07/17/2009 - For Pizza, Cavalli is pretty much as good as it gets. Nothing else there seems to be too fantastic, but it doesn't need to be.
I always get the basil pizza with pepperoni. My wife and I split one, and got salads. Great meal for around $14
Nick W., Arlington, TX
I ordered the Margherita Extra and thought it tasted great on its own, but kicked up to awesome with some parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes sprinkled on top. The crust was thin and flavorful, the sauce tasty, the cheese creamy. It was a very light pizza, not greasy or heavy at all, so no need for a nap afterward. But of course, you can still take one and I won't tell anybody!
Anyway, if you know me, I'm normally a Yelp hater when it comes the popular places, and I don't give out 5 stars very often. So you gotta know, this 5 star rating is legit. It truly is the "perfect pizza" as described on the menus.Nadeem A., Dallas, TX
Holy hell YES.
Irving salad with goat cheese, pecans & dried cherries, I'm coming for you... but I'm totally getting pizza too next time. Smelling it the whole while I'm eating something else - not again! That's why sweet baby Jesus invented takeout boxes.Lisa P., Arlington, TX
Eight of us met for lunch today. Driving from home, close to White Rock lake, I wondered what the heck i was doing coming this far for pizza... well, I totally don't regret it now. Cavalli was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Fresh ingredients, the pizzas came out FAST even though the joint was a hoppin', the service was great -- from the girl taking our orders to the pizza man coming to check on us and kindly asking if we'd ever heard of a website called Yelp (grin).
We got there at 11:30 and all eight of us were able to sit together at a big table... but if we waited any longer we might have been sitting all over the restaurant because it fills up quickly at lunchtime. I can say even though it is a trek from home, I'll be back. And hey, it's BYOB I have a reason to go at night now too!Leigh P., Dallas, TX
Pro tip: fork over the extra couple bucks for something with Prosciutto di Parma. Hard to beat.Brett N, New York, NY
We did try Campania (south lake), which is suppose to be part of the same Naples association as Cavalli. But the pizza was a cross between dominos and Cavalli. Something was just not right. Even the finished pizza looked nothing like Cavalli, or the pizza we have had in Italy. Perhaps we were there on a bad day.Robin B, Coppell, TX
We first heard about this place from friends whom we love dearly, but still find time to eat at Chili's and Olive Garden. They raved about Cavalli for a while before we were convinced it was a must try and when we finally ate there we were absolutely blown away.
Having been to Italy, this pizza is definitely the real deal! If you don't believe me, check out the certification they received from the Italian government, an organization that has nothing better to do than to help establish a group of pizza police to regulate the OCD requirements of the perfect Neapolitan pizza.
Whenever me and the wifey go we always order the Margharita Extra with Prosciutto (the owner's favorite) and the Lasagna and share both in half. My mouth is watering just thinking about that buffalo cheese and the perfectly baked pizza crust. All the ingredients are very fresh and even though you're eating pizza it feels healthy.
At first I was terrified the place might go out of business, but the last couple of times we went there for lunch there was a 30+ min wait for a table. Go for lunner or dinner if you can and don't forget about the Nutella pizza for dessert.Jeremy D, Irving, TX
That being said, we didn't like the roasted eggplant topping, but the margherita pizza is incredible. Also, the dessert pizzas are something else. We loved the La Nutella dessert pizza.Rahul P., Irving, TX
I've been back several times since, and have always enjoyed the pizzas. The caprese appetizer is also yummy. We always forget it's BYOB, otherwise we'd come with a bottle of wine in hand! It's a laid back atmosphere, and seems to be family-run business, as I always see the same staff working. A very nice experience. I love this place!Deja C., Dallas, TX
03/03/2009 - Cavalli Pizza: The no-so-hidden gem of Irving Italian foods
Have you been dreaming of that pizza margherita that you thought you left forever in Rome? Have you gone to a thousand Italian restaurants attempting to actualize your phantasmical whims? Don't give up now! The University News has finally discovered the perfect cure for Rome sickness, or for anyone who wants to discover the taste of true Italian pizza. Cavalli Pizza, the self-proclaimed first and only certified Neopolitan pizzeria in Texas, is the place that can sate your taste buds and your nostalgia. This family-owned joint cooks their pizzas in the classic Italian style, in a wood-burning stove that gets up to 800 degrees. Their dough is home-made right there in a massive mixing bowl, and the sauce comes from delicious San Marizano tomatoes. The dangerously low prices range from $6-10 for a scrumptious single pizza. Take your pick from the classic margherita, to bianca, rossa, Naples or, my favorite, the pesto chicken; they are all made from fresh ingredients for a taste of perfection. You pay when you order and the pizzas are brought out to your table, which we discovered makes it easy to accommodate over 30 people easily. In addition, Cavalli has amazing antipastas, insalates and desert pizzas, such as the scrumptious Nutella pie. Some native Italians also frequent Cavalli, always a good sign, and we asked them how they thought it compared to the real deal. Alessio Apostol said: "La pizza oli Cavalli i molto buone per essere fatal in USA oli souta portzoppo i nostri pizza oli hanno una cultura della pizza che dura ela anni. Il voto i 7/10." Roughly translated, they said that the pizza was very good for having been made in the United States and that they gave it a seven out of 10. There you have it: this place is as authentic as you can get without loafing around Rome, wishing you were still a sophomore.Camille Izlar
Dallas University News
Cavalli has a wood burning pizza oven burning at 800 degrees (I asked), cooking their pizzas in under 60 seconds.
