Little Italy East

Had lunch here recently with family. We ordered several items which included different pastas, some calamari and some pizza. The calamari were thicker and slightly fishy to me. Ive definitely had better ones at other places, but these weren't bad. The bolognese was very good and the sauces are all housemade. The gnocchi with pesto could have used more salt for my taste and was very oily for me. The pastas come with a salad and bread as well. The salads are good, normal salads and the bread is good especially for dipping in pasta sauce. The pizza was the best thing about our visit though. You can get them by the slice or in 12 inch or 18 inch which are super big. Highly recommend the pizzas

I'm from out of town I was looking for a good pizza place and this one definitely fit the bill. They have a great selection on the menu and the Deluxe pizza was amazing. The staff was friendly and the restaurant was very clean. I would definitely recommend!

The foremost attribute that defines Little Italy East Italian Restaurant is its unwavering commitment to quality. Every element of the dining experience emphasizes house-made ingredients and exceptional freshness, resulting in dishes that are truly delectable. The fried zucchini appetizer merits a perfect score for its excellence. Prepared with freshly cut vegetables and fried to an ideal crispness, it is complemented by a light mustard-based dipping sauce that enhances the natural buttery flavors without overpowering them. The house salad exemplifies freshness, featuring crisp and crunchy greens. The accompanying Italian dressing, crafted in-house, delivers a vibrant zest and depth of flavor that elevates the entire starter. The chicken Parmesan stands out as an extraordinary entrée—the finest I have encountered. It features a house-made sauce that is richly flavorful and impeccably balanced, paired with tender fresh chicken that is lightly breaded and fried to perfection. The accompanying pasta appears to be house-made, offering an authentic taste that authentically captures Italian tradition. The meal is thoughtfully completed with freshly baked garlic bread, ideal for savoring with the exquisite marinara sauce. To conclude the experience, the cannolis rank among the best available, rivaling or surpassing those found in renowned establishments in New York City or Boston. I am thoroughly impressed and intend to return frequently. This establishment represents top-tier dining at an exceptional value, and I highly recommend it without reservation.

Darn good pizza by the slice. One will fill you up, two if you are a big guy that missed lunch. Fountain drinks or cans & bottles. A lot of take out went out the door and they deliver as well.

I’m new to the area. I’m always looking for real Italian pizza that contends with the pizza I grew up eating in NY/Connecticut…THIS IS IT!! I’m always going to challenge any establishment claiming to have authentic or “New York” pizza, hardly ever is it true. This one delivered for sure! A moment of silence for my diet.😔

Popped in here on a whim for lunch. Now I desperately wish I had been more hungry to try more things! Loved practically all the elements of this place. Food was great. Roman catholic art on the walls. Diverse selection of wine. Italian soccer on TV with Italian broadcasters. Did my heart good. Can't wait to come back and try more delicious dishes.

I usually really like the pizza from this place, but I ordered a whole Sicilian pizza from DoorDash, and received a pizza burned on the bottom. For such an expensive pizza it’s upsetting they would allow this to be delivered. I also did not receive the Italian dressing I paid extra for. Disappointing

TRIPLE TO RIGHT FIELD!! This place is legit good. We grabbed dinner here the other night and it was hopping. The staff is super friendly and hustled the whole time. The food is fresh and there’s not a long wait. There are a truckload of pizza options and they even serve wine and beer. I ordered the chicken Parmesan and it was very good. Cooked just right with a crisp, thin layer of breading on a pile of spaghetti with a great sauce and loads of cheese. My wife ordered the cheese pizza and said it was good as well. There’s tons to try here and I look forward to going back.

Absolutely hands down the best place for pizza in the Memphis area. Garlic knots are worth every penny. Stromboli was magnificent. Definitely worth a try.

