Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria

Famoso is a great pizza spot for a family dinner. Very popular on evenings and weekends.

They have a good variety of Italian dishes. I really recommend the meatball appetizers, they are moist and the sauce is great for dipping pizza crust.

There are many pizzas to choose from, with something for everyone. The food tasted good and the pizzas were well made with a nice light crust with a little crispiness.

I am disappointed!
I normally love famoso. We ordered this time over Uber, the pizza does not travel well and it was very overpriced. I know that goes with using Uber but I would say it’s not even worth ordering for take out. I would prefer to just go to the restaurant to eat.

The food is amazing and so is the environment of the restaurant. Samantha was an amazing server, could not have asked for better service! Enjoyed my experience a lot, would definitely recommend!

4 stars:
Second time dining in with a big group. I had the $20 rigatoni bolognese, which tasted good but arrived lukewarm and had less sauce than I anticipated. The pizzas are also good, although my friend noted his was slightly burnt. Getting two scoops of gelato for $5 during happy hour was well worth it, even though the scoops are quite small. All in all, not a bad place for a group gathering

I used to enjoy dining here but the last experience was a huge disappointment, food, service and cleanliness have all declined.

I must say, it was a delightful experience. The first thing that caught my attention was their charming patio. It had a cozy and inviting atmosphere with beautiful decor that added to the overall ambiance of the place. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a meal and soak in the surrounding beauty.

Now let's talk about the drinks. Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria definitely knows how to impress in this department. Their drink selection was fantastic, and I was particularly blown away by the quality and taste. Whether it was their signature cocktails or refreshing non-alcoholic options, each drink was expertly crafted and left me wanting more. It was evident that the staff took pride in their beverage offerings, and it showed in every sip. Speaking of the staff, I cannot praise them enough. The servers at Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria were exceptionally friendly and welcoming. From the moment I stepped foot inside, I felt like a valued guest. They were attentive, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to ensure my dining experience was enjoyable. Their warm and genuine hospitality truly added to the overall positive experience.

Had dinner with my friends from work here today. We loved everything. They had great options for both vegetarian and non vegetarian options. We had different pizzas of different sizes. I had the BBQ Chicken one and had a white sangria. Our server was a lovely lady. She made sure we were all right. You don't need to make a reservation.

I love the food here affordable and the waiter was soo good she was so patient and knows when to show up she is lovely.

They just didn't want to find a table for us (6 adults, 2 kids) even within the capacity limits.

Heard great things about this place, perhaps the pizza is better but the pasta is extremely disapointing. Was expecting much more flavor from an Italian restaurant. Thank god the garlic bread came with my order as everything else was so boring! I even called the restaurant before ordering (skip order) and asked to see if they could put extra garlic/sauce in my food which they said yes and it still came pretty dry and tasteless. Not a cheap order either: (very sad and disappointed.

Food was amazing, and service was super attentive and friendly! Loved the drinks, pasta, and appetizers that we got!

I went here today. I ordered Chicken Mexicali pizza and Alfredo fettucini pasta. Both of them were good.
I really loved the mint gelato for dessert! Prices are reasonable too and the quality is really good.

I will definetely visit again!

First off, this review is going to be biased because napoletana is probably my favourite style of pizza.

I would’ve likely started at 4 ’s and worked my way up from there.

What I ordered:

12” Cheese + Pepperoni

The one thing I always have to be cautious about is that when you order any type of oily cured meat on a pizza, there is going to be grease.

Aside from that, the pie was fantastic! I would’ve liked to see a little more black burnt edges on my crust but that’s about it.

What I liked:

Service server was attentive, polite and great overall. I do wish she would’ve told me about the 7” pie and salad that would’ve been more appropriate for lunch but that gives me a reason to go back.

Quality Look at the pizza oven, the right equipment combined with quality ingredients means that these guys can’t miss.

Pizza what I expected after seeing their oven. I would’ve liked it a little more charred on the crust but overall.

Atmosphere high top and dining height tables with lots of natural light. High ceilings make it feel bigger than it is. Great place for client lunches or celebrating a special occasion.

Overall, I will be back with friends and clients and I suggest you do as well!

