Basil & Barley Pizzeria Napoletana — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

There are only two things that are upscale about this place: their ingredients and their prices. At our most recent visit, were seated at a table in the middle of the room (when there were booths open on the other side of the dining room). Then we were greeted by a waitress with a handheld computer in her face asking if we were ready to order. I find this the complete opposite of upscale and intimate, as the servers at any fancy place I've ever dined wrote my order or went by memory (depending on the number in the party, of course).

No doubt, the food is good, and they truly do use great ingredients. They also have interesting crust options, like hemp and barley. But, be willing to pay $15-20 per calzone or pizza (about 11" across, 8 small pieces, enough for one large meal). With drinks, you're talking upwards of $70 for a party of four, without appetizers or dessert. When the food and dining experience is excellent, I am OK with those prices. However, the good food just doesn't make up for the overall dining experience for me in this case. If there is more comfortable seating available on the other side of the dining room, that part should be opened. The temperature was far too cold and my group left completely chilled through. The food was barely warm when brought to the table. Though not full, the dining room was fairly loud; however the open layout and modern metal furnishings don't necessarily help. I find orders being hand-written provides a more classy feel, especially when the servers look so posh in their black bowties and suspenders. There are already enough people I see with screens constantly in their faces. I also found it horribly annoying that, when handed the tiny computer to complete my payment, the default tip was set to 25%. Nothing makes me re-evaulate how the service was more than a large automated tip suggestion.

Please understand that I think the food really is good. But there are other places where the food is just as good and, for the price, hit the mark for an upscale atmosphere and warm, hospitable service. For the food itself, I'd definitely return, but I can't get over the handheld computer ordering and payment tableside and the prices for...

Basil & Barley is the ONLY place you should go for pizza. The Neapolitan way is honestly the only way pizza should be made. Everything about Basil & and Barley is authentic from the beautiful imported wood-fired Italian brick oven to the pastas and hand-tossed pizzas (and I'm not talking about sad American-style pizza, so please don't expect that).

I've never known of a restaurateur/pizza expert as passionate about their trade as Roberto. The love and consideration that goes into selecting each and every ingredient is unmatched. Everything from the type of the imported flours, tomatoes and cheeses to the region the basil was grown in is carefully chosen to ensure the most authentic and tastiest experience.

I also highly recommend grabbing a friend or two and taking Roberto's pizza making class. It was the most fun my husband and I have had in a really long time. Roberto welcomed us into his kitchen for a private lesson in everything that makes Neapolitan pizza special and we got to try our hand at an art form that takes years to master. You will gain a whole new appreciation for the skill and for the pizzas you come in and enjoy. We also got to take home plenty of goodies and enjoy tons of food and drink after the class. The value is great and Roberto is seriously generous with this offer.

The service is also outstanding (shout-out to the best servers Daemon and Will!). I encourage you to get to know the brilliant people that make Basil & Barley thrive. Roberto is highly skilled and one of the coolest people we know. He has a lot of wisdom to teach and loves what he does which is refreshing and rare in the American service industry. In true Italian fashion, they will treat you like family.

Not to mention the food is always AMAZING and is the main reason we go back week after week. The menu is diverse and creative but we have our favorites! This place has the best gluten free crust, hands down! It is completely handmade and is nice and flavorful and perfectly chewy.

Do yourself a favor and dine at Basil & Barley and make reservations online for busier nights on the weekends. You will be blown...

I'm a sucker for brick oven pizza, and when we walked in, we loved the cool vibe of this place. Unfortunately, giant TVs on the wall ruin a restaurant for me, and this place has two giant TVs that feel very out of place. Are they trying to be a cool place to grab an awesome pizza, or are they trying to be a sports bar?

We ordered a caesar salad, and I can only assume that the dressing was added by someone who has never tasted salad before. It was so comically overdressed that we couldn't even choke it all down.

The margarita pizza tasted very good and we were happy with the crunchy outside and chewy inside of the crust. We also ordered one of the specialty pizzas that included the charcoal in the pizza dough. I did not love the texture of the crust - it definitely was not the same crispy/chewy texture of the normal dough. Definitely too dense, and a bit on the undercooked side. The not cooked enough part was probably because the pizza had way too many toppings on it. That seems ironic since they warn against choosing too many toppings on their menu, but this was one of their signature pizzas. I was looking forward to speck on the pizza, and the pizza did indeed have that topping. However, it was left in large pieces that were difficult to cut once they had crisped up in the oven. The pieces that were under other toppings did not crisp up at all so I felt like I was left with some undercooked and stringy pieces of speck.

I'm usually willing to forgive all sins if the service is exceptional. Our server was polite but seemed disinterested. She wasn't prompt with checking back and offering refills. She left dirty plates on the table when we were done. The place wasn't busy at all while we were there, and there were plenty of other employees standing around visiting, so the lack of attention definitely felt odd.

In the end, I don't feel we will be rushing back. For the prices they charge, I would expect a much...