Tucked away in a strip mall just off Brooks School Drive and 116th Street is Buttita’s Pizzeria, a family-owned pizza joint that boasts ingredients made from scratch.
Co-owner John Buttitta’s family has been in the restaurant business on and off since the 1940s. John and his brother Jeff, the other co-owner, are no strangers to the ins and outs of running the operation.
John is the resident chef. He claims that all of the pizzeria’s ingredients are fresh and made from scratch. The dough for each pizza crust, which is thin crust, is made from scratch along with the pizza. John blends the pork for the Italian sausage topping in-house to ensure that the product is different than anything at other restaurants or grocery stores.
“I don’t like to do anything that isn’t authentic,” he said.
Buttitta’s Pizzeria stocks all the items a patron should expect – bread sticks, chicken wings, beer, sandwiches and other appetizers. But patrons should take a chance and ask John what’s off the menu.
“There are people that come in sometimes and just say, ‘Make me something a little different, something maybe off the menu,’” he said. “That’s fun to be creative.”
This week, John plans to craft a dish he recently tested. It consists of caramelized onions, fresh asparagus, penne pasta, a pinch of red pepper, and prosciutto blended together to make a unique item.
He said he likes to offer customers various Italian dishes every now and then, and encourages customers to ask for something different.
Buttitta’s opened its doors in January and faces only one major challenge – raising awareness of their location.
The restaurant recently started delivering to local neighborhoods.
Hours:
- Tuesday – Thursday: 5 p.m. through 9 p.m.
- Friday – Saturday: 5 p.m. through 10 p.m.
- Sunday: 5 p.m. through 8 p.m.
Phone: 845-9930
Address: 12664 E. 116th Street
Web: buttittaspizzeria.com