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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"Excellent place! The Cherry Tomato is right by our house and friends have talked about it for ages...we just somehow never made it over…" read more »
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Nutella pizza! This alone is reason enough to go to Marco's. So incredibly delicious. We also had the pizza Toscana, wings, and Mista salad. The salad was so-so, but the rest was great. Service was perfect and we loved the atmosphere. We can't wait to go back for lunch which is quite a bit cheaper than dinner.
Marco brought our little boy some pizza dough to play with while we waited for our food. I wish we could come here more often!
Have you ever felt that you should've worn black that night you went out? Have you ever felt as you sat down to the long table reserved just for your group that you are part of the "family?" Well, all kidding aside, Marco's does feel like family. I love a place that doesn't have a lot of tables and feels homey. I'm not a huge fan of "fancy" pizza but Marco's puts out some of the best pizza I've ever tasted. I could just eat his Bufla Mozzerella alone and I would be happy.
And I have to say that I am very impressed that Marco is always working his butt off and checking to make sure everybody is..........taken care of (said with Marlon Brando accent).
You should know that Happy Hour is only for the bar area (standing room only if you get there later) so that was a bit of a bummer. Otherwise, it is always a fantastic experience. Now thatsatalian!!!
In many ways, good pizza is an endangered species. The number of pizzerias in New York City dishing up great pies is not what it once was. Now that I live in Los Angeles, the ratio of quality pizza to population is not good.
Having a craving for pizza while in Denver a few days ago, I wasn't sure what to expect. Thanks to Yelp, I looked up 'pizza' on my Blackberry and a list of possibilities appeared. As my eyes saw the word 'coal' in the name, I programmed my GPS unit and sped to Mario's Coal Fired Pizza.
I've yet to find a pizzeria using a coal oven that doesn't know how to make great pizza. I was right again at Mario's. I ordered a Margherita pie and almost cried with joy at the amazing results. This pizza ranks up there with my favorite places in NYC and it put me into such a delirious state that I drove around the rest of the day pondering whether to move to Denver based on pizza goodness alone. When reality and common sense interfered with my moving plans, I settled for a second Margherita pie to munch on the long drive back to LA. (I should've ordered four more.)
Thank you, Mario's, for keeping the pizza tradition alive.
Yeah, as far as pizza goes downtown I think this place is one of, if not the best. The atmosphere is really fun, everyone is friendly and even the staff seem to be having a good time. The pizza is also awesome, if you can get a table, you should take advantage of this place.
OMG! Only the best pizza ever!
Before I get ahead of myself, lets start with the basics:
You can't miss this place off the street. It has a neon sign above it. The place is packed on a Friday evening. The music plays a bit loud so you have to speak up to communicate with your friends. There is a full bar in this place and you can watch them make the pizza. The ovens can be seen from the dining room. There is also a private room downstairs that you can reserve for large events.
The guy who owns the place loves Yelpers and demanded we try his brunch creations. Everything he brough out was delicious. There are many unique pizzas here like salmon and buffalo cheese pizzas. There is also a nutella pizza! If I could inject that into my veins I would. It is that good!
We also tried the chicken wings. Another success. You can taste the flame on the wings.
the prices vary on how many topings you want as with other pizza places. However, this is not your late-night drunk food pizza. This is a nice place and the pizza here is to be savored, not devoured.
One word of caution, the happy hour drink specials apply only to the bar area. If you are sitting at a table, you don't get the happy hour prices. I thought this to be very odd but the food was so good, I am not going to ding the place an entire star for it. Hopefully, Yelpers can convince the owner to extend happy hour prices to the tables as well as the bar in the future.
Highly recommend this place for a date or for a dinner with friends before heading to another downtown destination.
The pizza is pretty special - both the ingredients and the crust are top-notch, and it's clear that the owner is passionate about what he's doing. I also really like the chicken wings, which are wonderfully charred by cooking in the coal-fired oven. I still can't figure out the oven thing though - It's called Marco's Coal Fired Pizza, but the pizzas are cooked in a wood burning oven. I'd like to give the place 4 stars, but to be honest other than the pizza and wings the rest of the menu is pretty awful. I've eaten here 4 or 5 times, so I've worked my way through the whole thing. Go here, but skip everything but the pizza and wings. Price-wise, I think is an O.K. value; the pizzas are on the high side, but they're using high-end ingredients.
