Lucali

Reviews

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  rated by maryam • food critic 3 months ago

  5.0

  Lucali is one of those places that keeps it simple and gets it right. We sat outside and it was airy, relaxed, and honestly the perfect way to enjoy a New York pizza night without feeling cramped. The space feels unfussy and confident. Nothing overdesigned, just good energy and people there for the food. We ordered the Bianca and asked for hot peppers on one side, which was the right move. The crust is thin with just enough char and structure to hold that beautiful layer of melted mozzarella and ricotta. The Bianca is rich but not heavy, and the hot peppers added the perfect kick without overpowering the balance. Every slice felt intentional. The kale Caesar with chicken was equally solid. Crisp kale, well dressed, generous parmesan, and the chicken was cooked properly, which matters more than people think. It’s the kind of salad that actually holds its own next to the pizza instead of feeling like an afterthought. No pasta for us this time, and honestly we didn’t miss it. When the pizza is this good, you lean in. More on social media: @ratedbymaryam

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  MiamiFoodie 5 months ago

  5.0

  My friends and I went the other night and had the best time. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was amazing from start to finish. You can truly taste how fresh and high-quality every ingredient is - simple, perfect, and done right. The ambiance is so cozy and inviting, it made the whole experience even better. Our server kept raving about the pistachio tiramisu (apparently it’s the best), and I’m still mad at myself that we were too full to try it - that alone is reason enough to come back. Such a great vibe, incredible pizza, and wonderful service. Can’t wait to return (and saving room for dessert next time!).

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  Alaa Awan 6 months ago

  2.0

  Lucali is a pizza shop that is beyond overhyped. I arrived and was seated right away and I'm glad I did because I wouldn't put my name down for this place. The Kale Caesar came out in seconds of ordering and the croutons were delicious, only 4. The spicy 3 cheese fusilli was decent but nothing to write home about. Came out 2-3 minutes after the salad. The pizza is what I came for and it was a disaster. Came 47 minutes after the pasta... waiting.... waiting.... waiting....I asked for extra sauce and I'm glad I did because or else there would've been none, can you believe they charged me $4 for the extra sauce too? The crust was not soft and was way too crispy, crisp also had no flavor so just the middle part of the pizza was consumed. Overall the croutons were the best part of the meal. I feel robbed. I won't be back, better to go to the countless of other places that cater to the customer more. Also there was an animal they allowed to sit inside the lobby? Uhm, what's the outdoor patio for then? Who wants dogs surrounding them when they eat. 2 stars is generous. Do better!

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  Hagz 6 months ago

  5.0

  All I can say is, wow! Tried getting into the Brooklyn location but the wait times were 3 hours. This past week | was down in Miami Beach and decided to give this location a try and I am so glad that I did! Not sure if it was because of the tropical storm but getting in was a breeze. No wait. We walked right in. Sat down and was greeted very kindly by waitress. Kept it simple and went with cheese. Legit the pizza was out in less than 5 minutes! Pipping hot and basil was super fresh! Their crust has a phenomenal chew and taste they put just the right amount of sauce, which is nice and acidic. I recommend using the hot oil. Make sure to ask for it when you get the pizza. Gives it a nice kick! Pizza was amazing and I enjoyed my experience start to finish. Was in and out within 30 mins. 100% recommend!

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  Miltiadis Kastanis 3 months ago

