First time there. Food was great- actually the burger was amazing!! However my drink was not good :( martini with white pepper flakes. It sounded odd when I ordered it therefore I asked for very very light pepper flakes. It was so spicy I could barely drink it and the flavor was not very good. I'm all for trying new things but damn- no! Our server was young and could have used more training as well. So.... just order the burger! read more

My wife and I went to dinner at NOLO last night as a belated Valentines Day evening. We had been hearing quite a buzz about them way before they even opened. We were familiar with the owners because they also owned the artisanal pizzeria Da Legna down the street, which we loved. We also understood that NOLO would be a permanent home for the Erector Brewing Collective. I was familiar with their beer when they were contract brewing at the Beeracks in East Haven, and I was a fan of the few beers that I tried. We arrived at 7:45 for our 8:00 PM reservation. The staff said that reservations were running a little behind, but that we could have a seat at the bar. I ordered Erector's NHVIPA (White Label) IPA and my wife ordered the Arancia Rosso cocktail. We were both pleased with what we ordered. We didn't have to wait too long when the staff told us that our booth was ready. We loved the overall decor and theme of the restaurant. NOLO means "freight" in Italian, so there was definitely a train theme going on. The restaurant has train tracks behind it, and there was various memorabilia on display that was associated with the New York, New Haven and Hartford railway. My wife and I love trains (we got engaged on a train) so we totally dug the train theme. Although NOLO has pizza, they are not strictly a pizzeria but rather a restaurant that specializes in Southern Italian-inspired craft dishes. We decided to start out with their salumi plate and then move on to two of their pizzas: the Queen and the Lobster. To drink, we decided to change it up to wine. I ordered a glass of Chianti Classico while my wife ordered a glass of sparkling white. The salumi plate was a delicious Italian-style charcuterie board that came with various meats, cheeses, crusty bread, cranberry jam, and olive oil with balsamic vinegar. We felt it was a wise choice. We made our pizza choices by choosing one red and one white. The Lobster was a white pie with marinated raddichio, big chunks of lobster meat, lobster butter, and a sprinkling of parmigiana reggiano. It was like a seafood fest on pizza! Although we loved it, our favorite was easily our choice of red pie: The Queen. This was a classic Pizza Margherita made with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. We honeymooned in Italy last summer and this pie definitely brought back memories of our culinary experiences in Naples. Overall the crust for both pies was super thin with that nice little bit of char around the edges that New Haven is known for. We would even go as far as say that the pizza at NOLO is even better than at their sister restaurant Da Legna. We were pretty full so we took half of each pie home for leftovers, and I also ordered some cans of Erector's Fresh Slice lager to go. We loved our experience at NOLO and we will definitely be back in the future. read more

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Rosemarina....OMG. One of the best pizzas I have had in a loooonnnngggg time. Simple yet full of flavor. Can't wait to try their other pizza options. read more

It's a little pricey but worth it in my opinion. Their artisanal pizzas are exceptional and really set them apart from the other spots in New Haven. read more

We went to NOLO on a Sunday afternoon. We were given both a regular menu, and a special brunch menu. After picking what we wanted off the regular menu, only then were we told we can order only off the Brunch menu- which is extremely limited. It is also very overpriced. Beers are $6 each, but this is for a 12 ounce pour. The food was good, but nothing to really justify spending this much for a meal. read more

I made a Saturday night reservation on the same day that we wanted to go and was able to get a table thankfully. When we got there, there was a better area of the restaurant available compared to where we booked and they offered that to us. The waitstaff was very nice and cordial. It seemed that the restaurant was very busy and popular that getting the waiter for things took a little longer than hoped. The food and drinks and environment were totally worth it though. I can't wait to go back. read more

Service is incredible. The service was the only good thing about this place. And only reason it gets even one star. Servers were attentive and polite. Cant say enough good things This is where it gets bad...really bad.... Google the owner Derek Bacon... he is not a professional. This place was extremely disastrous. Its clear the people in charge have not set this place up for success. The manager, Richard, was not friendly at all. Talk about a fitting name. Its freezing cold and dark in the restaurant had to use flashlight on cell phone to even see the menu. Food is insanely over priced for the portion size. Wild boar ragu tastes like pure vinegar its disgusting had really high hopes. Pizzas are 10" and some cost as much as 20$ or more. I dont know who these guys think they are but I just hope a better place takes this great building and location on State St from them soon ! read more

