Who has the best pizza in Memphis? See who won The Commercial Appeal's bracket showdown
The Commercial Appeal's readers have spoken and voted Garibaldi's Pizza as the Best Pizza in Memphis in our inaugural March Madness Pizza Bracket.
The 50-year-old Memphis pizzeria beat out Lucchesi's, Coletta's, 3 Guys Pizza Pies and Fox Ridge Pizza en route to a finals showdown against Aldo's Pizza Pies. With more than 3,700 votes cast in the finals, Memphians proclaimed their love for Garibaldi's, which received 55% of the vote.
Garibaldi's has been loving the Bluff City since the days when Goldsmith's and the Raleigh Springs Mall were regular weekend destinations, and the largest university in town was called Memphis State.
What started as a recent college grad's need to make a way for himself after graduation ended up rooting itself in its Memphis community, with branches across the city and people who lovingly call it home.
Mike Garibaldi Sr. founded his pizzeria on Walker Avenue, near the University of Memphis in 1975. It was long before expansions or even Michael Jr. — who now runs the family business — were ever thought of. He says that, back then, the area near campus only had a McDonald's and a newly opened Pizza Hut, compared to the more vibrant food scenes he had seen other college towns present near their campuses.
"The food scene was pretty sparse, and I just knew that [a local pizzeria] could go here," Garibaldi Sr. recalled. "And we needed it."
What began as "learning the pizza business as we went" has since expanded to two Memphis locations and a third in Germantown. Garibaldi Sr. credits the video games and pinball machine in the restaurant's dining room with keeping them interesting and open when lulls in business would have closed other restaurants for good. But it's more likely that his intentional community involvement played a major role in customers' loyalty to the brand.
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Over the years, Garibaldi's has sponsored Little League teams, donated to several local charities and has a deep, longstanding relationship with both the University of Memphis and Christian Brothers High School. Their community ties add branches to the Garibaldi's tree, endearing them to metro Memphis as both a beloved eatery and community member.
"We've done a really good job of keeping the product consistent, being involved in the community and family," Garibaldi Jr. said. "We're Italians. Everything is about family [and] breaking bread. We want our customers to feel how we feel."
As he grew his business, Garibaldi Sr. also grew his family. His son, Michael Jr., says he remembers walking — and maybe sometimes running — through the Walker Avenue store as early as age 6. By 8, he had learned to safely handle a knife and was helping to prep food in the kitchen. His teen years were spent working in the restaurant part-time.
"They taught me the art of dough rolling and spinning and different prep," Garibaldi Jr. said of his early memories of the pizzeria. "That was really cool [but] I did not originally have intentions of getting into the business."
Garibaldi Jr. majored in finance at the University of Memphis and planned a career in that industry. In a twist of fate, he ended up returning home to Memphis after a job in New York City's finance sector suddenly fell through. Garibaldi Jr. recalled the Sept. 11, 2001 , breakfast meeting he had with his intended firm's CEO on the day that changed countless lives.
"[The CEO] said to me, 'I remember the day JFK was shot and you'll remember today,'" he said. "I needed a job and [my dad] was having some trouble with some management issues, so I said, 'Sign me up.'"
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Store management led to stepping into his father's shoes when the elder Garibaldi retired from the day-to-day operations. Today, Garibaldi Jr. has 24 years of full-time pizzeria experience under his belt and runs the operation. But the family patriarch still hosts traditional Italian family dinners every Sunday for his children and grandchildren; a tradition he and his wife have been keeping up for the past three generations. There's even a third-generation Michael, affectionately known as Trip.
"It's wonderful," Garibaldi Sr. said of his family and legacy. "We've been blessed."
When it comes to the pizza that Memphians can't get enough of, Garibaldi's hand-tosses its dough that is made with top quality ingredients sourced from across the country. Dough proofs for at least 12 hours, allowing flavors and air pockets to develop. Sauce, cheese and other toppings are delicately placed precariously close to the edge of a crust that is a delightful balance between crisp and chewy. Pepperoni comes out of the oven with the most wonderful crunch on the tips of their curled-up edges. If you haven't yet, it's pizza worth trying.
Garibaldi Sr. says his favorite pie on the menu is the Meat Lover's that features pepperoni, Italian sausage, beef, smoked bacon and Canadian bacon, but admits to ordering simple pepperoni more often so his grandkids can freely pick from his plate. Bar-B-Que Pizza claims the top spot on Garibaldi Jr.'s list of favorite pies. The menu also includes salads, pasta with house-made sauces, sandwiches, plenty of appetizers and more (not to mention, the best crushed ice).
"We keep things simple," Garibaldi Sr. said. "We use the best ingredients we can get our hands on and we've been refining our techniques for the past 50 years."
That longevity has allowed the Memphis brand to foster strong relationships with suppliers of everything from flour to pizza boxes. Those relationships translate to quality food at affordable prices for the loyal Memphis customers from their family to yours. And it's how Garibaldi's Pizza has been going "50 years and still spinning."
Ellen Chamberlain is the food and dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Email her at Ellen.Chamberlain@commercialappeal.com and follow her on Instagram @ esaidshesaid .
Garibaldi's Pizza
University of Memphis| 3530 Walker Ave.
Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; closed Sunday
East Memphis| 764 Mt. Moriah Road
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 4-8 p.m. Sunday
Germantown| 7521 Queens Court
Hours: 3-8 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Garibaldi's wins Commercial Appeal bracket for best pizza in Memphis
