Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza in Ocala

What Makes Piesanos a Top Pizza Choice in Ocala?

Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza is one of Ocala's go-to destinations for pizza and Italian food. With two locations serving Marion County, one at 2575 SW 42nd Street across from Trinity Catholic High School and the other at 8075 SW Highway 200 in Canopy Oak Center, the restaurant is within a short drive of most of Ocala. The company traces its roots to Italian Gator Pizza by the Slice, a small shop near the University of Florida campus run by Joel and Rebecca Mills. In 2009, Joel Mills partnered with Michael and Melissa Akey and Laure Young to open the first Piesanos in Gainesville; by 2014 there were three restaurants, and after Jerry and Sabrina Roberts joined in 2017 the group expanded across Central Florida to its current 15 locations.

Stone-fired ovens are central to what defines Piesanos. The high, even heat of the stone gives the crust a crisp exterior while keeping the interior light. Dough and sauce are made from scratch, and the pizza list runs from a plain Cheese and the Old Fashioned to Pizza Antico, Margherita, Sriracha Hot Honey, The Captain, Meat Eater, Deluxe and the ultra-thin Rustica, plus build-your-own pizzas and calzones. A cauliflower crust is available on 10-inch pizzas. The menu extends well beyond pizza: entrees include lasagna Bolognese, eggplant Parmesan, baked ziti, spaghetti and meatballs and chicken Parmesan; specialty pastas include shrimp scampi, rigatoni alla vodka, chicken carbonara, chicken Marsala and fettuccine Alfredo; and there are subs, soups, salads, Buffalo wings, a kids menu and desserts such as cannoli, tiramisu and chocolate lava cake. For anyone searching for Italian restaurants in Ocala with more than just pizza, Piesanos delivers a well-rounded menu.

Lunch specials are served at both Ocala restaurants from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, with options such as two slices and a soft drink, five wings with a cheese slice, and lunch-size pasta entrees. Each location has a full bar serving domestic, imported and craft beers, wines and signature cocktails, and the menu pairs its bruschetta flatbread with a Jai Alai IPA. The dining rooms suit a quick weeknight meal, a family dinner or a group gathering, and both locations take table reservations. Takeout specials and family meal deals such as the pizza-and-wing combo, family lasagna and family chicken Parmesan are listed on the menu for feeding a crowd at home.

The two locations give Piesanos a practical advantage over many competitors. The SW 42nd Street restaurant serves central and southwest Ocala from the Grand Oaks Town Center plaza at SW 42nd Street and SW 27th Avenue, while the Highway 200 restaurant is positioned for the communities along the SR 200 corridor, including On Top of the World, Stone Creek and Oak Run. Both offer dine-in, online ordering for pickup, delivery and catering. Piesanos has earned its place among the best pizza options in Ocala, and the combination of stone-fired cooking, scratch-made dough and sauce, and a full Italian menu makes it a reliable choice for dining in Marion County.