Best pizza in town without a doubt. Call for a reservation and you will get right in. Pasta is excellent as well. Great service. It is hard to be at the beach and not eat at the seafood places but this is a must stop for any trip to Destin; for us twice...
I love the atmosphere of this restaurant, and the Godfather-themed shirts and menus make for great laughs and memories. I did not try the pizza, which people rave about. The garlic bread was good, although I don't like the large amount of yellow butter/margarine? on it. The Caesar salad was good, and I ordered the grouper Piccata for dinner, which was decent but the sauce was too thick and not very hot by the time it was served. For $29 it should have come with sides or a salad. This place is expensive, so plan on spending $80+ for a couple.
My wife and I had a great evening at fat's. First of all the message machine that we left our reservation on was hilarious. It was very busy when we got there, but we were seated in a couple min, with fresh bread and seasoned olive oil. We ordered the calamari appetizer and a house salad... Due to the busyness of the kitchen our main course of pasta Bolognese and fettuccine Alfredo came out first. My wife and I did not say anything, but when our waitress came by and noticed she immediately apologized and comped our app and salad. The main courses were delicious and we would go back their to try the award winning pizza with our family if we could!
Everything was great. Will be back.
Excellent service and interesting environment. Reservations are suggested but not necessary. We enjoyed Chef Clovis' Antipasta Sampler: a large plate of calamari, bruschetta, goat cheese, olives and veggies. It was plenty for two and could be shared by more. The wood-fired (12-inch) pepperoni pizza kept things simple and delicious.
The owner stopped by our table and asked to box up our Antipasta leftovers. I told him we had plenty plus the calamari gets chewy when it get cold. He offered to fry more for us but we refused.
Zero room for dessert. Probably $2-$3/person higher than I wanted to pay but I would return.
Kristine Stopa Harris
+4.5
Go here!! Our pepperoni pizza was excellent....not "over bready"...good crust. Arugula salad was fresh; great dressing. Other diners' dinners (Italian dishes) came out steamy hot! Dessert: panacotta was perfect, not overly sweet;tiramisu was very good. One can tell that the staff takes pride in their cooking & serving! This is not "plastic" food, folks. 'WOULD definitely return. (I think they take Resv.)
Good Italian food with great service. Pizza and the garlic knots a must.
Highly Recommended. My family and I had the opportunity to dine here during our Holiday visit to the area. Mainly chosen by myself because they had Carbonara on the menu, an all time favorite of mine. I put it in the top three on my list on favorite places for Carbonara, the two above are on the French Riviera. Everyone one in our group LOVED what they ordered.
Staff was attentive and professional.
The restaurant itself is small, not sitting more than 40. So reservations for dinner are recommended. We were fortunately sat in about 20-30 minutes without.
Their awards for "Best of" confirm what I and numerous others agree on. Its definitely worth a visit. ENJOY!!!
Small dining area but delicious place...seems locally owned and great service. Was nicer than I expected from viewing the location from the outside. They do take reservations.
My wife and I lived in Naples, Italy for 8 years and have been searching for a true authentic pizza. This place has it!!! By far the best Neapolitan pizza outside of Italy. Better than any place in New York's little Italy... A++++
We are on vacation and wanted a small intimate and authentic Italian restaurant to go to for our anniversary. We were not disappointed in Fat Clemenza's and our food was fab from the appetizer to the entrees to dessert. Warning, the olive salad "for two" is actually big enough for 4 or more!
Love this place. Small, kinda dark, super nice people. Veal Picatta was either the best one I've had, or close . Nice when a place over delivers. Was on a bed of pasta which was perfectly prepared. My wife had seafood linguini and was also very happy. Really could not have been better. Liza was our waitress and had been there 7 years since they opened. Cant wait to go back. Good wine list had Four Graces Pinot Noir which was of course,spectacular for the price. In Florida, you can take the unfinished bottle, if you keep the receipt from the meal showing the wine purchase and put it in the plastic bag they give you.
