Roma Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Raleigh

It's easy to miss this place because it sits back from the main road a little. It's also not much to look at (hasn't been updated in a LONG time) - but as with many "hole in the wall" places, it's AWESOME! Hands down the best pizza in Raleigh, and the other food is excellent also. I've been coming here for about 15 years now, and have never had a bad meal. Started eating here when I lived nearby. Now I live about 20 miles away, and will make the drive any time I want Italian. The place is family owned by the same people for over 30 years. The wife is the one and only waitress, and the husband cooks. If you're a regular, it feels more like you're going to a family member's place for a meal rather than to a restaurant. They're some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. The wife must have a photographic memory, because she remembers EV-RY-THING! When we go she knows what we want to drink and what dressing we want on our salad. If we want a pizza, all we have to do is say we want a pizza - and she names off all the toppings we get on our pizza. She even remembers when our birthdays are! Spaghetti, baked ziti, chicken parm, eggplant parm, sausage peppers and mushrooms, lasagna, calzone - I've had it all, and it's all EXCELLENT! The Italian dressing for the salad is homemade right there. And don't forget to get a cannoli for dessert! They don't deliver, but they do take to go orders for pickup. It does take a little while to get your food. It's not some chain restaurant where they have a bunch of stuff sitting around pre-made so they can get it out to you in a couple minutes. This is quality stuff that they make to order when you order it - which is why it takes longer. Call ahead if you're in a hurry. Go eat here. NOW! You won't be...

This place is opened up under new management as of around may or june 2023. I have been going here for over ten years under the previous ownership and didn't know about the change when I went there a week ago. I ordered 2 pepperoni pizzas on the phone and had no idea of the change. When i arrived, the place was completely empty at lunch time. that should have been the first warning! I took my previously paid for pizza's home with me still not knowing about the change in ownership. After i got home, to my shock, the pizzas were so thin, the thickness of a saltine cracker would put it to shame. There was almost no cheese, sauce or pepperoni on them! It was horrible!!! I spent my money so i was going to eat them anyway so i did eat 2 pieces by force. After that i just couldn't take it anymore. I decided to try the second one. I opened the box and WHAM!!! I was flabbergasted to see a totally out of shape monstrosity of a mess!!! This pizza was so out of shape, one side had a huge lump that wouldn't fit in the box. So they decided to fold over the lump over and put it on TOP OF THE REST OF THE PIZZA,MAKING A SANDWICH OF MESS A WHOLE SLICE LONG!!! They would have done better cutting it off! I worked in pizza shops for years so I know what happened. It was put in the oven by someone who didn't know how to do it correctly and it was misshaped. you throw that one away! Then because it was so misshaped, they cut it in ten, yes ten randomly shaped non geometric shapes. It looked like one of the kids i heard screaming in the back cut it! I have never seen that before in my life! Some of the shapes started in the middle and didn't even reach the edge. All that plus the terribleness of the first pizza! Stay away from this place like you life depends on it. It...

This was quite literally the strangest experience I’ve ever had eating out. The reviews you will see for this place make it sound like it’s not bad, but apparently new management has come in. This was disgusting. We arrive, a solid 90 on the sanitation rating front and Center, empty, no music, no sounds, in fact no workers to be seen. Empty fridge, no ingredients prepared at all. The dining area filled with fake grass and velvet teal chairs with plastic wrap over the tables… and there was a prominent leak from the ceiling. If one had the luck to hear a sound, it was the sound of water smacking the tables. Anyways, the bathrooms were so nasty and the food took 30 minutes to come out, 3 slices. And the food was like fake pizza I’d prefer frozen. When I finished this poor meal, I have no clue where the dishes go and I bring them up and the man at the register had no idea where they went. All this may sound a little nit picky, but the worst part is the vagrants that stroll in and out, bringing in strong smoke odors and blowing up the bathroom. If you manage the make it past the exterior, you will have encountered at least 3 grumpy looking homeless folks that will stroll in and blare music....