They make all their dough in house, fresh, in a giant mixer (again, i asked). All of their tomato sauce is made from San Marizano tomatoes, imported from Italy, and it shows in the flavor.
For an appetizer we had the caprese and it was pretty good. Nothing special on the actual tomatoes themselves (I would have liked heirloom), but the mozzarella was great. Then, based of a recommendation from the staff, we had (two) of the large The Dallas pizzas. She said it would be great for guys as it was all meat. It was awesome. It had a couple types of sausage, some peperoni, and some other stuff sprinkled in. Very, very good. Then for the ladies we got The New York which is basically a Margarita with oregano instead of basil. The oregano taste really came through and worked out great.
Great deal. For two appetizers, three large pizzas and a couple sodas feeding 6 hungry people we got out of there for $50. Had we known it was BYOB we would have stopped at the closest gas station for some beer or cheap wine.
Is this some of the best pizza I have had in DFW? Yes. Will I go back? Yes. Was it a total bargain value? Yes.Colin B., Grand Prairie, TX
We had a mouth-watering salad with balsamic vinaigrette and gorgonzola, and a pizza margherita. The simplicity of that pizza is so beautiful: a light layer of fresh (and I mean fresh) tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. Add a swirl of good olive oil, and there is nothing more perfect! I hadn't had a pizza that good outside of Italy.
The prices are so reasonable, too. I will be a regular! I'll leave room for the Nutella dessert pizza next time.Kelly B., Dallas, TX
A little busy around peak lunch and dinner hours, because people who know, go.
Give it a try. The ingredients are great and the price is reasonable.Aaron, O., Irving, TX
Tom A., Irving, TX
The place isn't much to look at. It's located in a strip plaza just south of the highway (LBJ). There are plenty of other restaurants which have just opened as well. You walk in and you'll notice it's small. Probably seats about.. 50 people? When we went, it was on a windy Sunday afternoon. There were only two people dining and it was pretty quiet. The first thing that really got my attention though, was the smell. Because they use a real wood-fired grill that extends up through the roof, the wind was blowing some of that smoke back down into the oven and out into the restaurant. Folks, if that sounds bad, it really wasn't. You got to smell the fresh pizzas baking along with that smoke from the wood. Ooooo it was actually rather delightful for me. The guy at the cash register kept apologizing, but I told him it was great.
They have about 15 or so specialty pizzas on their menu. You can also custom build your own pizza starting with two basic pizzas - the Margherita (sauce, cheese and basil) or the New York (sauce, cheese and oregano). Every pizza they make it one size - personal sized. Besides pizza, they have several starters - numerous salads and some appetizers. They also have several dessert pizzas.
I ordered the Diavola pizza ($9) - fresh mozzarella, bell peppers, sausage, japapeno, basil and olive oil. Now, I have to admit, I had my doubts when I first heard that it was a "personal-sized" pizza. I thought, somebody with my appetite is going to need at least two of those bad boys. But it was actually pretty decent in size - about 12". The pizza was delicious, but I think because it had so many peppers and sausages on it, that it got a little soggy kind of quickly. Still, it was DELICIOUS. and the bell peppers were amazing. It wasn't too spicy at all and the crust is oh so authentically made. My wife ordered the Bianca pizza ($9) - fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced potatoes, rosemary, parmesan, and olive oil. This pizza is "white" meaning there isn't any tomato sauce. It's just the crust and lots of cheese, which she loves. The potato slices looked like potato chips, but instead of crunchy, they were soft and tender - delicious. Have I used that word too often in this review so far? I'm sorry, I just can't help it. We also ordered the Bruschetta ($6) as a starter and it was great. Seven slices of french bread (or Crostini) are grilled with tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil. It was really good and oh so crispy. They put a ton of tomatoes on there - perfect. To end the meal, we ordered the Tiramisu, which isn't on the menu, but was available that weekend as a special. Several minutes after ordering it, a very pleasant Italian woman came out with a huuuge slice of cake and told us she wanted to give us a big piece. Aw, I felt like she was the Italian grandmother I never had. All that was missing was her pinching my cheeks and telling me I needed to eat more because I was so skinny. Lol.