Staff is always friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Dropped in looking for a quick bite to eat while in New Haven and was not disappointed. Got the tomato pie, it was cooked perfectly and passed the flop test. Also had an amazing margarita on their outdoor patio. This place is definitely on the top 5 pizza spots in New Haven for me. read more

I only had a beer here, but something is just off about this place. It's like they're trying too hard. The aesthetic is strange, with three or four different styles of lights that look a little 80s and big booths done in a velour material. There are a lot of uncomfortable stools with no backs, even at tables. I can't figure out what kind of music they were playing, maybe R&B or Earth Wind and Fire. I'll stick with the more down to earth DeLenga. I'm not sure who this place is for. read more

I walked in, took in my surroundings, and immediately loved this place. Bright, airy, great music pumping, tons of seating, free parking. That feeling lasted less than 10 minutes. I was there to try the pizza, with about 15 other people. I had high expectations, given what I know about Da Legna. There was NOTHING for me on the menu. I have been a vegetarian for about 40 years, and get severely ill if I don't maintain a gluten-free diet. I was directed toward small plates of greens, olives, and root vegetables, each of which cost only a couple dollars less than an entire pizza!!! I ended up ordering an over-priced drink, and sitting there while everyone feasted around me. No bueno. Obviously, I will not be returning. There are so many wonderful restaurants in New Haven. I'll spend my money on them instead. read more

The food was so so and expensive for what we got. The pizza did not compare at all to Da legna, which was a disappointment. My group had a reservation and they put us right next to the door in a space that is already very cold and cavernous as it is. We were so cold we couldn't take off our coats. Update: Tried to give this place another chance and went to just grab pre-dinner drinks at the bar. It was early in the evening and the place was slow and the service was still horrible. After sitting at the bar and waiting for 15 minutes we asked a guy behind the bar, who was just standing there trying his best not to make eye contact with us, if we could put in a drink order. He just shrugged his shoulders and said he doesn't take orders. After wasting about 20 minutes we left and went across the street for drinks instead. What a disappointment! read more

I really wanted to like this restaurant because of the beautiful decor and boasts of fresh seasonal ingredients to create a constantly changing menu but it fell so short with both the food and service. I came here with a large group of friends for dinner, we had made reservations (i recommend doing so) so we were seated promptly at the time we planned for. Once were seated it took a good 15 mins before the waiter came back to get us water and take our food/drink orders. The drinks came quick. They offer in house brewed beers as well as a large selection of wines/spirits to choose from. The cocktails were good but nothing special. The food and service is really where this place fell short. Our waiter for some odd reason took our orders in intervals. He would come take a few orders and then step away, kind of disappeared, the restaurant was not even at full capacity so it was odd that he left for so long, but then he would com back and take orders again. It took about 1.5 hours just to have all our food. The worst parts, one of our friends was a vegan and had checked the menu before hand and saw a vegan friendly option, but understandably did not account for the fact that the menu changes, so when she arrived, to her unanticipated surprise, there was no vegan option on this current menu. So she asked our waiter if there were any options, rather than giving a suggestion, he said to her they dont have anything... a simple offering would've been nice, my friend had to suggest if they could throw together a veggie pizza for him to realize that he could've just done that. What was even worse was the quality of that pizza. Soggy crust and nearly raw unseasoned vegetables... terrible. The order horrible encounter was an unfortunate occurrence for my two other friends. They ordered two pizza pies but were not informed that the kitchen ran out of ingredients (keep in mind this was 6 pm) to make their order until the rest of us were already half way into dinner.... So therefore rather than having to wait another hour for food they opted on just not eating... such poor service. Overall, NOLO was a pretty big let down with horrible service (this may have just been our experience). The overall consensus for the food/ service was just not good. I give this place two stars and not one because my pork tenderloin was not too bad and the fact that this menu changes seasonally, so if the food wasn't good once there's hope that it will be better next time. I really wanted to like this place and hope to come back to find a better experience, but my current experience is pushing me away. read more

