If you live in Charlotte, you have lots of choices when it comes to restaurants. However, just because it’s nearby, doesn’t mean it’s tasty. If you’re craving some of the best Italian food Charlotte NC offers, check out Tony’s Pizza. Around since the early 80s, our family-owned restaurants have some of the best authentic Italian food around.

Favorite Italian Dishes at Tony’s Pizza in Charlotte

We dish out some of the tastiest Italian food Charlotte NC has. Here are some of our favorites with a little background on each (in case you were wondering).

1. Ravioli

History traces this dish in Italy at least back to the 1500s. Since tomatoes weren’t around in that area yet, they cooked and served ravioli in a broth. Once tomatoes hit the scene around the 1800s, cooks slowly integrated them into recipes.

Mid 20^th century, toasted ravioli appeared. Who first created it, and where, is still up for debate. However, one thing that isn’t up for debate – it’s simply delightful. At Tony’s Pizza, we serve baked ravioli as an entree and toasted ravioli as an appetizer.

2. Lasagna

Lasagna has a history as long as its wavy noodles.  Originating around the Naples area, it spread throughout the region developing different versions. Generally, this meal suited special occasions best since it took so long to prepare from scratch and due to the expense of meat.

Once this tasty tidbit hit America, the process and expense changed. Meat cost less and dried pasta made it easier to create. And again, tomatoes enhanced this dish as well to make it more familiar to what we eat here today. Our team uses family recipes to create our baked cheesy delights.

3. Baked Ziti

Speaking of baked and cheesy, ziti is another popular Italian dish that we serve at Tony’s. Surprisingly, the Italian version sometimes contains a variety of ingredients including scrambled eggs. We keep ours simple yet satisfying with layers of pasta, freshly made tomato sauce and, of course, lots of cheese!

4. Parmigiana

Although many folks think Italian when parmigiana comes to mind, it actually hails from Asia. Originally (and likely due to cost and accessibility), parmigiana used layered veggies. Typically, the main ingredient was eggplant. However, some sources indicate it was zucchini. This dish made it to Italy around the 15^th century and evolved more into the dish we eat in the U.S. today.

We offer eggplant and chicken parmigiana as entrees or a sub (we also have meatball and sausage parmigiana subs).

5. Pizza

Of course, it’s hard to think of Italian food without pizza coming to mind. According to some sources, an Italian immigrant opened the first pizzeria in Manhattan around 1905. Since then, the style, crust and even toppings have proliferated across America. At Tony’s Pizza, we serve the iconic NY-style pizza with a magically crisp yet chewy crust. If you’ve never tried it, today is the day!

How Italian Food Made it to the US (and Charlotte!)

In case you were wondering how some of the best Italian food in Charlotte got here all the way from Italy, we’ve put together a little background. It all began in New York City in the late 1800s. Between then and the early 1900s, over 4 million immigrants arrived bringing their culture and robust, delicious family recipes. Unfortunately, the ingredients for these recipes weren’t always readily available. Thus, new dishes evolved with accessible ingredients.

Initially, only the Italian community indulged in these recipes. However, returning soldiers from WWII brought their fondness of pasta back home with them. Shortly thereafter, Italian immigrants opened restaurants to meet growing desire for their pasta and other delights.

Brothers Tony, Vinny and Mario grew up in New York (specifically Brooklyn) enjoying their own family’s recipes that trace all the way to Calabria, Italy. Eventually, they opened a NY-style pizza restaurant upstate then brought it and those delicious recipes to NC. The rest is tasty history!

FAQs About the Best Italian Food Charlotte NC Offers

If you’re still wondering about finding the best Italian food Charlotte NC offers, here are few frequently asked questions from our customers.

What Italian Dishes Do You Have?

As mentioned above, we have multiple traditional Italian and pasta entrees including spaghetti and meatballs. Moreover, we have abundant appetizers from garlic knots, cheese sticks and toasted ravioli to more American fare such as wings and fries. Likewise, we have subs, salads, calzones and stromboli. Complete your Italian meal with a delectable Italian dessert such as tiramisu, cannoli or cheesecake!

Where Can I Find Tony’s Pizza?

You’ll find our delicious food in our restaurants at the following locations:

In Huntersville, you’ll find us at:

• 9548 Mt. Holly-Huntersville RD

If in Mooresville, you’ll find Tony’s Pizza at:

• 688 Bluefield Rd

If you’re in Charlotte we’re located on:

• 1530 Overland Park Ln
• 1605 Galleria Blvd
• 14027 Conlan Circle

In Hickory we are at:

• 1832 Catawba Valley Blvd SE

Similarly, we’re not far if you live in one of Charlotte’s surrounding communities:

• Mint Hill
• Newell
• Matthews
• Mount Holly
• Harrisburg
• Belmont
• Fort Mill, SC

Who Serves The Best Italian Food Charlotte NC Offers?

Well, we’re a little biased but our customers also seem to think we’re pretty terrific.

“Amazing! Enjoyed everything about this place. Plenty of seating as you walk in. Order at the counter just like New York Style 😉… we ordered our usual half cheese half pepperoni 🍕 and it’s every bit New York style. The sauce is yummy! The crust is perfect. We are totally going back!” Marcio G.

Check out our other reviews and then drop by for a delicious bite!

We have lots of Tony’s Pizza locations throughout Charlotte and 1 in Hickory!