Napoli Ristorante Pizzeria

Napoli is a family owned Italian restaurant which is located in the heart of Ferry St. It is in operation since 1962 and is one of the top Italian restaurants in Niagara Falls. Since this is the last week of my adventure I saved the very best for the last. I learnt about Napoli the first week I came to Niagara Falls so, needless to say, I had high expectations walking in the restaurant. 

Upon entering the restaurant what catches one's attention is the decor. The restaurant was decorated neatly and elegantly with dozens of old Italian pictures framed in its Brick patterned walls. The tables were neatly covered with snow white table cloths which complemented the crystal clear wine glasses, chinawares and  cutleries. The restaurant was empty so we sat on the couch to enjoy our food and drinks. 

We ordered an Italiana pizza and ravioli di casa for two people when the owner came to our table and engaged us in conversation while upselling his wine menu. The wine menu is short, simple and is easily affordable. I was told that Napoli uses the freshest of ingredients to prepare every dish from scratch and avoids serving food out of a can. We were still talking to the owner when our food arrived and the smell and taste of it explained the long line of people waiting outside the restaurant during the summer time.  

The food and wine were perfect and each ingredient complemented each other like fish complements chips in the UK, they just go hand in hand. Our desserts arrived after we finished our mains. We ordered house made gelato and homemade tiramisu for deserts.  The Tiramisu was the perfect finale to the dinner and the gelato was so fancy that it could easily be mistaken with a store bought.

We paid around 60 dollars for our Napoli experience was it was worth every penny. Napoli's food was extremely well presented and tasted equally mind blowing and their deserts can hold their own against some of Niagara's best restaurants. I ended my gourmet journey with one of Niagara's best restaurant so I will absolutely recommend my friends to try Napoli once. 


Score: 5/5

Little Caesars

In my past experiences, I had no luck with popular pizza chains of Niagara Falls as both Dominos and Pizza Hut were a bit disappointing. This week I decided to give another brand a try this week I went to Little Caesars. It is one of those restaurants that the locals love to dine in when they don't feel like cooking home. The price to take away a hot and fresh pizza is really low compared to some of their competitors.

Little Caesars is located at Drummond Rd, Niagara Falls. It doesn't catch attention unless someone is looking for Little Caesars in particular. Little Caesars doesn't offer in-store dining and their menu features items like pizza, wings, bread etc. I walked into the store to the lady who took my order with a poker face. This week I ordered a Hula Hawaiian pizza this week with chicken wings and soda. The store featured an open kitchen so I could see the order was built from scratch in front of my eyes. The dough was hand made and was fresh. They used fresh vegetables and a generous amount of cheese. My order came in after 13 minutes and I could smell the molten cheese from the box.

After I came back home I and the judges tasted the Hawaiian pizza which was as cheesy and delicious, to say the least. It certainly exceeded my expectations from Little Caesars. The wings were succulent and the aroma of the spicy sweet sauce was overwhelming. Maybe it was the hunger in me but Little Caesars tasted way better than I expected. The price was definitely affordable and the taste complimented the low price of 20 dollars extremely well. I would recommend my friends to give little caesars a try when they are feeling hungry.


Score:3/5

Zappi's Pizzeria

This week to fulfil the quota for pizza craving I went to Zappi's Pizza a decently built pizzeria which has been around Niagara Falls since 1971. It was a family operated business which believed in serving the freshest of ingredients and making the best of pizzas for their local and out of town customers. However, after being in operation for 15 years Zappi's closed its gates to their customers. In 2002, the family again opened their gates to Niagara Falls after remodelling and renovating their kitchen and restaurant. The interior of Zappi's  has a unique charm to it. It stands out as a very authentic Italian pizzeria with its checkered tablecloths and brick patterned walls. 

We were greeted well and shown to our seats by the lady who was serving us.  We were told that Zappies allows kids to make their own pizza and bake it for them. For a small family owned restaurant that cannot afford kids play area, this is a great way to keep them occupied. After we sat down our waiter asked for our food and drink order. 

Our drinks and pizza arrived after 20 minutes as there was no rush in the restaurant. We ordered a chicken and cheese pizza with other toppings and ordered soda for drinks. Our food looked decent and tasted pretty good as well. It was a budget pizza and we couldn't ask for more. A friend of mine told me that the food used to be better when the owner was around this summer. and now it's not up to the mark. However, this journey for Niagara's best pizzeria has brought me to some pretty bad pizzas hence I found Zappi's quite good.

I would advise people to visit Zappi's if they want a large pizza at a considerable price of 22 dollars or a 24 slices pizza for 30 dollars. Zappi's has the potential to improve its pizza and attract a larger customer base if they improve their product a bit more and concentrate on consistency of their product. 

Score: 3/5

Frank's Pizzeria

After last week, I went to Frank's Pizzeria which is located in Bridge St, Niagara Falls. Franks Pizzeria is a simple  homely restaurant which is being operated by the family that owns the restaurant. Frank's has been around for a long time and is quite famous amongst the locals for cheap pizza which still manages to deliver decent pizzas. Frank's is also famous for using locally produced ingredients in their pizzas. Frank's is also supporting local farmers market considering the diminishing popularity of farmers market to super stores that has made its way into homes, restaurants and hotels.

Extra large tray pizza

This week I went to Frank's on my friend's recommendation. From  the outside, the restaurant looks like a simple homely but when I walked in I was greeted by a friendly lady who took my order and asked me to take a seat. I ordered a large tray with half pineapple, chicken, mushroom and half simple margarita pizza. It cost me around 15 dollars with a student discount. The interior of the restaurant was moderately decorated. The restaurant has an everyday mom and pop dinner look to it. 

