Pompieri Pizza
| Address: | 102 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC 27701, USA |
| Phone: | +1 919-973-1589 |
| Site: | pompieripizza.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | Closed 11:12AM–10PM 11:12AM–10PM 11:12AM–10PM 11:12AM–11PM 11:12AM–11PM 11:12AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
BE
Beth Mandel
Definitely molded in BCBBs image, the short of Pompieri is this - great food, good service, meh atmosphere, and slightly-higher-than-average prices for Durham. In terms of atmosphere, I visited only a few days after it opened, and it was of course mobbed. But I dont think fewer people will solve the problem of noise. First, I expect it to be busy most times, but beyond that, similar to BCBB, it has a large open floor-plan with high ceilings, which, while it looks cool, just lets sound collect and bounce around such that its hard to hear much. I usually choose the patio option at BCBB for that reason, and hope Pompieri will come up with something similar. The decor is interesting, but seems to lack a bit of cohesion right now. I think perhaps there will be more coming down the pike the longer theyre open. Service was very prompt, although it seemed they had hired way more staff than they needed to, until they could see exactly what volume and speed would settle on. There were so many staff standing about waiting for something to do that they whisked plates away as soon as they perceived you to be done, which was disappointing to me. I was holding a large piece of crust I intended to dip in the truffle oil still remaining on my tray, but it was taken away before I could because the lack of pizza on the tray incorrectly signaled staff that I was finished. Plus having your table bussed so quickly just makes me feel like the restaurant is rushing me out, which I never appreciate. This brings me to the food. It was, of course, great. I know Seths restaurants source lots of local and fresh ingredients and put them to best use, so I was pleased and satisfied with the quality. I have just one minor complaint, which is that since they dont allow substitutions, it would be nice if they had a few more vegetarian or at least non-pork items on the menu. I know we live in the South and many people love pork, but there is still a strong contingent of vegetarian and kosher eaters, and there arent a lot of menu options for us at Pompieri. One other thing to mention - while the scissors they hand out to cut the pizza are a cute conceit, I didnt come out to dinner to do work. I think Id prefer if they just cut the pizzas for us. So my recommendation would be to visit during off hours (not at peak lunchtime and dinner hours) to avoid crowds, noise and rushing, and you wont be disappointed in the food. A nice addition to the downtown scene.
BR
Brendan Meyer
I wish I would have written a review before today. Ive been to Pompieri between 10 and 15 times since theyve opened and every experience prior to today was great. Today the service was laking severely. We had a simple order and one of the three pizza came out wrong, it was suppose to be gluten free but it wasnt. Still not a huge problem, it happens. The problem I had was a server asked me if there was anything she could do for me and I asked for a piece of bread to dip into the sauce. She informed me that it would be 70 cents for the bread. I feel that if you mess up an order to where the party can no longer eat together, you should maybe give them a free piece a bread. The gluten free pizza eventually came out but the extra sauce that we paid for was cold. Since they rushed the pizza, the pizzas crust was undercooked and not very crispy. At almost 50 dollars for 3 people to eat pizza, I would have expected more. I really wish I would have wrote a review sooner because before today I would have given it 5 stars.
MI
Michael Kouremetis
Upon entry, you are greeted by a pretty cool aquaponics system, where they get a lot of their green toppings from. It kept me occupied until the food came. Their Neopolitan pizza is divine. We had the maragrita and meat special. Truly well done. Of course, its all the better that they have the beer selection from Bull City next door. For dessert I was feeling ambitous so we got the Ever Changing Cheesecake. It was fried sweet potatoe cheesecake that had ricotta and was covered in graham crackers with whip cream. Im not exactly sure what happened next but I started to see colors Ive never seen before and entered a euphoric state. Needless to say, it was extroadinary, a must.
KR
Kristin V
I didnt know what pizza was supposed to taste like until I went to this place. In the words of the great Bruno Mars "Ive been locked out of heaven for too long". I was introduced to this place on a food tour I did in Durham. Friendly and passionate owner introduced us to this amazing style of pizza and very tasty wine. Ingredients are local and food is crafted with detail and heart. I enjoy the atmosphere as well. The fish tanks are amazing. Its a great place for families and date night. Everytime we go to Durham we eat here. We dont bother going to the other restaurants which Im sure are good too. But Im telling you, once you try this pizza everything else is just OK.
SC
Scott Morrison
The food was tasty, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the ambiance was nice, but the food did not seem to justify the price tag. In fairness, I think Bull City Burger and Brewery, which is owned/operated by the same people, is also over-priced. Their craft beer selection was decent but didnt blow me away, though the craft soda fountain is a cool, different idea. I also found their use of scissors instead of pizza cutters to be overly affected/"trying too hard". Personally I can find little reason to justify coming here instead of Pizzeria Toro, which is similarly pricey but has significantly better pizza, but your mileage may vary.
DA
Daniel Ozdowski
Owned by the same folks that go Bull City Burger & Brew, this wood-fired pizzeria has dining-hall style seating as well as some tables. The staff is super friendly, and helped us get a meal going that was the right size and flavor range for 4 adults and 1 kid. The pizza itself arrives blazing hot, fresh from the oven. The ingredients were all high quality, and the crust was somewhere in the middle range of "crispy" for what Ive had from wood fired ovens. The bar next door featured mostly local beer, with a few choice national taps. Theres a play area for kids, if you bring them along - our daughter made a few friends there.
AL
Alexandra B
My boyfriend and I LOVE Pompieri. Its great wood-fired pizza. The margarita is a must. The specialty pies are not my absolute favorite, but the classic sauce, mozerella, and basil is perfect. Weve also gotten the grilled vegetable side a few times, and fresh salads. The soda fountain is fun, and its great that they have a full bar available as well. The staff gives you some kitchen sheers to cut up the pizza and that makes it even more of an experience! Pompieri also offers a Sunday evening family style pizza dinner that we have yet to attend, but plan on trying out with some friends soon!
ER
Ernesto Robayo
Last weekend, my girlfriend and I had different types of pizza. She is a vegan and I am not, so I asked for the "meat of the day" pizza. The crust of both pizzas was burned for more than 25% of the total portion. The cheese in mine was almost nowhere to be found, same for the four small pieces of cured ham (yes, in total) on top of it. After eating what we could, we had to go out again looking for another restaurant to have something for lunch. This was pretty ridiculous, especially for the price I paid. Take-home message: if you want good quality pizza, save your money and go somewhere else.
