Kalamazoo Restaurant Reviews

Erbelli's

This past Saturday night Aimee and were both hungry for pizza. That means one thing for us, Erbelli’s Pizza. If you have never tried Erbelli’s then you are missing out. They are hands down the best pizza in Kalamazoo.

Erbelli’s has a location in Portage, and in Kalamazoo. We prefer going to the Kalamazoo location off of Stadium because it is closer to home and it is larger and more modern. They have recently remodeled and included a large bar that is really sharp looking.

The restaurant was packed when we got there so we grabbed two seats at the bar and we were happy to see that Mike was working. Mike is a very personable bartender that makes a mean martini. As we debated which style of pizza to get, we ordered the Crazy Caesar Salad and to drink I ordered a Cabin Fever Brown Ale from New Holland Brewing Company and Aimee ordered a dirty martini.

Crazy Caesar Salad

The brown ale was a bit sweet and malty and an overall good brew. Aimee really likes the dirty Martini’s made by Mike. He topped them off with a variety of stuffed green olives. We were disappointed in the Caesar salad. The romaine lettuce was a bit too yellow, the croutons were from a bag, and the salad dressing was in packets from T. Marzetti. We feel that with the quality of food that Erbelli’s offers, they should be able to handle making their own croutons and having a salad dressing that is made in house and not served in a packet. Overall, the salad was nothing special that you could not make in a couple of minutes at home.

Erbelli's Square Pizza

For our pizza, we were torn of whether to order the pan or the square style crust. We decided to order the square because we always get the pan. Our pizza was half pepperoni and jalapenos and half mushrooms and jalapenos. As usual, the pizza was amazing. Everything about it is good. The crust is not too heavy or think and is nice and crisp. The sauce is truly one of a kind. It is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. They use just the right amount amount of cheese and only high quality toppings. You can also see and taste the flakes of parsley and oregano sprinkled over the top. We thoroughly enjoyed our pizza and luckily have enough left over for lunch on Sunday. After the meal we relaxed and talked a bit with Mike the bartender. I ordered a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale which is one of my all time favorite brews. It is a very hoppy India Pale Ale with a very floral bouquet.

Erbelli’s is really the best pizza restaurant in Kalamazoo and we try to go there at least once a month. Overall, you are safe to order everything on the menu as it is all top quality food. The only exception is the salads, which are slightly uninspiring.

Erbelli’s Gourmet Pizza
6214 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI.
269-375-0408