This was one of my favorite places when it was on Union Ave. That spot is another place now named slice I think. I have been to the new spot a several times now and I have figured out all the moves I think. It's an order and pay at the counter kind of place. I normally come during lunchtime and seem to get the same cashier. She is friendly enough, but I always feel like she is about 50% engaged when I speak to her. Often I find her not even looking me in the eye when she speaks. Whatever. It's way different than when Gio greeted you at the old place. Things change, ya know... Dining room is a bit cramped, but I still dig it. I can maneuver and usually can find a table easily. I like the parm and red pepper shakers readily available, and the amount they dispense is epic. I do feel like the parm cheese is pretty low brow though. Almost seems "plastic like". Yuck. Food has been hit or miss for. I keep saying, "this is the last time" then it's fucking killer pizza on that same trip. Next time it's bad, ugh. I've learned how to order I think. No more calzones, the last time I could not eat it, it was so gross with cheese. I can now spot fresh pizza and stay away from the old slices on display. I think next time I'll order a whole Grandma's and see what that is about. '24 - 29/100

I am not sure what has happened to this pizzeria sine Mike left and they moved to Poplar but it is the worst. I'm from Jersey and grew up eating great pizza and thought I found an authentic east coast pizzeria here in memphis but I was wrong. The cowner is extremely and overly racist. I still would go there because they used to make a decent pie. My wife and ordered a meatball pie and a meatball canzone. And for the first time in my life I had a nasy pie. The meatballs tasted like it was made from spoiled meat. The cheese was very low quality. And the sauce was just plain nasty. I ate half a slice and through both the pizza and canzone in the trash. I never did that before. Please DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY on this place!!!!!!​

Great pizza, family owned, friendly little neighborhood restaurant. Grab a slice with a glass of wine.

Pizza was raw, crust was no where near done the center dough was not cooked and flavorless caprese I would not recommend this place to anyone. No flavor and disappointing as it was recommended to me as it was authentic, sorry I have had better pizza anywhere else but here.

The eggplant rollatini at Little Italy East had some high points and low points. On the plus side, the salad was very fresh with the right proportions of greens, veggies, and their house Italian dressing, was flavorful and well-balanced. The rollatini filling of pesto and ricotta was also tasty, and the pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente texture. The red sauce, while simple, had that homemade taste. However, the eggplant itself left something to be desired. It was quite thin and the breading made it tough and lacking in tenderness. I get that it needs to hold its shape when rolled, but it was a bit too firm. The bread served with the meal was also disappointingly bland. Overall, it was a decent Italian meal and I'd come back to try their pizza, which looked very appetizing when I saw it at other tables. With just a little more attention to the eggplant preparation and bread(stick), this could be an excellent neighborhood Italian spot. But even with those small misses, the highlights like the salad, pesto-ricotta filling, and pasta did save the dish.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I usually order the pizzas. Love their pizzas! Decided to try something different today. I had the calzone, not a fan! I'll stick with their pizza. If you love cheese you'll love the calzone. It's FILLED with cheese. Could have had a few more toppings to balance it out but all of the topping are extra.

My husband and I both got calzones and took them to go. They were really good, super cheesy, made fresh, and came quickly. The people working were very nice. I was sad to see that there weren't more customers! If we weren't from out of state, I would be back soon!

Service was quick. I ordered a slice of cheese pizza. Reasonable price. Crispy thin crust. Delicious tomato sauce and perfect amount of cheese. I added garlic powder and crushed peppers. Will definitely try other types of pizza from here in the near future. Give them a try!

Have ordered pizzas a couple of times for take out. They were hot and delicious. Both times I made my own. Ingredients were fresh and it's my new favorite pizza place.

SO good! I had a small Greek salad and there were plenty of Greek olives (not a norm in other places!.) I also had the meatball app w/ ricotta. Yum! Family had pizza- awesome crust! Not cheap, but we'll worth it for a treat! People were super friendly and efficient. We will return!

My family tried this little Italian restaurant while we were in Memphis for the St. Jude marathon. It's the real thing. Fresh and authentic. We loved the service. Super nice people. You order at the counter and they deliver to the table, but it's NOT fast food. The pizza was amazing and the tortellini was outstanding. If not for the drink fountain the atmosphere was much like Italy. It was certainly packed and busy for good reason.

Great pizza by the slice. Ordered for delivery, excellent service. The driver was so nice and found my apartment when it can be complicated. Husband had the meatball panini, loved it. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed!!!

Best Pizza in Memphis!!!! They are famous for having delicious meatballs too. Go there on a Thursday night for dinner, they have live music.

Yum yum - tasty!! Happened upon this place and popped in for Friday dinner. The place was busy but we were able to get a table when we walked in. It's a large and varied menu. I got the deluxe pizza. It was delicious with a wonderfully chewy crust. The place stayed busy with both people eating in and people picking up food to go. Bustling but not overly loud. Nice! The place was also exceptionally clean. The owner (?) was there working and cleaning the entire time. Everyone was pleasant. I changed up the deluxe and personalized it. They didn't get that part right. But I can overlook that. All in all, great experience in this small Italian place. Recommend.

