Stellina Pizzeria — Restaurant in Tysons

This was our first time visiting Stellina Pizzeria in Tysons, and we came to celebrate my daughter’s birthday with six of her friends. We had made a reservation on OpenTable for lunch after the girls got their nails done at Nothing in Between salon next door.

From the moment we arrived, we were greeted warmly by the manager/owner, who immediately called over our server. I let her know that our party was mostly kids, and she was quick to bring out kids’ menus and get everyone settled.

As expected, the kids were excited (and a little impatient!) while waiting for their food. I explained to them that this wasn’t a typical American pizzeria—everything here is made fresh to order. At one point, my toddler got curious and stood up to see what was happening. As we came inside, we bumped into the manager/owner and the chef, and jokingly I said, “Are you hiring? My son is looking for a job!” To my surprise, they played along and actually invited him into the kitchen.

Not only that, but once the other kids realized my son was in there, they all wanted to join—and the staff graciously welcomed them too! It was such a thoughtful gesture that made the birthday truly memorable. The kitchen was spotless and ran like a perfectly oiled machine, and the Italian dome oven was a showstopper. We also learned they offer kids’ cooking classes, which some of my friends already booked for future birthdays.

Now for the food: it was out of this world. No shortcuts—just authentic flavors you’d find in Italy. The ambience was beautifully done, stylish yet family-friendly, and overall the atmosphere felt special.

Where the experience fell short, unfortunately, was at the most important moment of the celebration. We ordered gelato for dessert and asked for a candle on the birthday girl’s serving so we could sing. The gelato came out without the candle. The kids finished, we reminded them again, and still no candle. It may sound small, but for a child’s birthday it’s a really important detail, and it was disappointing. A simple candle (or even a small complimentary birthday treat, as many restaurants do) would have made all the difference.

Overall, Stellina Pizzeria is a fantastic place with incredible food, a welcoming team, and a unique experience you won’t find at many restaurants. If they can pay more attention to those special details during celebrations, they could turn great meals into unforgettable memories. We wish them all the best and look forward to...

I wish I had read the negative reviews before the positive ones. The manager and staff require proper training in customer service. If you have a darker complexion, I would advise seeking customer service elsewhere, as the Hispanic staff in this area appear to look down upon such customers, behaving as if they are superior. There was no apology for the delay in receiving drinks and food despite the restaurant being empty. A table that arrived after us received their food before we did. The food was bland and lacked seasoning. When we reported that the pasta was hard and tasteless, the manager responded by saying, and I quote, “I’m not sure if you know but this is fresh pasta and it’s al dente.” I informed her that the pasta was not al dente and tasted like boxed pasta; fresh pasta typically cooks in less than five minutes compared to boxed pasta. Clearly, she lacks culinary training to be making assertions about how pasta should taste. The server appeared unwilling to engage or provide service; if one does not enjoy client-facing roles, it is best to avoid them altogether because customers do not come out to be treated poorly. As someone from the F&B industry, I understand everyone can have difficult days dealing with customers; however, I chose not to leave a tip as neither the staff, manager, nor kitchen showed any concern for the issues raised or made efforts to resolve them. I had to specifically request my check after speaking with the manager as if they wanted to avoid us. I would prefer to visit an Italian establishment with chefs knowledgeable about Italian cuisine. This experience was a disservice to Italian culture given the dry pizza, unappetizing pasta, subpar drinks, and poor customer service. I will not...

PROS: The waitstaff was kind, welcoming, warm, and personable. Within just a few minutes, we felt like regulars! They worked very hard to ensure we were taken care of, and were accommodating and lovely. Their service kept us from walking out.

CONS: A woman was photographing us without our consent the entire evening. We approached her and told her to stop, but she told us that it was "for the restaurant," and continued to take pictures of us eating. We never signed a release form or consented to our likenesses being used for anything.

The entire restaurant is hard surfaces (concrete and hardwood), so it's absolutely deafening inside. Our waiter could barely hear us, and there were maybe half a dozen people inside the restaurant. At no point did anyone address the issue of people loudly screaming at the bar. It was impossible to have even a basic conversation with someone 1 foot away.

The management has grossly inadequately staffed the restaurant for service. The waitstaff is stretched paper-thin across at least 3 sections, and we waited ~30 minutes between being able to get anyone's attention. We watched the house manager and the bartender wander around the restaurant like it was a lounge while the waitstaff worked to take care of customers. They did nothing to assist the waitstaff either with orders, with the woman photographing guests, or with the screaming patrons at the bar. Deeply...