Review and Memories of the Original Cozzola's Pizza in Fort Collins

A 2016 article that's migrated from one of my old web-sites to its permanent home for archiving here at The Retro Dad. Unfortunately this quaint location is no longer open.

Cozzola's Old Town Store
241 Linden Street

Old Town Fort Collins, CO

Retro Dad Pizza rating..

5 out of 5 Slices!

The way I like to describe Cozzola's Pizza is like this..

Picture an incredibly gifted baker and one heck of a cook, that puts his heart and soul into everything he does. Now imagine that this baker opens a pizzeria. Cozzola's is the result my friends. 

Cozzola's has two locations in Fort Collins, but I prefer dining at the original store in Historic Old Town Fort Collins, that opened in 1987.  

There's just something about the cozy, wood lined décor that I love. It brings back some great memories, and gets me very zen, whilst dining on my pizza. 

If you feel like doing some people watching in Old Town Fort Collins, grab a seat on the patio, or a table by the window and watch the world go by for awhile.

I absolutely love Cozzola's. The pizza is not only incredible, but very unique all unto itself.  Consistently winning award after award, and nationally recognized as some of the best pizza in the region, Cozzola's has become a beloved Northern Colorado gem. 

Here's what I ordered during my last visit..

The OMNIVORE
(on poppy wheat crust)

Italian sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, green peppers, Canadian bacon, and red onions

Crust options as of 6-08-2016

Wheat Poppy Seed
Deep dish crust, w/ a hearty texture.

Herb
Thick yet light white dough crust 

with Italian herbs

Traditional
Classic white dough crust

Real Thin
A white dough crust 

thinner and without a border.

Gluten Free
(Pizza may contact wheat flour)
12” crust only. Add $4

I'd be remiss without talking about this pizza's crust right off the bat. For those not aware, "Colorado Style Pizza" has become regionally known as having a thick bready crust, and loaded with toppings. 

At first glance, I can see how some may lump Cozzola's pizza into this category, but I assure you it's much more than that.

 

I ordered my 'Omnivore' with whole wheat poppy seed crust, and I must say that the crust truly tasted like a skilled baker's creation. 

The crust was crispy where it needed to be, aromatic, full of flavor, and very hearty. In fact, the edge crust that many people toss aside, proves to be a treat in itself.

Bottles of honey easily accessible to all, are available to dip your edge crust in, making for an incredible treat. 

I actually pile my "Pizza Bones" on the side of my plate, and eat them last with generous amounts of honey. I pretty much treat it as dessert, as do so many other patrons.

On a personal note, my Dad who is a barber of forty plus years, owned a barber shop in Old Town Fort Collins, and Dave Cozzola was one of my Dad's customers for quite some time. 

Dave told my Dad that he had a family history of heart disease, so offering healthier pizza options was very important to him. Taking a look at their menu today, you can see that these values are still very evident.

Crusts are made with stone ground whole wheat flour, while all sauces and crusts are devoid of refined sugar. Cozzola's also offer (truly vegan) and gluten free options.

The toppings
All veggies were fresh and of the utmost quality. The meats were also very good and full of flavor.  I opted for the Garlic Sauce on my pie, and it worked wonderfully with every other ingredient. 

The Pesto Tomato sauce would have been equally as good, and is usually my go-to sauce. Here are the sauce choices on Cozzola's menu (as of 6-08-2016).

Garlic Sauce
A tangy tomato sauce 

flavored w/garlic and herbs

Pesto Tomato (Red)
Basil pesto mellowed w/tomato sauce

Pure Pesto (Green)
A light spread of traditional basil pesto

Spinach Ricotta
Chicago-style blend of baby spinach & ricotta

also...

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Alfredo

 Barbecue Sauce

As for the pricing, pies will run you roughly from $11.00 to $18.00. It's definitely what some may consider to be a bit pricey for pizza. 

I'm the first to voice my opinion about overpriced pizza, but at Cozzola's you are getting quality and value. The pie pictured above is their 10" pie, and I ended up having to take a couple of slices home because it was so filling.

I definitely recommend stopping in at Cozzola's if you're ever in Old Town Fort Collins. No other Colorado style pie can compare. At least none that I've come across up to this point.

Visit Cozzola's Pizza Online