I will give this place five stars for Denver. Sure they are expensive, get over it. Its not cheap to do what he does. Where else can you get an authentic VPN pizza in Denver?
He does the margherita pizza correct with fresh DOP San Marzano tomatoes(not spiced too heavily) caputo dough cooked at a proper temperature, house made bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, and good virgin olive oil.
I normally am not affected by interior design, but I think this place is pretty cool. Not to mention they have a nice back patio.
Well priced Italian Wines. Great chicken wings.
I am fine with paying for quality. Some of the bad reviews I have read should get out more....
FYI their lunch special is very reasonable. $10 for a pizza, coke and a salad.
I've now been to this joint at least a dozen times.
My only major disappointment was when I ordered the cheese pizza. I personally didn't like the flavor but I don't really blame the restaurant for that but my personal taste instead.
In the beginning I raved about this place to all my friends. However, I have to say now that they're preparing to open multiple locations, the service & quality has already started to suffer. It really is starting to have the undesirable franchise/corporate feel.
MOLTO BENE!
Why only 3 stars for such a delicious place?
Simply put, the prices are REDONKULOUS for a freakin' pizza!
Come on now folks, this is Denver, not Manhattan-get over yerselves! :)
Anyway, pizza is gourmet style and pretty darn tasty--something about the marriage of a coal fire and dough..mmmm
Crust is right on the money.....
I would go here just for the chicken wings....they are so tasty-I've tried to replicate them in my own kitchen, but alas they still elude me.
The interior is a bit "chain-ish" but we'll forgive them that.
Go at least once for some way authentic East Coast style pizza, but be prepared for a lighter wallet.
Ok my mouth is watering just THINKING about the Abruzzo pizza at Marco's! I've only been there once and I am kicking myself that I haven't been back again! LOVED it.
Oh and the lemoncello chicken wings? Genius.
Good, truly authentic, Italian pizza. Five-star, really.
The only problem is that it is overpriced. Consequently, I don't eat here often. But enough people do that it can be crowded. While it's hard to fault the guy for charging what people are willing to pay, I am nonetheless clipping him a star because the pizza is excellent in Italy, where it's a fraction of Marco's price.
This place is way overrated, pizza is decent but over priced for what you get... and service was not impressive.
Bottomline, mediocre pizza for too much dough. I'll pass
The pizza here is VERY good. It's a bit more on the Italian/gourmet side than the American side. In other words, it's not your typical super greasy, super unhealthy pizza. It's a little bit lighter with high quality ingredients and super soft dough. Oh yeah, their tomato sauce is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy. It has to be one of the best sauces I've had.
Brooklyn - This is a very good pizza which IS a bit more on the American side. It has pepperoni and Italian sausage on it. The Italian sausage is awesome.
Del Rey - This pizza wasn't on the menu but is also very good. It is a white pizza (white truffle sauce) topped with prosciutto, mushrooms and cheese.
Abruzzo - This is a sauceless pizza with several types of delicious cheeses on it. It is also topped with fresh basil.
If I had to, I would call this place a poor man's Pizzeria Bianco. If you're ever in the area, it's definitely worth stopping by.
I live only a couple of blocks from Marco's and it's close to Herbs. If I had a single complaint, I would say that his pizza doesn't travel well...not even a few blocks.
That being said, I would say that I dig the place. When they first opened Marco came out and fed out meter for us as we were returning from Breck. That was a very cool first for me. I like the pizza and love those damn wings. It's a great acid/herbaceous concept that works with a cheap protein. The char is a great component and the flavor is unique.
I know that he brings in a lot from Italy and I can imagine what his overhead might be. People...you get what you pay for. I suspect that his flour order is somewhat reflective of the price. While I agree that it's a little high, it's not outrageous. Those ovens weren't free (quite the opposite I assure you).
Service has never been their strong point though. I've been stared at because I got there a little late and I know they wanted to close. I get it...I'm a bartender and I get it...F%^*ing relax. I hurried and they pretty much escorted me out the door like I was Helen Keller and couldn't find it on my own.
The next time at sat at the bar and was asked if I'd like to do a shot. I have (nor will I ever) say no and did one with the bartender...he charged me for it. That's cool and all if I ask HIM if he wanted a shot but that's some shady strip club antics right there.
Three stars only because service blows a little. It's not that hard to be nice and it's even easier to be nice to fellow industry people. Take care of them, and they will take care of you. I'm living proof. I can't complain about the food so long as I eat it there.
