Highly recommended!!!!! Been here several times since moving to SC from NY. Definitely the best place we've found south of Brooklyn. Good is great and even more importantly, it's great consistently. The counter staff is always friendly and quick to get you your food. Everything is always spot on, including their homemade Italian ices. More importantly, those ices are available all year long. For anyone who knows good Italian ices, Cucinella's definitely compares to the likes of Marino's. This place has a great NYC pizza joint vibe. Simple yet awesome decor, my kinda music playing discretely in the background. Low enough to enjoy a conversation over lunch but loud enough to hear. Best of all, you can buy a pie (a pizza pie) whole or by the slice. If you're in the area, it would be worth your stopping in. Enjoy!!! read more

See all

This is the best pizza in town! And oh! The caprese !!! Jimmy the owner made our experience wonderful. read more

See all

I'm not sure what the hype is about. This pizza really isn't very good. Maybe a bit better than Little Caesar's but absolutely not even in the same time zone as NY pizza. Keep in mind, NY style isn't even my favorite style, If the pizza is good, it's good. This was meh. I am being really generous with the three stars. It wasn't horrible. I had the cheese pizza because that's the way to tell how good the pizza is. The cheese tasted like Sysco bulk cheese. The sauce has almost no flavor. The crust was bland but not horrible. I think the frozen pizza from Kroger has more flavor. I thought I got covid again it was so bland. I hate to be so critical of a family owned business and I generally don't blast a place I am trying for the first time. The best thing I can say about this place is that they have a variety of toppings, though I didn't try them. read more

Bland, skimpy on the meat, overpriced for mediocre food. They've gone downhill. Was alright when they first opened, now idk what happened.

This has been our go to pizza place for the last couple of years. We love the staff, the pizza is good, and they used to have the best selection of chips in town. Now under new management and they've made a few changes. One of the most disappointing is that they got rid of the good chips and are stocking generic blah chips. Other customers have complained, but apparently it falls on deaf ears. Staff is still great. read more

I ordered an 18" Aloha Pizza. We gave been looking for a good pizza with plenty of toppings. This pizza did not disappoint. It contained large pieces of ham, bacon and chunks of pineapple. The sauce was tasty and the crust was thin. I ordered over the phone and it was ready when I picked it up. Good service! Military discount given. read more

We love Cucinella's and we were regular customers, but something has recently changed and we've decided to take a break. First, the chicken that they put on the pies is BREADED with spices. It doesn't work on pizza and seems like it should be used in salads or on sandwiches. The crust seems thicker and doughier, which I don't care for, and they've run out of ingredients a couple of times which has been very disappointing. I'm sad because I thought we'd found our forever local pizza home, but the search continues... read more

Other than the ordering from the counter format,we were happy with our dinner tonight. Pizza was very good but also quite greasy. Caprese salad was excellent. We would try a pizza from here another time. read more

Cucinella's - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

See all

Delicious! Pizza and garlic knots were amazing. And my daughter even won a stuffed animal in the claw machine! Great stop on a road trip, right off the hwy. read more

Food was phenomenal. We ordered the buffalo chicken pizza. Staff is extra friendly. Clean place. Plenty of seatings. Glad I stumbled upon it. read more

Cucinella's - Buffalo chicken pizza - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

See all

Certainly the most excellent Italian Grinder around Columbia. Toasted tops it off. Friendly staff and Owner. read more

This place makes a pretty decent pie. Not the favorite pizza sauce I've ever had and definitely a take out joint but always high quality toppings. Would order again if on that side of town read more

Our ROMEO group of 9 went back to Cucinella's for lunch Tuesday. We arrived right after they opened and they were just getting started for the day. The Italian Grinder was such a big hit the last time that most of us had to have it again. I believe that 7 of us ordered the Grinder while one ordered the Philly Cheese Steak. Almost all of us with the Italian Grinder agreed that it's the best we've had (we've tried 179 restaurants now in the Cola area since 2015). The meats are piled on with melted cheese, tomato and onion with lettuce and a very good oil/vinegar? dressing. We all agree that the toasted bread makes the sandwich! I ordered jalapeños on the side and that added a great "kick" to the Grinder. Two of us ordered pizzas to take home for our wives for dinner that evening. We arrived so early that they hadn't had time to get ice in the soda dispenser but they did correct that quickly. One of us ordered a salad and a club sandwich and they must've lost the order for a while because all of us with the grinders were about done eating by the time he got it. But he did say the food was excellent. Our overall rating was a 4.38 (knocked off a few points because of the late meal) but I'm giving it a 5 star rating because that was our previous rating. Service was excellent however and the cashier was very helpful in getting us everything! Great place and one of our top choices in Columbia! We will be returning. read more

Giant calzone packed with fillings and very tasty! That staff was friendly, courteous, and attentive! Cool dining area if you eat in, some fun games and a jukebox! TheNY pie was foldable and really good! Go try it! read more

Really enjoyed the pizza!! Definitely recommend giving it a try. This was our first time there and will definitely have again in the future!