Same great DaLegna pizza with a parking lot! Love not driving up and down State anymore. It's the little things right? Love the openness, watching the pizzas made and the view of the monster ovens! Great job to all involved in making this New Haven pizza masterpiece. Honeypot (sopressata, cherry peppers, truffle honey) is still my fave and the pecora (pistachio, goat cheese, caramelized red onion) was a great new one for us! read more

I went there for the pizza (which i never ordered). I left there thinking i just had the best burger i've ever had. If you try the burger (and you absolutely should just order one for the table if in a group), you honestly don't need to put any ketchup on it. It was incredibly juicy and the bacon jam compliments it more than enough. I don't say this lightly, but this was easily the best burger i've ever eaten! read more

Food was good, but waaaay overpriced. 14$ for a plain salad?? 23$ for a med size pizza that had just tomatoes and cheese? read more

The Hubby and I went there yesterday. Pros: off-street parking, pleasant server, spacious clean restaurant and fresh food as "stated" by the server. Cons: way way way overpriced, $13 for a small glass of wine, $12 for a simple cheese sandwich (no fries), uncomfortable seating. We finished up having left $50 (including tip) and thought what value did we get for $50. The answer is nilch, zero. Sorry won't be back. I wish the owners luck but the prices need to be reviewed or I can't see it lasting in these times... read more

Great food, cool place, lots of imagination, just all over fun.

My wife and I have finally gotten a chance to dine here but were only a bit disappointed with the weird menu as it lacks depth ! The food is of high quality and portions are very small for the prices that are charged, if you're going to charge the prices give you're customers more than 5 mouthfuls of food as you want an entree not an appetizer.. The pizza is the same as Da legnas their sister restaurant which is of excellent quality ! And also very pricey! Foo foo place with very dim lighting and prices that are higher for the undersized portions. Good luck Da legnas read more

This is a great restaurant. You will not be disappointed. Spacious amazing mid-century modern building provides great ambiance and the food is another league. The Cacio e Pepe was very good. Pizza is thin and charred just right....it's going to be very busy soon. read more

Took my girlfriend here for her birthday dinner tonight and she almost cried with joy. She is a huge beer nerd and pizza freak and has been dreaming of a place where she could get fresh beer and delicious pizza. We'll have to come back to try the other dishes, but the pizzas we had were phenomenal, the beer was tasty, and the ambience is great. Dan and his staff are the sweetest people. We had a wonderful time! read more

We went on a Friday night, no reservations, got seated right away. Was cold inside, but tolerable. Ordered spicy Margarita's that were outstanding!! Then ordered Shroomi pizza, mushrooms, kale, pickled onions. Just amazing flavor and texture. Staff was very attentive, decor is pleasant to look at, large party made the place seem loud noise wise. Turn up the heat a bit and this place will be perfect, can't wait to go back. There is a lot of competition for our food dollar in New Haven and this place will get some from us. read more

I went for the first time and was super disappointed. I had the Vegan Bolo which I was excited and surprised for them to have on the menu. The pasta itself tasted really fresh but the sauce was very acidic and didn't taste well seasoned at all. read more

We were there for the first time this past week. Very nice space inside and they have an outside patio which I appreciate. Staff was all professional and very welcoming and friendly. Cocktails were all really good and their own beer from their brewery was good too. Agree with other posters, the BBQ Carrot tacos and vegetarian tapas were unique and delicious, even meat lovers with our group were happy. We try to eat healthier vegetarian whenever possible so will definitely be back again soon for meatless Monday. read more

1st time here--BLOWN AWAY!!! Nolo Hamburger - in my TOP 2 and I can 't remember who is #2 - and the Beer -- SkyLine Dark Sour- beyond beer.. if ever Im lost and you need to find me I'm probable here ... read more

Meatless Monday was wonderful!! BBQ carrot tacos are must have! Also, their beer was excellent, I didn't even know that they had a brewery inside. I will certainly be back!! read more

