Aldo's Story
Like most great family restaurants, Aldo's Pizza began as a dream for founder Aldo Scaliucci. When he opened his pizzeria on Norfolk St. in 1958 it was one of the first in town. It was a simple idea - serve great pizza made with the freshest ingredients. But what really set the restaurant apart was the famous thin crust. The secret recipe for crispy crust that Aldo brought with him from Italy made an authentic, delicious pizza. The quality and taste kept people coming back, and today Aldo's is the oldest operating pizzeria in San Mateo.
As San Mateo grew so did the business, expanding to 4 locations under the name Pee-Wee's Pizza. As pizza become more and more popular, word began to spread about the great pizza served by Aldo. He was so proud that changed the name of his restaurant from Pee-Wee's to his own name. When Aldo retired he passed along his secret recipe so customers could continue to enjoy terrific Italian pizza in the neighborhood.
When Manuel and Ana bought Aldo's in 1986, they had been looking for a neighborhood pizza parlor that they could run as a family business. One taste of Aldo's original pizza and they knew that they had found their place. They continued Aldo's tradition of using only the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. They also knew that different people have different tastes, so they began expanding the menu to include other Italian dishes like scrumptious pasta and calzones, as well as traditional favorites like hamburgers, sandwiches and salads. But the most popular addition was three new types of crusts, one for every taste. Manny put his decades in the pizza business to good use. He spent countless hours in the kitchen to develop the recipes for a perfect deep-dish Chicago style, a healthy whole-wheat version of the original thin crust, and his hearty but thin California style.
But Manny and Ana didn't stop there. They added a delivery service to make it more convenient for customers to get their pizza. When customers began asking for unique toppings and combinations,
Manny listened and created a variety of specialty pizzas such as the Star of India, the Greek Favorite and the Ultimate BBQ Chicken.
Times have changed since Aldo opened one of the first pizza parlors in town. But at Aldo's the quality and flavor hasn't changed.
In the Community
The Lucas family at Aldo's Pizza are proud to be a part of San Mateo. We give back to the community in a variety of ways.
Aldo's works with the Samaritan House Food Bank to collect canned goods for the needy. Donate a canned good and get $2 off a large pizza. We also sponsor local recreational sports teams in the community such as softball, soccer and volleyball.
Aldo's Pizza partners with local schools to turn the restaurant into a hands-on learning experience. School children have a great time on field trips to Aldo's Pizza, where Manny shows them how the pizza they love to eat is made. The kids get a chance to how the kitchen operates and even make their own pizzas!