Doesntgetbettadendisbitch
+4.5
Best and most favorite restaurant of all time! Best food, best wine and best service! I love coming to Destin all the way from TN just to come to Fat Clemenzas!!
We chose to sit outside, but it took a while for them to get to us. To make up for it they gave us complementary garlic knots. Those things were amazing!! The house dressing was also delicious. They bring you bread with oil and herbs for dipping as an appetizer. We are pizza experts, and we liked theirs. The crust was a little doughier than we prefer, but overall very good and well worth the price.
Good food, great atmosphere. Loved the arugula salad, and the rigatoni a la vodka + shrimp was tasty and perfectly a dente. Attentive service. Companion had a pepperoni calzone - huge, lots of crust but still plenty of filling. Not the best ever ever, but still very good. Will go back.
5 star customer service, the ala vodka rigatoni was amazing will be going back very very soon
Cabanara Delight. Went to the Restaurant yesterday and had the Best Meal ever. Started out with wine and the crusty Bread with oil to dip. Then the main course of Cabanara was next......I have not had such a good meal of it in 5 years...LOVE IT!!!! My friend had the Pizza with Italian Bacon and Mushrooms and it was perfection. The prices are right on , for the quality of food and great service we got. Will be going back soon..
Loved the food here! If nothing else, get the homemade garlic rolls. They will blow your mind!
Monica Rank Schroeder-Lanoux
+4.5
Best Thing I Ever Ate!. The pizza in this charming little Italian restaurant is the best thing I have ever eaten! The staff could not have been more accomodating and friendly. We loved it so much, we ate there two nights in a row. My only regret is that I live 3 hours away and can't get there more often. Fantastic job!
We had our rehearsal dinner here two years ago and they were very accommodating! Lovely staff and wonderful food! My family is Italian and they loved the food! Every time my husband and I are in the area we make a point to eat here! The veal meatballs are to die for!
Huge calzones and evrrything else was awsome!
We ate there on our recent vacation to Destin. I recommend getting the pizza. It is very good. They cook the pizzas in a brick oven and they are really great. Our service was good and the atmosphere is relaxed an friendly.
Great Food. We went by a few days ago to get a pizza to go for lunch and was told they didn't open until 11, it was 10 minutes till 11 and I just thought they could have taken the order and started it then but I had to come back. We loved lunch so much we went back for dinner and man was it worth it. We have found a new favorite in Destin and will be back many times as the food is excellent, as far as the complaints about the prices I've read on here I for one don't mind paying for quality food. Fantastic.
Outstanding pizza!! This is the best pizza we have eaten in destin.
One of the best places in town Veal piccata is an art form here Bread sticks in the same league 10/10 score
Such a neat little Italian place with a great name! Everything is good and it's just about the best Italian place you can find in destin!
Fantastic. Rigatoni Ala Vodka - fabulous! Great food, great service, will visit again when in the area!
Outstanding food. Spotty Service. I have been three times and the first two were flawless. The food is fantastic and perfectly prepared.
The third time, I guess we got the one rude waitress that everyone complains about.
Showed up for a 12:30 reservation and some of the party were still driving over. Waitress told me I may want to go ahead and order for them, since the kitchen closes at 2:00. That's an hour and a half! Talk about being rushed out, and we hadn't even got our drinks yet.
Then, when she found out there would be children at the table, we got an eye roll, and she stomped off to get the kids menus. She is obviously not happy with her career choice.
However, the food was still great. I had the pizza and it really is the best I've ever had.
Make reservations though. The place is tiny and fills up quickly.
Mama Mia It's Good!. I have eaten at Fat Clemenza's Miramar Beach Location since they opened, and I love it! I think their brick oven pizza is authentic and some of the Best on the Emerald Coast. My husband adores the fresh made risotto, with mushroom risotto being a favorite. The caprese salad is outstanding, as are most dishes on the menu! Let them know if you are a local during tourist season by calling ahead and they will try to accommodate. I have yet to encounter rude staff. Some have trouble with English, but I do not have a problem with that. Great food, highly recommended!
Excellent pasta dishes and the pizza was superb. Waitstaff was great; real nice with the kids. Place was packed on a Thursday night! Will definitely be back!!!
Sunday Brunch. Absolutely Delicious!
I had the Croque Madame with a savory salad that had just enough vinaigrette and a little bit of crunch. It was accompanied by ice cold water, orange juice and finished with a sweet, frothy, cappuccino.
The music was pleasant, the service excellent and the general ambiance inviting as a whole.
I browsed the menu. The offerings made dining enticing. I will consider spending another Sunday morning at Fat Clemenza's in Uptown Station in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
I simply can't try everything in one sitting.
Thank you Fat Clemenza's.
Amazing pizza. Amazing rolls. Go here.
A great find! small and quaint with great food and friendly service. don't let the strip mall location fool you!
Pizza Straight From Italy. I am a big time Italian pizza snob. One of my vacation rituals is searching for the perfect pie. This place is probably the best pizza I have ever put in my mouth. We are heading to Destin this weekend and Fat Clemenza's is our schedule at least twice!!!
Amazed. Tried the Italian Fat Clemenza Combo- Italian beef and sausage with roasted sweet peppers (oh my), as well as the Proscuitto Wood-Fired Pizza (wow). Also tasted the house salad with homemade creamy Italian dressing (delish) and the Blue Sandwich with roast beef, spinach, and melted gorgonzola (sigh). Got a take-home order of tiramisu- some of the best I've had. Love is all I have for Fat Clemenza's!
Awesome food. Even better than the hill in st. Louis. We will probably go back later this week it was so good. Huge portions and u could tell they put in a lot of effort by how flavorfull the food was.
Wonderful pizza!. Amazing brick oven pizza that is very satisfying for the price. If you like bell peppers, they use them well here. Liked the taste of the spumoni ice cream but don't like the nuts in it. This place should definately be rater higher on this site, my favorite spot during my vacation.
Great food/service. This is an excellent restaurant. The service was wonderful and the staff very friendly. Four of us for dinner with four different entrees. All were outstanding. Highly recommended.
Great place we never miss when in town. Food rivals best of Chicago Italian. Friendly, neighborhood atmosphere. Can't recommend highly enough.
Most Delicious Pizza EVER!. The Prosciutto Pizza is the most delicious pizza I have ever had. My boss's have been leaving me leftovers for weeks *by the way the pizza is even super great as a left over* You can literally taste the freshness when you bite into your pizza. You can tell they use the freshest ingrediants. I love love love this pizza. The only draw back is the price. For a small size pizza is 15 dollars. OUCH. But you get what you pay for and here it is purely mouth watering.
Excellent food. The pizza is a stunning example of what one would expect at a Roman trattoria. I'm a total pizza snob and this place gets it right. The frutti mare antipasto was so delicious that I embarrassed myself by sopping every last but of sauce. Get a reservation or go late to avoid waiting.
Delicious!. My husband and I just wrapped up a week-long vacation in the Ft.Walton/Destin area and tried Fat Clemenza's on a whim for our last dinner. Our extended family really loves seafood when they come here, so we had a hard time deviating from our normal dinner routine but are glad we did! We split the bruschetta appetizer, the "Mimmo" pizza (mushrooms, mozarella, and prosciutto), and the tiramisu and each had a glass of wine, all for around $50. (I am not a big fan of tiramisu, but this was awesome.)Truly delicious! We will be back next time we come for vacation! So glad we took tripadvisor's #1 Destin restaurant recommendation.
One of the best pizzas I've had (and I eat a lot of pizza). Wood-fired fresh and fast. The space is small, so make reservations during peak times.
By far the best restaurant in the Destin area!!! Customer service and food quality was best we have experinced since moving to the area! I amazed by the negative review written by the same woman on his site and trip advisor; this was certainly not our experience. We will be back soon for another meal at fat Clem's!!!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Best Italian on Emerald Coast!!. Not only was the food amazing but I couldn't have asked for better service. We have lived in the area for about a year and my husband and I try to find somewhere new to dine every weekend. We still find a number of choices but find it hard to pick "good food." The prices were more than amazing for the quantity and quality.
We started with salads that had a succulent home-made dressing. This was good enough but the size and presentation of the salads made it even better!! We also tried the bruscetta that was atop warm grilled fresh homemade bread. Need I say more...so great!
Next we had a white pizza which was phenomenal. It was delivered to the table right out of the wood burning pit. The flavor of the crust was just amazing and the taste was just like no other. The wood burning oven just adds a flavor that is so distinct it leaves you wanting more and more. On top of this wonderful crust was artichokes and ricotta topping an amazing pairing that made it hard to put down and I wanted to just keep eating.
We also got the veal saltimbocca which was in a very flavor rich sauce that paired so well with the tender veal. Again, the portion size was huge! The texture of the pasta that was with the veal was so unique along with the mushrooms. What a dinner!!
This wasn't the end...we ended the night with a chocolate coconut cake. At this point I was in love with Fat Clemenza's. This cake was so amazing it is not your traditional cake with tons of choclate and the sponge material of layered with icing. This was a labor intensive concoction of mousse with a finely layered cake with coconut shavings in every bite!! Same comments for the coffee cake we tried.
I felt like I was in a private restaurant in Italy. Thanks for a wonderful night Fat Clemenza's. I have already been telling all my friends to make sure they go here.
I WILL GO BACK!!
An awesome find in Miramar Beach. Very unassuming from the outside, but everything we ate there was top notch. Highly recommend.
My local favorite. Fat Clemenzas has great food, great service, and great atmosphere reminicent of Little Italy. The specials are always great, so if the special and the regular menu are toss ups for you, go for the special. The wait can be long for a table, so definitely make a reservation!
Wow! Authentic. We ordered for takeout for a business meeting and this was by far the best authentic Italian in the area. The pizza crust was awesome. Can't wait to eat there again.
Very authentic Italian!. Wow, a very authentic Italian restaurant buried in the heart of Destin. My wife and I love Italian food and all things Italian in general. And while two trips to Italy can't make us Italian food experts it at least helps us know what real and what's not. This place is definitely the real deal. We had the pizza diavola and pasta carbonara. Both were very reminiscent of food we had in Italy. If you're a big fan of Pizza Hut or Poppa John's you might not like Fat Clemenza's but it's definitely authentic Italian food.
Great Pizza--Need Reservations. LOVE LOVE LOVE the Pizza and Salads. Its a thin crust most like a true Italian Pizzas. Good wine list and good deserts. Tiny place though. Call ahead and make a reservation--we didnt our first time and waited 45 minutes.
The Fagioli soup was fabulous! Best Veal Piccata anywhere. Warm atmosphere and friendy staff. This restaurant is a must
Women Who Doesn't Cook
+4.5
Best Italian in 300 miles!. Friendly, neighborhood atmosphere. If you come here regularly, they will learn your face and treat you right! place can get packed quickly, and is becoming known, so if you plan on coming for dinner, call and make a reservation. you may not need it, but it could save you alot of time.
the chicken parm is awesome, but so is everything else. alot of people come and just order the pizza(which is delicious), but if you do so you will miss out on the best dishes around! My family has sampled about half of the menu, and NEVER had a bad dish. some of our favorites: eggplant parm, seafood linguine, veal parm, caprese.
They have blackboard specials every night, so you always have a variety. I'd never tried Grouper at an Italian restaurant, but have learned to always try their fish specials, they rock my world!
last thing: their desserts are all homemade and insane: don't leave without trying the tiramisu or any cake they have - they are all amazing!
Awesome pizza. Great fast service. This is a must go place for great pizza.
Great food, good service, make a reservation or you may have to wait.
I am craving one of their wonderful calzones as I am writing, truly delicious!
IMO,best pizza outside of Italy! Fresh toppings baked in a brick- wood fire oven. Additional dishes offered, but pizza is the reason for going here. Recommend calling for reservations.
Good food little bit long wait but great
Fat Clemenza’s is our favorite Italian spot in Destin. Their garlic knots are ah-mazing! And their bolognese is one of my favorites!August 2016 UPDATE: Fat Clemenza's is still delicious, but I have to say that our new favorite spot in Destin is Mimmo's. Both are great, but Mimmo's does something magical to their bolognese that just sets my heart to flight. The garlic knots and pizzas are very similar at both places. Try both places. You won't regret them! :)
Let’s just say – CHARM galore. Small tables. Candles in the middle. Pizza Oven. Small and quaint. The cooks speak Italian! Gangster posters on every wall. They’re open for lunch and close until dinner. Love the atmosphere.
Though we made our reservation for 10 people hours in advance, they only had outdoor seating when we arrived. Fortunately, that was the only tiny hiccup with our visit.
Both the owner and her staff are very welcoming and treated us with utmost hospitality. All the dishes we ordered were delicious, especially the pizzas.
Wow. Great service and amazing wood fired pizza. I’m unsure how they did it but we were seated in less than 15 minutes in a full restaurant and had pizza to the table in another 30. Our glasses were never empty and the gluten-free margarita pizza was so good I could eat it every day. Worth every penny.
The food was really, really good. We ordered the gnocchi, the chicken parm and the pasta vodka with meatballs. We had the toasted ravioli to start.
We loved it all, and the gnocchi took first place for me, with heavy notes of fresh basil. The chicken parm was in a well-placed tie with the pasta vodka.
If you make a reservation, make very sure that the hostess knows your name and that you had a reservation. We had a reservation with a particular server and ended up seated outside. Which ultimately was fine. However, they called me an hour after my reservation to see if I was still coming. When I told her I had already been there, eaten and left, she told me they actually had a table for me.
Le sigh.
All in all, despite the table mixup, we’d definitely come back.
Food was amazing. A true gem in Destin. We were from out of town and the waiter gave us some excellent recommendations on things to see and visit on our travels. The food was amazing. The pizza crust was nice and crispy, outside and soft and tender inside. The calamari was exceptional. We're definitely come back and bring friends.
Fat Clemenza’s in Destin serves the best Italian food all around! Our family loves coming here when we’re in town. Service is excellent as well and the place has an incredible vibe! Perfect for the whole family as well as a date night. Be sure to make a reservation in the summer!
Fat Clemenza's Brick Oven Pizzeria is a haven for pizza enthusiasts! The pizza here is truly amazing, thanks to their wood-fired brick oven. The magic happens as the flames kiss the crust, resulting in a perfectly crisp and smoky flavor that sets their pies apart. Each bite is a slice of pizza heaven. While the service may be average, the inviting atmosphere adds to the overall charm. You'll feel right at home as you enjoy your delectable pizza creations. Whether you're savoring a classic Margherita or indulging in a gourmet specialty pizza, Fat Clemenza's is the place to be. Prepare for a memorable dining experience with outstanding pizzas cooked to perfection in their wood-fired brick oven.
Great find while on vacation! The garlic bread was heavenly, fresh out of the oven!! The Caesar salad was fresh and tasty. We also had the pizza and were impressed! Will be back if ever in the area again.
With a line waiting at the door for their opening at 5pm, we had high hopes for this little Italian restaurant tucked into the corner of a strip mall. Everything started out great. The bread and olive oil is delicious. Our food was pretty decent too, but nothing spectacular. We had the stuffed shells with bolognese and a side of Alfredo (I like to mix my sauces) the shells were al dente and the middle of the shells ricotta stuffing was cold. The ends were really good, as was the sauces. Portion size is large, as are the prices; but that’s to be expected with Italian restaurants. While we didn’t get a pizza the ones they brought out looked like they were really good. Overall it’s not a bad place, but having had Italian in NY & NJ (or even surprisingly Buffalo) I can say it’s nothing special. Also, since Destin is a popular tourist area I will forewarn anyone who gets a salad they have very limited dressing options.
We drove all the way from Panama City Beach to eat at our favorite Italian restaurant. The food is just as good as we remember it!
It was the best restaurant in Destin, the wood is the same as I ate in Italy and even the servers are Italians!
You would reserve the table as we were eating for 50 minutes, this place is busy in the evenings
EXCEPTIONAL pizza! Made our last night at the beach perfect. We love Mama Clemenza's for breakfast but had not tried their pizza at their sister shop, Fat Clemenza's. A brick oven and good reviews is a good start so we decided to try it. I am VERY picky though. This was amazing!
We got half loaded with meat and the other half just cheese. Both were perfection. The homemade sauce had a hint of fresh basil. The mozzarella was pure whole milk mozzarella. Loaded up. Fresh meats loaded high.
The crust was clearly homemade and with fresh yeast flavor. Rarely do I EVER get that. Then perfect leoparding of the crust in the brick oven. The taste of the flame. mmm
Eating pizza in a town you are not from rarely comes with pure satisfaction. This fulfilled every craving and will be a staple upon our return when we just want to grab a bottle of wine and relax on the hotel balcony.
Absolutely amazing. Came here on our last night of vacation and I cannot say better things. From the food to the service.
The space is cozy but they did a great job to accommodate us having a small child that needed a high chairs.
The highest compliment - on the way out my mom (the Italian) said it was one of the few Italian restaurants she would go back to.
HIGHLY recommend! Ate our food to fast for pictures
This was my 1st time. The staff is awesome! Great customer service. We initially thought it was a pizza place but they have everything! I had the chicken piccata. I didn't really like it but my daughter pointed out that it's probably because I'm used to fake Italian food. She had the arugula salad with salmon and she LOVED it!! She had a little of mine and actually liked it. Overall I would definitely recommend it. I want to go back to try the pizza next time.
We enjoyed our visit. My wife had the gf pasta with vodka sauce (her 5th visit so she knew her way around) and added sausage. A bit disappointing that the sausage looked like the kind you find on a pizza but, there was none left in the end. I had the parm crusted grouper topped with crab special. Well, supposed to be topped. I loved the grouper but in the end, forgot about the crab sauce entirely. I didn't see any crab and I certainly didn't taste any. Somewhat of a minor quibble but the grouper would have been fine in picatta sauce if it would have knocked a few bucks off (given the price). Good service. A bit loud and the AC was moving air around so it got a little drafty. In the end I won't go with a hearty thumbs up but we were happy in the end. Oh, PS. The Caesar salad was tremendous. Get that.
Trust me it’s the best Italian food around Miramar & Destin you will not be disappointed!
Food was good, the chicken parm and vodka sauce were the best of what we bought. The tomato sauce was a little salty, not as sweet as other marinara sauces. It was a small place that was really popular. Food came out very quickly. Only downside was that our waiter was so busy, we never got refills on our beverages. But he was really nice!
![5]( "Recensione")
We came here for dinner one night while we were visiting the 30A area. Fat Clemenzas is one of those places where you walk in and you know instantly it's going to be a great experience. From the outside it's nothing special. It's in a strip mall right off of the highway. It has a small patio out front. The inside is a medium sized restaurant. It has an intimate yet friendly vibe. There seem to be a lot of regulars who were dining here. We sat in a booth in the back and although it was busy we could have a conversation. They were busy because they are good. The menu is varied and offers many of the typical Italian food. It's hard to find genuine Italian food but this definitely hits the mark. From the food to the service everything was excellent. We both had the lasagna and it's some of the best lasagna I've ever eaten. The prices are very reasonable.All of the waiters and waitresses were very friendly. We were pleasantly surprised by our entire experience here. I will definitely be returning when I visit the area again because there are a lot of things on the menu that I would like to try.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes