Restaurant Reivew
Fratelli Pizza
Fratelli Pizza has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout the years including being named best pizza by readers of the Arizona Daily Sun from 2002-present. The pizza here is decent, although far from amazing. I am not sure what all the hype is about as the pizza was just average.
Fratelli has 2 locations: one on Route 66 and another in Flagstaff's historic downtown neighborhood. Both are very popular any day of the week, and even more so during the busy summer tourist season.
Food
At Fratelli, you can create your own pizza, choose from a long list of specialty options, or order by the slice. Slices of cheese, pepperoni, and pesto are $3 (available only until 4pm on Friday and Saturday).
We tried out a basic cheese and a veggie pizza. To be honest, we were not all that impressed. Perhaps I am biased from trying all the great local options flooding every Chicago neighborhood, however, I just was not that impressed here.
The bread sticks were unseasoned and boring. They reminded me of the bland breadsticks at Papa Johns that you need to dip in a bunch of sauce just to eat. I recommend Fratelli add some type of garlic drizzle or butter to flavor them up a bit.
The pizza crust was a bit too overcooked in our opinion. It also had that over floured taste. And the sauce tasted just a little bit too sugary. The veggie pizza was alright, while the plain cheese was a little bit better. Both were a bit overpriced for the small size.
In terms of quality, Fratelli uses real Wisconsin cheese and pepperoni with no nitrates or added preservatives. They use dark mixed greens as opposed to iceberg lettuce for their salads. Gluten-free diners will be pleased to know that they now offer a 10 inch gluten-free crust.
Overall, Fratelli is an okay choice if you are craving pizza. If anything, it is much better than over hyped neighbor Pizzicletta. At least at Fratelli you can enjoy a Friday night pizza splurge at a place that is not trying too hard to be trendy.
Service
I really did not like the general setup of this restaurant. Basically you have to scan the menu while waiting in a long, hot, stuffy line, which oftentimes goes out the door. Then you place your order at the counter and wait for someone to drop off your food. Why not hire a few waiters? This would cut down some of the frustration and make the dining experience a little more relaxing.
Atmosphere
The dining area could definitely be spruced up with some more interesting decor. There really isn't anything to look around at while eating besides the open kitchen and a bunch of tables crammed together.
On a side note, Fratelli really needs to invest in an air conditioner for the summer months. Even if it isn't that hot outside, it really gets stuffy due to the crowds and heat coming off from the kitchen. We were literally dripping while waiting for our food - and it was uncomfortable. Too bad they have no room for an outdoor patio to enjoy the mild summer nights of Flagstaff's beautiful summer season!
Final Remarks
Fratelli Pizza is decent by Flagstaff standards, however, it definitely does not even compare to the local pizza I have tasted in other areas of the country, especially the East coast and Midwest. Due to the heat and noisy setting, I recommend only using Fratelli for carryout services.
