We met a friend here, each driving an hour and 15 minutes each, a midpoint between us. What a find. A Saturday afternoon found Pistarro's busy, but not overly so. It's retro with exposed brick walls and large screen televisions. Our server was very sweet, personable and professional. (I'm so sorry, I forgot her name.) We shared appetizers, calamari, fried perfectly along with eggplant Parmesan. Both winners. For entrees, I had the meatball hero, stuffed with well seasoned and sauced balls of deliciousness. My wife had the gyro served in three pieces of pita (on a taco stand). Not only spiced well, but NOT the usual mess with tzatziki sauce and cut chopped tomatoes spilling everywhere. Our friend had the salmon and he was impressed. For dessert it was gelato for two and I had the affogato. Sinful, the whipped cream seemed to have a little more sugar than normal, but it made the dessert that much more decadent. If you live in Frederick or are just passing through...recommended. read more

Came here on a Saturday night without a reservation. We were sat at the pizza bar in plain view of the pizza making operations. Oddest part was while we sat there - there was a 2 top table free almost the whole time we were eating. So - we could have easily been waited on in a normal setting. Nice place overall - different areas to sit, outside dining, etc etc. Service however was atrocious. It may be the fact they don't have enough people in the wait staff, but our waitress was as absent as it gets. Asked for a refill, took forever - after ordering appetizer it would have been good to then put in our entree order - but wasn't until the pizza came out 25 min later that we could do that. Asked for bread, she remembered after our entrees came out 45min after ordered - 4 small cubes. You would think when you're struggling at waiting on a table, you'd try and make up for it. Pizza was good. We got a Margherita pizza - standard and fresh as we watched them make it. For my entree I got the penne vodka and added a meatball. Lol. No sauce on that meatball and it was cold. Flavor was good on entree. The next time the waitress came back I begged for the check - to which we paid and got out of there as "quick" as we could. Food 4/5 Service 1/5 read more

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My sister always takes me to wonderful places for lunch, and this was no exception. I loved the vibrant ambience--lively but still comfortable. Our waitress was wonderful as well, always attentive and quick to refill my iced tea. We ordered a few dishes to share: * Brussels sprouts agrodolce * Roman artichokes * Napoletana bread * Roasted beet salad Everything was delicious and perfect for sharing. A lovely place to enjoy a meal with my favorite sister (my only sister!). read more

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I had family in from Texas and they wanted some geopolitics pizza. The service was good and the place was fairly empty given it was the day before Thanksgiving. The pizza itself was really good and they enjoyed it. I got the meatball sub with mozzarella cheese and it was very good. I would highly recommend this sandwich. The meatballs were tender and the sauce and cheese were equally great. The bread is nice and toasted. The fries were cold and bland. The kids ordered Mac and cheese and fettuccini Alfredo. I was highly disappointed with these dishes. The kids didn't even eat them. They were bland and honestly tasted like nothing. I could t even tell the Mac and cheese and fettuccini Alfredo apart. They really should taste their food and season appropriately. We ordered a cannoli to go and this was just awful. The filling was very bitter and not sweet at all. It was also very plain wi the only some pistachios on the ends. The cannoli itself did not taste fresh, almost a bit stale. I don't think these shells are made in house, but maybe the filling is. read more

Pistarro's - Cannoli - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Stoped in here on a family day. They were so good on staff. The staff was great and friendly. I loved the pizza and Food. It has lo great vibe to the place. Stop by and have a bit read more

Pistarro's - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Used to be very good but no longer is. Food quality is very poor. I can do just as well buying from the frozen food section of my local grocery store. read more

I wish we could say we had a better time at Pistarro's, because the food was pretty good. However, we had issues with the service and the food seemed overpriced for what it was. I came by with friends and a dog on a nice spring weekday evening because we wanted to enjoy their large patio space. They sat us at the far end of the patio away from other guests, which was great. It gave us some room to relax and the dog could watch people in the park. However, it also meant that no one came to help us. Five minutes went by, then ten, then fifteen. We stopped other outdoor servers, but they kept saying someone would help us. When our server came he didn't even comment on the delay. The rest of the dinner was the same- our server was barely present, had large lapses in time between visiting our table, and didn't say much. The food was good but seemed a little expensive. I got the blue fico pizza, which was creative and tasty. But $17 for a personal pizza seems high. Everything was that expensive, even the meatball sub with fries. The food was good but not for the price. I wish I had more positive things to say, but we just didn't have a great dinner. read more

