Palace Pizza of Bartow

We were craving a hot slice! So, we visited Palace Pizza Bartow for lunch take out and cured our craving. 

If you aren’t familiar, Palace Pizza Bartow is located right in the heart of Downtown Bartow at 105 East Main Street. Downtown Bartow is adorable and quaint, everything you would expect from a small Floridian downtown. Palace Pizza Bartow fits right in with its brick siding and old-school pizza murals. They offer a large dining area inside, carry-out and call ahead ordering. They’re a truly authentic Italian restaurant, we even overheard the cashier speaking Italian with his staff! 

Step up to the counter to place your order, and take a look at all of the specialty pizzas available to order by the slice in the pizza case. When we visited, we saw a very tempting margarita pizza, and a pizza topped with feta and sundried tomatoes that looked heavenly! They also offer rotating lunch and dinner specials every week, featuring dishes like lobster ravioli sauteed with shrimp in lobster sauce and penne al salmone with fresh salmon in vodka sauce. We wish we had stomachs big enough to try them all! Don’t miss the breadsticks and garlic knots at the end of the case drowning in melted butter. They are a must-order. If dining in, they’ll heat up your order and deliver it to your table. The line moves efficiently, but do expect a little bit of a wait if you arrive during peak hours. 

We ordered a variety of menu offerings to try. We started with the garlic knots (obviously), and they were decadent and delicious! They’re also a deal at 3 for $2.50. We then tried the Italian antipasto salad. It was everything you’d expect of a classic pizza place salad- fresh greens piled high with vegetables, olives, hot peppers, ham, capicola, Genoa salami and provolone cheese, all mixed with their secret Italian seasoning. We ordered the half size, and it was a very generous portion!  

For pizza, we tried the “garlic, tomato, bacon, and the rustica. The garlic tomato bacon pizza is topped with olive oil, garlic, parmigiano, mozzarella, fresh tomato and bacon. The tomatoes were chopped a bit too large for pizza and struggled to remain on the slice, but it was still very tasty. Bacon on a white pizza was just meant to be. The rustica pizza was the team’s favorite, topped with pepperoni, ham, sausage, bacon and ricotta cheese. The rustica was very hearty and satisfying, we’d definitely order it again! Both pizzas had a great crust- thin, crispy and held up over the drive back to the office. We ordered small pizzas, and they were a great value as each was large enough for two people to share. 

We also tried the “hot Palace special hoagie.” This sandwich was HUGE! It’s large enough to share or to have the rest for leftovers. The sandwich is toasted and topped with melty provolone, ham, capicola, Genoa salami, tomato, onion and dressed lettuce. It came with a bag of chips. 

It’s clear to see why Palace Pizza Bartow has become such a staple of downtown Bartow. With large portions and delicious pizza, it’s a great value! Stop in for a slice (or ten) next time you’re in Downtown Bartow. 

Palace Pizza of Bartow 

105 E Main Street, Bartow 

Palacepizzabartow.com 

FB facebook.com/palacebartow 

IG @palacepizzabartow