Popped in for a late-ish dinner around 8pm or so. Located in a strip of stores and restaurants off Poplar, this restaurant has a cozy interior with a couple of TVs on the walls showing a tennis match. You place your order at the register under a large menu. Luckily there was nobody behind us or they'd have had a wait as we puzzled out what we wanted. I'm sure they have been cussing us. We started with an order of 6 garlic knots. They were very tasty and came out HOT. 2 of our group got small pizzas, one cheese and one deluxe with no pepperoni and sub green olives for black. Well the pepperoni was held but the olives were held as well. Oops. The cheese came out right. The pizza was tasty and has a nice chewy crust. I had a large Caesar salad with grilled chicken. The garlic knots came out first, as would make sense. But the salad came out not long after we finished the garlic knots and the pizzas didn't come out for about another 12-15 minutes. Not a big deal, we weren't in a hurry and it's not like the salad would get cold (although the grilled chicken did) but it would be nice if the meals came together. Maybe they assumed we were sharing the salad and the pizzas as different courses. I dunno. Anyway it was all pretty good and I'd definitely eat here again. Edit to add: after writing this review and reading some of the previous reviews about customer service and eye rolling etc - i don't know for sure it was the owner, but someone who seemed like they may be an owner type / manager type was in attendance overseeing things, greeting customers, sweeping, bussing tables, just overall managerial type things. So it's possible they are addressing the aforementioned issues ‍

Grandma's pizza is one of the best pizzas I've had in the Memphis area. Will be returning just for that. Crust, sauce, and cheese have such a high quality.

The homemade Italian Minestrone was perfect for the cold wet day. Pizza by the slice is always good. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite casual places on this side of town.

The original location in Midtown closed I believe but it had been deteriorating in service and food quality on top of not being able to open when they were supposed to often closing with no warning. They moved to East Memphis over near Massey and Poplar and the food was initially close or the same as the old location but then it starting deteriorating in good quality/consistency. It's ok pizza but no longer what I would consider good NY pizza.

Not sure what happened here. The first time I went over a year ago it was 5 stars. I grew up in NY and love Umberto's Sicilian pizza. Little Italy East on my first visit brought back those memories and was excellent. It is a little out of my way so I didn't get to go often. The next time I ordered it, it wasn't quite as good but was still very good. I was in the area on Friday so decided to order for take home. The Sicilian pizza instead of being a 12 sliced square was now a 8 slice rectangle. So it lost the 2 middle slices with no crust, which are my favorite. The amount a cheese has also gone down. I assume these are cost saving measures, but I would rather pay more for the original good pizza than the same price for a 2/3rd sized pizza. Very Disappointed.

The food was great. Atmosphere was nice. Service was very professional. The Ricotta and Mozzarella were delicious.

Friendly, quick, delicious! We drove into town and found it. We will definitely go back when we are in Memphis

This place is a must. The inside is extremely clean, people are courteous, food is great. I have had several sandwiches which were all great and pizza a handful of times. The pizza is incredible. Memphis is lucky to have this place.

Excellent pizza. Fizzy cokes. As nice an atmosphere for a strip mall location as anyone could expect. I make pizzas at home from scratch so I have a pretty high pizzeria standard. Sorry I just discovered this joint.

The food is great, we had the lasagna and the fresh mozzarella pizza, and was excellent. They also serve wine. The service was good, the place is clean nothing fancy but a great spot to hang out . We will be back

Can only review the pizza, eggplant rollatini, chicken parm, and calzone. Food is amazing. Would order it all again, although the ricotta does make the calzone extremely watery. Have not eaten inside the restaurant, so cannot comment on the atmosphere or cleanliness.

Waited an hour for cafeteria pizza. I've been going to little Italy (midtown) for years, and was excited to try their new location. I will never be going back. Half the staff ate meals in front of us as we waited. They forgot to put our pizza order in, and it ended up taking an hour. They messed up several other customers' orders too. The staff did nothing to resolve the issue. Could have offered a free slice or garlic knots easily and we would have understood.....it's only their second day. Save your time and don't go here.

Outstanding. I ordered twice this week. Excellent leftovers. These folks know how to make a deluxe pie. My daughter had the mozzarella pizza which is their version of a Margherita which was also fantastic.

