50 Best Italian Restaurants near Pontiac

“Had a random stop to this Coney during some volunteer work in the area and I was very happy to stop in. Food was great and would recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for some great coney that taste like that classic Top Detroit coney spots but out in Pontiac Michigan. Great service, great attitude, great food, even had to tip the waiter who helped because the attention and service was on point off top!!!!“

“All of the food was delicious! We ordered the Caesar salad made table side, and loved that too! The atmosphere is very pretty. Our minor demerits include the overly attentive staff, who were constantly at our table removing individual dishes and asking how everything was. I know they were doing their job, but it was very distracting. The waitstaff uniforms need updating. And although the food was pricey, we would go back. I recommend a try!“

“This restaurant is so amazing! The people are so kind and are always so social and helpful. The food is delicious and I love the bread that they serve. I enjoy their mocktails and would 100% recommend this place to anyone who enjoys kind people and a wonderful cuisine.“

“Had Ever as our waitress today. Very bubbly, lovely smile and personality. Very tentative. I maybe from Texas, but anytime I’m back in Waterford to visit family, I would definitely come back here to eat. Service was amazing.“

“10/10 would recommend Giuliano’s. My 1st time there this evening & will definitely order again. Service was great, food was even better! 🇮🇹“

“Good food. Fun activity. Would go again.“

“food was absolutely amazing! service was on point and attentive and friendly! and, what an awesome atmosphere! cozy and fun!“

“Happy Hour !! Good and plentiful @ $7“

“Nicole was our server, very attentive and fantastic providing recommendations on favored menu options. Shrimp scampi and filet bites for appetizers - Delicious! Dinner salads were even yummy, crisp, fresh vegetables and the dressing was so good! We all enjoyed different meals, eggplant parm, lemon dill salmon, chicken parm, and pasta pesto. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinners, ate too much, and recommend this restaurant AND server to anyone looking for a great place!“

“My wife and I used to go to the Sterling Heights Restaurant and loved it very much. Especially their pizza! We ran accross the Clarkston location about 3 years or so ago and have taken many family members and friends there. Unfortunately, they won't serve their larger family size pizza to inside diners. They only serve it to carry out clients. Several times, especially after we were given back our freedom, we were making plans to go to dinner with friends for pizza and I suggested going there. My wife reminded me they only serve personal pan pizza's. Unfortunately, they do not taste the same. So, we choose Pizza Mia in Grand Blanc when we wan't pizza. We do go to Boligna's when it isn't a pizza night. Unfortunate!“

“Wow amazing pizza and bread! Sad we’ve been passing it up this whole time.“

“you go there you're family...“

“Manuel wasn’t just the best waiter I’ve had in ages—he was downright hilarious. He kept us laughing the whole night with quick jokes and playful banter, all while delivering flawless service. The food was incredible, the atmosphere perfect, and Manuel’s humor made the whole experience unforgettable. This place nails it on every level—great food, great vibes, and a waiter who could moonlight as a comedian. Highly recommend to anyone who loves good food and a good laugh.“

“Had calamari which was like eating rubber. Pasta was very good although the waitress didn't know if the pasta was made in-house. Pizza was the star. It's the best around this area. Service was slow.“

“Our dinner was amazing! We got there kind of late and Marija still gave us amazing service. We appreciate it & will be back!“

“Nice dining place. Great food and atmosphere.“

“If you’re looking for high quality, authentic tasting wood-fired pizza and don’t want to spend an arm and leg, then you have to come here! Whether you want a nice sit down dinner experience or just a quick take out order, Crispelli’s has you covered.“

“Everything about our experience was phenomenal!! We brought our 88 year old mother out for a birthday lunch and she loved the place. We were a party of 6 and the restaurant was more than accommodating. Our service was extremely exceptional...Rebecca was so great she timed out the food and course perfectly.our glasses were always full and she brought out a complementary dessert with a candle that was much appreciated..thank you Rebecca for making our time so lovely!!!“

“Great thin pizza - cooked quickly in a wood fire oven - salad was very fresh“

“I would just like to start off by saying our server, Carter, was so charming and caring! He is fantastic at his job and sure knows how to elevate service! So much attention to detail and making sure my group was comfortable throughout our stay. The chicken alfredo is okay but nothing that stands out from another Italian restaurant. Although two of my group members loved the octopus! They couldn’t stop talking about how good the sauce was and ordered bread specifically to keep trying it. The environment was amazingly dark but still lit! Took my group of four 20 minutes to be sat on a Friday night.“

“Amazing food!! Amazing service!! Delicious 😋“

“Cheeseburger medium is excellent“

“Went to this restaurant with some neighbors last month. I used to go to Vince's Italian Rest on Springwell in Detroit and they closed and missed their food which included homemade pasta. Saw that they had homemade pasta so decided to try the lasagna. It tasted the same as the restaurant i missed and was delicious. Can't wait to go back. A little pricey but so well worth it!!!“

“Been coming here for years. Food is great. Always get the soup, salad, and breadsticks. Can’t go wrong with that. I have ONE complaint though. It is a waiter whose name is BUCK (I think). He’s got a southern accent (or sounds like it). This man has been there for years. He is rude & condescending. He said to me and my family when I asked him if my son could have a glass instead of a kid’s glass, Buck said “Last time I checked, it was all over the table.” First off, I had no idea what he was talking about. Wrong customer he’s talking about, not us. Second, you don’t talk to customers that way regardless. And then we came back a few months later, and we were stuck with Buck again. We asked him about something that used to be on the menu and if they still served it and he said “Never heard of it.” We have witnesses him giving the same treatment to other customers as well. How this man has stayed employed this long I’ll never understand.“

