Dino’s Pizza

So, I’m mixed here. Food was amazing. I felt everything was delicious and I found myself eyeing other dishes as they got walked around. It’s also great that they have the outside space and live music! The decoration and atmosphere was perfection. But, it also took an hour to get our salads and another 40 minutes after that to get our first pizza… the kitchen is a little small for the capacity of the space and they also take online orders which apparently are prioritized over seated guests. That results in the longer wait times during those peak hours so be warned. You’d be better served ordering online, picking it up, and eating on the lawn.

The wait time was just under two hours for a 3 top. I was surprised to see that they had a paper wait list instead of a more modern system. The food was pretty good. We got two pizzas. The red was the sausage pizza and the white was the arugula and prosciutto. The base for the white was a little too light for my preference, but the red was very good. We also got an order of mozzarella sticks which were cooked perfectly, but they are more like mozzarella slabs than sticks and made sharing a little awkward. I was surprised they didn’t have an option for the sticks like they do you for the garlic knots. We did put an order of garlic knots in but we never received them and then we were told that they had run out at the very end of the meal. The barbera wine is very good and pairs well with the pizza. The atmosphere is classic pizza spot and does hit some nostalgic feelings. In all, I don’t think the food is worth a 2 hour wait, but it is solidly in the upper tier of pizza in the area.

Great spot. Pizza is outstanding. Wings are perfect. Salads are great. Really this is about as good as a pizza place gets. Didn’t try pasta but from what I saw it certainly passed the look test. Atmosphere feels like an upscale old Pizza Hut in a way. Very nice. Very friendly service.

I went for lunch and they currently are having an amazing lunch special where you get a half of a pizza along with a side salad and a drink for $10. Now the pizza has no real toppings on it. So it does go up when you add the toppings, but still a very good deal for the quality and quantity of food you get! The pizza was delicious! Lots of pepperoni. Great flavor and texture. I wish they had banana peppers as a topping. They serve Coke products and tea and they also have a bar. The side salad was very fresh, but I wish they carried thousand Island dressing. The interior was great and had lots of nostalgic lighting and the classic red and white checkerboard tablecloths that I remember from my youth of pizza joints. They have a great covered area for outdoor dining. There's even a stage nearby which hopefully they will have some live music from time to time 🤞 Definitely worth a visit

My favorites are the arugula prosciutto pizza, the penne vodka sauce and the chopped salad. The staff are warm and accommodating. Very friendly and easy to park and enjoy with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The frose was super refreshing too!

My boyfriend and I ate at Dino's the other night, after seeing the write up about it in the N&O. Being from the NY/NJ area I had to check it out. Well it did not disappoint. There were so many things on the menu we wanted to try, but this time we stuck with the pizza. The pizza was amazing. We both absolutely loved it. We both highly recommend this restaurant. The staff was great, and the ingredients were fresh. We loved the atmosphere and the music that was being played. We will definitely be back to try the meatballs and a couple of other things.

The wings, the pizza, the subtle buffalo bills merch all over. This place has my sword for life. This is the only classic style pie I’ve had in the triangle that transports me back to NYC. I was emotional eating it! And the wings made my western NY heart soar. Also the fact their prices are comparable to any other pizza place in the area is awesome given the superior quality. I know it’s been packed for dinner but it was pretty empty for lunch, food came fast and service was very friendly to us and our toddler.

We have been wishing for a place like this in our area for a while. We had the pepperoni pizza with some added mushrooms. It was excellent. There was a good crowd for a Saturday afternoon. The interior is what I remember pizza joints looking like many years ago. Sorry we grabbed a slice before I remembered to take the pizza pic.

Casual Italian Perfection. Thin crust pizza 10/10, chicken parm 10/10, and the Caesar salad might have been the best I'd ever had 11/10. Family friendly - super nice staff. Patio with lawn to run around. Would also be a great place to catch a game with some beers with the fellas.