Could not recommend this restaurant enough! I came for my birthday dinner after having some technical difficulties on my end making a reservation, and the staff was incredibly accommodating and compassionate with me. I was seated at a table very quickly, all COVID precautions were followed, the food was all delicious, our waitress was incredibly friendly and helpful, and the manager was so considerate of our situation and even sent me out a complimentary birthday dessert! Very grateful to Famoso for making my birthday special - this was already one of my favourite restaurants, and I will certainly continue to come back again and again.

Their margarita pizza is the blandest pizza I have ever tasted in my life, they need to fire their chef, they don’t even properly season the foods, their pasta is the same, very bland and no flavour yet they charge more than some other good Italian restaurants like La Cucina which has amazing pizza and pasta and deserts. Also this place has very rude cashiers and their customer service is very poor, they expect people to tip them when they are rude. I don’t tip rude servers!

The pizza was average at best and the pasta was pretty terrible. The texture was just soft and the rose sauce wasn’t good at all. I wouldn’t recommend or come back.

I ordered the Prawns A La Diavolo and it tasted amazing! The sauce was so rich and flavourful with the shrimp and I enjoyed it with the garlic bread too.

My Cesar salad was just alright. I think it could have used some more dressing. The dressing I got was also kinda weird. Not a standard white Cesar dressing

Had a nice dinner here. Good portion sizes and the service was great! While the pizza was tasty, my only complaint is that it was a bit soggy in the middle.

Great pizzeria to take the family! Service was quick and friendly, the pizzas were delicious and came in good sizes and varieties for children and adults alike.

I was very hopeful that this pizza was going to be really good. Menu looked great! However when I dug into it, the base crust was undercooked and very floppy and a bit raw. I tried to finish it but really couldn't. Service was good, but for sure they should cook the pizza a bit longer.

The pizzas here are SO good and we absolutely love that they have vegan options. We had an issue with a burnt/inedible pizza and not only were we taken care of, they went above and beyond the next time we ordered too. Shoutout to John for being so wonderful and to the entire staff for keeping us fed throughout the pandemic! 10/10 would recommend

Tried this place twice. I ordered the plant based pepperoni pizza. Both times the pizza came all soggy. The second time it was worst then the first, I felt like there was a cup of water on it from the extent of sogginess and floppiness.

With out a doubt, the best pizzeria in Waterloo. Many thanks for the extra attention you gave my last take out order. I look forward to sitting on the patio with my friends when we can safely open up! Cheers!

Looking at the great reviews I decided to order. I think mine was the last order and it was so pathetic, the base tasted bitter, the toppings were just in the centre of the pizza and not even spread properly.
I m never having this pizza again

2017: One of the best Italian restaurant in town! From the food to the desserts, everything is divine! Amazing ambiance. They also have outdoor seating. Place is very popular so be sure to make reservations.
My personal favorites are the Bolognese, Primavera pasta, Funghi pizza and Nutella pizza.
Special note: take it from someone who's lived in Italy, this place has the best Tiramisu I've had outside of Italy! You might go there simply for that experience!

Update 2021: This place has really fallen in quality and quantity with the times. They took some popular items off the menu e.g. The pesto primavera pasta, and the tiramisu's taste has changed (aka deteriorated) multiple times over the past few years. At this point this place just feels overpriced for the quantities they provide. The patio is nice and the servers are great but honestly, there are better options for the pizza and pasta around the city.

Best quality pizza so far in tri cities, if you have tried bread bar in guelph then this pizza falls just below bread bar level pizza but still very very good.

Do not sleep on the Tuscan for no chicken, easily feeds 3 people and is delicious but slightly greasy so if that’s not your style avoid

Love, love, love. My go to Monday spot. Their sangria is incredible and everything in the menu is delicious! If you go, you have to try the soup!

Went there for lunch date. Fantastic food. The fire roasted Tomato bisque Fantastic. The salads fresh very tasty ingredients in all of our food. We over ate.

Definitely worth visiting.

Decent atmosphere, but I didn't think much of the pizza to be honest. The staff was nice and the location was very clean. My friend mentioned that the pizza is usually a lot better so maybe I just went on an off day. Prices are as you'd expect and given the location, if the food was better, I'd say it's worthwhile.

First time went here and the pizza from this place is beyond amazing! A must try for all pizza lover!

Terrible gluten free pizza. Came out cold, and the crust was so thin that you literally couldn’t even eat it. You couldn’t pick it up or eat it with a fork because it just fell to pieces. They also skimp on the toppings. Ended up attempting to eat a slice and threw the rest out. My boyfriend got a regular crust pizza and many parts of it were cold as well. Considering it was expensive I wouldn’t go and waste your time or money if you’re looking for a good quality meal.