# 1 reason to go to here...Marcel the bartender!!
# 1 reason NOT to go here....the overpriced pizza!!
I live a few blocks from this place and really want to like it, but it is just not happening for me! I was there last Friday night and ordered the Margherita:( Fresh Mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and added Soppressata and Prosciutto Di Parma...Actual retail price is ...$18. For a fricking pizza for one! At these prices it had better be perfect every time! This time it wasn't even close!
Now I appreciate the use of quality ingredients, and the whole oven thing and the training in Italy, yada,yada,yada. However it is all for not when you cant even get the basics right! The center was doughy and the edges burned! Actual black char all the way around. I will assume it had something to do with the place being packed and the fact that one oven can only produce so much and still keep an accurate temperature.
I will go back there to try the chicken wing and to see Marcel who despite the bad pizza made me laugh and kept the prosecco flowing, unfortunately Marco...I wont be eating your pizza again anytime soon!
We had heard a lot about Marcos and were excited about giving it a try. Unfortunately, as take-out pizza (the Bronx), it was good, but not great. Excellent ingredients and tasty crust ,with an interesting coal seared taste. But no cripiness to the crust at all. In fact, a bit gummy throughout.
So, if I were Marco and was reading this my first question would be, "well, how long did you keep it in the box before eating it?" The answer's that I picked it up exactly when they said it would be ready, and we live only 5 blocks away, so less than 5 minutes.
We've had take-out pizza from other downtown pizzerias and not had that problem, so no, keeping it in the box too long wasn't the problem.
The big question for us is whether we'll go back to see if the pizza is better in person? The answer's, "yes." It was a solid 3 stars as take-out, so why not see if a place in our neighborhood does better with its hot-off-the-coals in-person pie?
Here's to giving Marcos' another chance, but the bottom line's that life is short, and we don't hang with pizza that's less than 4 stars. So we're hoping for what other people have experienced the next time. If it doesn't happen we'll stay with our regular LoDo 'za.
My friend and I had a great time at Marcos today! We sat on the patio, which has a nice little fireplace in the middle. We were both talking about how dinner by the fire must be nice.
We both had the lunch special. It is good salad with greens, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and a balsamic vinaigrette. The pizzas cam out and the were big for single portions! The crusts were perfect! My friend was saying it reminded her of when she was in Rome! I thought the sauce and the cheese and basil underneath all worked perfectly.
Service was good, and we even chatted with Marco for a little bit after our meal, who was super friendly.
This was our last meal in Denver on our trek cross country and thanks to Yelp we made a fantastic choice.
We got there fairly early and were one of the first few tables of the evening. Our server was extremely friendly and when I told him I found the place through Yelp he told me about a yelp event that Marco's hosted-nice!
After taking our drink orders, Marco (owner...duh) came over and introduced himself, asked all about our trip and gave us a few recommendations. Such a nice and humble guy. If I lived in Denver, I'd eat at Marco's just to chill with him!
The food was SO good. We started with the wings and split a small arugula salad before diving into his amazing coal fired pizza. From first bite to last, we were drooling. Combined with the awesome service , tasty food, chill ambiance, and great conversation with Marco-this place deserves 5 stars.
PS: Marco knows pizza. When he found out we were moving from Phoenix to Washington DC he asked about Pizzeria Bianco (best pizza I have eaten in AZ) and 2 Amy's (so far...best pizza in DC). I love a man who knows pizza.
When someone told me the other day that Marco's had 170+ reviews with a perfect 5-star rating I couldn't believe it. Turns out the perfect 5-star rating was a bit exaggerated, however a 4 1/2 average is fairly stout.
The place has good pie and a good happy hour ($5 for a personal size pie until 6pm).
However, this is a buzz-restaurant. I know they have a "funky" moss-green retro bar and have set up shop in an up-and-coming area, but please Yelpers, give it some more thought or else you're going to turn into that lady on the Pizza Hut commercials who says her pasta is, "SO decedent" (before she finds out it's from the 'Hut) because her macaroni and cheese has bacon in it. I'm sure if Marco served pasta with peperoni's in it you would lose your mind.
The dude in the red scarf (which I'm assuming is Marco) did a nice job both times I was there...polite and welcoming.
I'll go back, but I'm not giving it 4 stars on purpose.
