Virgilio's Pizzeria & Wine Bar

Bars & Breweries

4.5(2169 reviews)

The take

A Naples-born first-generation immigrant's pizzeria in west Littleton (close enough to Highlands Ranch to count). USA Today top-50 pizza list. Brick oven, scratch sauce, 50+ wines by the glass, garlic knots that locals get phone calls about. The best pizza we'd send DougCo to.

Why it's here

Virgilio's Pizzeria & Wine Bar at 10025 W San Juan Way is technically Littleton (Jeffco), but the location near the Ken Caryl interchange puts it 12-15 minutes from Highlands Ranch and well within the DougCo dinner-out range. The owner was born just outside Naples, immigrated to the US in 1966, and the place reads like that history; family photos on the walls, a wine cork-lined ceiling, a brick oven running at the right temperature, and tomato sauce made from scratch every morning. USA Today named it one of the top 50 pizzerias in the country in 2023. The locals who don't read USA Today have already been telling out-of-town family this is the spot.

The pizzas are the obvious order. The classic margherita does what it should: bright tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, the right char on the crust. The white pizza with garlic, ricotta, and spinach is the second-most-ordered. The 18-inch is bigger than you think and feeds three. Beyond the pies, the menu is broader than typical pizzerias: pasta dishes (the bolognese gets called out), heroes, calzones, Stromboli, and a dedicated gluten-free menu plus vegan options that aren't an afterthought.

The garlic knots are the table-defining starter. Hot, brushed with garlic butter, served with marinara. Order one for every two people. Multiple reviewers describe these as the reason they come, full stop.

The wine program is the differentiator vs. neighborhood pizza spots. 50+ wines by the glass running through a state-of-the-art preservation system, which means a Tuesday-night glass tastes the same as the bottle they opened on Saturday. The list leans Italian (Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Verdicchio) but covers French and California. For a pizza-and-wine night that doesn't feel like an afterthought, this is the move.

Know before you go

Go for

•Garlic knots to start (mandatory)
•Margherita or white-pizza-with-spinach as the entrée pick
•A glass of Italian red from the by-the-glass list with dinner
•Family-of-4 pizza-and-pasta night that splits two pizzas plus a pasta

Timing

Lunch is calm Mon-Thu. Friday and Saturday dinner books out via OpenTable; weeknights are walk-in friendly. Sunday is family night and fills 5-7pm. Closed some Mondays seasonally; check before driving.

Pro tip

Order the half-and-half pizza if you can't pick (margherita on one side, white with spinach on the other). The kitchen will accommodate it without theater. Wine flights are the value play if you're trying multiple by-the-glass selections; cheaper than ordering glasses individually.

Skip / heads up

The room can echo on full Friday-Saturday nights; if you want quiet conversation, ask for a corner booth or sit in the back. The hero sandwiches are fine but not the kitchen's strength; come for pizza and pasta. The 18-inch pies are bigger than they look on the menu; don't over-order.

By Nathan Boesen