Best pizza in Columbia! The crust is perfection. If you're a hothead, I highly recommend their Flamethrower pizza! Never had a bad experience here and eat it almost weekly. They sell by the slice too. read more

Cucinella's - Flamethrower Pizza and Garlic Knots - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

See all

This little restaurant, located near the interstate exit and very close to Lexington Medical Center, is a worthwhile trip. They have very good pizza, some of the best I've ever had. When visiting, they were quite busy, yet the kitchen staff had quick turnarounds from orders. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and a chocolate chip cookie pizza. The pepperoni pizza was a thin foldable New-York style pizza with lots of cheese, while the chocolate chip pizza was a personal pan sized cookie. If you are in the area, I highly recommend trying this place. They did not have a ton of seating, but there were things there to occupy children such as arcade games. There was also a nostalgic drink machine that dispensed coke bottles. Don't let the location fool you. This place was a good one. read more

Cucinella's - Pepperoni pizza - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

See all

I had a veggie pizza and garlic knots delivered, since I spent too many hours on the road that day. Wasn't expecting too much, since it was delivery, but I was wrong. The veggies were cooked just right and the crust flavorful and just right. The knots were great also, with some good garlic flavor. Will try in person the next time I'm in town. read more

Cucinella's - Veggie pie and garlic knots - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

My pizza credentials: grew up in Chicago eating regularly at Gino's East Pizza off of Michigan Avenue, the original Pizzeria Uno, and too many more to list. I also spent two years in NYC eating thin-crust pizza and in NJ enjoying tomato pies. I have now lived in Columbia for 10 years, tried most popular pizza places, and Cucinella's is, hands down, the best pizza in my area of town (downtown, SE Columbia, Irmo area, and Lexington - can't speak for NE). The crust is perfectly crispy, toppings are excellent quality, and service is great. They also offer a cauliflower crust and Vegan mozzarella, and pizza is available in 12" and 18". Delivery and pickup are offered. We order a vegetarian pizza - green peppers, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, and red onions - and it is fantastic. The briny olives give the pie something of a "meaty" taste and the other topping flavors blend well. Please, Cucinella's don't change a thing! Keep up the great work and you have a customer and advocate for life who will sing your praises to anyone who will listen. read more

Really great pizza and available by the slice. Lots of great options for signature pizzas or build your own.

I requested a curbside pickup at time of ordering because I have mobility issues. When I got there, I called and told them I was there for the pickup, I was told "You are just going to have to come in because we are busy". If you don't have the staff to do the curbside pickup, how about do everyone a favor and disable the option. At this point, you have my money but not the inclination to follow through on the curbside delivery. SMDH!!! read more

Best pizza EVER! The crust is perfection, the toppings fresh with so many choices and interesting combinations. Fantastic value as the pizzas are large and affordable. Love the ambiance with its choice of booths, tables, and picnic tables. The cheesecake is a must try! The owner is friendly and will come out to thank you and his staff provides excellent service. Our new favorite pizza place. read more

I would definitely recommend Cucinella's if you're looking to order a pizza to go! I'm staying at a nearby hotel with friends and decided to order a carry out meal. We ordered the cheesy knots and the 18" Uncle Paulie pizza. Our order was ready within 20 minutes after we placed it over the phone. The workers were quick and friendly. The cheesy knots were divine. As you can see by the photo they were covered in garlic and swimming in cheese, so if you're a garlic lover I would highly recommend them! The Uncle Paulie pizza was SO good. My friend insisted on sticking her finger in the one photo to show just how huge the slices were, lol. The hot honey is what really made it. While we did not eat inside, we did go in to pick up our order. It feels like your classic pizza joint, but also has a beautiful garden wall. It was pretty clean as well. If you're looking for pizza around Columbia, this is the place to go! read more

See all

We were passing through town and decided on pizza. The place was at the end of a strip mall. We did a drive-by and saw that it was empty of customers. We thought it was closed at first but then noticed that there were a couple of people behind the counter. We decided to walk up. Ordered at the counter: the Caprese salad and the Paulie. Decently priced. The guy at the counter was friendly and courteous. Even though it has plenty of booths for a sit-down meal, we got the feeling that it was more of a take-out place. The guy brought our salad, which was in a to-go container with plasticware. He brought our pizza and gave us paper plates. The salad was delicious and the pizza was pretty good. It had a good flavor and wasn't greasy. While we were eating, there were probably 5-6 people that came in for take-out orders. We will probably visit again if we are traveling by that way. read more