I felt really vindicated this week when Tucker Shaw (DP dining critic) didn't totally drink Marco's koolaid. I was beginning to think I was suffering from early onset of taste bud Alzheimer's because I don't think I've ever seen a restaurant get higher ratings and my experiences just haven't left me all that breathless. My criticisms totally mirror Tucker's - the pizza is just not always all that and a bag of chips. I far prefer Virgilio's fpr pizza (not the atmosphere or service though - both are kind of sucky). I'm not a huge fan of Marco's atmosphere either though - looks great but way LOUD when it's busy.
I understand all the hype about imported this and imported that but if you can't find it on the pie - does it really matter? Way too much crust - not enough toppings. Maybe that is the Neapolitan way but it's not my thing. Also, not cheap. I think $17 for a 12 inch pie is pretty high 'cause unless you order appetizers and salads you're going to need one per person. A $17 entree is right up there with some much nicer restaurants. When I re-opened my Yelp account I promised to always say something nice (if there is anything nice) and I have to give serious props to Marco's for their chicken wings - oh my god! Skip the salads - boring and overpriced. They push the Nutella dessert pie hard - do you really want more dough? Nah. Wine prices are seriously inflated as well. I understand the whole markup thing but isn't double retail enough? Not here.
So, everyone who rates this place 5 stars - I hereby grant your wish that I not add to the crush. Please feel free to take my table.
I'm a bit snooty about my pizza since I hail from NY and let's face it, any corner pizzeria here makes a better slice than most out of state pizza joints. I was skeptical of the Yelp reviews at first but after consulting with our trusty concierge, we were sold and wanted to at least try it.
We took the shuttle from California and got off Larimer Sq. From there we hiked several long blocks in scorching August weather until we got close to Coors Field territory. Marco's is pretty close to the stadium.
the place was decorated nicely, a lot prettier than I expected. Full bar and everything. They make napoletana pizzas, not a very crispy thin pizza, but rather doughier and chewier.
We ordered the Toscana, The Brooklyn and the a Margherita which we customized with our own toppings. I have to say, I was impressed. While it wasn't the BEST pizza I've ever had, it was a tasty one. I can see why it's a popular place.
you also must try the chicken wings. They were superb and tasty.
I ate here yesterday, food was only decent, not fantastic like i expected but definately does not match the price point. The service seemed a little slow but not horrible, although he was very friendly. the tiramisu was very good though.
My best friends and I had a really hard time finding a place to eat and two of us are vegetarians. Our other best friend is a complete pizza lover and so we decided on Marco's to see what the whole buzz was about.
Right off the bat, the atmosphere is buzzing. We were greeted and seated right away which is a huge plus, the restaurant was very clean, furniture modern, everyone was very clean cut and has personality.
The menu is very straight to the point. No substitutions on any specialty pizza and they offer 12 inch pizzas that are I guess you can say thin crust. I had the Campania and the Marco's House Salad. Both dishes had buffalo mozzarella included which I completely loved! The pizza was cooked very nicely, with a nice crunch but a little doughy as well, which is how I like mine. Being that I used to live in the east coast and I have had a quite a few slices of pizza, I'd say that this isn't the best pizza I've had, but it is still very good. There was a little concern about my pizza, it was starting to get a little soggy after it cooled a little bit, but the flavors and all the ingredients were very fresh and delicious!
I didn't lush out this evening, so I don't have any bar stories, but the service was very attentive and good looking (yes, YOU Ryan). Marco came to our table and handed out some of our entrees and our table sets which was great because if I owned a restaurant, I would want to be right in there for my business as well. That says a lot for me.
They have really great lemonade or was it.. limonade? I can't remember, but it was so tasty! I actually had drooled in my mouth a little, another homer moment. . . And the extra dry cappuccino I had was pretty spectacular!
O and one more thing.. Dessert, the nutella pizza. GET SOME!!!!
Loves it! Beastly! not just for two, but for three and some!
ZING! Yay for Marcos!
Pretty good, I must say! I have been hearing about this place for months now from several different people and finally got around to trying it out.
First off, the atmosphere of this place is pretty cool, it has great decor and an awesome open-style kitchen, where you can see the coal fire oven cooking pizzas away in. Second, Neapolitan style pizza is my favorite kind of pizza. I first fell in love with it several years back at this place (Tutta Bella) in Seattle and search for it on many menus around Denver. It is not always easy to find, but it always seems delicious when it is found!
