I have only started going to Pizzeria Toro in the last 6 months or so. It has instantly become our favorite pizza in the triangle. That means we come to Pizzeria Toro from North Raleigh. We usually come for lunch but on March 26th we came for dinner. It was a friday night and it was bustling. We were immediately seated tho we needed to take a seat at the bar. We were perfectly happy there tho we had no bar drinks. When we come for lunch we usually sit at a table. The noise level is "lively" whenever you come but happy. The staff is very professional and knowledgable, a joy to deal with. If you are not familiar with downtown Durham, and we are still learning, parking is a "bit of a do". When we come at lunch then metered parking is generally available across the street up and down the block. But for the Friday dinner we had to park "around the corner" in front of the Parlour ice cream shop. So parking takes a bit of effort but so far so good. And again, seating has so far been great. Our favorites have been the Pepperoni, the Truffle and the mushroom pizza's. But honestly you can't go wrong with any of them. The night we came the special was an Asparagus salad. We got two pepperoni pizzas, a Mexican coke, and the salad for $59 + tax and tip. Its important to mention the pepperoni is a white sauce not a tomato sauce if that matters to you. The crust is consistently outstanding and really stands out. Mind you I normally strictly a pepperoni and tomato sauce pizza type. But again, the mushroom pizza was outstanding as was the truffle and that is saying something for me to go for a non-pepperoni pizza.
Abby F.
We walked in and were seated right away. We told the server I had a serious nut allergy. We ordered a salad the ricotta dumplings and a pizza. He brought out the wrong salad. We panicked because the one he brought out had nuts in it. It turned out they brought out the wrong salad but the one brought out was nut free. The server wasn't really apologetic but brought out the correct one we ordered shortly after. The ricotta dumplings were delicious. The pizza was fine 6.5/10. The restaurant got crowded by the time we were leaving at 7:30ish. I recommend going early. It's cute and open inside. You can see the pizza oven.
Robb L.
As a certified pizza snob who rarely accepts any Pizza as really good, this is the only place I know in this entire region that is truly worth a visit. As good as a quality pizzeria in NY - Philly - NJ, nice staff, good salads and drinks. Only complaint is the level of noise but I put w up with it because I can't live without real pizza :)
Tom Elwell
Always a great meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria H.
We stopped in from out of town and we were extremely happy with Pizzeria Toro! The pizza was some of the best we've had! The atmosphere was fun and the staff was attentive. We will definitely visit again.
Catherine S.
Pizzeria Toro makes excellent pizza! I would definitely recommend, this place never disappoints.
Joshua A.
Food: Pizza Excellent (Had the margarita add fresh garlic) Service: Excellent Ambiance: Fantastic, laid back, and modern.
Kathryn Olinger
The food is great and the ambiance is nice. The value for the price just isn't there for me. At over $80 for an app, 2 pizzas, and non-alcoholic drinks + tip, I would have at least expected new plates between courses.Also, I find auto-added gratuity regardless of party size tough to swallow at a nice restaurant - it implies I wouldn't have tipped well for the service received. If you want to guarantee your staff better pay and cant afford.to do so, then raise the prices. A tip isn't a tip if I'm not in control of the amount.Fine place, just not the level of class I expected.
Food: 5
Chris Hill
Walked in, was placed at a seat near the window. Was handed a menu and water. waited 15 minutes and no one came to take my order. I left. Also insane to charge more than $20 for a tiny pizza. In retrospect they did me a favor, I guess. I went to Pie pushers- much more reasonably priced and better service.
miguel lerner
Good pizza, not excellent, difficult to park, and they charge 20%
Delicious pizza. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. They do table sharing, so be prepared to dine with strangers. It's a fun experience and you might make new friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian F.
Easily my favorite place in Durham. Possibly my favorite pizza in the nation! If you're lucky you'll sit next to the oven and watch an endless stream of deliciousness coming out of the kitchen. Love the kale salad. The zeppole is so tasty - I wanted to drink the chocolate. Sarah, the manager is so sweet and attentive. Happy birthday to the hostess, Patience! We'll see you all soon
Meribeth
The food, cocktails, and service were all top notch. I wanted to specifically mention how great the hostess was. She was very friendly, came and got us in the bar when are table was ready, kept things moving on a busy night, and even brought out our pizzas.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Prusák
We used to love this place for its great food and service, so we invited friends for lunch. Big mistake. When I dropped off my wife and our two kids, including our one-month-old baby who was crying, they refused to seat her because I wasn't there (it took me some time to find parking). Even though our baby was crying, they let my wife stand there and wait for me! They told me it's a rule from the owner. Our waiter seemed not helpful and annoyed, we were sitting there with empty glasses even though the restaurant was half-empty. To top it off, we saw another table seated without their whole group, 2 ladies were join by 1 man who arrived later. When we asked, we got a dismissive response - I didn't seat them, someone else did. We won't be coming back after this treatment.