Unlike your average North American pizza, all dough and cheap cheese, Famoso offers a variety of quality toppings that actually go well with the pizza, while still paying attention to the cheese and tomato sauce. Recommended if you feel like pizza but still care about the taste.

Never disappoints. One of the free reliable spots in uptown that always delivers. Great pasta, and pizza. Love their tomato bisque soup!

The service and food are always great here, the Margarita Pizza and the Mediterranean flatbread are my favorites. The only complaint would be parking is a pain but that's more of a city of Waterloo issue.

U want Italian pizza? U want to feel u are in Italy but gluten is Ur issue? There is a solution for u, Famoso Neapolitan pizzeria uptown Waterloo has the best gluten free one!

I had a great experience here. The pesto primavera pasta was excellent, among the best I've had. I added prawns to the dish for $6 though and I did not feel like there were enough considering the price.

The pizza was okay, but the crust was slightly soggy by the time we got it and was not too hot. Maybe it was just sitting too long while the pasta was being prepared, but I would expect better.

Overall I was still very happy with my time there, I just had more to say about some of the negatives. Would definitely come here again.

Not worth it and I would really not recommend this to anyone. It is not worth the price for the taste and quantity of toppings. We would like pizza with decent amount of toppings, but this place is far from it. We ordered prawn pesto of 12" and found on an average just ONE small prawn per slice! To look filling they added a lot of Arugula on top. We also didn't find much garlic nor onion in it. Moreover, to cook all this they took 25 mins and we were the only customer on a Monday night at 9: 30 PM.

We had also ordered Mediterranean flatbread with hummus and again the hummus quantity was very low compared to the flat breads they served. Most of them (bread) were burnt anyways.

I am really sorry for this review. But we have eaten pizza's at lot of places and found this to be on lower end.

High quality authentic pizza with a really warm atmosphere. Reasonable prices for the quality of food. However we ordered the cauliflower artichoke dip which was phenomenal, however not enough bread was provided so we had to order more as there was still half the dip left. In the end we were charged for ordering the extra bread. They did not give us enough in the first place to get through the entire dip, pretty cheap of them as you’re basically forced to order extra. I mentioned this to the staff and they agreed however I guess it’s not up to them to make changes and they waived the extra charge, which was very kind of them. Also the knives are not sharp enough to cut through the pizza easily. Overall it’s a great place and would come back.

This was our first time at Famoso. We were greeted with a very friendly hostess. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. I ordered the 7" margherita pizza with the side ceasar salad. They were both really good! Definitely reccomend. My only complaint was there was very little fresh basil on the pizza. If there was 4 tiny little pieces that would be about it. But other wise it was really good. We had a wonderful evening out with friends. They never rushed us out which was nice. Will definitely go back again!

This review really pains me to write because, until yesterday, I would have left them a 5 star for how much I love their takeout.

Famoso is one of my absolute favorite spots to order takeout/pickup so, when it was time to decide where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner and engagement party, I knew I wanted to sit in.

Knowing how busy they would be on a Sunday evening, my fiancee called in about 30 minutes before my party (6 people) would arrive.

We were told they do not take reservations but had a wait list we could add our names to - so we did over the phone at 6 pm. When my family arrived at 630, we were told it would still be a bit because they did not have space for us (this was fine- we understand).

After about 20 minutes a server came over and told us that we would be seated shortly - they billed a couple tables and just had to wait. Again, we were fine with that.

Another 20 minutes go by and NO manager or server came by to talk to us or let us know what was going on. People came in and got sat right away but still we waited.

After watching a group of 4 get sat right away, we started getting frustrated. We saw empty tables.why couldn't they move a couple around for us?

Apparently they 'arent able to move tables". Um what? I've worked at and managed many restaurants around the city and have never heard or seen this before.especially when they have the space and open tables? !? !? !?
Needless to say, we gave up.

On my special day.after waiting 45 minutes with no apologies or feeling like anyone really cared at ALL about our party.we left and went to Beer Town next door where we got seated right away and had great food and service.

I AM SO DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I LOVE THEIR FOOD SO MUCH!

So I caution anyone with a party over 4 people - don't even bother. It was clear they just wanted small tables they could turn around and did not even care about us.

To be honest, this experience turned me off completely. Will probably just take my business elsewhere from now on.