As for Marco's food goes, I tried a mojito, a caesar salad, the Campania pizza, the Queens pizza, and tiramisu. I went with several people so we shared up a couple of pizzas and salads. I really loved the dough/crust of this pizza! It was so chewy and delicious! Out of the pizzas though I definitely liked the Campania the best, because of its simplicity. Plus, the cheese on it, Bufala Mozzarella, which is actually made from buffalo milk, was SO good! I just wanted a side of crust with that cheese all over it.
I enjoyed the whole experience and will be back! Definitely for that gosh-darn fantastic cheese!
rude service, even ruder management, three soggy 12" pizzas, a salad and a bad glass of wine: $92 including a 15% tip.
i could write pages about how bad this experience was, but why waste any more energy?
avoid avoid avoid.
a few hours later:
ps: you aren't going to believe what just happened. i wrote the above review about 8:30pm tonight, right after i went here. it's now 9:30pm.
i left my name and number because the manager asked me if i minded if marco, the owner, called me because i had complained that the meal was poor and way too expensive.
of course, after a bad experience, you usually like to offer some friendly feedback to the owner, so i said no problem, thinking he would call to apologize or maybe offer some compensation.
well he just called...
...and he yelled at me.
yes, he yelled at me. very loudly and a lot.
unbelievable.
but wait, it gets worse: he asked me when i could go back down there and talk to him "man to man" like he wanted to get into a fight!
i hung up on him.
but he called right back to yell some more, so i hung up again.
i give them another six months before people realize that, if you must eat pizza, it is always best left to the delivery boys at dominos. at least their 12" thin crust pepperoni and olive pies only cost $11.28 and they arrive warm.
(marco's overpriced disgusting food is still giving me stomach ache).
This is now my favorite pizzeria in town and a great spot to go after a Rockies game. My favorite pizza is the Brooklyn. The wings are also very good.
You know I feel like I gotta stop jocking this place, but everytime I go (well the last 20 times) it's been only better than the last.
Sunday, after the ice cream tour, I had the pleasure of sharing pies with Doug Y and his amazingly lovely family, and one of the Dave S'. We decided on a couple of pies and were content to rest our weary, ice cream eating bones.
Marco's lovely daughter came over to tell us about a new pizza which was not on the menu, but quite available for our dining pleasure...and Man! was it.
It's called the Del Re - pizza for the king or something, and it had proscuitto, creamy cheese goodness, only matched by the flavorful mushrooms.
Melt-y in your mouth-y goodness.
Just Do It!
Oh, and the Stella is stilll cold my friends~
I had lunch at Marco's today and what I noticed previously about the service and the food was only… Read more »
If you haven't been to Marco's for their lunch special during the week then you're missing out. A salad, drink and 10" pizza for 9 bucks. You can go wrong with that.
The pizza is quite tasty; it is one of the better pies you can find in this town.
Someone mentioned canolis. I haven't had an awesome canoli since the last time I was in NYC. Definitely at the top of my list net time I go.
Yum. I've only been at lunch and had the lunch special, it's good...and a good deal! $9 gets you a salad, margherita pizza, and non-alcoholic beverage. The pizza is sooo good, the crust is chewy and crispy at the same time, and the cheese is salty, tender goodness...the sauce, cheese ratio is great, and it's an overall delicious experience. Mmmm, it's 9 in the morning, but I want to go have lunch right now.
Pros: great lunch special, cool comfortable space, patio, pizza!
Cons: the rest of the menu looks pricey, the menu itself is a tad confusing (but if I rub my two brain cells together, I can figure it out), parking in the neighborhood can be tough if a game day at Coors Field
About the pricey-ness of the other menu items. This is what has prevented me from coming back for dinner...kinda lame, I know, but part of me (my wallet, actually) ceremoniously rejects the idea of paying upwards of $15 - $17 for an individual pizza. That seems excessive, even if the ingredients are imported and amazing...though maybe it's just a matter of me changing the parameters of my thought process, b/c in writing this I realize that I pay that for a fancy pasta dish at a restaurant, and it's basically the same ingredients.
I think yelp just saved me a therapist's bill...eureka...a paradigm shift! Fancy pizza IS worthy of a heftier price-tag.
Or is it?
OK, I'm going now.
This is not New York pizza; it is traditional Napolitano pizza, straight from Italy. I lived in Italy for over 3 years and this is how all the pizzas are made. If you are looking for New York pizza, go to Enzo's or Benny's.
