On West Poplar Avenue in Collierville, Tennessee, a family-owned pizzeria is hand-stretching dough, making fresh mozzarella every morning, and firing Neapolitan pies in a 900-degree wood oven — all in the name of serving the most authentic Italian pizza in the Mid-South. 🍕
Ciao Baby is the kind of mom-and-pop pizza place that makes you question every other pizza you’ve ever eaten — because once you taste a pie built on San Marzano tomatoes, house-made mozzarella, and hand-stretched dough, there’s simply no going back.
This is how a family-owned Neapolitan pizzeria in Collierville quietly became one of Tennessee’s most beloved dining destinations. 🏆
How Ciao Baby Won Collierville’s Hearts
From the very beginning, the founders made a deliberate, unwavering choice: to make pizza the way it was originally made in Naples, Italy, long before it was Americanized into something unrecognizable.
That means hand-stretched dough, mozzarella made fresh every single day, and pizzas cooked in a blazing 900-degree wood-fired oven that takes each pie from raw to perfect in just 90 seconds flat. 🔥
The result is a crust that is soft, slightly charred, and pillowy — not the crispy, cardboard-stiff base that suburban pizza chains have trained Americans to expect.
Word traveled fast through Collierville’s close-knit community, and soon the pizzeria had developed a devoted following who came not just for the classics, but for the endlessly creative signature pies that chef-owners rotated onto the menu with flair and imagination.
From the Andouille Louie — a local crowd favorite finished with a post-oven spicy honey drizzle — to the wildly inventive Kickin’ Chicken loaded with Calabrian chili pepper sauce, Ciao Baby’s signature pizza menu proved that authentic Neapolitan tradition and bold American creativity are not mutually exclusive. 🤌
What cemented the restaurant’s status as the best pizza in Collierville, TN wasn’t just the food, though — it was the warmth and authenticity of the entire experience.
Ciao Baby carries itself with the genuine, unpretentious hospitality of a family kitchen, where the people making your food are the same people who care deeply about whether you leave happy.
Reviewers describe the crust as “perfect,” the toppings as “fresh and flavorful,” and the fresh mozzarella as their absolute favorite — high praise for a family-owned Italian restaurant in Tennessee that competes with some of the best pizzerias in the country. ❤️
Food Highlights 🍕
- Quattro Carni (Four Meats): San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, spicy salami, garlic, olive oil, and basil.
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Pizza Margherita: San Marzano tomatoes, fresh house-made mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, olive oil, garlic, basil, and sea salt. 🇮🇹
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Pizza Bianca: White pizza with fresh mozzarella, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and sea salt (no tomato) — clean, creamy, and deeply aromatic.
- Kickin’ Chicken: House-made Alfredo sauce, fresh mozzarella, smoked provolone, wood-fired chicken, bacon, green bell peppers, red onions, and Calabrian chili pepper sauce.
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Andouille Louie: Fresh mozzarella, provolone, Andouille sausage, green peppers, and red onions, finished with a post-oven spicy honey drizzle — a Southern-inspired signature. 🍯🌶️
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Dolce E Diavola: San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, spicy soppressata, peppadew peppers, hot honey drizzle, post-oven shaved parmesan, and house-made stracciatella. 🔥
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Pistachio Pesto: Pistachio pesto, fresh mozzarella, red wine-infused Italian sausage, garlic, basil, and coarse sea salt. 🌿
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Toto: San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, parmigiano reggiano, basil, and garlic.
Atmosphere
Ciao Baby is a warm, lively, and genuinely family-friendly space that buzzes with the kind of energy you’d expect from a restaurant where the owners are clearly present and deeply invested in every table’s experience. 🍕
The wood-fired oven is the heart of the room — visible, dramatic, and filling the space with the kind of smoky, yeasty aroma that makes it physically impossible to walk in and not immediately order something.
The vibe is relaxed and unpretentious, making it equally comfortable for a casual weeknight family dinner, a date night, or a rowdy group of friends splitting a round of specialty pies.
BOGO pizza deals on Tuesdays have become something of a local institution, drawing regulars who plan their week around it — a testament to the kind of community-first hospitality that Ciao Baby has built its entire reputation on. 🤝
Bottom Line
Ciao Baby is Collierville’s crown jewel of pizza — a family-owned Neapolitan wood-fired pizzeria that makes its mozzarella fresh daily, fires every pie in 90 seconds, and never cuts corners on quality. From the classic Margherita to the bold Andouille Louie, every bite tastes like it was made with love. 🍕❤️
Address:
890 W. Poplar Ave, Suite 1, Collierville, TN 38017
📞 (901) 457-7457
🕐 Mon–Thu: 11:00 AM–9:00 PM | Fri–Sat: 11:00 AM–10:00 PM | Sun: 11:00 AM–8:00 PM