I have only started going to Pizzeria Toro in the last 6 months or so. It has instantly become our favorite pizza in the triangle. That means we come to Pizzeria Toro from North Raleigh. We usually come for lunch but on March 26th we came for dinner. It was a friday night and it was bustling. We were immediately seated tho we needed to take a seat at the bar. We were perfectly happy there tho we had no bar drinks. When we come for lunch we usually sit at a table. The noise level is "lively" whenever you come but happy. The staff is very professional and knowledgable, a joy to deal with. If you are not familiar with downtown Durham, and we are still learning, parking is a "bit of a do". When we come at lunch then metered parking is generally available across the street up and down the block. But for the Friday dinner we had to park "around the corner" in front of the Parlour ice cream shop. So parking takes a bit of effort but so far so good. And again, seating has so far been great. Our favorites have been the Pepperoni, the Truffle and the mushroom pizza's. But honestly you can't go wrong with any of them. The night we came the special was an Asparagus salad. We got two pepperoni pizzas, a Mexican coke, and the salad for $59 + tax and tip. Its important to mention the pepperoni is a white sauce not a tomato sauce if that matters to you. The crust is consistently outstanding and really stands out. Mind you I normally strictly a pepperoni and tomato sauce pizza type. But again, the mushroom pizza was outstanding as was the truffle and that is saying something for me to go for a non-pepperoni pizza.
We walked in and were seated right away. We told the server I had a serious nut allergy. We ordered a salad the ricotta dumplings and a pizza. He brought out the wrong salad. We panicked because the one he brought out had nuts in it. It turned out they brought out the wrong salad but the one brought out was nut free. The server wasn't really apologetic but brought out the correct one we ordered shortly after. The ricotta dumplings were delicious. The pizza was fine 6.5/10. The restaurant got crowded by the time we were leaving at 7:30ish. I recommend going early. It's cute and open inside. You can see the pizza oven.
As a certified pizza snob who rarely accepts any Pizza as really good, this is the only place I know in this entire region that is truly worth a visit. As good as a quality pizzeria in NY - Philly - NJ, nice staff, good salads and drinks. Only complaint is the level of noise but I put w up with it because I can't live without real pizza :)
Always a great meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We stopped in from out of town and we were extremely happy with Pizzeria Toro! The pizza was some of the best we've had! The atmosphere was fun and the staff was attentive. We will definitely visit again.
Pizzeria Toro makes excellent pizza! I would definitely recommend, this place never disappoints.
Food: Pizza Excellent (Had the margarita add fresh garlic) Service: Excellent Ambiance: Fantastic, laid back, and modern.
The food is great and the ambiance is nice. The value for the price just isn't there for me. At over $80 for an app, 2 pizzas, and non-alcoholic drinks + tip, I would have at least expected new plates between courses.Also, I find auto-added gratuity regardless of party size tough to swallow at a nice restaurant - it implies I wouldn't have tipped well for the service received. If you want to guarantee your staff better pay and cant afford.to do so, then raise the prices. A tip isn't a tip if I'm not in control of the amount.Fine place, just not the level of class I expected.
Food: 5
Walked in, was placed at a seat near the window. Was handed a menu and water. waited 15 minutes and no one came to take my order. I left. Also insane to charge more than $20 for a tiny pizza. In retrospect they did me a favor, I guess. I went to Pie pushers- much more reasonably priced and better service.
Good pizza, not excellent, difficult to park, and they charge 20%
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great place to try. Great
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Delicious pizza. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. They do table sharing, so be prepared to dine with strangers. It's a fun experience and you might make new friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Easily my favorite place in Durham. Possibly my favorite pizza in the nation! If you're lucky you'll sit next to the oven and watch an endless stream of deliciousness coming out of the kitchen. Love the kale salad. The zeppole is so tasty - I wanted to drink the chocolate. Sarah, the manager is so sweet and attentive. Happy birthday to the hostess, Patience! We'll see you all soon
The food, cocktails, and service were all top notch. I wanted to specifically mention how great the hostess was. She was very friendly, came and got us in the bar when are table was ready, kept things moving on a busy night, and even brought out our pizzas.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We used to love this place for its great food and service, so we invited friends for lunch. Big mistake. When I dropped off my wife and our two kids, including our one-month-old baby who was crying, they refused to seat her because I wasn't there (it took me some time to find parking). Even though our baby was crying, they let my wife stand there and wait for me! They told me it's a rule from the owner. Our waiter seemed not helpful and annoyed, we were sitting there with empty glasses even though the restaurant was half-empty. To top it off, we saw another table seated without their whole group, 2 ladies were join by 1 man who arrived later. When we asked, we got a dismissive response - I didn't seat them, someone else did. We won't be coming back after this treatment.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1