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Friendly service with great suggestions. It was "spaghetti night" so I had the spaghetti pomodoro---delicious! We tried the eggplant fries which came with three sauces...absolutely wonderful, especially the pesto sauce. The Brussels sprouts were also great! My pal had the eggplant parm which was listed as an app...she said it was fabulous! No need for pasta and suggested it be listed as an entree. It was enough on its own! We came there cuz we heard they had pear sangria...it was divine! Bright and crisp! read more

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Best GF pizza crust around. Appetizers are always great. Desserts are on point. I'm be of my favorites in Frederick.

We went here because it had so many good reviews and left very disappointed. It was a bit difficult to find parking because it was filled- so we had high hopes for this place. The service & atmosphere was AMAZING. It felt very homey and we felt very taken cared of. But the food was very disappointing. We first started out with the calamari, it was great! The portion was good for a shared appetizer. It wasn't too breaded, paired with marinara & some sort of tartar sauce. But the main course- although presented well- was underwhelming. I ordered the carbonara- it had green onion? Though creamy, It was very bland to where the only taste was the very few pieces of small, thin, pancetta. The noodles were thin and were a little bit overcooked (I couldn't wrap them around my fork without it breaking). My partner ordered the Spaghetti with meatballs, it came with about 3 decently sized meatballs but "seemed unseasoned and had no flavor." The sauce itself was very watery "scooped from the top without mixing" and had no depth of flavor- "store bought sauce would've been better." The noodles were coated in the sauce but it did not absorb the sauce's flavor- it was distinctly "plain noodle" and "sauce" and wasn't cohesive in taste. We did not end up finishing the main dishes. Overall, it was a bit upsetting to pay almost 70$ for this meal. read more

Pistarro's - Spaghetti Con Polpette - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Dined at Pistarro's for the first time recently The outdoor dining area is lovely and has a nice, warm, romantic feel The service was great and food and drinks both came out quickly. I had the lasagna and my friends had the carbonara pasta and a Bianca pizza. The portions were great too. The lasagna was so good - tasted like a Nonna's cherished recipe. The carbonara was made with thin spaghetti noodles, which I think made the sauce not cling to the noodles as well. The flavor was a bit lacking. Overall, it's a solid spot for some Italian food if you're in Frederick! read more

Pistarro's - 40 layer lasagna - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Dined here for lunch with my wife and daughter last Sunday. We picked this restaurant because it has outdoor seating and allows well-behaved pets. Ordered two different pizzas and a full size Caesar salad. Split everything between the three of us. The pizzas were very good as was the salad. Service was very slow... Fortunately, we were not in a hurry. The bill was $46 plus tax and tip for two 12 inch pizzas, one salad, and three soft drinks which I felt was a little on the expensive side. Because of the slow service and the relatively expensive menu, I could not award five stars. However, that being said, I would have no hesitancy dining there again. read more

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We walked in for dinner and was told if we are willing to wait for about 20 minutes. It was so busy and crowded with legit Italian ambiance but the wait was worth it. We got in the house bread and olive oil dip and then came the entree. We got a carbonara pasta and Margherite pizza. It's delish! I like the fresh taste. Truly a local family restaurant. We will keep coming back. read more

This review is for late lunch for two at the bar in late February. service: Chloe was our bartender and she was great. She was especially helpful with the menu recommendations. bar: I drank a Loose Cannon IPA ($9 as of 02/2025). Wide selection of Italian wines. food: This is the real deal, wood-fired, Neapolitan style pizza. We've had dozens upon dozens and this one is great. We had the Polpettine ($18.50 as of 02/2025). This is a meatball pizza and it was fantastic. We also had a gorgonzola side salad ($8.50 as of 02/2025) and it was awesome. details: Seems like a large space. We were surprised to see two ovens, so they must get busy. Some street parking outside, but parking might be tough during peak hours. Appears they have seasonal outdoor dining and significant carry out business. read more