We arrived wanting to try Dino's pizza. Though they had a ton of empty tables (many of which stayed empty the entire night), we were told no tables were available, but we were permitted to sit at the bar. We ordered a salad to start which was good but they messed up our salad dressing order and then charged us extra to provide the salad dressing we had ordered. The pizza was delicious with a proper NY style thin crust and just the right amount of toppings. While the salad came quickly, the pizza did take about 30 minutes to get. We then ordered some meals to go for the next day--I tried to make sure I got the garlic bread that was supposed to go with my order and had been reassured that was what I received when I checked the order and the bread didn't look like garlic bread. When I went to eat it the next day, it was definitely not garlic bread. I called to complain about it and was told the manager would call me back, but they clearly couldn't be bothered and never did. While I liked their food overall, the inability to sit at a table when many appeared open (and they did not appear to be short of wait staff), to be charged extra to get the salad dressing right, and the failure to call me to apologize when they messed up an order (that I even asked about while still in the restaurant) shows a lack of caring about the customer. I am not sure we will go back though we liked the pizza. When dining out has become relatively expensive, there are too many restaurants that still care about me as a customer.

I was SOOO excited for this place to open! I dared to dream it might be in same class as the dear departed Tre Forni; or maybe like Pop's; hey, I can walk there, I'd be happy with Randy's level pie. I did not expect something akin to Food Lion frozen pizza. Know that saying that there's no such thing as bad pizza? I beg to differ. Where to begin? I tried to go the weekend they were scheduled to open, but not. So, tried it tonight. There didn't appear to be a way to order takeout ahead, so we walked over to order. We were told our pizza would take 90 minutes. Ok, that's kinda crazy, but it is Saturday. We came back after an hour. Our order was already done- sitting on a beer cooler. The box was so light, I thought it was empty. Then I heard a dry rattling, I thought maybe they'd given me some other table's crust. Nope, there was a "pizza" in there- an ice-y cold, cracker thin, dried out husk masquerading as pizza. So, so cold. So, so brittle, so, so sad. I don't want to focus too much on the temperature, I'm sure this was never actually edible. Then there was the so, so sad antipasto platter with giardiniera made up almost completely of white onions accompanied by spongey garlic bread. We tried to revive it by adding a little sprinkle of cheese and heating it up a bit. Nope, still terrible. Maybe a drizzle of olive oil could help? Nope. Our dinner is now the crispy disks of admittedly high-quality pepperoni and some microwave popcorn. From the front of the house misquoting the time for our order to the inedible food, this place was not what I hoped for. Ok, the setting is nice and the staff was friendly.

Love what the new Dino's Pizza is doing at the UHill development in Durham! A brand new pizza joint serving thin, thin-crust NY pizza along with classic Italian-American dishes like chicken parm. Brought to you by Chefs Tom Cuomo and Matt Kelly, this restaurant is a refreshed version of a classic joint up north. 16" pizza pies with a really nice snappy crust are the lead items on the menu but don't overlook the large, smother parm platters. Prices are quite reasonable and they offer a range of affordable beers and wines. Large space but they are still working the kinks out after opening, be patient!

We went around 4 pm on a Sunday afternoon. This location is new so we expected it to be busy. Thankfully no wait even thought most tables were full. Our waiter was great and attentive to our table. I ordered the parmesan chicken with pasta. The parmesan chicken was amazing, but the pasta was undercooked and tough. The place is cute. Outside of the undercooked pasta, my main gripe was with the volume of the music. Multiple tables asked for it to be turned down. Initially nothing was done. Then it was briefly turned down for maybe 10 minutes and back super loud. It was a very overstimulating experience for us and very hard to talk to each other over dinner. I'm hoping to give it another chance.

It was okay. The space is actually quite nice, with a bar area, indoor seating, outdoor covered patio seating, and a lawn area. It's in a revamped little tucked-away corner in the South Square area just off 15-501 with several restaurants, shops, and other businesses. Service is friendly. As for my order, the Caesar salad greens weren't quite as crisp and cold as you might like with this dish, and it was overdressed to where it was a little soggy. I got the "spicy sausage" pizza, which wasn't spicy at all. I'm also not sure the sauce got all the way cooked on mine; it tasted a touch raw. However, their crust is very good -- just the right thickness for me (slightly more substantial than thin-crust) and nicely browned with good seasoning and flavor. For that reason, I might go back and try a different pie. The beer selection is meh, but Gizmo's is just upstairs with a lot more variety.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for a super cheesy spinach artichoke dip, but all the food here really hit the spot! We came with a group of 7 including kids and sat on the patio on a weekend afternoon. The kids had a blast running on the lawn while we waited for food. The first pizza took some time because they remade it (before they even brought it out), but the margherita pizza, the mushroom pizza, the dip, and the wings were all great. The waiter was friendly and attentive, and it made for a good start to the afternoon.

