Long-time Magic City residents recall the legendary Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods. Founded in 1986, by Dennis Dunlap, the restaurant was named after professional boxer Rocky Marciano and first located on Green Springs Highway before moving to Lakeview and, finally, Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. The original restaurant closed about eight years ago.
Recently, Dennis’s son, Joshua, partnered with René Mercado Angeles, who spent 16-plus years at Gianmarco’s, and his sister, Cynthia, to reopen Rocky’s in Five Points South. (Dennis Dunlap passed away in 2017.)
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
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storefront Photograph courtesy of Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods Facebook
We stopped in on a recent rainy Sunday to warm up in the cozy new space and enjoy an authentic Italian meal, and we were not disappointed. The interior walls are covered in framed boxing photos and magazines, including all the old ones that hung in the original restaurant. Red-and-white checkered tablecloths, candles, and red plastic pizzeria cups add to the old-school Italian ambience. There are plenty of televisions, too, both tuned to current sports and also replaying iconic boxing matches.
While there’s not an official kids’ menu, the pizzas are delicious and famiy-friendly, each named for a boxing legend (Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson, Money Mayweather, Muhammad Ali) or boxing move (Right Cross, Left Hook, Upper Cut).
We started with an order of Garlic Cheese Bread, which came with a side of Rocky’s Sauce, a zesty and tasty marinara. The bread was gooey and crunchy all at once, and our party of three cleaned the plate within minutes. Next came our pizza and pasta. We tried the Rocky Marciano—a three-cheese blend pizza with our choice of toppings on thin crust, adding pepperoni, mushrooms, and sausage—and Spaghetti Bolognese. Both were excellent. Our pizza’s crust was the perfect blend of crispy and buttery, with fresh toppings and plenty of cheese. The spaghetti sauce was creamy and rich, a wonderful base for the al dente pasta. I took home enough leftovers for two additional meals so I had enough room to taste the homemade cheesecake—blueberry-lemon—which was delicious.
Rocky’s is a great spot for a weekend family lunch, but there’s also an extensive sandwich menu that’s perfect for weekday lunch hours. “The Famous Muffuletta” is top on my list to try next; you can order a half or whole meat- or veggie-style. Both options include Rocky’s Special Olive Salad Blend. A variety of hot and cold sandwiches fill the menu as well—Italian Sausage, Meatball, Club Deluxe, Cold Veggie—and Don King’s Buffalo Wings are favored among the after-work drink crowd. The Open-Face Pizza Jabs, a hoagie with marinara, two pizza toppings, and cheese baked like a pizza, are calling my name for a future visit.
Give Rocky’s a try the next time you find yourself near Five Points. You won’t regret it!
Rocky’s Pizza & Italian Foods is located at 1924 11th Avenue South in Birmingham. Hours are Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-midnight; Thursday-Saturday 11-2 a.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. For more information, follow them on Instagram @rockyspizzabham or visit rockyspizzabham.com.