This place is great. The people are friendly, the food is delicious and the prices are reasonable. It's laid-back and very neighborhood friendly, but their pizzas taste oh-so-upscale. They have a frequent customer card and for every six pizzas you buy, you get one for free. It's cheesy, but I love free stuff. Haha. This place is new and it needs some word of mouth, so please, if you're ever in the Irving area, GIVE IT A TRY. I promise you won't be sorry.Preston T., Coppell, TX
The pizza has a thin but very tasty crust that is a little crispy, a bit charred on the bottom, and savory - no sugar in this dough, very little sauce but with nice tomato flavor, a bit of cheese (depending on what you order), and a scattering of meats (if requested).
I was surprised to see a sign saying their 11 inch margarita pizza (cheese and basil) is only 660 calories with 12g of fat. Very nice!
And speedy! I went in on a packed Friday night and had food in front of me before I had really settled in.
The dessert pizzas looked great! Folks around me were eating what looked like sweet calzones drizzled with chocolate. If I had been hungrier I would have had to try it.Ken T., Los Altos, CA
10/25/2008 - Was introduced to an Italian pizza restaurant (Cavalli's) in the Dallas area (Irving) this week, which has an awesome dessert pizza menu that includes Nutella pizza. I was in heaven! Gooey dark chocolate with hazelnuts in the middle of the pizza dough and drizzled with dark chocolate all over the top. I think they have another Nutella pizza with rum (maybe you can get it on the side :) ). Their other pizzas are yummy as well. There was a sign saying they are certified by an Italian association for Neapolitan pizza or something to that effect. Highly recommend!
Mai-Ly
The Margherita is a classic but my wife really liked the artichoke and Mozzarella (I think they called it the Stizza Special). What was really cool was that you could bring your own wine and they'll even give you the wine glasses.
The prices are extremely reasonable. Don't make a mistake, this is not your run of the mill pizzeria. This place uses authentic ingredients from Italy. The owners (also Italian) came out and made sure that everything was alright. Where else can you get such good service?!?!
We didn't try the desert pizza (because we were just too full from the other pizzas) but it seemed that every other person ordered one so we can't wait to try it next time we're down there.Vincent M., South Lyon, MI
This is as authentic as it gets ... the ingredients, the oven, even the owners are all Italian. The Italians know how to do it right and these guys would make Italy proud.
I was back the following evening, bottle of wine in hand (one of the customers recommended that), and they even hooked me up with a wine glass. My favorite so far is the margarita with prosciutto. The portions are perfect and doesn't leave you feeling like you've got a rock in your stomach like the typical greasy pizza joints. And if you've got room, definetly try the dessert pizza.
If you've never had pizza the way it is supposed to be made, do yourself a favor and check this place out!Michael G., San Diego, CA
I ordered the Margerita Extra and he ordered a pizza with sausage and all I can say is that this is the best pizza I've eaten and my husband and I couldn't believe I finished the whole thing by myself AND I ate some of the S'mores pizza I ordered (took the rest to go!). The crust is light and crispy, the sauce tastes like it's made fresh and not out of a can and they use fresh mozzarella...omg it's so good. Like other's have said their service is fast because the pizza came out like 5 min after we ordered it and the people working there are so nice. This place will definitely be the place where we get all of our pizza from now on.Lily M., Irving, TX
Like another here mentioned, not the best interior I've ever seen, but that doesn't matter to me.
It didn't appear that they had beer or wine and I didn't check if they allowed you to bring your own wine. Next time back I 'll check on that.Pete M., Plano, TX
So anyway I saw Carrie W's review the other day and was reminded of a review I had read in the Star-Telegram a few months ago about Cavalli's. Hubby and I hitched up the team and moseyed (how DO you spell that?) on over for lunch this past weekend. Cavalli's is located in a small strip mall consisting mostly of restaurants off Beltline and just south of the 635. It's easy to find.
Hubby and I split a Cavalli Salad and each had a pizza. I had the Contadina Pizza (mozzarella, sausage, mushrooms, basil) and hubby had the Parma Pizza (mozzarella di bufala, parma prosciutto, parmesan, olive oil). While the salad was fresh and delicious, the pizzas were absolutely to die for - thin, crisp flavorful crust and fresh delicious toppings. These are pizzas 'kissed' by high quality toppings. You won't find that 20-pound pizza here with 10 pounds of cheese and 5 pounds of greasy pepperoni (you already know where to go for that).
The staff was super-friendly and looked like they were happy to see us. That always makes a good impression on me (I am increasingly becoming annoyed by surly people - especially those who are taking my money). The decor isn't anything to write home about, but I found it pleasant. The tables are dark wood and the walls are a bright, happy yellow.
