The Barbecue Spaghetti At Coletta's Italian Restaurant In Tennessee Will Blow Your Tastebuds Away
By Meghan Kraft|Published January 05, 2021
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
If you ever find yourself with a hankering for classic, indulgently prepared Italian food in Memphis, Tennessee, then we have quite the recommendation. Coletta’s Italian Restaurant has two locations in the area and has become known as the “Home of the BBQ Pizza,” with a delicious spaghetti counterpart. Learn more about it below, and maybe plan to visit for yourself! Coletta’s Italian Restaurant doesn’t mess around when it comes to good food, folks.
Coletta's Italian Restaurant has been open in Memphis since 1923 and is known as one of the oldest restaurants in the city. Its pizza is legendary, and the family-owned eatery has even been honored as the "best pizza" in Memphis by Commercial Appeal.
The interior is homey and lovely, the perfect place for an indulgent meal. Emil Coletta founded the original location in South Parkway as an ice cream company but eventually, it transformed into the Coletta's Italian Restaurant folks know and love today.
It wasn't until sailors from the local navy base started requesting pizza, a rarity in the south at the time, that Emil began to serve it at Coletta's. He sent his son, Horest, to research the delicious options in Chicago and develop an expertise in its preparation.
Here's a peek at Coletta's in 1933. An incredible transformation, don't you think? The restaurant is now operated by the 5th generation of the Coletta family.
Make sure you try the famous BBQ spaghetti when you visit! The lunch specials are popular and affordable, but wow - that spaghetti with BBQ goes unmatched.