I recommend going during Happy Hour because pizzas are $5, beers are $3 & house wines are $4.
I have been to Marco's many times and will continue to frequent this establishment.
This is not the best pizza in Denver. Marco's was able to arrange a table for a wedding party of 16 with an hours notice, major kudos there. Having the downstairs to ourselves, and the friendly service from Marco himself we thought we won the jackpot. Unfortunately our arrival was the best experience.
- Mojitos need not be sugary sweet, but add some sugar to this cocktail please.
- Granted this was a party of 16, some people waited an extra 15 minutes for their food (not everyone had pizza)
- We were there for two hours. The last hour was due to our waiter screwing up while splitting the tab. We were offered water and didn't receive an apology until we were leaving our table.
The man and I split a Campania: Buffalo Mozzarella, San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil, EVOO. The amount of mozzarella and basil was scant. The other Campania that arrived at our table had ample of both of these ingredients. The outer crust was chard to a point that it was inedible, and it's under belly was limp. The San Marzano tomato sauce may be the best I've tasted in Colorado, yet it overwhelmed the pizza (perhaps due to the imbalance of ingredients). The undercooked dough was prevalent in every bite. Others in the party complained of inconsistent dough.
I feel like I let my friends down, including the bride and groom, by taking them here for their impromptu wedding dinner. While walking out I thought to myself "Maybe I should have called Osteria Marco."
great pizza and the wings are insane. My dad (who lives in Mass) still asks about them. plenty of street parking so it's easy to pick up a pie. not sure if they deliver...but I wouldn't suggest as this pizza is best eaten hot.
Wow, I really liked this place. Very good pizza for Denver or any other city. Just as good as Brooklyn or Connecticut in my opinion. Its thin crust style. Nice charred crust n with plentiful ingredients. My favorite is the margharita though. Nice ambiance. good service. Will definitely be back
I wavered between 3 and 4 stars on this one and chose to err on the side of caution for a reason that I will explain later in this review. We ordered two pizzas (margherita and toscana), salad and the Nutella pie for dessert.
The atmosphere is very nice, upscale and not pretentious. Another review pointed out that the chairs seemed like office chairs with the rolling wheels. I think that this is an ingenious thing. You did not have to listen to the sound of chairs scratching on the wood floor as people stood, sat or shifted. That said, I sat in a booth so I do not know about the chairs' comfort.
The pizza was good. For those complaining about the amount of topping you get being insufficient, do not equate quantity with quality. You want a five pound pie? Go suffer at Beau Joe's. That said, a little more basil would have been in order on our pie.
The reason that I gave this three and not four stars when I really feel that their food is a 3.5 star quality, is that several times during the dinner, I looked into the kitchen (it is an open kitchen) and saw the pizza finisher take her hat off and run her fingers through her hair. Totally wrong! I have a strong stomach, but I know many people for whom that would have been a deal-breaker and we would have walked out. My review assumes that this was an anomaly and rates the food, not the cleanliness.
Would I go back? Maybe, but I am not making any special trips.
I am willing to admit that my entire review could possibly be colored by the fact that anything that is more than 75% bread, apart from really good BBQ pork buns, makes me angry. And that includes the pizza I ordered from here.
We came here for my boyfriend's benefit - he's trying to eat and rank every calzone in the greater Denver area - and he enjoyed himself, so if you like pizza, and well-baked bread, and fresh Italian vegetables and cheeses, and little booths where you get to rub legs with your dining partner and watch extreme sports on the bar TV, then I'm fairly positive you will like Marco's.
If you feel, however, like I do, that nothing can save a meal that's 75% bread, then I would avoid Marco's. I ordered the Toscana: fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, arugula, grape tomatoes, prosciutto di Parma, gran cru, and olive oil. I ordered it because it had the most ingredients. I like my pizzas piled high.
Well, what I got looked like someone had baked the pizza crust, then thrown all the toppings on afterwards, like a tiny little salad. All the toppings were fantastic... don't get me wrong. Especially the prosciutto and the gran cru. Really, everything was great. I could have done with approximately 500% more topping though - or at least have it baked in a little - because the second I tried to slice a slice, everything on top fell off and scattered everywhere. The pizza was practically impossible to eat and tasted - despite the wonderful, but sparing, toppings - mostly like, well, bread.
