Southern Living included the pizza at DeLuca’s Pizzeria on their list of the “South’s Best Pizza.” That is pretty high praise! Many locals say that this is the best pizza in Arkansas.
We love the pizza at DeLuca’s! The taste is a bit of Italy and a lot of New York.
But you don’t have to go to New York or Italy to get it!
You only have to go to downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas or to Breckenridge Village in Little Rock to experience this thin crust, brick oven fired, perfectly topped, delicious pizza.
Our Review of DeLuca’s Pizzeria
Here is our review of this restaurant.
I won’t keep you in suspense. We love this pizza and think that it is one of the best in Arkansas. They also serve an excellent hamburger!
Where is DeLuca’s Pizzeria?
There are now two DeLuca’s Pizzeria locations!
The original is in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas and the new location is at the recently revitalized Breckenridge Village Shopping Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Address of DeLuca’s Pizzeria in Hot Springs: 833 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901
The Hot Springs location has a great, busy atmosphere. It has dark colors, tends to be a little loud, and has a beautiful bar area.
It can be a little more difficult to park here, but we have always been fortunate to find street parking nearby. There are also paid lots in Hot Springs just a short walk away.
Address of DeLuca’s Pizzeria in Little Rock: 10301 N Rodney Parham Rd, Little Rock, AR 72227
We were really impressed with a recent visit to the new location! They have managed to keep the same fun atmosphere in a larger space. The food and service were as excellent as always.
Parking is much easier at the Little Rock location.
Opening Days and Hours
Because opening days and hours for restaurants are subject to change we do not include them on our restaurant reviews.
Be sure and go to DeLuca’s Pizzeria website to check opening days and hours!
Let’s Talk About the Food!
We all know that the best pizza starts with an amazing dough.
Unlike many other pizza places, all the pizza dough at Deluca’s is handmade in house. The dough is perfection and you can absolutely taste the difference.
It takes a while to make handmade dough. It isn’t something that can just be thrown together on the spot. The restaurant makes a certain amount of dough for the day and when it is gone, pizzas are done for the day.
Obviously, they try to make enough for everyone and I have always been able to get a pizza at DeLuca’s. But I do know that they occasionally run out of dough.
You can actually make a reservation to make sure that you will get one of these delectable pizzas.
Then there are the toppings. Oh my word…the toppings!
DeLuca’s pizza is topped with the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Plus, they have just the right amount of cheese and sauce.
I find that so many pizza places tend to overdo one or the other – not Deluca’s pizza – it has the perfect ratio of sauce to cheese to dough to toppings.
The pizzas are also cooked in super hot ovens.
The high heat yields a perfectly browned crust with a few darker spots. That is not burned, by the way, it is flavor!
TIP: If you like spicy food then I suggest that you try our favorite pizza at DeLuca’s, the Patsy Searcy Pie. (The Patsy Search is the pizza pictured below.) It is a delicious and unusual combination of spicy soppressata, Calabrian chili oil, peppadew peppers and honey.
SO good, but, warning, it does have some spicy heat.
But Wait, There’s More than Just Pizza at DeLuca’s
DeLuca’s has also become known for having a delectable hamburger.
Some people say that it is the best tasting burger they have ever had. The meat is a blend of aged beef specially sourced from a place in New York and flown in overnight.
Owner, Anthony Valinoti, says that it is more like a steak and that they treat it like one.
Besides the burger, I love the Caesar salad, and the meatball appetizer. Although it is not on the menu sometimes they also have a delicious focaccia bread which is in the photo below.
There will usually be some daily specials that are not on the regular menu that your server can tell you about.
TIP: Try the olive oil cake for dessert. It might sound strange, but it is moist and sweet and delicious.
The Story of how DeLuca’s Pizzeria came to Hot Springs
The proprietor of DeLuca’s is Anthony Valinoti. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
He basically heard about Hot Springs from a friend, visited the area, fell in love with it, never left, and started making pizza.
He worked hard to create the perfect pizza dough that he remembered from his childhood in Brooklyn.
He is also often at the restaurant rolling dough or sliding a pizza into the hot ovens, chatting with regular patrons and greeting new ones….
For me, it is almost always a sign that the food quality when the chef/owner is around on a regular basis.
Other Things You Might Need to Know
The pizzas at DeLuca’s are one size only and are very large. They are definitely shareable! Sometimes four of us share one pizza particularly if we are also having salads or appetizers.
However you know yourself and your own appetite!
I would suggest that you take a look at the menu before you go to make sure that you are comfortable with the prices. This is not inexpensive pizza, but in our opinion it is worth it.
Let us know if what you think about DeLuca’s Pizza!
Here are some more of our favorite Hot Springs Restaurants.
Thanks for stopping by!
