The Best ‘Little Italy’ Neighborhoods In The US Beyond Manhattan

Among the Italian enclaves that were established across the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century, Manhattan’s Little Italy on Mulberry Street is arguably the most well-known. Yet it’s far from the only neighborhood where Italian immigrants defined the commerce, culture, and spirit of the area. The Italian immigrants who poured into the U.S. from Sicily, Naples, Calabria, and beyond profoundly shaped America’s food history and cuisine, and the heritage and tradition they brought with them across the Atlantic can be found in nearly every major city. 

From the East Coast to the West Coast, the Midwest, and the South, Italian Americans are still making and serving the cuisine they grew up with, from Sicilian bakeries to red-gravy Italian American diners, gelaterias, and cheese shops. All over the U.S., you can find neighborhoods, corners, and streets that proudly carry Italy’s cultural legacy and values — including strong family ties, hospitality, and a commitment to wining and dining well. “A tavola non si invecchia” is an Italian idiom that translates to: “At the table, one does not grow old.” Eating and gathering around the table, in other words, revives not only the body, but the spirit.

Ahead, we’ve rounded up 10 of the country’s lesser-known Little Italy neighborhoods outside of Manhattan. These locales are keepsakes of Italian cooking and culture where you can stroll through lively outdoor markets, buy fresh pasta for a quick dinner, weigh in on a century-long cannoli rivalry, admire towers of cheese, watch your pistachio-studded mortadella sliced to order, and take in the music and celebratory atmosphere of annual street festivals.

Italian food is the lifeblood of Boston’s North End. One of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, the generations of Italians who immigrated there in the late 19th century defined its culture and cuisine, and Bostonites from all over the city make the trip into the city’s “Little Italy” for cannoli and pasta and to wander its historic brick-lined streets.

Longtime favorites like Giacomo’s still deliver enormous plates of linguine alle vongole or eggplant Parmigiana in a spare, casual setting that feels familial and welcoming with its crowded tables and chalkboard menu. You can also find New England’s influence on Giacomo’s menu with items like fra diavolo, a spicy red lobster sauce. For a more intimate, multi-course dinner, Table offers “Sunday Supper,” a seven-course feast, and Ristorante Lucia (known for its Abruzzo-focused menu) and The Red Fox (a hidden, underground gem serving lasagna rolls and zeppole) offer guests cozy, low-lit ambiance alongside red-sauce classics and lighter seafood pastas.

For pizza, Regina’s has been a favorite since 1926 for its chewy, blistered pies from its original brick oven. No dinner in the North End is complete without queuing up at Mike’s Pastry or Modern Pastry for one of the best cannoli in Boston, where there is a nearly century-long rivalry between the two bakeries. At Bova’s Bakery, open 24 hours, try their signature tiramisu, Florentine cannoli, lobster tail pastry, or pick up a loaf of warm Italian bread. For a retreat from the busy streets, Caffè Vittoria pours espresso and serves old-school Italian pastries (pasticceria tradizionale) in a room lined with vintage espresso machines — perfect for a traditional cappuccino alongside limoncello cake, ricotta pie, or spumoni ice cream.

Stretching along South 9th Street, Philadelphia’s Italian Market was established in the late 1800s as Italian immigrants opened produce stands, butcher shops, and bakeries. It remains one of the oldest and largest open-air markets in the country. Even as the neighborhood has grown more diverse (you’ll find lots of Mexican and Hispanic-inspired fare, from homemade tortillas, to tacos and traditional birria), the Italian roots are unmistakable with red, green, and white awnings flanking the street, and hand-written sandwich signs drawing customers in for fresh pasta, prosciutto, and pizza.

Di Bruno Bros., a cornerstone of the market since 1939, is a temple of cheese and charcuterie with crowded shelves of accoutrements like artisan crackers, olives, and jams (their freshly made mozzarella di bufala is a standout). Just down the street, Sarcone’s, a fifth-generation bakery, keeps old-world baking alive with seeded Italian loaves, and new-world Philly favorites like hoagie rolls. For something sweet, Isgro Pastries, founded in 1904 by Vienna-trained pastry chef Mario Isgro, is revered for its cannoli, but has a selection of dozens of brightly colored Italian cookies, too (they ship nationwide, by the way). When it comes to pizza, Angelo’s is a new addition to the neighborhood but has quickly become a staple, serving classic, foldable slices (alongside Philly cheesesteaks with a cult following) that summon a line around the block daily. For a quick dinner at home, stop in at Talluto’s for fresh pasta that’s made with durum wheat and whole eggs. They offer a variety of flavors and styles, from tomato to black squid ink to saffron, and have excellent ready-made sandwiches, too.

Once the center of Chicago’s Italian diaspora, Taylor Street still carries its Italian heritage in its bakeries, restaurants, and delis. No mention of Taylor Street is complete without Al’s #1 Italian Beef, the institution credited with inventing Chicago’s iconic sandwich back in 1938 that has over 150 critic awards. Thinly shaved beef, slow-roasted and soaked in jus, is piled onto a chewy Italian roll and — if you order it “dipped” — the entire sandwich is plunged into a meaty, umami gravy. Just a few doors down, Rosebud on Taylor brings a different side of Italian dining. The Rosebud Dining Group has several locations across the city, but the Taylor Street flagship location offers an abundance of nostalgic elegance and charm, with white tablecloths, dark wood paneling, intricately carved mirrors, and dim lighting. 