I also found it expensive - over $20 per person. For pizza. Fantastic fresh pizza perhaps, but with the tiny amount of toppings... hey, bread shouldn't (and doesn't) cost that much no matter how you coal-fire it in a 1000 degree oven.
We were on an a misson last night at 830 for food. We came to Yelp and then realized we have never been here. I usually wait till i go a few times before reviewing something but... I am sure that Marcos can do better. I don't know what it is but I was not blown away at all.
The interior is wonderfully designed and definitely added to the evening. The menus are aesthetically pleasing and fun to look at. The tables are beautiful.
The hostess was very nice and quick with water and a smile. She also brought us some balsamic glaze she thought we would like with our delicious but $17 cheese and deli meat appetizer. The app was very good though. I just did not think it was worth $17.
We got a pie and it was good but not nearly cooked enough and burned on the outside. That was a bummer for me. I really liked the toppings and everything. The basil was also burned and that did not taste good at all. Also the pizza was $17 dollars... No biggie if it was prepared correctly.
Dessert... they have nuttela pizza which Ray saw IMMEDIATELY... he love that stuff. So we got that. I am not a dessert person, rather a appetizer person. But I did try it and it was yummy. $9... Ray ate it for breakfast too... it is BIG!
Ray's Stella was not carbonated at all, and I guess I can not complain about that if we did not ask for a new one.
Our server was fine... kind of felt rushed to order something other than the appetizer though and she seemed truly relieved when we order pizza. She seemed rushed and checked out. But o well ... I don't go out to eat to chat with the waitress anyway.
All in all... Ray loved it and I have leftovers that will probably taste much better...(the whole reheating thing... cook the doughy dough more)... and I did not LOVE it... so 3 stars... : )
Stopped in here this weekend with my daughter during Oktoberfest and decided to try out the patio. Glad I did because the patio was private and really cool looking. The waitress, Danni, was probably one of the nicest people I've ever met. Thought maybe I was on an episode of "touched by an angel" or something. Had the beer and chicken wings and the price wasn't bad at all, especially compared to the food out on the street at Oktoberfest. Probably a great place to have a romantic meal in the patio some night (ok maybe next summer). The food was high quality and service excellent. Would definitely come back here again.
I met Marco at the door one day and he was so gracious to give me a quick tour of his new oven. The pizza was aboslutely great, but just way high on the pricepoint!!
I enjoyed the fact that Marco and staff were extremely accommodating and made us feel like we were eating in someone's home, rather than a restaurant. We ordered 2 pizzas: the Abruzzo and something meat. (I'm a vegetarian, so I don't remember, but it had proscuito and spinach, I think.) It was a thin, soft and crunchy crust, just the right amount of cheese and sauce. The wine selection was much better than I had expected and so were the desserts.
I told the owner that I had such a happy savory experience and didn't want to ruin it by eating something sweet. I explained that I was totally jaded from the desserts I've sampled in the Denver area thus far, and was happy to end my meal right there.
Then he came with lemoncello, a cannoli, and tiramisu. And then I seriously thought, "oh no, I'm not going to like this..." You know what? I was finally wrong! It tasted like I was back in North Beach where Italian food is scary authentic. And, I absolutely hate mixed, sugary drink-types. The lemoncello? Perfect.
Had an excellent time here and would definitely frequent this place. Thank you, Marco, for understanding and entertaining this west-coast foodie!!
I'm a NYer...I know pizza. As pretentious as that may sound, it's just the truth. When you've got easily 1 pizza place per block, when every neighborhood has a favorite, and when you've got the last bastion of coal fired ovens dating back almost 100 years, you develop a decent pizza palate. Toss in my fiance's penchant for cannoli and you get discriminating palates for Italian street food.
We went to Marco's last week and were pleasantly surprised. Ingredients were fresh. The crust was crispy--a challenge in baking at altitude. Prices were fair. Salads were also good--not overdressed. But fair warning--for those who don't LOVE cheese, ask for them to scale it back on both the salads and pizza. The atmosphere and the service was perky. The feel really reflects what I'd expect in a newish pizza spot--definitely Italian with a modern flair. The glass work, ironwork, and furniture is inventive and comfortable. The noise-level was not disturbing either.
And the cannoli? Presentation was a little over done--but the taste? A winner.
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Five Points
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Pizza
Lakewood, CO
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Southwest
Category: Pizza
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