Not far from Churchill High School, Little Italy has been serving up staples of Italian cuisine based on family recipes since 1983.

The background

The original owners, Angelo and Paola Visocaro, migrated from their native Sicily, Italy, to the United States in the 1970s, first cooking up traditional meals in New York City.

After more than a decade in the Big Apple, the Visocaros used friendly connections and found a new home in San Antonio, where in April 1983 they founded Little Italy restaurant.

Angelo and Paola passed their recipes down to their children, Enzo, Dominick and Marisa, who carried on with the family business.

“He saw a very good opportunity here in San Antonio,” co-owner Dominick Visocaro said of his father. “San Antonio was still small but growing. He saw the potential of putting work into starting a good restaurant.”

Dig deeper

Little Italy has several varieties of New York-style pizza, including the Napolitano thin round crust, and Siciliana thick square crust.

The dinner menu includes many hot and cold appetizers, salads, soups and eggplant dishes, alongside a plethora of pastas, chicken, veal, steak and seafood meals.

The lunch menu adds sandwiches to a diner’s options, and desserts range from cannolis and gelato.

Did you know?

Dominick said countless regulars have come to enjoy the variety of pizzas and other meals at Little Italy. Dominick and his family and staff celebrated the restaurant’s 40th anniversary last April.

Dominick said Little Italy being in the same location for decades—with a model of the Statue of Liberty atop the roof greeting guests—has helped the restaurant.

“We had a lot of friends, family and old customers celebrate with us. They’ve been coming over here for years,” Dominick said.

Dominick said, over the years, there’s been a few upgrades around the eatery, but not so many to reduce the traditional appearance of the place.

What they’re saying

Dominick said, over the years, countless guests have come to appreciate his family’s tried-and-true approach to a complete Italian dining experience.

“What’s the secret? I think the love for what you do. ... You have to love the business and your customers,” he said.