Pizzeria La Rocca — Restaurant in Seattle

There was definitely something off about this place. We came because of a recommendation from a sibling saying the pizza was good. Our experience was a bit more comprehensive. We had drinks, entrees, and pizza.

When we entered we were asked if we had a reservation, we did not. They sat us anyway. But then we noticed everyone coming in was asked the same question. The answer was always, no. It seemed like a passive aggressive question. Does the maître d', not have access to their bookings?! Seemed like a not so subtle message that we should have made a reservation, even though they would have been empty without us.

Then, the drinks. My wife had a house wine. It was almost undrinkable. My old-fashioned, could hardly be considered anything but a random assortment of liquids. We had a view of the drinks being made and it was nothing if not unorthodox, being made in a square craft and then handed off mid-mix to someone else that seemed to be a trainee.

The entrees were... okay. Messy and plated almost in a resentful manor. I asked for anchovies on my caesar salad and ended up with an entire can placed on top. Very questionable interpretation of my request.

The Margarita pizza was interesting (for kids). The flavor of the pizza dough was good, but so crispy it was like biting into a potato chip. The sauce was decent, but the shredded cheese was unmelted in spots. It was very interesting, but not worth the weird controlling vibes from maître d', and the $200+ bill for 2 adults and 2 small children.

The place could be really special as a daytime Italian cafe with gelato, and nighttime dinner service, but it was something else.

Edit: I was compelled to write this review after my very concerning experience. After writing it I started reading other reviews, some glowing, but others expressing similar concerns as my own, accompanied by responses from the owner being very defensive and accusatory. To the owner: if you are considering writing to defend yourself, first ask yourself, why so many people are on here warning people of the shortcomings and to go elsewhere. They are not blindly slinging mud. They are trying to be helpful. Ask yourself, how can I prevent this visceral reaction where somebody feels compelled to go to the internet and complain. Then work on that. Good luck. We will not...

We walked past La Rocca weekly, always curious, and after a 40-mile bike ride that left us ravenous, we finally made our move. We walked in ready to inhale anything with cheese and carbs, and honestly, we could’ve polished off two pizzas without blinking. We ordered the Quattro Stagioni, expecting a harmonious blend of toppings. What arrived was a surprise. Instead of the usual mix, each quarter of the pizza had its own distinct topping, like four mini pizzas sharing a crust but refusing to mingle. It was visually striking, definitely different, and not quite what we were craving but still delicious to say the least cause we polished it off as usual. That said, the crust was beautifully done, the ingredients fresh!

We also tried the Parma Salad, which sadly wasn’t our fav. Bland arugula, a few cherry tomatoes, but had lotsa shaved parmesan and the prosciutto reminded me of just a couple slices of lunchmeat. It was weird because the same meat was on the pizza and it tasted different. I would give another try on their salad on our next visit.

But then came the house wine, it was smooth, balanced, and the perfect companion to our pizza. It brought everything together in a way the salad couldn’t, and honestly, it might’ve saved the meal from becoming a post-ride tragedy.

I loved vibe inside warm and welcoming. It’s clear they care about quality and tradition. The umbrellas on the ceiling were my favorite and decor was fun to look at.

We’ll be back (probably hungry again), but next time we’ll go for something a little more unified. Maybe the Margherita or Capricciosa. I can see why they won the Seattle times best pizza...

Save yourself the trouble and go to Cornuto down the street at 72nd or so where they make a phenomenal Neapolitan pie. This place is expensive and stupid.

This place makes the dumbassiest pizza I've ever had in my life.

Zero gluten development in the dough. Crust is a generous term as it tastes like a single ferment cracker dough so the base is gummy and the crust is a ballooned torus with zero crumb.

I understand that the simplest pizza sauce is a passata served on Neapolitan pizzas, made of sieved San Marzano tomatoes and salt. I'm not sure what their pomodoro is made of but there's certainly no salt in it.

The bottom of the pie is baked beautifully, which is important. Gorgeous leopard spots. But if your oven is kissing the bottom with black spots and leaving the cheese cold, unmelted, and with zero color, your oven temperature needs a serious looking-at.

Speaking of ovens, they claim to have wood-fired ovens. Having worked for years and years in restaurants with wood-fired ovens, I've learned to expect a wood-fired flavor in things that are cooked in wood-fired ovens. But maybe the bullshitiest cracker dough on all of Greenwood can't spend enough time in the oven (clearly the case, see the cheese comment above) to get any wood-fired flavor.

I was still hungry after a couple slices and went to grab one and my wife asked, "Aren't you going to reheat it?" To which, "That's not going to make it better."

$55 for two pies takeout.

Similar pies are 1000% better at Cornuto and a few...