My family and I picked up from here and it was absolutely delish! You have to get the lasagna!!!! Also the gnocchi melts in your mouth! So yummy I 10/10 recommend!

The family and I stay in this area where we come to Memphis. Staff is friendly, pizza is great!

The service and food were top notch. I was looking for a quick convenient place to grab an Italian meal. Little Italy checked the boxes. I enjoyed my Italian salad and manicotti very much. The restaurant was clean and the service friendly. I will be back again.

Solid experience. Clean restaurant. Friendly staff. FANTASTIC red pizza sauce. Definitely recommend for a casual dining experience.

Great food. Always solid pizza. Please realize how much if a turn off it is to see Fox News on the TV. Please put on sports...

Straight forward, no nonsense authentic pizzas place in East Memphis (who knew?). Would definitely go back and great for take out.

Overpriced. Got the eye roll others noted for ordering the eggplant pizza. A few of the pieces of pizza were dry and seemed like they might have been from the day before. The cheese sticks were straight up Sysco garbage and not even warm. They should be embarrassed for selling them. Won't be back. Hope they get it together or in my opinion they won't last.

The Italian panino is literally the best sandwich I have ever had!!! This is a fecking big sandwich and worth buying it. I was coming here for the delicious pizza but now I have to order this panino

Highly recommend Little Italy if you're craving a delicious Italian meal. The wide array of menu options leaves you with endless options to satisfy your craving. Portions are generous and freshly made to each order. Little Italy gives their indulgers a true taste of Italy with each unique dish. Aside from the delicious food, the staff is very friendly and the restaurant is clean and well kept. Little Italy is my #1 Italian food recommendation in Memphis! Thank you, Little Italy!

We wanted to try something different than our usual strip mall Italian and came here because of the menu. My wife had a pizza and salad and I had the chicken parmesan. Both good. I'm from NJ and there aren't the hole in the wall Italian restaurants here but there are Italians who make good food. You have to order at the counter and they'll bring it to you. We'll go back. Five stars because it does what it does well.

Some of the best pizza in Memphis. Sides are good too. Good for a quick carry out or a quick meal. Staff was super friendly.

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant! If you want delicious, authentic Italian, this is the place to go! Riccardo, the owner is from Italy, and brings his culinary expertise to Memphis! The gnocchi with homemade pesto sauce and the handmade cannoli both taste like heaven and are the best that I've ever put in my mouth! The pizza rolls, pizza, salads, and lasagna are amazing as well! Seriously - eat here! You can thank me later!

The pizza was scrumptious!! One of the best crusts I have ever had!! I had a slice of the deluxe! Service was great and love the Ambiance too!! Looking forward to coming back!!

If you are looking for the best pizza I have found in Memphis this is the place to eat. Skip slices it's not the same make the drive here you won't be disappointed

Best pizza I've ever put my mouth friendly staff moderate prices would highly recommend this place to anyone

Went in for lunch and was very pleased. It had a nice feel to it and a good setting. The broader menu looks great, but for lunch we settled on pizza. We tried three different types along with a nice salad. They were all very tasty and served quickly. The crusts and cheeses seemed to be of very good quality. We definitely enjoyed the food and will be back soon for supper - branching out to panini and dessert. Highly recommend it!

Riccardo and Giovanni were top notch in helping plan a dinner in their restaurant for 40+family members. Their signature salad, pizza, pasta and desserts were outstanding. Everything was freshly made and delicious. Their staff went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure everyone was happy. Could not have asked for a better night. We will be back!

The food was absolutely amazing! My father and I went recently and had the garlic knots, alfredo pasta, and the deluxe pizza. All of the food was absolutely delicious and the alfredo sauce was the best I have had anywhere! The service was good, all of the people are kind and quick to help you when you need something. Overall everything was so good. Definitely recommend this place if you are in the area!

Best gnocchi I've ever had! So light and fluffy and the vodka sauce was perfect. I also ordered the bruschetta and absolutely loved it! The staff is very friendly and the food came out quickly. If you're a fan of authentic Italian food, this is the spot!

The food is always excellent and the service is fantastic! It's exactly what we needed in this area.

Tried it tonight and it did not disappoint. Husband says it's the only pizza in town that actually tastes like NY pizza. We will be back. Great customer service.