Papa's Pizzeria — Restaurant in Palmetto

Those that follow my reviews know that we love to find those small tucked away hidden gems and love to support the small businesses trying to make it in a chain driven world.

Add to the mix that celebrity pizza reviews from one person in particular are all the rage and know it seems everyone is on the band wagon.

Not us. We keep it simple and we review everything and everywhere we go.

Wanted pizza for Sunday lunch while we were shopping around Bradenton/Palmetto today and saw this in Google maps just before we left home.

Nice to have a pizza place open at 11am on a Sunday.

Can't get a warmer more friendly greeting than that of Mr. Jimmy. We ordered up and then got what we sometimes call a "dining experience"

First we wanted to sample the wings. Wings are a hit and miss in Florida, and mostly a miss for many that we have tried. Papa's nails them! Perfectly cooked and sauced to perfection.

Now for the Za's. I had the "Pig Out" (Ham, Bacon, Pepperoni, and sausage). She had the Buffalo Chicken Pizza.

These pizzas are made with the cornmeal dusting, which some people don't care for, but we have no problem with it.

Cooked to absolute perfection in our book. Not well done, but not far from it. Gives that nice hint of char, no soggy flop, even with the heavy toppings, and a balance of chew and crispy crunch.

The sauce is amazing. The toppings plentiful. That cheese is just the right binder to hold it all together. Perfect bites every time.

Now, those living in the area from New York. Stop. Just please stop. Stop whining about no good New York Pizza in Florida. That's because this is Florida not New York. And...NY pie is way over rated.

We're originally from Ohio and prefer the Midwest style. Papa's is a perfect balance of Midwest meets East Coast (leaning towards Jersey style).

Prices are certainly fine for the times.

All in all, this is the 100% absolute best pizza we've had in Florida. After 7 years of living here, we finally found what we like and how we like it, including the wings.

Thank you Jimmy for the dining experience and we will...

Wth?! This was an awesome pizza find. I came in town for work and I want a simple cheese pizza.

I put up my Google map and just did a search for pizza. There were tons around me. I was turned off by the chains ones. Most of the others that came up looked more like a fancy Italian restaurant that happened to make pizza.

I just randomly picked this place. It was convenient and closed half an hour later than the other one I wanted to go to.

I walked in, whoever was behind the counter with super friendly and greeted me well. I live in Miami nobody does that. Lol

I got a large pie 16". I got it togo because I wanted to use the other half for lunch the next day.

The crust was thin, just the way I like it. Bottom was chared but not burnt. The cheese mixture was just right and the sauce was enough to be there but not enough to over power or make the crust soggy. A good combination of sweet. Tomatoey, salt, tangy to contast the savory cheese.

Best pizza Ive had on the west coast of Florida. Especially if you are into the thin cust New York style pizza.

The place was the standard pizza strip plaza place. Nothing special about the ambience but the pizza is fire and service...

Decided to try something new and this place is such a gem!! My fiancé and I ordered mozzarella sticks to start off, and they were hot, fresh, and the cheese pull was amazing. We then split a 10” pizza, my half was Tomato & Basil and his half was Buffalo Chicken, and it is genuinely some of the best pizza I have ever had. I also ordered a side salad and it was delicious. My fiancé also ordered buffalo chicken cheese steak. The meat was tender and juicy, bread was nice and crisp on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside and stuffed do the brim with meat and cheese. Mrs. Crystal, the owner, was working the front and she was very attentive and sweet. You can tell she is a people person. We also met the cook Eryn, and she was so nice as well. She is an amazing cook. This family owned business is just the place we needed here!! A perfect 10/10. Can’t wait...