According to Fort Worth locals, this is where to get the best Italian food

Since I cannot personally reach every Fort Worth foodie, I’ve turned to the internet for a little help.

Nextdoor is a platform where locals can post thoughts and feelings about their neighborhoods. I’ve found this is a great way to hear about people’s restaurant cravings, too. You can find my profile by searching my name, Ella Gonzales.

I’ve been having such great conversations with local foodies, so I asked them for their restaurant recommendations. And boy, have I gotten an overwhelming amount.

There were a lot of Mediterranean, Mexican and Italian recommendations. So today we will dive into all things pizza and pasta.

Favorite local spots for Italian food in the Fort Worth area

Prima’s Pizza and Pasta

• Where is it? 6108 S. Hulen St.
• What is it? Hearty Italian fare, Neapolitan-style pizzas, chicken and seafood pasta, hot Italian sub-sandwiches.
• Recommended by: Lynne H., a 39-year Fort Worth local, when asked about her favorite “hidden gem” restaurants in Fort Worth.

Paisano’s Italian Restaurant

• Where is it? 9481 Benbrook Blvd., Benbrook
• What is it? Neapolitan, thin-crust pizza, calzones, hot and cold sub-sandwiches and entrees.
• Recommended by: Lynne H. also recommended this pizzeria.

Italy’s Pasta and Pizza

• Where is it? 800 E. Loop 820, Fort Worth.
• What is it? Calzone, stromboli, Italian heros, pasta and meat dishes. In Star-Telegram’s reader recommendations, the tortellini bolognese is suggested.
• Recommended by: Crystal T. says this is her “neighborhood favorite” in east Fort Worth. Star-Telegram readers say “The restaurant has a beautiful, pleasant atmosphere, and the staff treat customers like family. The food is tasty, reliable Italian.”

Pepe’s Pizza

• Where is it? 8224 Bedford Euless Road, North Richland Hills
• What is it? Custom pizzas and the “pizzadilla,” which is a double crust with cheese in between layers, topped with all the normal toppings.
• Recommended by: “Good pizza and wings,” according to Lydia V.

Milano’s Ristorante

• Where is it? 3416 W. 7th St.
• What is it? “Simple and real” pasta dishes from family recipes, pizza and hot sub-sandwiches.
• Recommended by: Dan Mustarde of Arlington Heights from Nextdoor recommends for “Italian fare.”

Aventino’s Italian Restaurant

• Where is it? 5800 Lovell Ave.
• What is it? Pastas with seafood, chicken and veal entrees including scallopini, ravioli carciofi (cheese-stuffed with creamy pesto, roasted artichoke heart and sautéed mushrooms), shrimp and salmon. Plus, of course, pastas.
• Recommended by: Numerous readers have recommended Aventino’s, which has been run by the same family since the early 1980s.

Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen

• Where is it? 5733 Crowley Road, Fort Worth
• What is it? Hot subs, pasta, chicken, seafood or veal entrees, spaghetti, calzones and brick oven-baked pizza.
• Recommended by: “Hole in the wall with outstanding food,” according to Elizabeth Colon. “Excellent and family owned,” said Sharon Hanson.

Moni’s Pizza & Pasta

• Where is it? 1730 W. Randol Mill Road, Arlington
• What is it? BYOB, brick oven pizzas, calzone and stromboli, sandwiches, pasta and entrees.
• Recommended by: Tammie Talbot suggested as a “hidden gem restaurant.” Star-Telegram’s Bud Kennedy also wrote a few years ago, “A mom-and-pop Italian spot known for, well, the dishes in its name. It’s so traditional that we worried a little bit when the website boasted of a new menu; we were relieved to find all the fettuccine, rigatoni and tortellini dishes that we’ve come to expect, as well as entrees that top out at $16.95.”

Cafe Bella

• Where is it? 3548 S. Hills Ave., Fort Worth
• What is it? Brick oven pizza, pasta dishes and chicken, seafood or veal entrees in the TCU neighborhood.
• Recommended by: “A wonderful, very tasty, gorgeous, affordable restaurant,” according to Val Junker. Bud Kennedy wrote that customers also like the salmon piccata or owner Eli Golemi’s salmon special.

Sam’s Pizza and Pasta

• Where is it? 601 Cedar St., Cedar Hill
• What is it? Pizza, stromboli, calzones, hot and cold sub-sandwiches, pastas and baked pastas.
• Recommended by: “Family owned, great food, and the prices are awesome! Been going there for 15 years. Half an hour away from us, but that’s just fine. It’s worth the trip,” according to Judith Davis.

If you want to connect with me on Nextdoor, my profile can be found under my name Ella Gonzales. Feel free to also send restaurant news tips to my email, egonzales@star-telegram.com.

Ella Gonzales

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.