While Cavalli's isn't that far from my neck of the burbs, I sure wish it was closer (it's less than 20 miles - hey! I used to live in LA where driving 20 miles is like stepping next door!). Actually maybe it's a good thing it's not closer. Hubby and I would be eating there all the time and losing out on that home pizza-baking quality time.Diane T., Keller, TX
The crust is thin, crisp and fresh. Heck, they toss the pizza dough in front of you, you can't get any fresher than that!. I have to come back and try their other stuff.
I just came back from NY 3 weeks ago. I ate at Lombardi's the oldest pizza joint in the US, and Cavalli's pizza can definitely stand up to Lombardi's any day IMHO.Manny S., Keller, TX
06/29/2008 - I just had the best pizza ever and I found it in Irving, TX. Cavalli Pizza is the real deal, they are true Neapolitan Pizza just like they make it in Naples, Italy. They are actually the only pizzeria in texas certified by the Italian Government to serve true neapolitan Pizza. It is family owned and the prices are the best around by far. They only use fresh ingredients and they have special products brought in from Italy. This is the best of the best, a must try. Great job Cavalli Pizza, I will be back again for sure.
Petunia123
Justin C., Coppell, TX
Jon D., Irving, TX
Jay, Allen, TX
02/22/2008 - Cavalli Pizza in Irving sure does look like the real deal. Mom-and-pop owners Paolo and Clara are first-generation Americans who modestly point out that their recipe is protected by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, which implies certain ingredients and techniques, and who else can say that.
The tomatoes are imported from Italy, the dough is made on the premises "according to the strictest standards", including the use of Caputo flour, and leavened for 1 to 2 days, which enhances both flavor and texture.All of this is aces, but look also at the toppings. A "Margherita Extra" has buffalo mozzarella with those Italian San Marzano tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and salt. There are at least two pizzas without cheese. There is a pizza with potatoes and rosemary, and another with ham and egg. Egg! Pizza with egg is awesome. There are also four dessert pizzas including one with fruit and ricotta cheese. Yes.Teresa Gubbins
Best Bites: Dining out in DFW February 22
Now, about the pizza. It is an unbelievable taste that leaves you totally satisfied. No more greasy Domino's / Pizza Hut / Papa Murphy's... This is the pizza of the 21st century. The fact that it is delicious, plus that it is baked in 1:30 minutes makes it a great product. The service provided by the staff was excellent too. I will make this a regular place every time we go to DFW.
Next time I will write a review about that Nutella Pizza everyone is talking about.Raul S.,Oconomowoc, WI
I stopped by this newly opened place after work to take a pizza home. It's an authentic, wood fired pizza that used fresh mozzarella cheese. I had the Margherita pizza. It was incredible! Their dessert pizzas sounded good too.Anonymous
Ted P., Irving, TX
The owners (a husband and wife team) welcomed my husband and I in and let us know that we were their first customers ever! We sampled the good old fashioned Margherita pizza and chose to wash it down with an ice cold root beer (they do have a good selection of fountain drinks).
While our pizza was being baked, they explained the process of all the ingredients being shipped in from Italy, with the exception of a few things which were purchased from the local area. Their claim to fame is that they bake everything just like they do in Italy (wood burning stove) with fresh Italian ingredients. They adhere to the guidelines of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana which means its authentic! Even their chef is even a native Italian. He flipped our dough into the air and we were so impressed at how quickly the pizza came together.
**It only took 90 seconds, yes, 90 seconds in their wood burning stove to be cooked - that is great for a lunch break! The pizza was the perfect serving for 2 people. It is the size of what a normal chain would consider a small or medium pizza, but it was quite perfect. That is the only size that they come in, so for a group, you would need more than just 1 - and as quickly as they are made, you could order another if you were still hungry.
Their dough was so light and fluffy and didn't make me feel like I had eaten 4 pieces of it at all. Their dough also has only yeast, salt and water in it - no enzymes and additives. Their tomatoes are fresh too, so the sauce is fresh (and doesn't tasted like jarred or canned sauce). And though the pizza was fresh out of the oven, we ate it immediately without burning our mouths.
For any concerned (as I myself typically am), their price point is extremely affordable. Our Margherita pizza (that filled 2 adults) was only $6.97. Very cheap in comparison with the chain restaurants.
They also have dessert pizzas which come in 2 sizes and sound absolutely delectable (Nutella pizza anyone???). I cannot wait to go back and visit them. Another bonus is it is BYOB per the menu. How cool is that for a pizza place?!?
All and all, I highly recommend this place for anyone, particularly business people or travelers in this area. This will be a place I hope to see popping up all over the metroplex!!!rachel h., McKinney, TX
