DeAngelo's Neapolitan Italian Eatery — Restaurant in Haines City

Update: The last two times I've gotten glutened so won't be going back. BEWARE there is wheat flour everywhere!

Had a great gluten free lunch! It is difficult, to say the least, to get a gluten free meal in Haines City, but Neapolitan Italian Eatery managed to give me one and I'm so grateful to have a place to eat now when I'm in town.

They have gluten free pizza crust and spaghetti listed on the menu!

However, the biggest deal is that the owner, and servers, will go above and beyond to help you get a gluten free meal. Most of the time I get met with a lot of hostility, or total ignorance, when I ask about gluten free options when I try to eat at a restaurant, but Neapolitan will ensure the prep area for your food, and utensils, is free of being cross contaminated AND they are aware and totally transparent with every food item they have and would prepare for you. The owner will personally speak to you about it if the place isn't too busy.

My gluten free lunch was delish and I didn't have any kind of reaction afterwards. I had a burger (without a bun) and it was topped with shredded lettuce, sliced sweet onion, sliced tomato, mayo and a pickle spear. I did not need to order a side salad, but the one I did came with the House Italian dressing so I decided to try it on my burger/salad ... and wow it made it extra flavorful. The owner makes a delicious Italian dressing ... full of sweet, soft, herbs and mild vinegar and oil, and it melded perfectly with my burger and mayo. It was a very tasty combo of burger and salad and I plan on having it again ... and again.

The owner made it a point to make sure he knew what I needed (what I was allergic to) and was content with what I ordered. Really nice owner! My hubby ordered a tuna, tomato, salad and the waitress said it might have been cross contaminated when a tuna sub was made earlier so "don't eat off your husband's plate". How sweet was that!? I mean ... above and beyond ... a special quality in a restaurant.

The owner and I talked for a bit and I ended up ordering a gluten free pizza, for take-away. I was planning on cooking it later so he boxed it with foil so I could throw it in the oven later on. Once again I was handled like a friend and he created a fabulous pizza for me to feast on at home. It brought a tear to my eye watching him hand toss a soft, fluffy, stretchy, gluten laden pizza crust, but at least I can partake of his other creations, it's Friday night and I have a gluten free (dairy free) pizza for dinner I didn't have to make from scratch! :) UPDATE: the gluten free/dairy free pizza was great. All of the toppings were delicious, the sauce was great, and the crust was good for a gluten free one. Thanks!

Update: The last two times I've gotten pizza I've gotten glutened. My husband even warned me that there was flour flying all around the area of prep and the oven. The owner doesn't really understand that the gluten free pizza can't be handled with wheat flour all over your hands and put inside an oven slathered with wheat flour. He thinks if he uses gluten free crust and puts it on a piece of wax paper that's enough. I would be afraid to even order a burger anymore because he doesn't get that he needs to wash the flour off his hands and clean the area where he's making my burger. I'm really bummed to remove some stars and reduce his rating it, but I want to warn people that it's not a safe place if you have Celiac Disease. If you're gluten intolerant...

Well where do I start! My husband and I decided to try this place out we went in sat down it took about 5 or 10 minutes for the waitress to bring us a menu and silverware. The waitress took our drink order thank goodness I wasn't dying of thirst cause it took her for ever to bring it to us then we ordered hubby ordered lasagna and I got the fish sandwich. Well now that we have our order placed the wait begins and we wait and wait finally I see our food in the window and the cook rings the bell and our waitress looks at the kitchen window then picks up menus and silverware for some customers behind us and we wait and wait and as I was going to tell my hubby let's go this is rediculous some woman I'm assuming she was the manager or owner came with our plates waitress still at the table behind us she finally walks by tells us she will bring my husband's bread sticks to him they was almost done we said ok so we eat hubby complained about it cold in the middle my fish sandwich was well let's just say the tarter sauce was the bomb it was good fries was under cooked soft and soggyish so we finish eating and the waitress shows up with bread sticks and says your done already was I gone that long we said yes 15 to 20 minutes and she hand the bread sticks to him and says we'll just soak up the sauce and walked away and he grabs a bread sticks and they are so over cooked they are hard as a rock so we asked for our check and she brings our check and 2 more bread sticks that was softer but still over cooked. Needless to say our experience was horrible and the waitress didn't get a tip. I can say one thing I won't be going back and if the food and service is anything like it was today they won't be in business long. Last but not least this place does not wear masks or gloves yes I know we was very...

First in person visit. Family has brought "doggie bags" home of stromblis which are very good. I chose to get veal parm, a little disappointing. Il Forno in Lakeland is my gold standard for veal parm. This was no where close. Sauce on spaghetti looked and tasted like Ragu, which I don't purchase. Even with grated parm and more oregano, dull. The veal steak was good not great a couple of grizzle spots, nothing major. Well cooked, well sauced which appeared to be different from the spaghetti sauce, possibly pizza sauce? It was way better. The breadsticks that it came with were nice. Seasoned, and well cooked. A side of sauce would be nice, but plenty with dinner to use. Side salad, were nice, nothing special. Nice creamy Italian dressing, your typical food service item, thats not a bad thing. The stromboli family got was HUGE! Looked very good! I didn't try any. The pizzas I saw come out looked appetizing! From past stromboli left overs they are very tasty with a nice sauce to dip to spread on servings. My dinner seemed to come from the mystery kitchen in back. While pizza and strombolis were made out front by what looked like the owner. They also looked to be training new staff on our visit. All staff was pleasant, helpful, with only one minor quibble. Our server forgot the onion ring appetizer family ordered. No biggie with soup and salads they did not really want it. So we did not mention. Bottom line? Would I go back? YES! But I would stick to pizza or strombolis over dinners. And that sounded like the same for most of the phone orders I heard come in. The desert pizzas sounded interesting, I just was full. Note: They like many others now give a cash discount vs. card (thats the law and rules for visa etc.) I fully undetstand, just fyi. Also bring your card none of that fancy...