When we moved to Bethel Park, I noticed that there was a pizza shop in the phone book with the same name as a very, very good pizza place in White Oak, that later grew into a big-time Italian restaurant. LUCIANO'S in Bethel Park doesn't have a fancy dining room like its namesake in White Oak, but it does have plenty of seating, a friendly staff, terrific food, cold beer on tap, and a cooler full of other good beers. The sign in the restaurant says, ""Luciano's time, 20 minutes."" I have ordered a LOT of Luciano's pizzas in the years that I've lived in BP, and nothing else in this area comes close to the quality of their pizza. Particularly wonderful are the ""Chicago-style"" pizzas with thick crust, and a chunky, garlic-powered tomato sauce that is bursting with old-world flavor. The hot sausage and meatballs used by Luciano's is first-rate. Their CALZONES are a family favorite, but you'll have to remember to ask for ricotta cheese, because their standard calzone is actually what I would call a Stromboli: No ricotta. They also have eat-in dinner specials, including an all-you-can-eat spaghetti night for those of you with hungry teenage eating machines. I have only been disappointed one time with anything I've ordered from Luciano's in Bethel Park, and on that occasion, the guy running the place told me it was ""on the house."" I just wished they stayed open a little later at night!
Pros: The best pizza and calzones in the South Hills
Cons: They close too early!
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