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I had never been but heard good things about this place so I was excited to try it. I was working in the area around noon time and wanted a small lunch thing that wasn't too heavy. I ordered the Mozzarella Fritta ($15.50), which is basically fancy words for "Mozzarella Sticks". These are made in house, so I was expecting something pretty damn good. Excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I received my order. I wish I had taken a picture. There were five thumb-sized breaded blobs in front of me. Next to them were two containers, one having parmesan ranch dressing, and the other having marinara. Although they were tasty, I can't say that these were any better than that you'd get at Dominos. I mean, it's cheese and breading, you know? Not to mention again, these were quite small for the cost of $15.50 plus tip. The worst part? Two of them completely lacked any cheese inside. They were just bread shells, like what a locust leaves behind when he molts. Yup, just empty bread shells. The cheese melted out into the fryer evidently. So, I actually only had three. The value here isn't good, and the food item itself was nothing special. The pieces themselves should have been twice the size they were for that price, not to mention all 5 of them actually need to have cheese in them. One star for how good the marinara is, and one star because the counter help was so nice. read more

Staff was very fast and attentive, pizza tasted amazing and was perfectly cooked. Drink was a bit watered down though.

This review is for a to-go order. We ordered the Margherita and Fumo Verde pizzas. The Margherita was disappointing -- it only had two small pieces of basil and barely any cheese. In contrast, the Fumo Verde was much better. We've had both pizzas before when dining in, and the quality was noticeably superior compared to this to-go experience. read more

A fun place to go with friends and seems like a good wine list, but the prices are too high with respect to the food quality. The crispy artichokes are good, but they should have an aïoli that comes with it for $17! The pizza was soggy and chewy. I think the sauce and the dough were too thin. The muscles were OK, but just not great. Really good service though and nice people! read more

A lovely place! We sat outside and it seems like a busy and popular spot. The service was great. My friend and I got a glass of wine each. The house red wine that the sever suggested was delicious. We ordered the Pane which is the wood fire bread and it was delicious and served with a side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The center of it was soft and yummy. I would say that if you're ordering pizza as your entree, do not get the Pane, because it seems like it's literally just delicious wood fired pizza dough. Once my pizza came out, I realized how much bread we were consuming haha and although all of it tastes of quality and is delicious, there was just too much of the same bread. We also got the beet salad - this was pretty basic. Nothing special or unique about it, but I like beets, so I liked it and they were topped with pistachios which was a nice surprise. I got a Capricciosa pizza which was tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, artichoke and basil. It was a good pizza, but I wish there was more cheese and it did feel like I was just eating bread with toppings, but maybe I'm just uncultured and this is what an authentic Italian pizza should be like?! Who knows, not me! Hah but regardless, the dough and ingredients were delicious. Next time, I would love to come back and try their pasta! read more

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Great place to grab a pizza or pasta for a family meal or a date!. Food is done well and tastes really good. The service is on point, and they are very friendly. My main recommendation is to not get a pizza with tons of toppings as it can get pretty soggy, but if you get the pepperoni, for example, it will be perfect! read more

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Not bad but not great. Has a good variety of food options. Our waiter was friendly. The restaurant was bustling and while they don't take reservations for small parties, the wait is reasonable. read more

Overall great. I would recommend and I would definitely go back. I had the blu fico pizza, I just wanted to try something I haven't had before and it was very good. I also had the limoncello mascarpone mousse cake, it was also very good. We sat outside on a summer night and it was fine. Service was good, we didn't have a reservation or anything and it was kinda late and we were still seated quickly. Looking forward to going again read more

Pistarro's - Limoncello mascarpone mousse cake - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Good vibe in this old warehouse restaurant . Servers are friendly and efficient. Pizza is excellent right out of the wood burning oven . Parking can be a task? read more

The 40-layer lasagna (not pictured) had a lot of flavor and the carbonara was good but not great. I was expecting the carbonara would be a bit creamier. We sat outside and they had heat lamps, and the music was pretty good. Service was attentive and quick. read more

