Twenty three years ago, the brothers Cole started the first iFratelli’s Pizza in Irving, TX. Today, the DFW area boasts nine locations as well as one full serve Italian restaurant under the same banner. Their dough for their thin crust pies is “hand-crafted” daily, and their red sauce, salad dressings, and meatballs are all made from scratch.
I know a few of my fellow pizza fanaticsĀ around the country have expressed disdain for iFratelli, but to me, it’s one of the best, anywhere. The reason is the same reason anybody has a favorite, it’s prepared to their liking, with the ingredients they prefer.
In the case of the Cole brothers, they make an exemplary thin crust pizza, my #2 favorite in the nation. (Sorry, Coles, like most people I have a hometown favorite, it’s Sammy’s Pizza in the Upper Midwest!)
But rest assured, every time I come to the DFW area, I make a beeline for iFratelli’s. I’ve even been picked up at the airport by a friend with one of their pies in hand!
What’s to like? The thin crust is crispy throughout the pie. Crispy, but firm enough that there is absolutely no hang or topping slippage. They’re light on the sauce, moderate on the cheese, and heavy on the toppings. iFratelli uses top grade pepperoni, in the pic below you will see no charring or cupping. They use a very flavorful sausage, and it’s crumbled, which I like easily as well as hand-pulled chunks. And of course, to be high on my list, you have to have green olives, and iFratelli doesn’t disappoint, they have sliced greens that have been marinaded in Sicilian style herbs and spices. So each bite of pie (shaped in a long oval and rectangularly sliced, Neapolitan style, you can expect nearly the same amount of toppings, cheese, sauce, and a nice herb assortment.
This pie is 1000x better than the “Big Italy” that I sampled at a Pizza Hut a few nights earlier.
For my money (and I spend MY money on the road), iFratelli is one of the nation’s best. Here are some coupons.
iFratelli Pizza Review