We were excited to try a new family-style pizza place and Dino's did not disappoint. The fried mozzarella was awesome and the pizza was even better. Great service and a very upbeat vibe. Feels like a great game day location.

Great pies! Excellent service! Stick with simple pepperoni on the pizza and grab an order of the fried pizza logs. They're delicious! It takes awhile when it's busy, so don't be in a hurry. It's worth the wait. Don't pay attention to the ratings by the drama queens who dumped on Dino's. It's good food served by great people in a family-friendly environment where you can enjoy your meal inside or out.

Our server was major vibes :,) everyone was nice and loved it here. The food was good. The eggplant parm sub was yummy, slightly salty but I was vibing. The Cesar salad was soooo good-- just was a little sad bc we only god 4 croutons and they were soooo good. So overall vibes

Tastes the calamari, two salads, two pastas, and two pizzas. Everyone at my table is in the service industry and was impressed. White mushroom pizza was my personal favorite. Yes, it's a bit noisy but it's a pizza place. Will be coming back.

Moved here 3 years ago and just haven't found good pizza until Dinos showed up. In contrast to the doughy and overly sweet pizzas that dominate Durham, Dinos has a great crust, homemade marinara and authentic toppings. Has about 8 standard pizzas but a great list of individual ingredients if you feel like building your own. Wings and fries are outstanding too. Haven't had a chance to sample them, but also have some basic Italian dishes on the menu like chicken parm - if their favorite their dishes are any indication these should be lights out and I can't wait to sample them. Also have some It has a nice bar area too, with plenty of sports on tvs. A smart beer list, good choice of cocktails, red and white wines...and I no idea why I love this, but prosecco too. Pizza and prosecco...Genius. I'd highlight the fried mozzarella appetizer; in contrast to the plain sticks mass produced by Sysco - Dinos is a homemade version, generous pieces with their own marinara. Really great and totally unique. Cannolis are excellent, too - don't bolt without ordering a dessert! Bit loud but it's a crowded, busy happy place. Staff has always been fun and accommodating. Yes, they are just opening so you'll get the odd hiccup in service here or there but the team is great about getting you sorted out. Great addition to the area!

Delicious! Ate here tonight with my family and everything was great. We had butter noddles and fries (for the kids), mozzarella sticks, calamari, caesar and house salad, white mushroom pizza, and pepperoni pizza with calabrian honey. Oh, and we had cannolis to go for dessert :). Everything was great and the atmosphere was enjoyable as well. Staff was friendly and accommodating! Strongly recommend.

Better than fine. Pizza came out like warm by the 2nd slice cold Not busy at all No other customers in our section No excuse for this

This place has such a lovely ambience. It really reminds me of the old pizza places I used to go to as a kid. I absolutely love the chicken parm plate they have the their take on the Tom Collin's cocktail is delicious. Great food and drinks. You might have to wait a little longer than usual for service, but the quality more than makes up for it. Looking forward to becoming a regular.

We were really excited to try this new pizza spot--came with a group of six and were happy to wait the estimated hour for a table. The space was vibrant, and we appreciated being called down early after grabbing drinks upstairs. But unfortunately, the experience that followed was one of the most confusing and disappointing dining situations we've had in Durham. They seated us outside at a 4 top but since we were 6 we offered to push 2 tables together - turns out there was a wasps nest in the corner of the table and a member of our group was stung several times. Shockingly, staff admitted they knew about the nest earlier that day, but nothing had been done to remove it or warn guests. After that incident, there was no fast reaction from staff. In fact none of them sprung into action. Service continued to be extremely disorganized. It took over 70 minutes for water (for six people--only three cups were brought at first). One order of wings arrived about 20 min after we ordered and then the rest arrived after 90 minutes. We ordered 4 pizzas and 3 salads. Two salads arrived then one pizza then one salad then one pizza then another - it took almost an additional 30 minutes for the food to trickle out and we were still missing a pizza. We were hungry, confused, and trying to stay patient, but it was difficult. At the end of the night, we calmly asked to speak to someone about our experience. The owner came out visibly defensive and immediately shut us down by saying "don't tell me anything, I already know everything." It escalated from there, with her dismissing our concerns, telling one of us "cry me a river," and generally showing little willingness to listen. Ultimately, she comped our meal but it was one of the most confounding experiences I've ever had at a restaurant. We understand that new restaurants often face growing pains, and, the team did mention that not all of their equipment was up and running yet and that things had been challenging. We empathize with that--truly as we've all also worked in the restaurant / service industry. But we'd strongly recommend being upfront with guests about those limitations so people know what to expect going in. Clear communication can go a long way in setting the tone for understanding and patience. That said, safety, communication, and basic hospitality still matter. We left feeling disrespected and disappointed. I genuinely hope the team takes this feedback to heart and makes changes--because the food could be worth coming back for, but only if the experience improves dramatically.

