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Read More about this safari issue.If you’re looking to find a restaurant where you can show up with your family and friends, enjoy a good meal, and leave a little happier, then Fratelli’s Wood Fired Pizzeria in Siloam Springs is just for you.
Fratelli means “brother” in Italian. This is appropriate, given that eleven years ago two brothers started this cozy and traditional pizzeria in downtown Siloam Springs. They went to Italy and fell in love with wood-fired pizza. So, they came back home and opened the pizzeria.
I remember the first time I tasted Fratelli’s Wood-Fired pizza at the inaugural Northwest Arkansas Food Festival. My husband and I kept going back for seconds (and thirds) of their delicious cheese-topped and crusty goodness.
In August of 2021, Dan Couture and his wife Jackie purchased Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria after hearing it was available. Dan had spent his corporate career working in big-box restaurants throughout Arkansas. When the pandemic hit, and the restaurant business took a hit, his job as a manager took a hit as well.
During that trying time, Dan and Jackie’s son was gravely ill with a rare blood disease. During the last twenty-two months of his son’s life, the family bonded even closer and realized that priorities in their life had changed. “Living in a hospital room teaches that we can do without a lot in life,” Dan shared.
As they were going through family photos, one photo, in particular, stood out. It was a photo of their son and daughter at a fundraiser for their school.
The fundraiser’s location was Fratelli’s.
Dan and Jackie were on the verge of opening a food truck in Bentonville when they heard that Fratelli’s was for sale. Part of the shifting of life priorities had to do with them wanting to be together as a family more often. Corporate life was making that difficult and the food truck seemed like the right path.
So, when Fratelli’s came available for sale, the family made the leap and purchased the pizzeria. Dan, Jackie and their daughter all work at the restaurant. It has become a place for them to be together, just as they dreamed.
“That was our motivation,” Dan shared. “Family and pizza are everything. We always made our own pizza at home. Family movie night was pizza night. We’ve been huge on pizza our entire life and even had catered pizza at our wedding.”
Fratelli’s has a traditional Italian-domed, wood-fired oven lined with slate. Hardwoods like oak and hickory are piled up high so that the oven burns hotter. Temperatures in the wood-fired oven reach 800 degrees and higher. This high heat cooks the pizza to perfection.
Dan believes that it is important that Fratelli’s stick to the traditional recipes. They use Italian 00 Flour and all authentic ingredients. For instance, Parmesan cheese doesn’t come from a prepackaged distributor. Instead, Fratelli’s takes a half wheel of Parmesan, cuts it up, and shreds it to perfection.
By all means, Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria is a place where you can happily eat through the entire menu. The number one seller is their pepperoni pizza.
The second most popular pizza is the Margherita pizza, a classic Italian pizza with a bubbly crust. It’s my particular favorite! I also love a good old fashion Italian salad that is simple on the greens and heavy on delicious homemade Italian seasoning.
Save room for dessert because Fratelli’s has a gelato bar with traditional Italian flavors.
Fratelli’s has loyal customers from down the block and all over Northwest Arkansas. They even have dedicated customers that drive over from Tulsa, Huntsville, and Fayetteville every single week.
“Once people find out about us, they are willing to take the drive and come visit us,” Dan shared with me. “I had a lady call me from Noel, Missouri and asked to purchase a gift certificate for her grandson who was attending John Brown University. She loves our pizza and wanted her grandson to experience it, too. It’s just one reason why my wife and I wanted to purchase this special place.”
Whether you end up dining inside the charming old brick-walled restaurant or sit outside on the patio, you leave feeling a little bit happier.
Don’t just take my word for it because Dan says it best, “We want to have people leave here just as excited about eating pizza as we are. Pizza is a wonderful thing. We want people to come in here with their family and friends and enjoy a good meal, the atmosphere and forget about their problems. We want them to leave a little happier.”
And so, we shall.
Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria
118 S Broadway Street
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-524-0766
Note: There is no affiliation between Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria in Siloam Springs and Fratelli’s Italian Grill in Springdale
HOURS:
Sunday-Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 4 – 8 p.m.
Wednesday-Saturday – 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
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