Tucked away in the Cincinnati suburbs, Joe’s Pizza Napoli reaffirms faith in the Old World — in the value of utilizing traditional methods to prepare a meal — and it is a worth-the-drive dining destination no matter where you live in the city. Joe’s Pizza Napoli recently won multiple honors in CityBeat’s Best Of Cincinnati reader’s poll, including Best Under the Radar Restaurant and Best East Side Pizza Joint.

The restaurant is 1,500 square feet, seats 39 diners and has a patio just begging for some nice spring weather. When you walk into the eatery your eyes are immediately drawn to the massive tiled pizza oven, which owner Joe Nunner chose to have built in the semblance of Mount Vesuvius.

The oven reaches around 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit in the dome, and the floor of the chamber maintains a temperature of around 750 degrees. It uses ash and oak for fuel, both dense hardwoods that burn hot and steady. A pizza is perfectly cooked in around five minutes.

Joe’s Pizza Napoli is located at 507 Chamber Drive, Milford. Read a full feature about Joe’s Pizza Napoli here.

Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Joe’s Pizza Napoli is located at 507 Chamber Drive in Milford. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Joe’s Pizza Napoli makes authentic and certified Neapolitan pie using hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes; mozzarella cheese; a dough comprised of water, fresh yeast, flour; and salt. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Nunner’s pizza is certified by Vera Pizza Napoletana, a group of Italian pizza makers who ensure anyone that claims they’re making Neapolitan-style pizza is doing so authentically. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The restaurant is 1,500 square feet, seats 39 diners and has a patio just begging for some nice spring weather. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The classic Margherita, with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, parmigiano-reggiano and extra virgin olive oil Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The oven reaches around 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit in the dome, and the floor of the chamber maintains a temperature of around 750 degrees. It uses ash and oak for fuel, both dense hardwoods that burn hot and steady. A pizza is perfectly cooked in around five minutes. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Joe’s does both red and white pizzas. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
One 12-inch pizza yields eight slices. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Joe loading a pizza into the oven Photo: Sean M. Peters
Inside the oven Photo: Sean M. Peters
More pizza Photo: Sean M. Peters