Clemenza’s at Uptown

Clemenza’s at Uptown occupies a storefront inside Uptown Station, the Eglin Parkway shopping center that anchors the inland retail corridor of Fort Walton Beach. Behind the pizza oven and the full bar is a restaurant built by veterans, for veterans, and for anyone in the mood for wood-fired pizza and classic Italian-American cooking. The owner, known locally as Dom, is a military veteran, and much of the management team shares that background, a fact that shows up in the dining room itself: the walls carry military photographs, uniforms, and unit awards alongside the warm, multicolored paint that gives the space its upscale-but-unpretentious feel.

The menu leans into regional Italian-American comfort food rather than any single region’s playbook, and the kitchen keeps a chalkboard of daily specials running alongside the printed lunch, dinner, and bar menus. Starters have included a creamy potato leek soup and a house-crafted burrata caprese salad built on arugula, Italian peppers, ripe tomatoes, fresh burrata, and a balsamic glaze. Main courses range from a traditional eggplant parmesan finished with marinara to a pan-seared grouper served with a lemon-butter caper sauce, braised spinach, and roasted potatoes. Specials have also featured a veal chop or braised short ribs set over pappardelle with spinach, proof that the kitchen is comfortable moving beyond a standard pizzeria repertoire. Dessert closes things out with choices like ricotta pumpkin cheesecake and a limoncello mascarpone cake finished with raspberry puree, alongside a classic tiramisu. The bar mixes its own cocktail list, including an old fashioned built on smoked maple whiskey and a house martini made with vodka, limoncello, and raspberry coulis.

Clemenza’s has picked up local recognition for its efforts, including Emerald Coast Magazine honors for Best Locally Owned Restaurant and Best Restaurant in Okaloosa County. Beyond the regular dinner service, the restaurant has spent roughly five years hosting themed cooking classes, and it keeps a sectioned-off room available for private dinner parties, rehearsal dinners, and small celebrations. Reservations can be made through Resy or with a direct call to the restaurant, and walk-ins are welcome for guests who would rather not plan ahead. Diners looking for sister concepts can find Fat Clemenza’s and Mama Clemenza’s in nearby Miramar Beach, both run by the same family of restaurants.

Practically speaking, Clemenza’s keeps a shorter schedule than many Emerald Coast restaurants: lunch and dinner run Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday service is dinner-only from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the restaurant closes entirely on Sunday, so plan a weekday or Saturday evening visit rather than a Sunday stop. Because it sits inside Uptown Station rather than directly on the water, Clemenza’s works well as an air-conditioned break from a beach day, a rainy-day dinner option, or a stop paired with errands at the surrounding shopping center. The full bar and relatively quiet, indoor setting also make it a solid choice for a date night or a business lunch away from the crowds nearer the Gulf. Call ahead on weekends, since the veteran-owned kitchen has built a loyal local following that can fill the dining room quickly once the dinner rush starts.