  5.0

  This spot in Sunset Harbour has such a better vibe than the madness of South Beach. It feels cool and dimly lit but super welcoming, not pretentious. Let’s talk about the food because that’s why you’re reading this. We ordered a ton of food, and honestly, there wasn't a single thing that I wouldn't order again immediately. First off, the Pepperoni Chips. Do not even think about skipping these. I don't know how they get them this crispy without burning them, but they are addictive. It’s like the best part of the pizza but just in a bowl. We also grabbed the Caesar Salad to start, mostly to make ourselves feel better about all the carbs we were about to eat, but it was legit. Super cold, crunchy romaine, and they don’t skim on the parmesan or the dressing. It hit the spot perfectly. Then the heavy hitters came out. The Chicken Parm... wow. I’d seen photos of it, so I knew it was big, but seeing it on the table is wild. It’s huge. But the crazy part is that it stays crispy. I hate when chicken parm gets soggy from the sauce, but this breading held up the entire time. The sauce tastes like it’s been cooking for days—super rich and tangy. And obviously, the Pepperoni Pizza. Look, I take my pizza pretty seriously, and this is hands down the best pie I’ve had in Miami. Maybe anywhere. The crust is thin and has that perfect "crack" when you bite into it, but it’s still chewy enough to be satisfying. The pepperoni curls up into those little cups that hold the oil, and the ratio of cheese to sauce is just right. The service was also on point fast, friendly, and they didn't rush us even though the place was packed. If you haven't been yet, just go. It’s worth the wait, it’s worth the price, it’s worth the hype. 10/10.

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  adrianachitown 1 year ago

  1.0

  Just left Lucali in sunset harbour. I’m shocked of how awful the service was. Our waitress was Mila (Milagros) and I can honestly say she was the worst server I’ve ever encountered. I’m a local and a couple months ago was invited to a private event where we met and made pizza with the owner, Mark Lacono. He was incredibly nice to us and encouraged us to please come back, so tonight we did go back. Mila (Milagros) came to take our water order, the second she heard still water she turned around while we were still talking (we wanted to order drinks since we waited so long for her to show up) after about 10-15 minutes I politely put my hand up and smiled to get her attention and let’s just say that was the beginning of the end. She literally mocked me from afar, put her hand up back at me and rolled her eyes. I was so offended. My friend said look, she’s “staring you down”from the other table, I look over and she’s literally giving me a dirty look. What the hell? Is Mila actually mocking me then giving me dirty looks? We were all pretty shocked. But wait, it gets worse. I get up to ask the host where the bathroom is and to ask for the waitress’s name. (So that I never sit in her section again) The young host took the liberty to tell Mila that I asked for her name to when I return to the table from the bathroom Mila rushes the table and aggressively says “you want to know my name, it’s Mila” she was so pissed her face was red. My friends and I were speechless. It was literally aggressive, and completely unacceptable. Mark, we really loved you. We had a great time when Faena took us there but today Milagros had it out for me, her dislike for me made her incredibly unprofessional which ruined it for the entire table. If this wasn’t bad enough, the first two pizzas that came out were completely wrong! Bad service is one thing, but to have a staff member act in such an immature way was just unacceptable. Eye rolling, mocking me when trying to get her attention, dirty looks and confronting us about asking her name, really? We were left so disappointed. This was March 5th, we sat at the round table in front, next to the window at 6:35pm.

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  DayTrip58331894319 2 years ago

  2.0

  The Staff and the food here are very good. I gave the 2 stars because of the atrocious ambience. If the sounds of screaming kids being indulged by their inconsiderate parents is your thing, then have at it.

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  beth569 2 years ago

  3.0

  Pretty disappointed in a 16$ kale Caesar salad with nothing but kale and dressing. No parm. No croutons. Unbelievable actually.

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  OpinionatedAlchemist 2 years ago

  2.0

  My review is probably more about the poor choices made, then the average quality of the food - but this has been clearly a really poor food experience. We went quite late to Lucali- about 10:35. when we arrived the hostess told us, that we cannot dine in but just take the pie away. We went for a classic margherita and some chicken wings. It took eventually very long until we got our food. We went directly home- the walk just took 6 min. Already on the walk I realized that the box was cold - which could be confirmed when we opened the box in our room. Almost at room temperature the crust was extremely hard and the overall pizza was just not appealing - at all. A dominos pizza would have been at this stage better. The chicken wings? Overcooked and mini. Flavor was not great and the packaging steamed them- hence they were even not that crispy. Quite terrible.

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  Steveb1204 2 years ago

  5.0

  Hands down the best pizza in Miami! Lucali has a restaurant in Brooklyn and the pizza is Miami is just as good. There are many NYC pizza restaurants that opened in Miami like Joe’s but only Lucali tastes like the original. It’s always busy but sometimes you get lucky and can get a table at the bar next door. But no matter how long you have to wait, this pizza is with it.

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