The Little River District welcomes an unmistakingly charming Italian restaurant, Ironside Pizza, featuring tastefully rustic decor, outstanding service and traditional Neapolitan pizza, made with the freshest local and imported ingredients, amongst other Italian delicacies!

Nestled inside Little River's upscale urban community, Ironside Pizza molds the quaintness of rustic Italian charm with modern, metropolitan Miami. The wafting aroma of wood fire welcomed us into a bright and airy space surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Ironside's industrial garden. 

The cuisine is fresh and flawlessly executed. Co-owner Tommaso Morelato tells us that many of the ingredients Ironside Pizza incorporates are either locally grown, such as heirloom tomatoes from Homestead, or imported from the European motherland, such as the non-pasteurized mozzarella di bufula from Florence, depending on which region grows optimal ingredients.

From the Roccetta Naturale to the house-made pane, Ironside Pizza breathes Italian authenticity. Our palates were first greeted by Involtini di Pizza, the genuine “pizza roll”, starring rich and creamy mozzarella fiordilatte, salted parma cotto ham and salami, flavorfully bound by drizzled truffle oil. Quite literally, this appetizer oozed a finished bite of both savory and salty attributes.

Next, we were presented with Parmigiana, the truest showing of eggplant parmesan and our second appetizer. In a piping hot skillet sat fresh tomato sauce, eggplant, basil, mozzarella fiordilatte, and grated parmesan. Thankfully, the eggplant retained its flavor and texture, a feat for eggplant dishes, and was the primary contributor to this gustatory symphony.

As authentic Neapolitan pizza is the restaurant’s praised specialty, we were especially anticipatory of the main course — the Regina. Delicately dressed in slivers of prosciutto crudo, crisp arugula, cherry tomato, mozzarella di bufula, parmesan and olive oil, this Italian classic is worthy of exultation. Most specifically, the airy yet crispy pizza dough, carefully proofed for twelve hours, holds tremendous flavor and serves as the solid, and memorable, foundation for the Regina.

With an appetite for dessert Italiano, we sunk our forks into the most exquisite interpretation of Tiramisu. From the fluffy marscapone, to the pan de España and cacao dust on top, this dessert is the definition of decadence. Heavy Tiramisu is no more, leaving diners feeling light, yet full of sweet satisfaction.

For the grand, grand finale, we were delighted to delve into another interpretation of our favorite Ironside Pizza dough, made with the finest flour from Molino San Felice. The Nutella Pizza is smothered with Nutella hazelnut spread, covered with thinly sliced strawberries and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Molto delizioso!

Our beloved Ironside Pizza is the first expansion for the TD Hospitality Group who opened the critically acclaimed Toscana Divino in Mary Brickell Village in May 2012, and if this tempting menu is not enough to lure you in, Ironside Pizza’s own expansion plans will do just the trick.

Promised later this fall is a coffee bar by day, and a wine bar by night, adjacent to the quaint pizzeria. Whether a lunch visitor or an evening diner, guests will experience the best of both worlds! A cafe to begin the day, and a lounge-like space to finish the evening, with live music, spectacular lighting and waves of Italian vibrance in the air. By end of this year, Ironside Pizza will become the greatly anticipated Ironside Complex.

Ironside Pizza is open for dinner daily from 6PM to 11PM and for lunch every weekday from noon until 3PM., with brunch service starting later this fall.