“We sat outside on a marvelous fall evening, the staff brought over a heater that was a nice addition. The hand crafted breads were so delicious lovely choice of wines . We had the tasty gem salad, crispy chicken thighs, veal parmesean and of course Lucinanos bolognese. We shared everything and I can't say enough about the delicious flavors of everything. Thanks again !“

“What a find! Our golf group stopped in after golf and everyone enjoyed their meals. Great service. Yummy food. Can’t wait to work our way through the menu. And they have GF for me!“

“Bravo for lunch is the best. They have decent portions and the price is reasonable. The wait staff is very friendly and efficient. Just a nice place to eat overall at The Village of Rochester Hills“

“They have the best pizza, I just had carne with feta cheese from sheep's milk. it was amazing.“

“I love this place. One of my favorites at all times. Best food, friendly staff and atmosphere is just perfect. 10/10“

“We give Lelli’s on The Green 5 STARS for tremendous food and even better service! Everything for our party was perfect and we are grateful to Mark Zarkin and Arie for making sure we were so well taken care of to celebrate a very special birthday with just a few close friends and family. We highly recommend it for some of the finest dining around! Thank you Mark and Arie for being such gracious hosts and making it extra special. We’ll be back to pick up some trays to share with our family to celebrate Christmas as well! Happy Holidays and THANKS AGAIN!!“

“Manager Rocky welcomed us at the front door to start off a great visit. Michelle serviced our table and is always wonderful to work with. Manager Ron prepared Roman pasta Alfredo with truffle table side. It was perfect! It tasted so delicious, especially with adding salmon filets. Great live music topped the evening off.“

“We’ve used Crispellis catering twice now - back in 2022 and now 2023 - both times the food was delicious and the delivery was on time, the set up was very helpful. The food was piping hot and packaged well to travel. They make the process easy and seamless. I cannot recommend them enough.“

“My family has loved Calabrese for 13 years and counting!!! You always feel like family when you walk in the door ♡♡ best Italian in town!!!! Anna is a true GEM! PRICES ARE MORE THAN AFFORDABLE!!! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟“

“Worked late tonight and didn’t want a pizza. Bought a Jetzie. Wonderful. I’ve got a new favorite.“

“From outside it appears to be a large liquor store, inside you realize they are so much more! Great place if you need to grab something for lunch quickly. Sandwiches and pizza slices made fresh and ready to go! They also have x-lg pizza"s that are perfect for a party or the big game. Food is good and reasonably priced. Service is fast and friendly, I love Bushemis would definitely recommend.“

“Highly recommend! Food and Service are GREAT!!“

“the best pizza around and their cauliflower crust pizza is amazing You will not even need any toppings I recommend it They're covid compliant 😷😷😷“

“I love pizza. And apparently so does chubby charlie's... The dough perfect. The sauce tasty. The cheese 100% mozzarella. The toppings endless... I challenge anyone who's a pizza lover like me to ask for a topping on a pizza that this place doesn't have.“

“The best ever we can’t wait to come home to get JETS because they’re not in Tallahassee, Yummy Good!“

“Excellent pizza and excellent service. Curbside pickup is efficient and friendly. LOVE Jets Clawson!“

“Our service was fantastic. Thank you Danielle for the superb service. My wife had the lasagna and I had the chicken Alfredo. Comes with a large salad and bread. Our bill was only $31.45
Next time we are in the area we will be back.“

“We are in town and chose Papa Romano’s for dinner. We had pizza delivered to our hotel and it was amazing. They said 45 minutes and we had it in less than 30. Pizza, breadsticks and salad all very good and their ranch is one of the best I’ve ever had!“

“Saw this place when I was at Panera bread. I stopped by and ordered a large pepperoni. I have to say it beats out all the large trash franchises. The young man taking my order was very nice“

“I was at a function serving 60 people dinner. We discovered that when the advanced order was placed for delivery that it was for the wrong date. The Jets manager was wonderful. He was able to switch the order date and had it delivered in 45 minutes.“

“Waited one hour to be seated. Was told it wood be 15-20 mins .there were kids running around the restaurant. With no supervision from management or parents. Didn’t wait . It will be a long time before I go back . So I went to Tomato Appizza right around the corner and had a great dinner. Bye bye buddy’s“

“Came here after being ignored at twin peaks after being seated. Food was decent and service was amazing. Wife needed gluten free. She said the gf crust great. Payton was our waitress. She was amazing. Always checking on us and making sure we didn't need anything and how the food was.“

“didn't have any issues server was great and food was excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“I am a Detroiter transplanted to Knoxville, TN 15+ years ago. Coming back to Detroit for a week and finding this near my hotel was a pleasant surprise. The pizza and salad are as amazing as they ever were.

My only disappointment was that no one could tell me how involved the Jacobs family or Wesley were with the business.

For me, Buddy's is a must when in town!“

“Was not disappointed. Food was good.“

“Very fancy and expensive restaurant. One of the few restaurants in metro Detroit (and likely the whole of Michigan) that serves Baked Alaska. They do not flame it in front of you nor does it come with sparklers like some restaurants may do. Still it was delicious. Jamie was a great waitress, friendly and in a good mood. There is no parking lot for Forrest, however after 5:30 pm and on weekends you can use the AAA Birmingham parking lot which is right next door. Very nice interior. The water glasses are small. There is a candle at the table.“