Received the reminder to review Famoso when I was away on a trip and had very poor WiFi connection. So here we go.a couple reasons why I rate Famoso only 2 stars: service was bad (I asked three times for honey for my tea.finally gave up and went to the bar to get it myself, by which time my tea was cold) …. The pizza I ordered (Margherita, which is supposed to be just cheese and fresh basil leaves, had hardly any cheese on it at all and three tiny leaves). I've had true Margherita pizza, in Naples, Italy, and this pizza was nowhere near that in taste or quality. For a place that specializes in pizza, I had higher expectations. Sorry.

We ordered our appetizer within a reasonable wait time, at which point we told our server that we needed a few more minutes to decide on our entree. We waited for a while before she finally brought us our water that we ordered with our appetizer. We informed our server that we were ready to order our entree. We were told she had to go get her iPad. We waited for an unreasonable amount of time before I finally flagged her down and told her that we had been waiting to place our order for a long time. I was then informed that she had to go get her iPad, and we had to wait some more. Finally we were able to place our order. A single 12" pizza (easy enough to remember without an iPad). Eventually our appetizer arrived, and it was delicious (it's hard to get an artichoke dip wrong, let's be honest). We ate every last crumb of the appetizer. And then we waited. We waited for a long time. Eventually our server appeared to tell us "we just checked the wait time on your pizza and it's been too long so the pizza is on us". Thankfully we didn't have to pay for the pizza, because it was absolutely disappointing and not worth the 40+ minute wait. The crust was soggy and soaked through, either was undercooked or was cooked and cut and sitting for a while for the whole crust to be soggy like that. Had heard a lot of positive things about this place, so overall this was about as disappointing of an experience as I can imagine.

Poor reception at the door, very poor hostess skills, our reservation was “forgotten about”. We were told we could wait until a table became free. No apology from the manager behind the bar, in fact she did her best to avoid speaking to myself or our party.

I used to live in the K/W area and loved going to Famoso. When I heard my party wanted to celebrate in K/W I said I knew the perfect place. What an embarrassment!

I went to Beertown next door and was greeted by a wonderful hostess. Shown directly to a table for our party of five. We had excellent service, an excellent meal and a complementary cake was brought to the guest in my party who’s birthday we were celebrating!

Will never return to Famoso again unfortunately, what a shame!

Had a very unfortunate experience for our first (and likely last) visit to famoso. Had heard great things about the food. When we arrived it was very busy so perhaps it was an off night for the staff but still. We were seated and our server told us she was new & being shadowed. She took our drink & appetizer order right away and needed a couple minutes to pick a pizza. Then we waited. And waited. Eventually another server came by and asked if we were ready to order. We were so ready. Then before we could, she walked away and didn't come back for over 20 minutes. We kept making eye contact with her & our original server and they saw us but continued doing other tasks. Finally my boyfriend flagged the 2nd server down. She said she couldn't take our order because she didn't have her iPad. We only wanted to order one standard 12" pizza.
Upon ordering it we were told it would be "fired right away". We then waited for over 40 minutes. At this point we'd been there one hour. Famished. The 2nd server eventually came by again and said she looked at our wait time and it was "too long" so our pizza would be comped. Which I appreciate and hence have provided 2 stars. However when the pizza did arrive it was extremely undercooked. The dough was wet & limp, and the pizza somehow had little flavour to it despite having several toppings that should have been delicious. The bottom of the pizza was so heavily floured there were pea sized lumps of raw flour which was the most predominant taste. We left & went to the grocery store to buy food we could eat after 1.5 hrs of bad service, a good appetizer, and an extremely undercooked bland pizza.

This review is a long time coming.

I've visited Famoso Uptown Waterloo quite a few times (maybe 8) with my family over the last couple years and we love this place.

Not only is the staff pleasant to deal with, but the food is fantastic and the restaurant is clean. We've tried almost everything on the menu over our visits but my families favourites are the margherita pizza (well, any of the pizzas really) and sometimes my kids get the different pastas which have all been delicious. The marinara sauce they use for the linquine dish is extremely tasty.

All of the pizzas are made to order and fired in a 900 degree oven. Every pizza we've tried here has been great, no complaints at all.

They run daily drink specials as well and I've tried a few spread out over previous visits and all have been excellent.

Well done Famoso Waterloo! We will be back for sure! Cheers!