My fearless professor, Carol Zuegner, enjoying Orsi’s pizza in the journalism department. Photo courtesy of Zuegner’s WordPress blog.
The second pizza place in Omaha that I would recommend is Orsi’s Pizza. Orsi’s is located at 621 Pacific Street, making it also conveniently near Creighton’s campus.
Atmosphere: Not to start with the downside, but the unfortunate thing about Orsi’s is that they do not have a dine in option. Known for its massive pizzas, Orsi’s is a carryout only location. Even though you cannot eat there, the building, which has been renovated after a fire and has gone through a string of family owners, now has an Italian Deli inside and sells Italian goods. Though I have not experienced the deli myself, this is part of Orsi’s that makes it such a unique place in Omaha.
Orsi’s hours are not very consistent, but they are still open for a good amount of hours each day. Because they are also an Italian bakery, they open early, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday-Friday and 7:30 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. They are open until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00 p.m. Friday, 8:00 p.m. Saturday and 6:00 p.m. Sunday.
Menu: Orsi’s caters to groups of all sizes, selling mini/individual pizzas as well as full sheet pizzas. They also serve classic Italian dishes, making this pizza place unique. Their menu includes garlic bread, goudarooni (a doughy, meaty dish) and canoles. Though their pizza is legendary, they are also extremely well known for their unique goudarooni (which i plan to try very soon).
According to its website, Orsi’s has been functioning out of this same building since 1919. Photo courtesy of citydata.com
Price: Their prices are very reasonable, with the minis starting at just $5.75. Orsi’s measures their pizza sizes in “sheets”. A quarter sheet is the equivalent to a medium pizza, a half sheet is a large and a full sheet is a party pizza. A quarter sheet (which is about 6 slices) is $11.25 and a half sheet (about 12 slices) is $18.75. Finally, the full sheet (24 slices) is $28.50. Costs for additional toppings also vary, starting at $.50 cents for the mini, $.75 cents for a quarter sheet, $1.25 for a half sheet and $2.00 for a full sheet.
Service: Since this place isn’t a dine in restaurant, the service is will not be factored in to my overall score of this restaurant.
Downsides: The major downside, as mentioned above, is not being able to eat in. I would love it if I could spend a Saturday night in a restaurant such as this, since it is classic, old and home-grown. Another downside would have to be its weird hours. Though I have only ever had he opportunity to eat it on Wednesdays, it is a bit unfortunate that they are not open on Mondays.
Overall rating: I give Orsi’s a 3 out of 5 for the combined elements of atmosphere, menu, and price.
Pizza Post 2/3
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