When a pizza oven shaped like Mount Vesuvius becomes the talk of Cincinnati, you know something special is happening in Milford.
Joe’s Pizza Napoli has transformed a former yogurt shop into a wood-fired wonderland where authentic Neapolitan techniques meet Midwestern hospitality.
🍕 Owner Joe Nunner traded his corporate sales career for pizza perfection, bringing Naples directly to the suburbs through imported ingredients, traditional methods, and family recipes passed down through four generations.
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How Joe’s won local’s hearts
The journey from backyard pizza parties to award-winning pizzeria reads like a Cincinnati success story that warms the heart.
Joe Nunner spent years perfecting his craft in his home backyard, installing a wood-fired oven and making pies for friends and family every weekend while working as a regional sales manager traveling 14 states.
When a small brick-and-mortar space opened just 1.5 miles from his home in 2018, he quit his job and took the leap that would change Milford’s pizza scene forever.
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The secret to winning local hearts?
Uncompromising authenticity paired with genuine passion.
Nunner earned his certification from the Vera Pizza Napoletana, ensuring every pizza meets Naples’ strict traditional standards.
The massive tiled oven built in Naples reaches 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit in the dome, cooking pizzas to perfection in just five minutes using dense ash and oak hardwoods.
But technique alone doesn’t build a devoted following—it’s the commitment to quality that keeps customers coming back.
🔥 The restaurant proudly operates without a freezer or microwave, making fresh dough daily with just four simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt.
Ingredients are sourced first from Naples, then Italy, with local produce and meats filling the remaining gaps.
The community responded immediately.
Friends, neighbors, and family provided solid support from the start, helping Joe’s Pizza Napoli establish itself quickly.
Even when COVID-19 forced dining rooms to close, Milford rallied around their beloved pizza spot, with carry-out sales actually increasing during the pandemic.
Nunner’s creative pizza kits—including uncooked dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings packaged in pizza boxes—became instant bestsellers, allowing families to bring the Joe’s experience home.
Recognition followed naturally.
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CityBeat’s Best Of Cincinnati readers awarded Joe’s multiple honors, including Best Under the Radar Restaurant and Best East Side Pizza Joint.
Reddit users and Yelp reviewers consistently praise the strip mall gem, with one reviewer declaring it “the best pizza in town” despite its Milford location.
Another customer who traveled from Louisville visited five to six times, calling it an “all around GEM” and praising both the incredible food and passionate staff.
The family recipes add another layer of authenticity.
Joe’s fourth-generation marinara sauce traces back to Cutro in Italy’s Calabrian region, passed down from his grandfather who immigrated to America.
Those meatballs?
They’ve been perfected over generations, earning their own devoted fan base.
Success bred expansion—Joe’s added a thriving food truck business for their fifth anniversary and now sells retail products including dough, sauce, salad dressing, pistachio pesto, and Calabrian chili oil.
What truly distinguishes Joe’s Pizza Napoli isn’t just the imported Caputo 00 flour or hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes—it’s the transparency and warmth.
Joe openly shares his dough recipe, believing pizza makers should be an open book.
His wife Angie works alongside him, and even their daughter Maggie has been part of the journey since high school.
That connection between pizzaiolo and patron creates loyalty money can’t buy, turning first-time visitors into weekly regulars who drive from across Cincinnati for another taste of Milford’s Italian masterpiece.
Food Highlights
– Vesuvio Pizza: Hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes form the base for this award-worthy creation, topped with spicy prosciutto calabrese (Italian salami), fresh mozzarella, Calabrian chilies that deliver pleasant heat, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil that brings everything together in perfect harmony.
– Roma Pizza: Classic Italian-American flavors shine through hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, generous portions of pepperoni, savory Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, and a mozzarella-provolone blend that creates incredible stretch and flavor—this crowd-pleaser appears on countless tables for good reason.
– Viva Las Vegas Pizza: An award-winning showstopper featuring seven different cheeses, house-made meatball, Italian sausage, Calabrian chilies, fresh garlic, fourth-generation marinara sauce, seasoned breadcrumbs, and a finishing touch of dressed arugula that adds peppery freshness to balance the rich, indulgent flavors.
– Polpette Pizza: Hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes support Joe’s famous house-made meatballs (the fourth-generation family recipe everyone raves about), sautéed onions for sweetness, fresh mozzarella, creamy ricotta dollops, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil—comfort food elevated to art.
– Margherita Pizza: Neapolitan tradition in its purest form showcases hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (fior di latte) that melts into creamy pools, fragrant fresh basil leaves, Parmigiano-Reggiano for depth, and garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil—simple ingredients that prove quality needs no disguise.
– Meatball Bread Bowl “The Tommy”: This genius appetizer deserves main-course status with fourth-generation marinara sauce, house-made meatballs that customers travel across town for, melted mozzarella-provolone blend, Parmesan-Pecorino Romano shavings, all served in a fresh wood-fired bread bowl that soaks up every drop of deliciousness.
Atmosphere
Don’t let the strip mall location fool you—stepping inside Joe’s Pizza Napoli transports diners straight to Southern Italy.
The 1,500-square-foot space seats 39 guests in a simply elegant arrangement that channels outdoor Mediterranean charm through its corrugated metal roof over the kitchen, floor-to-ceiling fireplace stacked with logs, and prominent image of Mount Vesuvius above the hearth.
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The star attraction dominates the room: that massive tiled pizza oven shaped like Mount Vesuvius, handcrafted in Naples and positioned so customers can watch every step of pizza creation.
The open kitchen layout builds connection—you’ll see teens working their hearts out stretching dough, employees wielding pizza peels moving pies in and out of the blazing chamber, and the beautiful dance of traditional pizza-making at full speed.
The vibe remains relaxed and family-friendly despite the restaurant’s accolades and popularity.
A small patio extends the seating when weather permits, perfect for enjoying pizza al fresco.
Bar seating offers front-row views of the oven action, while tables accommodate groups looking to share multiple pies family-style.
The authentic touch extends to beverages—Italian Peroni and Moretti beers pair alongside local craft options from Mt. Carmel and March First breweries.
Wine selections and Joe’s House IPA round out the drink menu.
Service strikes the perfect balance of efficient and friendly, with passionate staff eager to discuss ingredients, share pizza-making insights, and ensure every diner leaves satisfied.
Bottom Line
– Authentic Neapolitan pizza certified by Vera Pizza Napoletana using traditional methods unchanged for 180 years
– Everything made fresh daily with no freezer or microwave in the kitchen—fourth-generation family recipes meet imported Italian ingredients
– Award-winning pizzas cooked in 900-degree wood-fired oven shaped like Mount Vesuvius and handcrafted in Naples
– Worth-the-drive destination that won Best Under the Radar Restaurant and Best East Side Pizza Joint in CityBeat’s Best Of Cincinnati
– Family-owned operation where passion shows in every pie, from owner Joe’s certified training to the transparent open kitchen
Address: 507 Chamber Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45150
📞 (513) 248-0082
🕔 Open Tue-Thu 4 PM–8 PM, Fri 4 PM–9 PM, Sat 12 PM–9 PM, Sun 12 PM–8 PM (closed Mon)