Lunch Review: Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

Two steps inside Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Clearwater and you can smell the coals burning in Anthony’s kitchen.

With a clean, sleek design and stylish servers dressed in all black, Anthony’s newest location in Clearwater is located off of McMullen Booth Road. When you go you’ll be greeted by a friendly accommodating staff and a streamlined menu that features a variety of pizzas.

The background: Anthony’s story has become famous throughout Florida. Founded by Anthony Bruno in 2002 in Ft. Lauderdale, Bruno did something that no other pizza chain in South Florida had done…..he introduced Coal Fired cooking. Every pizza at Anthony’s is cooked at 800 degrees in a coal burning oven that gives customers a “well done” taste that Anthony’s is famous for.

The good things I have heard about Anthony’s along with the signature taste of their pizza is what brought my wife and I to their new location.

Due to the wait on a busy Friday night, we opted for outside seating. Patio seating is always a risk. By choosing to sit outside the four walls of the restaurant you’re putting the overall experience in jeopardy….the server could forget you, the food could be left sitting in the kitchen and never be delivered and you’re likely to end up with an empty drink for most of the evening.

Anthony’s proved all of these theories wrong. Seconds after sitting down our server was there to greet us and take our drink order.

What we ate: Knowing what Anthony’s is famous for it didn’t take us long to decide what we wanted to eat. We started off with their free bread. Similar to the crust of their pizza they take slices of bread and cook them in the coal burning oven and serve the bread with a side of olive oil. We also ordered the Italian salad which is big enough to share. The salad is fantastic with fresh vegetables and homemade Italian dressing.

Anthony’s offers a variety of pizza choices. You have your choice of normal pizza with your choice of topping or you can be more adventurous and order one of their specialty pizzas which include: Meatball & Ricotta and Frittata (pepper, onion and egg) to name a few.  We however opted for a less exciting choice and instead ordered a large cheese with a side of Italian sausage.

The one downfall to Anthony’s is that due to the cooking process it can take upwards of 30 minutes to get your order so if you go I advise you plan ahead and order as soon as you sit down.

Also be warned the pizza you get at Anthony’s is not your normal NY style pizza, it’s something far superior. The sauce is equal to the amount of cheese and there is a little more crust than usual. The pizza truly is “well done” and while it may appear to be burnt around the edges it’s definitely not. The coal fired taste is embedded into the pizza leaving you with a pizza taste you’ll never forget.

The Service: Simply said it was outstanding. Even though we were out on the patio we got attentive and friendly service. Our server got us what we needed, our food came in a reasonable amount of time (she warned us of the 30 minute cook time) and our drinks were kept full.

In addition to pizzas, Anthony’s offers a wide range of other menu choices including chicken wings and Focaccia sandwiches all cooked in the coal oven. If you visit during lunch they have some more affordable lunch options available including sandwiches etc which are definitely worth checking out.

The bottom line: Anthony’s offers a unique pizza experience with friendly service at a reasonable price. It would be a great place to grab some lunch or take a date on the weekend.

Anthony’s other Tampa Bay restaurant is located in Carrollwood. A full list of their locations is available here.

***
Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza
2532 McMullen Booth Rd.
Clearwater, FL 33761
727-797-0929