3216 Margaritaville Blvd, Kissimmee, FL
Retro Dad rating..
5 out of 5 Slices
Not too long ago I decided to treat myself and my bride to Capone's Coal Fired Pizza, a place I had been wanting to try for quite some time. I shamelessly proclaim that I LOVE themed restaurants, and being a sucker for Gangster and Mafia history, Capone's did not disappoint.
The first thing that grabs your attention when you walk into the joint, is a thick piece of glass set into the floor which you can not only look down into, but stand upon. It gives you a peek at a gangster hideout beneath the establishment.
I apologize for the quality of the pictures. They were taken at a time of day when there was an incredible amount of glare from outside.
The scene reveals some old timey artifacts, and curiously.. lots of cash strung about as if someone left in a big hurry.
If you look closely, you can see a skeleton decked out in a Gangster era suit. Obviously there was some kind of ruckus and this poor unfortunate soul met his demise. He's now doomed to an eternity of guarding Al Capone's vault as an endless barrage of tourists peer down at him in pity.
Beautiful bar I'd love to sit down at to drink an 'Old Fashioned' someday soon.
The theming has a real old school feel to it. Ceiling tiles, light fixtures, props and pictures that feature the company's namesake, really suck you into that prohibition era vibe.
Great looking menu that looks
like a prohibition era newspaper.
We ordered a wonderful antipasto appetizer platter and it really was as good as it looks.
The Pizza..
We kept it simple and ordered a pepperoni pie. The sauce and cheese was great, as was the coal fired crust that had a nice amount of char to it, without being overdone. A tasty and rustic looking pie that makes me hungry every time I think about it.
There was even theming that carried over to the pizza box we took our leftovers home in. This might mean absolutely nothing to most, but it's a touch I truly appreciate. I was raised in an era where product branding was everything. Companies loved getting their image in front of your face and on your mind any way they could.
When I go to a pizza place and notice that their pizza box is one I've seen countless other pizzerias use, it just puts me off a bit. I understand about keeping costs down etc., so the extra effort it takes to create and use a pizza box unique unto your own business, is definitely not wasted on me. It makes me feel like the company is a cut above the rest.
To me, it's kind of like going to a nice sit down coffee shop and ordering a handcrafted cappuccino, only to have it served in a cheap Styrofoam cup. The little extra touch of class that is a ceramic coffee mug, indeed makes the whole experience more pleasant and possibly makes you feel a bit better about spending four or five bucks on a coffee.
Of course, I'm a sucker for great commercial art, especially when it's for a company I'm a fan of like Capone's.
The hallway leading to the restrooms was covered in wallpaper that consisted of old newspaper headlines from the 1920's. At the end of the hallway, it changes to drab colors and prison bars, themed to Alcatraz prison where Capone served most of his prison sentence.
As soon as you entered the bathroom, you instantly feel like you're in a prison cell! From the sinks, to the insanely drab color scheme, they did an incredible job theming the commode!
There were tv screens on the wall playing a documentary about Capone and the prohibition era, and there were even various documents framed on the wall such Al Capone's arrest affidavit and mugshot, and death certificate.
A wee bit morbid maybe, but they snookered me into standing there for a few minutes to closely examine them.
I may even branch out a bit and try some of their other menu items. Although, I will definitely be ordering another one of their delicious pizzas no matter what.