Erbelli’s Gourmet Pizzeria, Italian Bistro & Pub

I’ve heard so much about Erbelli’s from coworkers and I’ve seen the billboards around town announcing they were voted the best pizza in Kalamazoo. I was excited to order delivery from them to wind down my Sunday night. After waiting an hour and 15 min for the delivery to arrive (fine, I get that it takes a while sometimes, especially on weekends), I started by opening the mozzarella sticks to find lukewarm, floppy breading that barely contained the cheese. I ate half a bite and threw the rest in the trash. Next were the chicken strips, which were ok, but nothing even remotely exciting. I figured they are known for their pizza, so that would make up for the disappointing apps… so I opened the 12″ thin crust I ordered (mozz, red onions, mushrooms, and basil) to find a completely sunken and uninspiring looking pie. The crust was flimsy and soggy, not even close to a satisfying crunch of a typical thin crust, the sauce was bland and basic… tasted like cheap crap from a can, barely any cheese, and the veggies were not fresh tasting in the least. I had two slices and threw the rest in the garbage. In fact my whole $ 45 order is currently resting in the dumpster where it belongs. Maybe it’s better in the restaurant, but I’m unwilling to try since this was by far the most disappointing pizza I’ve ever had. 0 stars, wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

The specialty gourmet pizzas at Erbelli’s looked quite good as I looked across the dining room at this popular Italian eatery on the western edge of K-​zoo. Judging from the tables of other diners, it seems like everyone orders pizza here at Erbelli’s. With specialty pizza names like the Twisted Sista, the Rhino, the Sunshine, the Wrist and the Flip A Dip, I will definitely order a pie next time here.
But on this visit, I was up for some basic good olé pasta… Spaghetti w/​Meat Sauce to be exact. Craving tomato sauce today, I asked for an extra cup of their house Marinara sauce to blend in with the meat sauce. Boom! My craving was quelled with rich thick tomatoey goodness.
My only suggestion would be for Erbelli’s to consider providing freshly graded Parmesean on request as an classy touch that so many top Italian restaurants offer. Parm out of a shaker is ok for pizzas but a good dish of pasta deserves more.
Overall, a nice experience and can’t wait to get back to try a pie.

While visiting family in K-​zoo over Christmas, we were looking for a place to eat. We didn’t intend to go to Erbelli’s, but through a series of unfortunate events ended up here. As it turns out, ending up at Erbelli’s was a fortunate accident. The restaurant was really busy (apparently this does happen even in Kalamazoo from time to time), so we had to wait a bit for a table. During that waiting-​period I was impressed by how much take-​out business the restaurant was doing. When we were eventually offered a table, we looked over the menu and opted for pizza. In hindsight: a great choice. The pizza that we ordered was delicious. It was hot, fresh, and well-​made. I can’t vouch for anything else at Erbelli’s, but they make a fine pie.
To the restaurant itself, absolutely nothing about it stands out beyond the food. It is found in a non-​descript strip mall, has a fairly non-​descript interior (not unlike hundreds of other restaurants), and we were treated with non-​descript service. In other words, everything was just fine. I certainly don’t expect to be blown away every time that I go out to eat, so I don’t offer this description judgmentally. A restaurant that serves up quality food in a totally ordinary way is still a success.

As Chicagoans, we like to think that we have pretty high standards for pizza, and let us tell you, Erbelli’s did not disappoint! Their gourmet pizzas are an absolute must — especially their award winning pizzas like «The Wrist». You can even order a six back of Bell’s Two Hearted with your order — this place is a pizza lover’s dream.
Originally we thought that we would have to come back to Chicago to get great pizza, but now that we’re back in Chicago all we can think about is Erbelli’s. We highly recommend eating here if you’re in the area!

Yes their pizza is amazing, but if you live on the north side of Kalamazoo forget any kind of service. My family used to live on Forbes and Douglas street, we would order delivery from here all the time no problem, though now we live 2 blocks away on North Street forget it. No service to «this side of town». Thanks so much Erbellies for discriminating against specific neighborhoods in Kalamazoo!

Pizza is just Ok. Little meat on top. What it is is the Most Expensive pizza in town. More expensive than Chicago pizza. I would go to bilbos or even better yet cook you own Pappa Murphys at home.

I have dined here approximately five times. The one visit I had an issue with service I left a comment and received a hand written response and resolution. That’s impressive for a pizza place.
The pizzas are simply terrific and worth multiple visits to try out the large variety they offer. Erbellis’ quality of service standards makes them a great pizza place to take guests.
My kids love it and we do, too!

While Erbelli’s food is great, the delivery service at this location is absolutely awful. We have a group of employees who stay very late on specific nights, so I order them Erbelli’s delivery online. For two months, I ordered delivery for our work address with no issues. Yesterday, I placed an order, only to have them call the person it would be delivered to, telling them that they don’t deliver here (downtown Kalamazoo), despite the order going through. He spoke with the manager, who apparently had some serious attitude and said that our orders «slipped through the cracks.» For two months? With someone delivering them with no issue each time? The manager didn’t care, said our order was cancelled, and that was that.
Guys, get it together. Get a delivery map on the site. Get a script that checks the delivery address against your delivery radius. Get some customer service training and don’t pull an attitude with repeat customers (or any customers! that’s like rule number one!) when you’ve fulfilled multiple orders to the same location without issue.

If you were wondering, they’re still slower than death. Waiting two hours for food that has not arrived.
Never, never, never again. Will tell my friends.

Erbellis is one of my favorite pizza establishment in the area, but was extremely disappointed in the quality of their Mozzarella Sticks. They reminded me of cheap mozzarella sticks you would find at Gordons Food Service. Checkers have better Mozzarella Sticks.