Conte Di Savoia, an Italian deli and grocery, has been a local fixture for decades, offering everything from hard-to-find Italian imports to a large selection of vintage Italian wine and made-to-order subs wrapped in butcher paper. For an old-school experience, Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap, a James Beard “America’s Classic” winner, still serves hearty, American-Italian homestyle fare in a casual, unpretentious setting that hasn’t changed much in generations. Pompei, family-owned since 1909, is another Taylor Street institution, beloved for its homemade meatballs, pizza strudel, and generous pasta portions. On hot evenings, Chicagoans and tourists alike gather at Mario’s Italian Lemonade for fresh, summery shaved ice with flavors like pomegranate, cherry, and chocolate. 

Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, the city’s “Little Italy,” runs along Liberty Avenue and has been shaped by Italian immigrants who have lived there since the early 20th century, reflected in its Italian family-run shops, bakeries, and restaurants. The neighborhood has grown more eclectic over the years, but the Italian spirit remains. Bloomfield Groceria (formerly Groceria Italiana) is a neighborhood staple that’s been around since 1912, purchased by Rich Trocchio in 2019, who is dedicated to preserving its historic legacy, commitment to quality ingredients, and treating every customer like family. Stop in to peruse its shelves stacked high with imported olive oils and pastas, or throw together a picnic with freshly sliced mortadella, mozzarella, olives, and handmade bread that’s delivered daily from Sanchioli Brothers’ Bakery in Bloomfield.

Just down the street, The Pleasure Bar has been serving the Bloomfield community since 1941, a casual spot for Italian-American comfort food like Italian wedding soup, aglio e oglio pasta, and eggplant Parmigiana. At Merante’s — part gift shop, part takeout counter — you’ll find Italian gifts and imports, as well as a grab-and-go cooler with house-made soups, sauces, microwave-ready meals, and desserts. In the summer, Pittsburgh celebrates its Italian heritage during “Little Italy Days,” a four-day festival in August that shuts down the streets for a celebration of food, music, and Italian culture.

St. Louis’s The Hill neighborhood is the city’s epicenter of Italian-American life. The Hill has it all, including down-to-earth lunch spots, upscale dinner joints, Southern and Northern-inspired Italian cuisine, and gelato. Charlie Gitto’s is an institution on The Hill, serving classic Italian-American fare in a lively, family-friendly atmosphere. Here, pastas, veal, and seafood dishes are prepared with the kind of care and generosity that reflect decades of family tradition. They offer staples like arancini, toasted ravioli, and margherita pizza alongside pasta dishes you don’t see on every menu, like their fiore borghese, a flower-shaped noodle with Cognac sauce. For a more casual bite, Gioia’s Deli is legendary for its hot and cold sandwiches, particularly the Italian roast beef and hot salami, made with Italian bread baked in-house (they won a James Beard “America’s Classic” award for their sandwiches in 2017).

Meanwhile, Volpi Foods, a specialty meat purveyor, brings Old World curing traditions to modern kitchens, offering handmade salumi, sausages, and cured meats. For lunch, Adriana’s — half market, half lunch diner — serves laid back Sicilian-influenced fare. For Northern Italian cuisine, Lorenzo’s Trattoria is a swankier spot where you can find calves’ liver, ossobuco, and seafood risotto. For dessert, stop by Gelato Di Riso for a scoop of stracciatella, tiramisu, or bacio (chocolate hazelnut) gelato.

Unlike larger Italian-American enclaves in Boston or Philadelphia, Omaha’s Little Italy has a cozy, neighborhood feel and was defined by the Sicilians who moved there in the late 19th century. The murals, old brick buildings, and mom-and-pop storefronts reflect decades of Italian-American influence. Orsi’s Italian Bakery and Pizzeria is a local institution serving both classic pies, sweet treats, and freshly baked bread that have delighted Omaha for generations. The bakery is one of the last remnants of Omaha’s Little Italy. In 1997, a fire devastated the building, but with the help of the community, Orsi’s was rebuilt, and they even expanded their offerings to include a deli section with Italian imported goods that are difficult to find, including pastas, olive oils, and vinegars. For sweets, you can pick up traditional biscotti or cannoli.

Just down the block, La Casa Pizzeria offers another take on Italian-American pizza with its Neapolitan-style crust. The rectangular, thin crust — a product of Omaha’s Sicilian immigrants — evolved into Omaha’s own signature style of pizza. La Casa’s pizzas feature a flaky, crispy-thin crust, and they have other Italian-American staples too, like eggplant or chicken Parmesan, and pasta and meatballs.

Once a hub for the tuna fishing industry, San Diego’s Little Italy has evolved into one of the city’s liveliest districts. Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, owned by the DePhilippis family since 1950, serves pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and old-school Italian-American fare. For an after-dinner espresso, dessert, or quick panini lunch, Pappalecco is committed to serving the highest quality ingredients, offering traditional classics in addition to their in-house specialties, like their caffé freddo that’s blended with cold brew and your choice of gelato, and their marocchino that’s made with Nutella, espresso, and frothed milk.

