Pizzeria Locale – Boulder

Amazing food, incredible service, must try!
We sat at the bar, Alex and Nigel took care of us, both so sweet and attentive!
We ordered:
— mais pizza
— antica salad
— diavola pizza
— mercado salad
— arancino
— frittatine
— coconut gelato (must try)
Very affordable and delicious with a great atmosphere. Can’t say enough good things about it.

Great food, great atmosphere. The pizzas are so delicious, their dough is killer. Definitely one of my top date night restaurants.

I don’t understand how anyone could give this place anything but 5 stars. Food is amazing. Happy hour is quite possibly the best in Boulder although it lasts only 1 hour. Service is always wonderful and staff seems like they really care!

This restaurant is pretty much exactly the same as the fast casual version in Denver, only everything is twice as expensive. Beyond that, the service was slow and impersonal. My waiter messed up my order and hardly apologized or did anything to remedy it. The entire restaurant only has one single-​serve coed bathroom for everyone — making it a game of strategy to be able to so much as wash your hands before your meal. Our appetizer of meatballs was expensive for a very small portion.
There are many better pizza places to go to that will cost you much less — that will actually cut the pie for you. Yes, I get that it’s ‘fancier’ to have it uncut, but the crust here is so tough, you destroy your whole pie trying to portion it out to the rest of your party.

Pizza was delicious but over priced. If you want a quick slice (i.e. Sbarro) look elsewhere. More of an upscale pizza place, good sit down environment, and high quality ingredients.

Ate here tonight while visiting Boulder. Hands down one of the best pizza places I’ve been to! If you have the opportunity I would sit at the pizza bar and watch the guys make the pizza, pretty spectacular. Give this place a shot, you won’t regret it!

6÷3÷16 Update
I’m getting more disappointed with Locale, I took one star off and if I could have taken a half off, I would have. We took our daughter the other night and all 3 pizzas were burnt and bitter. ALL the pizzas coming out of the oven looked burnt and they had no problem serving them. The salads, arugula and asparagus, were drowning in dressing. I would have much preferred more greens and less dressing, it was overpowering. We were there early, at 5:30 so busy was not an excuse. For the price and portions at Pizzeria Locale, I expect more. Very disappointed.
Original Review
One of my favorite quick lunch places. I get a clean, fresh arugula salad, limoncello and Salsiccia peperoni pizza every time. I’ve yet to leave unhappy from the food. One thing I particularly like about Pizzeria Locale is their menu layout. The pizza is divided between red and white sauce options.
Their gluten free crust is delicious, though I prefer the traditional. It’s best to get your own pizza too, unless you’re sharing equally, but beware, someone is going to get robbed, there are no pizza rollers to be seen in this establishment.
The interior is industrial-​chic-​vintage-​subway tile bathroom-​esc. Tiled places are delightful, think Casamento’s in NOLA or Grand Central Station oyster bar.- but new and improved. Pizzeria Locale always has gorgeous fresh flowers and pleasant, helpful staff, two extra gold stars in my book.

Awesome service and pizza!!! Nicki is amazing, solo helpful and crazy busy keeps the ship a float! Jared is on point. Pizza was so tasty

These dudes give a damn about what they do. Very impressed. Would recommend to anyone.

Just had yet another great experience here. Alex the bartender is always amazing both with great cocktails and great conversation. Max was our server today and and was knowledgeable, timely and had a great recommendations.
Pizzeria Locale is always our go to for many occasions because the experience is always amazing and the execution from the kitchen and behind the bar is spot on. Truly great people elevating their service.
It’s also worth noting the that their menu changes with the seasons so you always have a reason to go in.

Pizzeria Locale is a great spot for both lunch and dinner. When you first walk in you see an elegant meat slicer displayed behind the bar. Enormous bouquet of fresh cut flowers in the center add to the ambiance as well. You can sit in booths, the bar or in front of eye-​catching pizza oven.
Well rounded wine list and Colorado beer offerings. I had the Mais pizza and it was a unique combination of flavors, unlike any pizza I’ve had before. Very thin dough, a medium crust, with a slight char on the bottom. I love corn on pizza, and the salty prosciutto was a perfectly balanced combination. Garlic and crème fraîche tied all the flavors together.
My boyfriend got the Bestia pizza. The combination of the 3 meats were spicy, savory and salty. The subtle hint of red onion was a great accompaniment to the rest of the pizza.
Service was fast, friendly and knowledgable. I would recommend this to any Boulderite or visitor looking for high end pizza

Still my favorite Pizza in Colorado. Authentic neapolitan pizza, great appetizers and deserts.
Still wish they would serve some bread with appetizers as it is standard in Bella Italia.

