Bella Italia Restaurant

This is the absolute BEST pizza in Tampa Bay! My family and I have been enjoying their pizza nearly every weekend for as long as I can remember. Now that I live out of town, I am sure to get Bella anytime that I am back home. Even my New Yorker friend believes it is the best pizza she has ever had! I love the family atmosphere and will always feel at home at Bella.

Happened to see it while driving by and decided to give it a try for lunch. I got the stromboli, my fiancé got the chicken marsala. Both were delicious and came out quickly. The stromboli had a nice crisp on the crust and marsala had that yummy wine flavor. Prices are very reasonable.

This place is far from «authentic Italian food» as other reviewers call it. More like a pizza place that serves expensive salads and finger food, much like what you would find adjacent to a college campus.
The pizza should get 4 or 5 stars, very good, for the price. The fried ravioli are great too. The antipasto salads have more meat and cheese than vegetables.
But the pasta is terrible! The noodles were over cooked and the sauces were nearly tasteless. The tomato wasn’t even as good as Barilla out of a jar, which I consider to be a pretty good baseline for «rich tomato flavor.» This stuff was watery. To the opposite extreme the Alfredo was slimy, not sure how that particular texture was achieved. Also relied too heavily on garlic and not enough cheese. Did I mention the pasta was over cooked?

Authentic style Italian food. Seems family owned and operated and the service was really nice. Excellent timing for a lunch time meal and they even had half portions on the menu that are perfect for a mid-​day meal. The only thing that was less than favorable was the parking situation and the limited spaces available due to the amount of other restaurants in the plaza.

Came in on a whim-​so glad I did! The owner recommended the meatball sub and did not steer me wrong! I will be coming back to try more of their menu-​tomorrow!!! Love the food, the atmosphere and how down to earth this restaurant is. If you haven’t tried this place, you’re missing out!!!

This is our first time here, we came in for dinner. It’s a steady flow of people in and out, but a little on the slower side. I ordered the veal parm, it’s pretty good no complaints! My husband ordered the the chicken parm, he thought the sauce was a little sweet. Erica was our server, she was very attentive. The food came out hot and fast! We’ll be back!

Was really looking forward to visiting this restaurant from reading the reviews but I have to say I’m a bit disappointed. Ordered the seafood Alfredo, which comes with shrimp, crab and scallops. My plate came with only 4 shrimps. When talked with the cook he apologized and said he would remove the charge from my bill, but instead gave me a small discount ($ 5.00). For a seafood plate that is $ 14.00 and only come with very little seafood is overpriced and not all that great either.

My favorite restaurant! Everything I’ve had is amazing, and now many of my coworkers are hooked on Bella, too. Occasionally, when I’m watching my figure, they’re able to just cook me up some of my favorite veggies mixed together even if it’s not a menu item. The owners are like friends to me now since I come in there so frequently.

Tried this place for the first time tonight… live within walking distance, everything was excellent and the service was awesome!!!
Would highly recommend!

I can’t believe the ratings on this place. It was also packed when we went, I don’t get it. They packed our party of 5 in a tight booth right by kitchen doors. The people behind us wrestling in their seats pushed our entire booth forcing us to move. Garlic bread is a dry frozen like garlic bread hammered with a bunch of paprika. Chicken picatta was the worst I’ve had, chicken was dry and overpowered by lemon juice. Pizza was decent, good tasting fresh crust, this was the saving grace that made it two stars. Service was good too.

Food was good. Ok service but not very attentive for only 2 tables on a dinner night.

I go here for lunch often. The food is always great and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. I highly recommend the cheesesteak.

Pizza was very yummy! The place was clean and our waitress was nice! Great experience will return!!!

Their pizza is awesome! My family and their friends have been going here for years! I highly recommend them! The atmosphere reminds me of the pizza joint in Mystic Pizza. It is nostalgic, and quaint. Great food!

I ordered a calzone to go for lunch and was out within 15 minutes and it was delicious.

Delicious pizzas, subs, and main dishes. We are lunch regulars for the chicken parm and lasagna, with an occasional change to their special pizza (red onions, red peppers, and sausage) or one of the subs (sausage or meatball with peppers).
The staff is very friendly and quick, generally bringing the check earlier, knowing we’re on lunch break. Luann always stops by our table to greet us, even if we aren’t in her area.
Solid basic Italian food, great service. Definitely recommend.

The food is really good, but a bit pricey for being in a strip mall. The veal picata is definitely my favorite.

I try out many different pizza places, trying to find a sweet spot that the family and I can really enjoy. It’s very difficult for someone who is tired of pizza chains and their excuse for what should be food. Also, «mom and pop» pizza places tend to be tiny holes in the wall and often cut corners to compete with the chains. That being said, I have stopped looking in the Largo/​Seminole area for good pizza.
Bella Italia was a great find. I have never tried anything on their except for the pizza, but I’ve never introduced a person to the place that hasn’t enjoyed it. My wife, for example, really enjoys the Greek salad, while a friend of mine thinks they have the best calzone around. The thing is; the food is made fresh. The pizzas are made right in front of you (if you were to stand at the counter and watch). The handmade touch can’t be beat. Pies from here are consistently great, with the right amount of seasoning and ingredients. Also, they have perfected crust making, in my humble opinion. If you like, they also have a section of imported beer and wine that are decent, if not extensive.
The restaurant is very clean and cozy. Some have made comment that it is small. Though that is true, one must keep in mind that it is family owned. Those kinds of places tend to be small for they don’t blow exorbitant amounts of revenue on showy floor space advertising and what not, instead letting the food quality and the hospitality speak for itself. Although it is not a very large store, they always are able to accommodate children and larger groups, reasonably.
Where do I begin about the staff?! What wonderful people! They know my voice over the phone (I do a lot of carry out), and they ask about the wife and kids when I visit, alone. They have a very friendly and casual way of addressing patrons that I can find no fault with.
Try Bella Italia as soon as you can. I think you’ll find it to be a great dining experience.

I probably shouldn’t be writing a review about this restaurant because it was really good up until my last visit and there was a live cockroach in my salad. I was very polite and called the waitress over and very discreetly pointed it out to her. She took the salad, said she was «sorry» and offered me a dessert (huh?) for «compensation». Really? Of course, I’ll never go there again.

Great prices and very decent food. This is not a fancy restaurant, but it will be hard to find better pizza and pasta dishes in a strip mall tucked between Starbucks and Firehouse. Family owned and operated, the service staff is friendly and your drink will never be empty. Be prepared to be included in a friendly conversation with staff and strangers if you sit over by the service area. If you want to read quietly while you eat, there are spots for that too.
I recommend the Chicken Parm or Eggplant Rollantini lunch specials if you are looking for an alternative to their very good pizza.