The service was amazing and the food was delicious and authentic. The pizza, mozzarella sticks, and Shirley Temple were my favorite! By far one of the best restaurants in Maryland! read more

Pistarro's - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Everything was excellent! From the Service to the Food to the Drinks, it was perfect. We had the Specialty Drinks and the 3 different Pizza's and we were extremely pleased. Can't wait to come back!! read more

Last night was our second visit, and it was actually a pretty darn good meal! We sat at the bar and "Chloe" was excellent: Attentive, anticipatory and knowledgeable. Great experience. (Some 4 months earlier dined here --at a table-- and the waiter was not very attentive, he was forgetful and I might guess he was new to the cuisine and serving. I didn't bother leaving a review since the experience seemed to be dominated by his lack of experience.) The oven roasted olives and bread were very good, as was the squash blossom appetizer. The pizza was pretty darn good (I am a pizza snob -- shout out to Spring Valley, DC "Pizzeria Paradiso"!) ...and I had the clam linguini: Very tasty and a perfect portion size! Took a take-out portion of the strawberry rhubarb home and that disappeared on my plate a few hours later. The food was very good, the service was excellent! The atmosphere is pretty darn good too! This place is built to enjoy a good meal and we will be back in weeks, not months! Thanks! Yum! read more

We L O V E Pistarros! It's our go to place as we live close by. The pizza is very good, but the "special" bread Napoletana is divine. I'm fussy about lasagna and their 40 layer is exceptional. Try and go there during the week - the weekends tend to be mobbed. Our favorite waiter is Roja, he never misses a beat. read more

While a little pricey for what it is, the food is good quality and it's a very family friendly spot in a great location. I've been twice.. once early on a quiet Saturday night in January and once the Sunday night of Fire & Ice weekend. The latter was very busy and as a result the service was a lot slower and intermittent. My son loved the meatball appetizer... I just wish it came with more meatballs! The star of the show is the pizza crust- like bread appetizer! Definitely recommend both the Tuscan Lentil Soup and Minestrone. The arugula salad and Caesar salad were also solid. No complaints about the lasagna or penne vodka read more

Pistarro's - Neapolitan bread appetizer - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

This is a great option for dinner! I ate outside, and it was a nice patio, right next to a park with lots of trees. My party ordered a couple appetizers, and they were all delicious. Good prices, exactly what you'd expect to pay. Nothing was rushed or delayed, it was a great evening. read more

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Worst lunch pizza experience ever. Waiter didn't check on water or drinks. Asked for a pizza to go showed exactly what i wanted as colleafe had the margherita pizza . When got home there were literally 4 pieces of basil. Overpriced bad service. waiter couldn't understand English. Will never go again read more

This is a follow up review to the one I submitted on 10/13/25. Yesterday, as my wife and I were getting ready to head home with our Bellys full, we decided to order a pizza to go based on the recommendation from Pam and Maddie. The Nezih, la pizza più incredibile che abbia mai assaggiato! This pizza has it all for those who love spicy, heat and robust flavor. This has become our most treasured pizza, with the funghi in second place. Like I said before and will say again, the best Neapolitan pizza outside of Naples Italy. Give it a try and you will be blown away! Thank you Pam and Maddie for recommending it to us. read more

What a great experience having a private event at Pistarro's. For our friend's rehearsal dinner, we rented their large private room from 7 to 11 p.m. It came with an open bar with a bartender who made any drink you wanted. Appetizers were meatballs, layered eggplant, calamari, and burrata. The mains included three kinds of pizza, Caesar salad, garlic bread, and more burrata. Cannoli and tiramisu were the desserts. Everything was excellent and the service was top notch! read more

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We visited on a Saturday evening and we were seated immediately. Our server Zoey was friendly and attentive. My husband and I both throughly enjoyed our meals. He had the Cheese steak sub and I had the Chicken sandwich. The sauce and prosciutto on my sandwich were delicious. Next time I am in Frederick I will definitely go back. read more

The fig/blue potato/gorgonzola pizza is the worst thing I've ever eaten. It should not be on the menu. Or any menu. Anywhere. read more