Items Selected:
Arancino — Risotto, Saffron, Mozzarella
Frittatine — Prosciutto Cotto, Provolone
Polpettine — Lamb and Pork Meatball, Pistachio Pesto, Pecorino
Bruschetta Zucca — Squash, Pancetta, Apple, Sage
Margherita — Crushed Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil
Budino — Butterscotch Pudding
Booking Frasca Food & Wine for Tuesday, the original idea to visit sister restaurant Pizzeria Locale for bites beforehand, a slight change of plans instead saw me visit the latter one day earlier and told by many that the Boulder location far outperforms satellite outposts in Kansas City and Denver the afternoon experience was indeed a good one, though not quite the best in town.
Located beside the best restaurant in Colorado, a sizable dining room peering into the open kitchen where a wood-​burning oven rapidly turns out perfectly charred pies, Pizzeria Locale was conceived as a joint effort between Lachlan Mackinnon-​Patterson and Bobby Stuckey in 2011 and since expanding with assistance from recently-​maligned Chipotle the original still sticks to its original formula of antipasti and pizzas plus desserts and salads, the first two my primary focus though a butterscotch pudding would prove impossible to turn down.
Soon to launch quickfire concepts in Ohio as well as Kansas it was mere seconds after arrival that I was offered a seat to dine and forgoing alcohol despite repeated offers a six item sampling was selected, round one featuring two cheesy nuggets from which a winner would be hard to determine while the ping-​pong ball sized Polpettine were unfortunately less inspiring, rich with herbs as acid tamed the pesto but on the insides a bit dried out.
Moving next to crispy grilled bread beneath roasted squash with sage dancing atop sweet and savory notes it was not long before Locale’s signature Margherita was brought forward, the leopard spotted crust uncut, puffy and pliable while puddles of fresh Mozzarella formed on a background of crushed tomatoes with leaves of basil lightly bathed I olive oil as well as salt.
Taking half of the lunch-​priced pie to go as desserts including fried dough, Hazelnut calzones and lemon pie called out it was nonetheless that the fourth Butterscotch Pudding in three days was selected, the parfait in a glass nicely balanced though not as inspired as others elsewhere a pleasant way to end the meal though vastly underselling the abilities of pastry team next door.

I has an awesome experience at Pizzeria Locale. The best mushrooms, simple and delicious pizza made in front of my eyes, that I have had in a long time. I was not expecting it to be so Italian, both in flavors and in the modern look of the restaurant. I loved the tables disposition as well as the bar. Many people prefer eating at the bar area so they can observe those skilled pizzaiolos in action. I was one of them. Nice touches everywhere like the beautiful flower arrangements (yes, we pay attention to those details) even at the bathroom, plus the device cutting the prosciutto, like in the old stores during my childhood. I recommended this restaurant to some friends who were visiting Google Boulder and they skipped the free corporate food to go there!

So I tried this place for the first time. We had reservations at 7pm, got there and our table was taking a little longer than expected so the manager bought us a round at the bar, which I thought was cool and fitting!
Once we got seated the waitress was nice and helpful. Now on to the food… so we ordered three pizzas the «BESTIA», «MAIS» and this other Mushroom one. The pizzas were good but not all that. It did seem as if they use a type of dough that sits lighter on the stomach because I didn’t feel super full afterward which was nice. The Bestia pizza just had a bunch of pepperoni, if I had to choose a favorite I guess it would be the mushroom one, but honestly I wasn’t impressed. The pizzas just didn’t have a flavor that resonated.
It was my sister’s bday so she got a complimentary dessert, which we also appreciated. I say this place is definitely a 5 when it comes to customer service, but the food falls a little short given the prices.

I love pizza and if deprived enough, I will fork over money for overpriced pizza that can be had for half the price at 800 degrees or Blaze. What annoyed me was that this pizza came uncut and when I asked for it to be sliced, the waitress referred me to the dull knives that we were provided. Maybe that would fly that Domino’s (probably not), but not at a sit-​down establishment! In any case, I was too hungry to care at the moment and pizza turned into a sloppy mess with ricotta flying every which way.
Walking in and first seeing the nice prosciutto in the slicer and the pizza oven, we had some high expectations. My friend was quite disappointed to learn that they didn’t have a full bar. They didn’t offer mimosas, so she got a Bloody Mary instead (very tasty, with pepper and a mozzarella ball instead of the traditional celery stalk). The limoncello spritz was somewhat disappointing.
We moved on to appetizers with the arancino first. I couldn’t taste or even visualize the saffron, but I did like the mozzarella ball within. The octopus in the polpo caldo was inconsistent, but I did enjoy the kale. The cauliflower appetizer had some good flavors. We tried four different pizzas including two whites and two reds. I got the ripieno classico because I was so enamored with the prosciutto sitting out front, but I actually preferred the whites I tried. The funghi had some amazing oyster mushrooms and the clam was finished with some nice white wine for flavor. The other red we tried was the diavola, which had some sausage that had a smokey flavor. Despite enjoying the toppings, the crust was too dense for my liking and several portions of the pizza were too burnt to consume. Take advantage of their lunch special for $ 10, otherwise, move along.