This was the best dining experience that I've had in New Haven! Our waiter, Cam, gave us great recommendations and was friendly and welcoming. We were treated with the best service a person could ask for. We ate the 8 Cheese Pizza, which was phenomenal, and the Italian Ramen, a great new take on ramen that I've never heard of before. All food is made from scratch in house, so for that quality of food, the price is amazing. The interior was spacious, artsy, and clean. It had a large parking lot and we had no trouble finding a spot. Couldn't have asked for more. read more

NOLO is GORGEOUS! And the food is wonderful. The place manages to be elegant and homey at the same time, and I'm not sure how they did it. I am delighted that this restaurant has found a home in the wonderful building that used to house Jet Cleaners. Members of my family founded and ran Jet for 65 years or so, and my cousin designed the building. We are so happy that this truly interesting new restaurant has found a home there. Go, try to beer, perch for pizza in one of the golden hued booths that ring the restaurant and watch the three or four large wood-fired ovens turn out wonderful pizzas and meats. I understand there are smaller rooms up in the loft that used to hold the cleaning plant, which groups can use for small events. I'm going to do that soon I think. A great addition to New Haven! read more

I moved up to New Haven from Brooklyn last summer, and within weeks of arriving was already hearing about the much-anticipated Nolo. Because it hadn't opened when I first arrived, I had the opportunity to try a lot of places around town. I don't want to sound annoying, but living in Bushwick before coming to New Haven, I was spoiled by having some of the best food and pizza of my life on the regular. If I'm being honest, I've been underwhelmed by a lot of the food I've had in New Haven considering the higher-than-average price points at a lot of spots. So, by the time Nolo opened, I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, I was blown away by the food, and overall think Nolo is deserving of 5 stars and is a welcome/much-needed addition to the New Haven food scene. It may be on the pricier side, but this is truly good food. FOOD: I'm not exaggerating when I say the pizza I had at Nolo was one of the best of my life. And I love pizza. We had the octopus and potato pizza, and subbed mushrooms for the sausage (I appreciated that the kitchen did that without a complaint or upcharge). The octopus was succulent and tender, the potato added great texture, the mushrooms were prepared perfectly, and the whole fancy topping game came together on the humble foundation of a red pie with cheese. The crust leaned in the New Haven direction, with a decent amount of char, and while I prefer a fluffier Neapolitan take, I can't complain; it was delicious. Yes, I paid basically $30 for a pie, but it was so, so worth it. We also had the haddock main, which was likewise yummy, but a bit small for the price. DRINKS: We got two cocktails, one was good, one wasn't. The "Snappy Dresser" was the good one, with a nice, light vegetal taste. The "State Street Sour" was too sweet and unremarkable. AMBIENCE: I thought that Nolo might be a kind of sterile brewery/gastropub kind of spot, but I was happy that it had more character than that. Fun lighting, a good view of the kitchen, and plenty of seating. Yes, the velvet wraparound booths are a little weird, but hey, they're comfy. SERVICE: Pretty much the only thing that I'd dock a star for, but I know it's a new, big operation so there are kinks to smooth out. My girlfriend and I were promptly seated when we arrived, but waited maybe 5-10 minutes before being brought water or menus, despite tons of servers passing us. It wasn't crazy busy, so it felt like there was a disconnect between the front of house and the wait staff regarding our arrival. But from the time of placing orders onwards, we were well tended to. read more

Had the lobster pizza. Can't taste the lobster through the pickled radicchio and Tarragon. Go to Bar Pizza for this. Nice place. Good beers. Pricey and the bartender tonight is souless! read more

Extremely busy on Black Friday. Our pizza, Clark Street, with eggplant and ricotta was superb. Our waiter, Dylan, was handling half the restaurant with ease. We remember him well from Da Legna before they moved. A great cozy atmosphere, especially when you snag a booth! read more

The restaurant is amazing! The food is delicious and the staff is super friendly...I give it 3 out of 5 stars because it's pricey. The drinks and food are priced high thus I wouldn't visit frequently although I like the environment and food...$13 for a glass of wine... read more