Pistarro's - Margherita pizza. Burnt and bland. - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Stop by here for a quick bite late at night. I always love their pizza, but I wanted to try something else. We sat outside because it was a nice summer night and they have expanded outdoor seating during the summer on the side of the restaurant. My friend had a sandwich off the specials menu and I had the classic meatballs appetizer as a meal. They're both delicious with good flavor. I reccomend to anyone to check it out if you've never been! read more

Pistarro's - Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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I went today and wondered why i hadn't been there earlier, as i know a lot of Frederick restaurants. Much larger inside than i imagined with a terrace outside overlooking a park! I was going to have a salad and eggplant parmesan, but when i saw the pizzas being delivered, i changed my mind and ordered the white pizza, which was delicious. Everything looked very tempting. i will defintely return. Only observation was that the wait staff seemed exhausted and a few even mentioned it. Had there been a big party?? read more

Pistarro's - White pizza--carbonara and parmesan with caramelized onions. i would have liked more of the onions and maybe black olives! - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

I stopped by during my first visit to Frederick with a friend who used to live in the area. The menu impressed me with how expansive it was, and we decided to get a pizza, salad, and calamari to share. The calamari came with a delicious pesto aioli which I kept tasting because it was so fresh and tasty. The Gorgonzola salad was simple but effective - a great balance of dried figs, dressing, and cheese. The Donatella pizza was good - I loved the crust! Great amount of chew but very thin and sturdy - however it felt like it was missing something to tie the flavors together, it could have used another drizzle of oil on top. We also got the cannoli dessert, and it was okay. They were really small and proportionally I don't think the oily thick shell was well-balanced against the filling which didn't have a rich enough ricotta flavor in my opinion. Also didn't like the drizzle of chocolate syrup added to it. Next time I'd skip dessert and maybe get another entree, because I would love another pizza or to try a pasta. I didn't mind the wait personally but it did catch me off guard, because the space is huge, and lots of tables were open. It felt understaffed and we didn't get a lot of attention from our waiter (which we didn't take personally at all!). Hopefully more staff can be hired so people can really enjoy the food! read more

Pistarro's - Italian Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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The restaurant has very nice outdoor patio (huge on the backside of the restaurant) so perfect for this time of the season. The food is delicious and the staff is friendly but slow. It took a while to get drinks and refills. I got NY steak from daily special and it cooked perfectly. Calamari and artichoke appetizers were very delicious too. The pizzas, the dough was so fresh and nicely chewy, I will get a pizza next time! read more

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Pistarro's resides on a street located in one of the most copacetic parts of the Frederick, MD area. A certain vibe surrounds where this spot is located and those of you who know, know. For those who don't already know, be in the know. If dining inside, Pistarro's offers seating at the bar or at communal tables (not fond of this). Outdoor seating is also available, whenever the seasons permit! NAPOLETANA BREAD- This is not just an appetizer; it is a given, a must! This bread is brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, parmesan & pecorino cheeses, then baked in a wood-fire oven. It arrives steaming, bubbly, crispy on the outside with a soft inside and balsamic vinegar/oil for dipping (but be sure to finish it off, as this does reheat well after it cools down). An excellent precursor for your meal would be the (beef & pork) PISTARROS MEATBALLS with basil ricotta, parmesan and marinara sauce. These meatballs are super flavorful, juicy and melt in your mouth. The ARUGULA SALAD (I add salmon) is an equally great starter- with crunchy red onion, earthy cremini mushrooms, shaved parmesan and a deliciously refreshing limoncello vinaigrette that brings together all components, making them pop, (plus, accents the salmon wonderfully, if you choose this add-on!). The PENNE VODKA is a perfect balance of savory flavors; from tangy tomato, salty parmesan, spicy basil, and silky cream, pulled out by the vodka... (goes best with added chicken or shrimp). The TROFIE PESTO is another winner that brings on a party for the tastebuds with the mild sweetness from pine nuts, salty parmesan, tart sun-dried tomatoes and pureed basil, over twisted pasta. This is fabulous with or without adding a protein. read more