For over 30 years, Fabio’s Pizza was located in the Ohio Valley Mall and established themselves as one of the best restaurants in the valley with pizza good enough to garner many regular customers and great reviews. On August 1, 2025, they opened the doors at their new location in Wheeling and their fabulous food was unsurprisingly received very well from the start. Now that they’ve hopefully had enough time to catch their collective breath after what had to be a very busy time and a whirlwind of change, Weelunk reached out to see how it’s going as we celebrate their one year anniversary in The Friendly City. Co-owner Marianne Cracolici was kind enough to answer our questions.
Hi, Marianne. Thank you for taking the time. I may not currently live in Wheeling, but it is my hometown and I love it and so I would like to offer you a warm welcome. I’ve been a huge Fabio’s fan for a long time, dating back to my teenage years of stopping in to grab a slice after catching a movie and playing in the mall arcade. I was very excited to hear you were coming to Wheeling.
How has the shift from St. Clairsville to Wheeling been?
“The idea of leaving almost all familiarity behind for someplace new was absolutely terrifying. And there are days it still is. Before, many customers stopped in because it was convenient and they were passing through the shopping area. Now, we generate a lot more of our own traffic to our new spot. We couldn’t be happier with our move. There is closer parking, floor to ceiling windows that lets in sunlight (something we never had before), more space than we know what to do with, and an abundance of happy faces that greet us everyday.”
How has the first year in Wheeling been?
“Wheeling has truly been a spectacular change. Our customers have been so kind and happy to have us here. Almost all of our regulars have stopped out to let us know that we are missed or that they are happy for our growth. And we are truly grateful to everyone. Admittedly, it was a chaotic mess the first several weeks when we were trying to get our bearings straight. We haven’t been that busy in about a decade and we truly appreciate everyone’s understanding during the madness.”
You spent many years operating inside the Ohio Valley Mall. What prompted the location change?
“My brother, Fabio, and I stumbled upon the location by chance when we stopped at the business that previously occupied the building, Discount Supplies 2. My brother had just bought a house and we saw an ad on Facebook for DS2 so we stopped out to take a look at what they had. When we got there they were painting the outside and had a huge “building for sale” banner. We just stopped and looked at each other with a ‘are you thinking what I’m thinking?’ kind of look before we even made it inside.”
Now that you’re operating within your own building as opposed to inside a mall, do you have a preference?
“Once a bird has tasted freedom, does it fly back into its cage? Not this bird!Having our own location allows us to make our operating schedule so we can make our holiday hours and we now have a dedicated day off on Sunday to spend time with our families and friends. We are bouncing around the idea of being open on Sundays for football season as were quite some inquiries last season. But it’s been nice not having to follow schedules and rules dictated to us by anyone else.”
I love your pizza and would put it up against any Pittsburgh pie, and really most pizza far beyond our region. Part of that is how good it is every time; I’ve never once been disappointed by an order from your restaurant. How do you maintain such consistency?
“We make and prepare our food from scratch. Candy and Tracy get to the shop before 8am every morning and get the ball rolling for prepping what we need. We make and stretch our dough every morning, slice all the vegetables and deli meats, grate the cheese, make both pizza and marinara sauce. Did you know that we also make our Italian dressing in house, too? It’s not from a bottle or spice packet. There is a lot of effort that goes into every aspect of what we do. We also use multiple different food distributors instead of putting all our eggs in one basket. One company may have better tomatoes, whereas the other has fresher onions. This is how we’re able to have the freshest ingredients.”
That consistency impressively extends to the entire menu. Every single item you make is fantastic. Most pizza places offer other types of food, too, but it is often lacking even when their pies are good. How do you get everything to be so solid across the board?
“For starters, there is not a single thing on the menu that any of us wouldn’t eat ourselves. Every recipe has been tweaked over the years to perfection. I think one of the things that really sets us apart from other places is that we hold ourselves to a higher standard in quality and customer service. This is something we have learned and we’re still learning how to be better at everyday. Having a staff that is dedicated and committed to excellence is what has really made us so great.”
And lastly regarding always being on top of your game, how much does that come down to work ethic? Any time I’ve been there over the last 20 years, your dad is always working. And I’m sure you’re no stranger to long hours, either.
“My dad is one of the hardest working individuals anyone will ever meet. He has dedicated so much time to his trade and has created this business and legacy for our family that I cannot thank him for enough. He has definitely instilled in me his work ethic which is often a blessing and a curse. As I’ve grown older I’m really able to appreciate this life skill and the security that it brings, though.”
That work ethic clearly pays off since you won an award for your pepperoni rolls back in May. As good as they are, your marinara served alongside them is the best I’ve ever tasted by far. I won’t ask for the secret ingredient, but can you give us any tips on how to make such a good sauce?
“The marinara is indeed a top secret recipe. I can tell you that it takes many, many hours to cook. Slow and steady for the flavors to combine perfectly.”
What is the most popular item on your menu and what is the most underrated?
“If we don’t count the classics like the thin cheese pizza or our Chicago pepperoni, I would definitely say the fan favorite menu items would either be the Meat Pie pizza or the stuffed shells served with garlic rolls. The most underrated item we have would definitely be our house-made tuna salad. I technically don’t even know the recipe for this after 20+ years and I’m nervous to even try at this point; I don’t want the diehard regulars coming for me in the Facebook comments if I mess it up. We normally serve this as a garnish on the side of our antipasto salads, but you can also order a tuna salad sandwich. Pro tip- toasted bun is the way to go.”
Your new location is close to Centre Market which has experienced some revitalization over the last few years. Do you have a favorite spot or any particular business there you’d like to shout out?
“I absolutely love our new location and the fellow small businesses of Wheeling have all made us feel so welcome to the community. The original apprehension was like a new kid’s first day at school transferring in the middle of the year. But now it feels like we should have been here all along. The sense of belonging is a feeling we never had before. The great thing about center market and downtown Wheeling is you have so many options for great food, drinks, entertainment and shopping I don’t think most people are aware of. Not feeling pizza today? That’s okay, me neither at this point. Chris at Tito’s in the market is my go to. He was our first customer when we opened. Stopping across the street to see Kevin and Carolyn at Brewkeepers is a must, especially during patio season. I also love going to our semi-neighbors at the Hall of Fame. Although our cuisine is quite different, you can taste and sense the love and dedication they too put into everything. Lastly, a huge thank you to the Carls at the Bridge Tavern and Rebecca and David from the Foundry who have helped me mentally (and through the power of alcohol) with the long journey of rehabbing and preserving an old and somewhat deteriorating building into a beautiful landmark and business that we now call home.”
And last, but certainly not least: does pineapple go on pizza?
“I was really hoping there wouldn’t be any political or controversial questions, but I suppose I can’t dodge them all. Yes. I like my pineapple pizza with bacon and smothered in barbecue sauce.”
Thank you so much again for taking the time. I don’t get to drop in nearly as much as I’d like, but I put in an order almost every time I’m down there. Please do me one favor, though. My dad has become a regular customer of yours. As much as I don’t blame him for visiting you three to four times a week, I’m worried about the man’s heart. Maybe only serve him the slices that have broccoli on them so he’s at least getting his greens, too.
You can visit Fabio’s at 1920 Main Street in Wheeling. I recommend grabbing a slice before making your way to a Nailers game, but there’s really no bad time to get yourself some of their food. Wheeling is glad to have them and we hope they’re here for many years to come!
