepperoni/sausage pizza was perfect IRONMAN 70.3 recovery food!

The vibe of the restaurant was very nice. It was inviting not too loud and chill. Our waiter was great. He had an easy going personality, was knowledgeable and helpful. The menu had a lot of interesting options but we decided to have the wings with hot honey bbq sauce. The wings were cooked nicely, however the flavor wasn't as strong as I'd like. But overall they were good. Their ranch dressing was very unique and flavorful. I have literally never tasted anything like it. We also decided to go with the hot honey chicken sandwich and fries. The sandwich and fries were great. The sandwich was juicy with a nice crunch and the fries were definitely made in house and weren't over seasoned. Lastly we had the "El Jefe" pizza, the pizza was delicious and all the flavors came together perfectly. The crust was nice and crunchy, and the pizza wasn't overloaded with sauce and cheese. I will definitely be returning in the near future. The price of their items were reasonable in my opinion. Highly recommend trying this place.

Excellent service, excellent pizza. This is my new favorite pizza place. The Benny's Caesar is delicious too. Hailey gave us amazing service and was so helpful with suggestions. Love it here and that's why I'm back today.