Bencotto Italian Kitchen is sleek and minimal, serving indulgent yet fresh Italian dishes perfect for a quiet date night with several glasses of wine selected from their extensive and expertly curated list. They have a rotating selection of “cheese wheel pasta,” where pasta is tossed tableside in a 60-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano. Barbusa Ristorante is another upscale option that makes a great venue for a birthday party or celebration. They excel in modern Sicilian cuisine and also have a sister restaurant a block away, Nonna, that makes dessert and gelato.

For fresh take-home pasta, stop by Assenti’s, a shop still making pasta according to the techniques Adriana Sabatini Assenti learned in her hometown, San Benedetto Del Tronto. In addition to traditional pasta like pappardelle, linguini, and bucatini, they have take-and-reheat pasta dishes like lasagna and eggplant Parmigiana. They also have house-made sauces and pastry items like cannoli shells and filling, biscotti, panforte, and tiramisu. On Saturdays and Wednesdays at the Piazza della Famiglia, San Diego’s Little Italy hosts the Little Italy Mercato Farmers’ Market, where you can find a wealth of regional products, including produce, honey, eggs, flowers, fresh bread, and more.

Walking through Atwells Avenue, the main artery of Federal Hill, you can’t miss Venda Ravioli, a landmark deli and market where house-made pasta and Italian specialties have been produced for decades. As one of the most respected Italian food emporiums on the East Coast, it’s described by owner Alan Costantino as a “mecca” for Italian food lovers. You can shop their online store, which has a wide selection of Italian imports, like cheese, vinegars, canned goods, and olive oils, in addition to homemade sauces and pastas. Venda’s restaurant counterpart, Costantino’s Ristorante, has the same commitment to quality and authenticity as Venda’s, serving sumptuous antipasti, pizzas, and silky pastas.

Just a short walk away, Camille’s offers upscale Italian fare in a warm, relaxing setting, with options on the menu you can’t find everywhere, such as their pasta e fagiole (pasta and bean soup), stracciatella alla Romana (Italian egg drop soup), and baccalà insalada (salt cod salad). For main dishes, try their classic pappardelle Bolognese, or their vitello alla Marsala con funghi (veal with cremini mushrooms). No visit to Federal Hill is complete without a stop at Scialo Bros., a bakery known for its cannoli, pastries, and breads, which have become a cornerstone of Rhode Island’s Italian culinary tradition (they also do custom cakes).

Though overshadowed by the city’s larger French and Creole influences, New Orleans’ “Little Palermo” — named after the Sicilian immigrants who migrated there in the late 19th century — has preserved its Italian heritage through family-run shops, bakeries, and markets. At the heart of Little Palermo is Central Grocery and Deli, the birthplace of the iconic muffuletta sandwich, with layers of olive salad, cured meats, and cheeses packed into a round loaf with a crunchy exterior. Their shelves are stacked with imported goods from Italy, including crackers, Sicilian olive oil, jarred sauces, and more. If you aren’t planning on being in New Orleans any time soon, you can order their famous olive salad online, which is used in their muffuletta. It comes in regular or spicy.

Just a few blocks away, Terranova’s Supermarket sits on a street corner washed in a shade of avocado green with a Coca-Cola sign hanging out front, serving the neighborhood fresh produce, imported Italian staples, fresh meats, and pantry essentials. The century-old grocer changed hands in May 2025, with husband and wife team Benjamin and Karen Terranova handing the business to their son and daughter-in-law, Anthony and Jennifer Terranova, who have plans to expand it into a butcher shop. For dessert, Angelo Brocato’s, a family-owned gelateria and bakery, offers fresh cannoli, gelato, and other Sicilian sweets in an Old World interior inspired by the Sicilian ice cream parlors where the founder, Angelo Brocato, apprenticed.

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, often called the “real Little Italy” of New York City, offers an entirely different Italian-American experience than Manhattan’s tourist-heavy district. This energetic neighborhood in the Belmont section of the Bronx is a haven for food enthusiasts, and there’s a lot on offer.

Start your day with fresh bread and pastries from Madonia Bakery, or head to Morrone Pastry Shop, Cerini Coffee & Gifts, Artuso’s, or Egidio’s for more sweet treats and espresso. For lunch, grab a quick slice at Tony & Tina’s or Full Moon Pizza, or go for a hearty Italian sandwich at Joe’s Italian Deli. Classic sit-down options include Ann & Tony’s, Pasquale’s Rigoletto, Enzo’s, and Tra Di Noi, where you’ll find everything from arancini and eggplant rollatini to clams oreganata and meatballs.

To shop for dinner, stop in at Calabria Pork Store, Casa Della Mozzarella, Randazzo’s for seafood, Vincent’s Meat Market, and Borgatti’s for fresh pasta. For Italian wines and amaro, Mount Carmel Wine & Spirits is the go-to. And if you want a little bit of everything under one roof, the Arthur Avenue Retail Market is the jewel of the neighborhood.