My pizza arrived in 25 minutes. The pizza was huge and smelled of fresh cheese. The first bite was a little disappointing as I expected more from my pizza. My pizza generally lacked flavor and had a blunt taste to it and the toppings were not up to the mark.  The lack of cheese in my cheese pizza was particularly upsetting to me.

Having said that, I have to consider the fact that I ordered an extra large party tray for 15 dollars and it is impractical to expect a pizza which is fully loaded with cheese and toppings. Frank's pizza is perfect for student parties and other parties in a budget. I would also recommend my readers to try their subs, Gluten-free crust and wings. I am extremely happy that Niagara Falls offers these small independent pizzerias that offer great pizzas on a budget. 

Score: 3/5

Antica Pizzeria

After last week's heartbreaking experience I decided to continue my journey in the search of Niagara's finest pizzeria. My friend recommended me to give Antica Pizzeria a try. Antica offers wood oven handmade pizza with other home cooked Italian delicacies, dessert, and cocktails.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a hostess and escorted to our table. We were being shown to our seats when our server arrived and asked for our drink order. While our server was away making drinks I looked around and soaked in the delightful ambiance. The restaurant is well built and has an Old Italian charm. I was sitting close to the bar and lounge area so I had the privilege of looking out the window and catching the game at the same time.  

After a few minutes, our waiter returned to offer us complimentary bread with an array of exotic condiments along with our drinks for us to enjoy whole our pizza arrives. The aroma of the wood oven baking fresh pizzas was beyond description. 

After last week's heartbreaking experience I decided to continue my journey in the search of Niagara's finest pizzeria. My friend recommended me to give Antica Pizzeria a try. Antica offers wood oven handmade pizza with other home cooked Italian delicacies, dessert, and cocktails. 

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a hostess and escorted to our table. We were being shown to our seats when our server arrived and asked for our drink order. While our server was away making drinks I looked around and soaked in the delightful ambiance. The restaurant is well built and has an Old Italian charm. I was sitting close to the bar and lounge area so I had the privilege of looking out the window and catching the game at the same time.  

After a few minutes, our waiter returned to offer us complimentary bread with an array of exotic condiments along with our drinks for us to enjoy whole our pizza arrives. The aroma of the wood oven baking fresh pizzas was beyond description. . 

Score: 4/5

Domino's Pizza

The Domino's in Niagara Falls opened in 2008. It is the top pizzeria in Ontario and third highest in Canada. I went into the store with high expectations. 


The first thing that I noticed was how dirty the kitchen was. Their kitchen was not clean or maintained properly and the doughs they were using were dark yellow and black in colour. I had to ask the staff to use a fresh one. The staff member didn't answer my question but reached for the fridge to get a fresh dough. The staff uniforms were also not clean and staff with beards were not wearing proper hygienic hair nets. However, the cooking process was fast. I received my pizza in fifteen minutes and it was served to my table with a luminous smile. 

I opened the box to only to be greeted by my large pepperoni pizza. The pizza was slightly greasy on the top, the cheese was not generously proportioned and the crust was a little dry, but otherwise the pizza was delicious and fulfilling. The flavour of the cheese was nice and the store was spacious so that people can sit and eat. I was surprised to see that my pizza didn't come with any complimentary condiments and sauces and I had to pay .75 cents to buy one. I was charged $11.85 for my large pizza and sauces. In comparison to other pizza places, this is the average price. I recommend checking this store out you enjoy Domino's products.

Score 3/5

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut is an extremely popular pizzeria back in India so I was really tempted to try the Pizza Hut restaurant in Niagara Falls. I went to the in-store dining with my friends and check the Pizza Hut restaurant in Niagara Falls. I ordered a stuffed crust pizza and I was asked to wait for 20 minutes for my pizza. I was extremely hopeful and tempted to try the stuffed crust as I haven't come across any other pizzerias that have revolutionized the appetizing pizza crusts. The store was hygienic with employees working with proper safety and hygiene equipment like gloves, caps, and aprons. The store was well decorated and had a pleasing aroma of freshly baked pizzas.

My pizza arrived in approximately 15 minutes. To my disappointment, the pizza looked extremely unappetizing with a thin crust with solid cheese around the edges and uneven topping distribution. The lack of chicken and olives on my pizza was quite disappointing. Instantly, I started missing the thick cheese filled spicy and zesty Pizzas from back home in India.

Having said that, I found the staff members to be warm and welcoming, the service was fast and the environment was enjoyable for a night out with friends and family.

However, I would not recommend buying their large, four topping stuffed crust Pizza for $ 25.00 that was not cooked very well. I found the price bit too high for a large pizza. If money is a large factor when buying pizza, there are better pizza places in Niagara that provide economical prices.

Score: 2/5

A War for Niagara's Best Pizzeria

One might wonder why I would blog about Pizza? Well, being a student in a completely new country is not always the most remarkable of situations. Most students must work to make money, buy their own food and have no mother cooking dinner for them. In situations like these pizzas are often life savers. Pizzas are great for student parties, they are a cheap dinner option and they don’t take a lot of time to make. Being employed for Papa Johns, I was interested to find out the best pizzeria in Niagara Falls.

For this blog, I will compare some of the most popular pizzerias in Niagara Falls according to their taste, quality, quantity, hygiene etc. Every week I will go to a pizzeria in Niagara Falls and order a popular pizza from the menu and judge them according to the above-mentioned criteria. The Pizzeria with the highest score will be the winner.