Not delivering to our location anymore???
Hello Jaspers Pizza, I guess they gain our business…

Outstanding calzones. not at all squishy or soggy. Would like to see more local brews from Kalamazoo.

Unlimited pizza, salad, and soup on a $ 9 lunch buffet? Sounds sketchy but worth double that! Soup was awesome, the pizza is a thicker crust, with random toppings that come out fresh and very good. They also had spaghetti, chicken strips and cheesy bread. Salad bar is pretty basic, but everything was fresh. Definitely worth a visit!

The service was wonderful. The guy I talked to on the phone was very nice. Corey I believe was his name? Helpful and quick. The food came within the time he told me and the delivery guy was friendly as well. Downfall though… My bruschetta was cold and soggy and my salad was not the greatest either. Even though they didn’t seem to take longer then they told me, I think the food was done way before the delivery guy was.
The service I received tonight makes up for the food and I recommend people to at least give it a chance. I wouldn’t order delivery again, but I’ll definitely try dining in next time. And thank you for having nice employees who seem to care about their customers. It can make a world of difference on if a customer comes back or not.

Best pizza in Kalamazoo! They offer the standard pizza toppings as well as unique topping selections such as prosciutto, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers. The create-​your-​own pizza with options like whole wheat crust and gluten free crust really allows you to truly create the perfect pizza for you. They offer individual size pizza which means that you don’t have to compromise with anyone! As someone who is married to their pizza nemesis, I appreciate this more than words can say! If you want to try something different but can’t make a decision, try something from their gourmet pizza section. Everything is wonderful so you can’t go wrong. Yes, the prices are a little higher than most pizza places, but you get what you pay for. And in this case, you’re getting cheesy deliciousness!

The food is amazing, the staff are very friendly, and they play upbeat music. The lunch buffet has a great variety of pizza, pasta, etc. Overall, the vibe is comfortable and relaxed.

This place reminded me of a place called Spinato’s back home in Phoenix. Family atmosphere, sports on the TV and KENO!!! Well, back home we don’t have Keno in restaurants, but everything else was the same.
The drinks were great, the service was top notch and the pizza was so yummy. I am one that would literally eat pizza every single day for every single meal if I could. Their pizza is very tasty. I can’t at this moment remember the kind we had, but I think mushrooms were involved in one of them and I remember them being very good.
Our family comes here often I think and I can see why. Perfect little join on the corner.
Salute!

This is arguably the best pizza in all of Kalamazoo (Martini’s and Bimbo’s are the two other candidates, IMO). I cautiously give 5 stars — I would prefer to give 4.7÷5, but such is the way of the Unilocal world.
The pizza is a little greasy — I happen to like this, and think it adds to the taste. If you want a healthier pizza (come on, really) perhaps another restaurant is the way to go. Note: this review is only about pizza, as I have only ever eaten pizza and breadsticks here. I dislike all other pasta and italian food for some reason, and feel no obligation to try anything new.
Best breadsticks in town, hands down. Light and fluffy, seasoned perfectly, and served with the city’s best pizza sauce (I think the trick is in the olive oil). My kids would each eat a full order of these, but I have yet to indulge them and let their stomachs bulge from all of the bread intake. Note about sticks: they are better when dining in than when you get takeout.
The standard pizza is white crust; they do have a whole wheat pizza, but stick with the white crust. The sauce is the best (same as breadsticks), and they get the toppings and seasoning right every time. Again, arguably the best pizza in town, and it has its own distinct flavor. I stick with pepperoni and mushroom, but I have done veggie pizzas and they do those well, too.
Two things take this from a 4 star to a 5 star restaurant: the lunch buffet and the staff.
The lunch buffet: $ 8.99 for an adult, $ 5.99 (?) for under 12, and kids under 3 eat free. There is no way you can beat this, especially for this quality. The restaurant gets busy on Thursdays and Fridays (no buffet on the weekends), so get there early and put your requests in for pizzas. They generally have enough pizza that I will eat without needing to ask for other types, but others have had their requests filled.
The staff here is amazing for a pizza place. To me, they really «get» what the restaurant is all about. It is fun, fast, high quality, and casual, and the staff delivers on this every time. I have had problems and they are always taken care of, and never with attitude or trouble.
This is your best bet for a quality pizza eating experience in Kalamazoo.

Oh, Erbelli’s, how we love you. If this place were a little cheaper, we’d be in real trouble because I’m sure we’d eat here all the time!
Our favorite is the lunch buffet, which is available Monday through Friday. They have standard pepperoni or just cheese pizzas, but they also set out a variety of more uncommon pizzas for you to try. The buffet also has salad and soup. The only downside? It seems like everyone in the greater Kalamazoo area also loves the lunch buffet, so it’s always crowded, there is a long line to pay at the counter, and sometimes the pizza disappears as quickly as they can set it out.
If we are there for dinner, we always get the amazing pizza breadsticks. If you’re going to splurge on white bread, these are worth it!

FINALLY made it to Erbelli’s! After dealing with all the hype from friends and other Kalamazoo people I decided to pull the trigger and give them a try. I’m glad I did.
The décor kind of reminds me of a old school mafia bar. There are plenty of flat screens for the sports fans but I’d hesitate to call it an actual sports bar.
Was fairly busy at 7:30p on a Tuesday night. Moderate noise level. Service was fairly prompt.
I ordered a small calzone. My friends ordered a Margarita Pizza. My calzone was really good! Crispy on the outside, the meat & sauce were super flavorful. My friends said the pizza was superb. Ingredients were fresh tasting.
Overall a very nice experience. Not as nice as the hype, but nice anyway. I’d recommend a visit.