After reading the reviews I was not expecting this place to have such a big menu variety. Nor did I expect it to be architecturally interesting inside, but it was. Had this modern/retro/loft design which I really liked a lot. We shared the winter green veggie salad. It was really good but I wished the baby brussel sprouts were more crisp & it needed some citrus dressing. But I'd recommend it despite that because it had a great mix of greens, veggies, pomegranates & pink grapefruit. Really nice starter. Since I had read a couple of reviews about the burger, I had already got it in my head & it did not disappoint. Wow. Juicy and flavorful. My friend got wild boar pasta. He liked it but said it was heavy. Looked like lasagna noodles with meat sauce. He had a beer & I had a cocktail-- totem pole. Definitely have to come back Because there are a couple of other items on the menu I want to try out. read more

First week open. Service was a bit sketchy, but super polite. Food was pretty good. Wanna Come back in a couple weeks to see how things have changed. read more

Pizza with 3 small plates top off with dessert Thin crust pizza but not your traditional New Haven pie. If you are looking for a different pizza they what the other famous New Haven places offer this is the place. Fresh ingredients, simple but excellent. The small plates were a nice surprise and change. Wood fried apples with burrata and thin Italian sliced meat with a piece of corn bread was the surprise of the meal - excellent. Meatball toast was good but not my favorite, the other was the spicy artichoke not too hot just the right seasoning, i would get that one again. End up the meal with their banana and apple crisp desserts. Excellent Great alternative place then waiting in the lines for pizza at the Big 3 in New Haven read more

This place rocks. Everything from the building to the pizza is on point. Menu only uses fresh and local ingredients that really show through in the wonderful dishes. Cocktails are very well made and strong. Pizza is delicious and the fact that they have their own parking lot is a huge plus. New Haven has needed at place like this! read more

Excellent, excellent. I'm a local, from the greater new haven area. And I can say that, Nolo can carry its weight when it comes to pizza, in this, the greatest pizza town in America. We had the mushroom pizza with mozzarella di buffalo and it was delicious. The green salad was so fresh. And the meatball on toast appetizer now beats another downtown restaurants for us. All three things we ordered had top quality ingredients...you can tell this restaurant cares about the food they are serving. We will be back! Oh, and the server was attentive and friendly...so cheers to her from the two guys sitting in the first booth from the door last night... read more

The Octopus & Potato pizza was delicious! I came in specifically for that pie and it exceeded my expectations. We also got an arugula pizza that wasn't as good as the octo-pie. The atmosphere is cool and our server was friendly. They have a really nice beer selection, courtesy of their joint venture with Erektor brewing. Nolo is a bit pricey, but their unique menu and hip vibe mostly justify the cost. Closer to a 4.5 than a 4 to be honest. read more

This place is so cool. You need to explore all the cool sections. The pizza is outstanding and is up to New Haven standards. I've had the burger and it was perfectly cooked and very delicious. The staff is attentive and fun. I tried several dishes and each was unique and a great complement of flavors. Do not be put off by unknown names or ingredients as all are fresh and flavorful. read more

After watching this restaurant from afar (literally-- Hawai'i) for months, finally got an unexpected chance to try it this week during a trip home to CT. When I say this was one of the best dining experiences I've had (and my parents too) I mean it! Our server was very knowledgeable, friendly and timely. We ordered the spring salad to start ... dressing was refined, but the greens to other items ratio was low. Didn't really bother us much ... then onto the Gstake pizza -- charred just right (if you're used to NH pizza), very flavorful -- cherry tomatoes were perfect ripeness-- balsamic reduction memorable, and the crust was the perfect thickness and crisp. Then onto the pastas : we had the cacio de Pepe and the rigatoni pomodoro : both so fresh, so flavorful, so cheesy -- I'm talking parmigiano reggiano kind cheesy, friends. My dad got the burger to test a different realm (we over ordered to try a bit of everything) and he was not disappointed...took the second patty home for later and wouldn't share! The wine list is good, carefully picked. Didn't get a chance to try the craft brews but will try them the next time I'm in back . Really-- new fave * keep the magic going, NOLO! Mahalo! read more

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The absolute best!! If I could, I would come here every day. All their plates are fresh and made from scratch. This is what New Haven NEEDED!! Amazing. read more