Came on a Saturday around 6:00. The place was pretty busy so rather than wait, the 2 of us sat at the bar. Staff is friendly, but the place seems disorganized. We ordered a couple of beers and a pizza. Beer selection is limited, but not bad. However, it took an hour to get our pizza! It should not take that long, and when it did come out, it was just luke warm. Too bad, because otherwise it was pretty good. Apparently not presently doing takeout, but observed people picking up pizzas as we were nursing our beers? They could do a lot of business with Gizmo patrons next door if they could handle the extra orders, but seems they pobably couldn't based on our experience.

We were excited to try this place, but were extremely disappointed by the service and food. We ordered two pizzas and the first came out after 30 minutes. First red flag- pizza needs to be FAST! We were told this place had good NY pizza- this is an utter lie. The pizza was burnt, bland and paper thin. After waiting for over 30 minutes, we asked the waitress about our second pizza, only to find out that it had been given to the table next to us. The waitress never apologized and seemed annoyed at us. Fortunately the manager came out and we explained what happened. After speaking with the manager, they comped our second pizza and gave us free cannoli, which were delicious!

Love this place. Fresh ingredients, prepared well. Good service. Like my neighborhood Italian pizza and pasta in NYC. Awesome. Will be back.

All of the food is amazing. It's probably my favorite pizza in the Triangle. Great fun new spot.

Party of 3 Wed night at 530 and told wait time was 1.5 hours. No one in line. Not all tables full including outside tables. This was second visit. We left. First visit had to sit at bar. Limited beer selection. Calamari ordered but never came. Pizza was ok but not great. Much room for improvement. Keep trying.

We were tremendously disappointed. My husband ordered a pizza and when it came, it was not what he had asked for. The server said she would check if it was truly his or if it belonged to someone else-she never returned with the answer. About 10-15 minutes later, the manager came over and said that they were making a new pizza and it would be out in 10 minutes. It came out about 20 minutes later. The manager did offer complimentary cannoli, but when the bill came, we were charged for them. She said she corrected the bill, but did not. This was one of the worst dining experiences we've ever had and we would not consider returning.

Yay! So glad for another kid friendly place in this space. Kids loved running around in the grass to the live music. Food was exactly what we wanted at a great price. Maybe just figure out better ways to seat larger parties outside? We will be back for sure.

It's was ok. Super loud. Way too many kids. Drinks so weak I had four and barely felt it. Food was good but not worth the hype. I lived in NY for ten years. This is not NY pizza. Way too thin and it took 30 minutes! Hostess seemed overwhelmed. Lots of people waiting and lots of tables open. Not sure why she wasn't seating anyone. Huge pillar in the middle of the bar is not conducive to conversation. Really weird situation with take out. We were told they didn't do take out but we watched orders being taken and given to customers that came in and pucked them up. . Not sure why we weren't allowed to take out. The waitress said "yeah sometimes we do it ". What???Once the hype is over maybe it will be better.

Went last night and waited 30 minutes for a table. Young server was super attentive but pizza took a while to arrive. Didn't bother us that much as we know they opened recently. There are lots of little kids running around but there is an outdoor area for them. I'll definitely go back!

The lunch special was such a great deal. The pizza was delicious and the salad was a very generous portion. Service and ambiance were wonderful.

We had the special with half pizza, salad, and soda today. Pizza was ok, salad wasn't good. We took Chicken Parmesan with rigatoni home for dinner. Chicken Parm was delicious. Reheating rigatoni was hard. Servers were great today. I know the owners will listen to feedback. Make salads better and more presentable. I want you to succeed!