The search for the UAE’s best authentic pizza has reached destination – and in the most unlikely of places!

Unlikely in terms of destination, but absolutely logical when considering the origin: it says so in the name!

D.O.N. translates into “Originally From Naples”

And you see the little squiggly design under the logo? Yup, il Vesuvio. Napoli’s volcano.

I verified, and the young man behind the pizzeria is indeed true red-white-and-green Italian, and from Naples.

But that’s hardly the surprise.. the destination is!

Half-way between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, an amazing truck stop has materialized at the side of the UAE’s busiest highway: Last Exit.

In among a fantastic creativity of street food, the DON Pizza truck stands out, with absolutely 100% authentic Neapolitan pizzas!

It’s incredible that with all the five-star restaurants, the best pizza I’ve found in the UAE is prepared and baked inside a food truck!

But at the same time it makes so much sense – where do we find the passionate artists pushing the boundaries? Where does one break through barriers and risk it all?

It’s often not the most well-established, career-centered, professional salary-earning chefs – they are too preoccupied with maintaining their professional reputation to go out on a limb and a prayer. They tend to play it safe. Aim to please as wide a range of tastes as possible. Avoid risks. And why not? They have already reached where they want to be. The objective is maintenance and steady growth.

But a passionate entrepreneur? Ah! Now we’re on the opposite end of the spectrum! Here no holds are barred, and ideas with passion are brought to life, even if, and especially if, most people say “that’s crazy! That would never work!” At that precise point, when the innovator disregards the status quo, and breaks through normality, there is genius.

Genius pizza?

Look closely…

Smoke rising from the chimney?

Where there’s smoke there’s fire… where there’s fire concerning pizza it is either fueled by gas (commercial, convenient, cheap, and sadly tasteless) or fueled by wood (artisan, requires skill, and authentic taste).

Check it out – DON has installed a bonafide wood-burning pizza oven in their truck!!!

And everyday they lug chopped wood in, feeding it into their oven, to cook pizza fresh from scratch, right there in front of you!

But, boy, is it worth it!

Take my word for it – stop by and try for yourself – it is a pizza that is worthy of representing Italy in the UAE.

It is an ambassador level pizza.

This is a real pizza.

Italian expats in the UAE will drive the E11 highway just to come and have a proper pizza.

You know the E11, right? Nobody in their right mind would want to drive it unless either forced to by work or family duty. And so when I heard of Italians driving out for pizza, I knew I had to try it myself.

I am happy to spread the word – DON is the King of Neapolitan Pizza in UAE!

But be warned, this is the pizza style you find in Naples: if you like the traditional, authentic pizza then you would appreciate the texture of the dough from DON, and the perfect acidity level of their tomato sauce, and the freshness of real mozzarella – not the plastic stuff that is dumped on most UAE pizza – and the smokiness of a real wood-fired oven…

It is not modern commercial pizza made with yeasty bread dough, fried in deep-pan oil in a gas oven, and with canned “pizza sauce” slopped on top, before torturing it with all sorts of weird ingredients as toppings, and finally killing it with a thick layer of factory processed cheese.

You will find only real authentic Neapolitan pizza at DON’s!

And the location is actually very interesting.

Not only there are a dozen or so other food trucks, but there is a nice seating area,

and services that make a truck stop proud:

And DON Pizza doesn’t only serve pizza (though THAT is why you knock on DON’s window) – a crispy crunchy dessert is offered:

And if you’re in a rush and prefer to just drive-thru and eat in your car, DON also will wrap your pizza for speed and convenience.

And so now you know. For an authentic pizza at level 10 of Naples perfection, at an amazing location, just cruise down the E11 and stop by DON’s!