This is still the best pizza I’ve ever had. I’m pretty much convinced it’s the best pizza you can get anywhere. This place has earned the title of my favorite restaurant on Earth. Seriously. My family comes here literally every weekend (no joke). I’ve tried many of the pizzas on the menu, the margherita is obviously amazing and if it’s your first time you should try it. They have a new one with smoked salmon and crème fraîche that is very odd sounding but absolutely incredible. Obviously the crust is perfect and the toppings are always amazing.
The antica salad is a must have. It’s so fresh and simple and focuses on the best ingredients. Arugula, shaved parmesan, great olive oil, great balsamic vinegar, a little salt, divine. The frutti de mare is perfection as well! The poach each piece of seafood separately so it has exactly the right texture with a tart citrusy dressing that is the perfect complement. The arancino are always a huge hit as well.
For dessert you MUST MUST MUST try the budino. It is the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. I order it every time. The nutella saltimbocca is great, but the budino is something else. I’ve never felt the urge to physically fight someone over the last bite of food before trying this. I’ve seen people who hate dessert and hate food in general dig into this only to nearly lick the bowl clean grinning ear to ear. It’s magical.

Wow! Authentic Italian style pizza and custom appetizers that ROCK! Service by Natalie was outstanding! We started off with a Limoncello Spritz & local Incredible Pedal IPA.
The distilled water was also refreshing.
The Frittatine & Arancino deep fried cheesy delight mini balls were delicious!
The mini meatballs Polppettine were out of this world!
Salads Cesare & Antica were also very fresh and had the right mix of dressing & cheese. Croutons where crunchy and flavorful!
Then came the pizza with Italian pizzazz!
I add some extra toppings to my Salsiccia e Peperoni (note: no pepperoni on this) thinly sliced prosciutto was mouthwatering and a great addition. I also added wild mushrooms!
The butterscotch pudding at the end for dessert, is to die for! Magnificent! bon appétit!
See my photos for more of our fantastic feast!
Last tip; call ahead and reserve a table or you may be waiting outside…

Great place. Good wine list and a fine selection of Amaros and Vermouths. The bar man was super helpful and service was great.
Naturally I tried the pizza, which was great. Mind you, this is Pizza as they serve it in Northern Italy: it’s not crisply baked, you eat it with a fork and knife, just like you do in Milan. Quality ingredients and very good pizza.

I will be the first to tell you, I don’t spend time in Boulder. I will drive through when coming home from the mountains, and thats about it. I decided one Sunday night to show my roommate the north part of Denver during a wicked snowstorm. We ended up going west, and ended up there.
We were starving, so I had him look up places. We came to a mutual agreement on pizza, and thanks to the high ratings, we picked this place. It looked like street parking only, but I was pretty sure it was free on Sunday. Mind you, it snowing pretty hard– signs got covered quickly.
We entered, and it was pretty busy. We told them we were hungry, and said it would be a few minutes. He took my number, and we decided to walk down Pearl St to see the sights. Low and behold, they called shortly after. That was clutch, since the weather wasn’t getting better.
We got a seat in the corner, which was cool– nice view of the open kitchen! The restaurant itself is intimate, with about 20 tables or so, including a small bar (they sell beer, wine, and a small selection of Italian liqueurs) and seating at the kitchen. There is also a patio.
We were greeted with water, and smiles. I also noticed that every male that worked there was clean shaven.
I got some beer, and some mozzarella app, and believe it or not, a vegetarian pizza! I got the app since they roasted the tomatoes with it (I loathe raw tomato). It was decent! It still left me hungry.
The pizza came out, and I tell you what. It was loaded with flavor! So good, I was ready to order another! Believe it or not, I held back. However, I got some pudding and grappa for dessert. It was solid.
It was time to go hack the bad weather, they even gave me a fist bump on the way out. I tell you what, I like this place a lot. I will def give it 4.5 stars! Will have to def go back and try the other pizzas. I will be sure to get 2 next time…