I ordered my food thru Yelp (Grubhub) and came to eat it there with 5 kids and 2 adults. They were very understanding and happy for us to eat in. We had such an awesome experience! The pizza was fantastic!! We got the meat lover- and the sausage and ham on it were great quality. I also got a greek salad and it was so good too! The kids wanted icecream, so we got gelato and Italian ice and it was SO GOOD! made in house with real fruit! They were super generous with letting us try everything to make sure we liked it. And the kids loved the arcade games. When we come back to Columbia, we will be eating there again! read more

See all

Out of vegan Cheese and vegan sauce. Ordered a build your own and asked for extra crispy. It was thrown together so sloppily and not extra krispy. May have to find another place. read more

It's the closest thing to Philly that we found around here. The Gelato ! 5 stars ! The wait can be a little long sometimes , but then again ! Something good is worth waiting for read more

I've tried this place twice now, and I just won't do it anymore. The food is just too bland and not what you want when you're craving really good pizza. I wanted to like them because I like to support local and I like the vibe and family atmosphere they're going for, but the food is a miss. The sauce tastes like it's basically a can of crushed tomatoes and the dough is too chewy. Costco has better basic pizza. If you want real, authentic, flavorful pizza, this isn't it. If you want pizza loaded with weird combos like Fritos and bbq/hot sauces, then go for it. The calzones were SO bland - please use more Italian spice and SALT. The cannolis were also not great/not authentic tasting. We haven't had the gelato or Italian ice, but I don't hold out hope for it at this point. Overall, if you're looking for a quick place to take your kids, it's fine, but the cost is not worth it for the lack of basic flavor. If they would just spend more time/effort on sauce alone, they'd probably do better and wouldn't have to have a menu loaded with strange combos. read more

I'm from NJ where the pizza is top notch. This place is where it's at!!! Pizza dough is amazing, cannolis are authentic. We had a buffalo chicken grinder too. All of it was delicious and reminded me a lot of where I used to live. Family friendly too. Go see for yourself! read more

Pizza smelled amazing but the taste did not match the smell. Cheap products and I believe premade dough. 1 and done won't be back.

We ordered a large cheese pizza and it was phenomenal. I grew up in the northeast and I will say this pizza was on par with the pizza I grew up with in N.J. Our friends enjoyed the chicken bacon pizza and thought it was very good. The staff was friendly and accommodating. read more

Pizza is my favorite food. I could eat it everyday. And it's hard to find realllly good pizza. This place hits it right on the nose. With so many options to choose from, it brings that authentic flavor of mom and pop shop from New York City. Their service is amazing and it's a little hole in the wall gem that is servicing West Columbia. You feel right at home when you walk in, greeted by that pizza smell. This is a must try at any point of your time in Columbia. read more

Fabulous pizza place! Ordered to go and was ready for pickup in no time, their big pizza is perfect for three people! Wish we were in the area longer or I would've gotten it more! read more

Cucinella's - To go taking up whole lap - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

The service was bad, heard the owner yelling at someone over the phone, guy seems like a jerk. The pizza was mid, had a hair in my last slice... Greasy pizza, greasy owner read more

The kids behind the counter were very sweet, service with a smile ! The pizza could have been great. So close but.... Ordered a large sausage and onion pizza it was cooked well but in a word- SKIMPY !! Couldn't really see any sausage unless you looked really hard and sure couldn't taste it . There were few onions, not enough sauce and a bit light in the cheese . Sighhhh. Disappointed. The search for good pizza in this town goes on. read more

We tried 3 specialty pizzas - Margherita was good. The best was Uncle Paulie - loved the sweet and spicy combo of ingredients. Pleasant staff. Super casual setting - paper plates and plastic flatware. Would be great for carry out - and perfect for us driving through Columbia. read more

Amazing Za!!!! The crust was so crisp and delicious and the sauce was superb and plentiful!!! Definitely the best pizza we have had since moving here three years ago. read more

I David Portnoy would rate it an 8.3. Best pizza I've found in Columbia since moving here.

Glad I found this place! The pizza was very good. Walk up to front and place your order. Grab some paper plates and utensils and then find a seat. They will bring it to you. Mostly young folks working here and they all kept busy the whole time. That is saying something nowadays. As of right now they don't serve beer. They told me on the phone that I could bring my own. That was pretty cool. Brought two chocolate cannoli home. I haven't got into them yet. They look good as well. I have eaten pizza all over the country. After a few more visits if they maintain I might have to put them in my top 10. Fingers crossed . read more

Cucinella's - 18 inch meatball, bacon, roasted red peppers, and garlic aioli drizzle. - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

We ordered a meat pizza, Italian grinder, caprese salad and Italian ice. EVERYTHING was delicious! We are always searching for new, local pizza places. We will definitely be back soon! read more

Cucinella's - Large meat pizza was delicious! - Pizza Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina