"Caleb Schiff's tiny Southside pizzeria has fired Flagstaff's best Neapolitan pies since 2011 — grab a counter seat and order the Margherita."
About Pizzicletta
Caleb Schiff opened Pizzicletta in a small Southside storefront in 2011, after teaching himself to bake on a wood-fired oven and deciding Flagstaff needed proper Neapolitan pizza. The room is tiny, the menu is short, and the focus has not moved in more than a decade: naturally leavened dough, a blistered cornicione, and a handful of pizzas done well rather than a long list done adequately.
It has become one of northern Arizona's most-talked-about kitchens, the kind of place locals send visitors and out-of-towners drive in for. For more pizzerias held to the Naples standard, see our best pizza restaurants worldwide guide.
The Kitchen
The dough is the whole argument. Schiff ferments a naturally leavened dough slowly, then bakes each pizza fast in a wood-fired oven so the crust chars and puffs while the centre stays tender. The Margherita is the benchmark — San Marzano-style tomato, fior di latte, basil and olive oil — and the rotating seasonal pies show what the kitchen does with whatever is good that week.
Finish with the house-made gelato, churned in-house and changed often; it is reason enough to stay for dessert. Everything is made on site, including the breads and the seasonal small plates. A full meal runs roughly $30 to $50 a head with a glass of wine, which buys cooking that would cost far more in a bigger city. The address is 203 West Phoenix Avenue, on Flagstaff's Southside. For the city's other tables, see our Flagstaff dining guide.
The Room
Pizzicletta is small and counter-led, with a few tables and a view of the oven doing the work. Sound is lively when it fills up, the light is warm, and the spacing is tight by design — this is a neighbourhood room, not a hushed dining room. Dress is whatever you walked in wearing. Seating is limited, so a short wait at peak times is normal; the turnover is quick because the pizzas come out fast.
Best for First Date
Pizzicletta makes an easy, unfussy first-date table, because the counter and the open oven give you something to watch and talk about, the menu is short enough to decide quickly, and the bill stays low enough to take the pressure off. It is just as good for solo dining — a seat at the counter, a Margherita and a glass of wine is a complete evening. It sits in our Flagstaff dining guide as the town's pizza benchmark.
Not for
Not for a big group or a long, seated dinner — the room is tiny, tables are few, and the model is a quick, excellent pizza, not a lingering multi-course meal.
Frequently Asked
Is Pizzicletta worth it?
Yes, it is widely considered Flagstaff's best pizza. Caleb Schiff has baked naturally leavened, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza on the Southside since 2011, and the short menu stays focused on doing a few things very well. The Margherita is the dish to judge it by, and the house-made gelato is worth saving room for. Expect a small room and a possible wait at peak times.
How long is the wait at Pizzicletta?
Pizzicletta is small and does not take reservations, so a short wait at peak weekend times is normal. The good news is that the pizzas bake fast and tables turn quickly, so queues move. Arriving early in the evening or on a weeknight is the easiest way in. A second location at Dark Sky Brewing helps spread the demand.
What should I order at Pizzicletta?
Start with the Margherita, the truest test of the dough and the oven, then add a rotating seasonal pizza built around whatever is good that week. Save room for the house-made gelato, which changes often and is churned in-house. A glass of wine or a local beer rounds it out. The menu is short by design, so you can order most of it across two visits.
How much does Pizzicletta cost?
A full meal runs roughly $30 to $50 per person with a drink. Individual pizzas sit in the mid-teens, and the seasonal small plates and gelato add a little on top. It is strong value for cooking of this standard, which would cost considerably more in a larger city. Both cash and cards are accepted.
Is Pizzicletta good for a first date?
Yes. The counter and open oven give you something to watch, the short menu makes ordering easy, and the relaxed, low-cost setting keeps the pressure off a first meeting. It is informal rather than romantic, so choose it if you want an easy, low-stakes evening. For something quieter, the Flagstaff dining guide lists more intimate rooms.
