Sorrento Ristorante & Pizzeria is packing up its ovens and its pink sauce after 25 years on Broadway, trading its longtime Alamo Heights storefront for a new home on Northwest Military Highway. The family-owned Italian restaurant plans to open at its new address sometime in October, according to a Facebook post from ownership.
Sorrento has occupied 5146 Broadway since it first opened in 2001, and the move marks the end of an era for one of Alamo Heights' most recognized dining destinations, as reported by the San Antonio Current. The restaurant is relocating to 2311 Northwest Military Highway, a stretch of North Central San Antonio near the Thirsty Horse Dance Hall & Saloon and a satellite location of Mr. Juicy, per the Current's report. Ownership has not disclosed what prompted the move.
Despite the change of address, the people behind Sorrento insist the soul of the restaurant will travel with it. “Nothing about who we are is changing, just where you'll find us,” ownership said in the announcement, adding that the same recipes, the same service, and the same family feel will carry over to the new location. Ownership also thanked its Alamo Heights customers for their years of support.
A Neapolitan Recipe Book Built Over Decades
The restaurant's roots stretch back well before its Broadway opening. Founder Gino Ciccone emigrated from Naples, Italy, to the United States in 1972 with his wife, Anna, and daughter, Margherita, spending several years working in New York City kitchens before relocating to San Antonio in 1999, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Ciccone helped establish Naples Pizza before founding Sorrento in 2001, a couple of years after settling in the city.
Ciccone passed away in 2006, and his wife and daughter continued running the restaurant according to his culinary philosophy, the Express-News reported, citing an obituary published on Legacy.com. Margherita Ciccone now owns and operates Sorrento, which has undergone various expansions and renovations over the years while staying at the same Broadway address.
Pink Sauce, Pizza and a Growing Reputation
Sorrento built its name on classic Italian-American fare and New York-style pizza, with dishes such as Veal Marsala alongside a house pink sauce. The kitchen's reputation has extended beyond the dining room, too — MySA reported that, at an August 9 event for H-E-B's 10th Annual Quest for Texas Best competition, Sorrento's bottled sauces were included among more than 600 products.
The restaurant's accessible, home-style menu and casual atmosphere have drawn praise over the years. Before the move was announced, Sorrento was still operating at its Broadway location.
Trading a Strip-Mall Charm for North Central San Antonio
The restaurant's interior featured Italian-themed décor. Despite interior renovations over the years, the restaurant retained elements of that décor.
Its new home at 2311 Northwest Military Highway is near the Thirsty Horse Dance Hall & Saloon and a satellite location of Mr. Juicy, per the Current's report. The move shifts the restaurant away from its longtime Broadway address, while ownership thanked Alamo Heights customers for their years of support.
The relocation also comes alongside a new $3.3 million mixed-use retail and dining project at 6333 Broadway, as CultureMap San Antonio has reported. Whether that project factored into Sorrento's decision to leave remains unclear, since ownership has not said what drove the move. For now, longtime fans have a firm timeline to hold onto: the same pink sauce, the same family behind the counter, and a new address to learn by October.
