Omaha is home to a bevy of wonderful pizza joints, and I have a list that lays out which ones consistently deliver the best pies.
But what about the finest individual slices? You need to know more than the location, but what to order when you get there.
Without further ado, here are my favorite slices in Omaha. They’re not in any particular order, just my 10 favorites.
Note: this is not a comprehensive list. Though I do my best, I haven’t tried every slice of pizza in Omaha, not by a long shot (and let’s be honest, my arteries would be infinitely more clogged if I did). But of what I’ve eaten, these are some slices I feel you just can’t miss.
1. Pepperoni, Pepperoni, Pepperoni
Virtuoso Pizzeria
The word “virtuoso” is defined a person who is highly skilled in an artistic pursuit.
That seems like the perfect way to describe David Losole, the genius who invented this slice of pizza.
Every pizza I’ve tried at Virtuoso Pizzeria has been tremendous, as the crust is thin and airy, allowing the enormous slices to be folded New York-style. And the sauce has the right blend of sweet and acid from the tomatoes.
But the slice that really sings is the pepperoni, and those brilliant little discs are the reason why. Virtuoso uses tiny pepperonis, only about 1.5″ in diameter. It liberally covers the slice and stone bakes it. This style of cooking causes the pepperonis to curl up into mini bowls, which add a crunchy texture contrast and double as tiny grease receptacles, adding punches of fatty flavor to each bite
Great as the normal pepperoni is, Virtuoso turns the volume up to 11 with this slice, which combines the tiny pepperoni cups with normal size pepperoni discs and long, thin cuts of the cured meat. It’s all topped with a light drizzle of hot honey, creating the perfect balance of sweet, heat, and salt. This is pizza at its highest level.
2. The Hos
Piezon’s Pizzeria
Comprised of pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, and pepperoni, the Hos is a celebration of all things meat. But this isn’t just a pile of protein; each meat has a role to play, and they work together to form a harmonious symphony.
The pepperoni brings fat and pops of salt, which is complemented by the slight sweetness of the Canadian bacon. The ground beef too adds salt, and the sausage provides just enough spice. This is the pizza every meat lover’s pie aspires to be.
3. Burnt Ends
Copp’s Pizza Company
Copp’s is among the newer players in the Omaha pizza scene, but it announces it arrival with a bang with this pizza. The local joint takes a perfectly chewy dough, tops it with a cream cheese sauce, loads on tiny hunks of burnt ends, red onions, and bacon, and finishes it with a sweet honey BBQ drizzle.
I don’t want to be a prisoner of the moment, but I don’t feel off base in calling this one of Omaha’s better slices right off the bat. The burnt ends are wonderful on their own, fatty and perfectly tender, better than you’ll find at some barbecue restaurant. The soft texture plays perfectly with the bite of the onion and the crispy bacon, and all the salt is accented well by the sweet BBQ sauce.
I was a bit skeptical about the cream cheese base, but it’s not overwhelming at all and marries nicely with all the other components. Copp’s may be a newbie, but it’s leaving its mark already.
4. Oh Mio Dio
Piezon’s Pizzeria
That’s right; back-to-back slices from Piezon’s Pizzeria, and there’s good reason for that. Every slice starts with a great foundation:
- Homemade dough that’s thick enough to hold up to several toppings without being too bready
- Slightly tangy sauce that complements the toppings while allowing them to be the star
- A deck-oven cooking process that gives the crust a slight crisp
The Oh Mio Dio builds on that incredible foundation with an unusual combination of ingredients. It’s built with pepperoni, spicy chicken, fresh jalapeños, and dollops of cream cheese. That final ingredient is the surprising standout, as each bite provides nice bursts of creamy flavor. The pepperoni brings a brilliant saltiness, and the jalapeños offer a fresh kick, accented by just a hint of spice from the Phoenix chicken.
5. The Doc
Pitch Pizzeria
Every time I go to Pitch Pizzeria, I’m tempted to order the weekly special, as this option typically allows the chef to stretch his creative muscles to deliver something unexpected, yet delicious. But if there’s a can’t-miss pie on the standard menu, it’s the Doc.
Whichever pizza you choose, it starts with an incredible base. Pitch’s pizzas are wood-fired. The dough is slightly sweet, but the cooking process produces slightly burnt pockets that add a perfect bitter complement.
The Doc sounds too busy on the menu, as it combines goat and mozzarella cheeses with an olive oil base, pancetta, fennel sausage, roasted garlic, and fresh basil. On paper, all those ingredients threaten to combat one another, but they work great on this pie. The fennel sausage adds just a touch of heat and salt, which plays nicely with the crispy pancetta. A bevy of vegetables add the perfect amount of freshness, and the airy crust is allowed to sing.
Many of Pitch’s pizzas are deserving of a spot on this list, but if I had to pick one, the Doc is my choice.
6. Diavolo
Dante Pizzeria
If you haven’t noticed by now, crust plays a huge part of my enjoyment in a pizza. And Dante‘s Neapolitan crusts are among the best in Omaha. These pizzas are baked in an 800-degree wood-fired oven for only about 90 seconds, leaving a delicious char and some very pleasant air pockets.
The Diavalo tops that wondrous base with smoky pepperoni, spicy Italian sausage, chili peppers, and gobs of mozzarella cheese. And Dante’s slightly sweet tomato base balances out the salt and heat. I mean, what’s not to like here?
7. Pepperoni
Noli’s Pizzeria
To be clear, this is grading the original Noli’s location in Blackstone. Though I still enjoy the slices from the Inner Rail location, they are not of the same quality (at least, from what I’ve seen and tried).
That’s because the crust doesn’t stand out like it does at Blackstone. Like Dante, these slices get the wood-fired treatment, 900 degrees for 60 seconds. The result is a crunchy, firm crust that works well with the sweetness from San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce.
Noli’s has 29 toppings available, but I recommend keeping it simple with the pepperoni. The restaurant uses giant cuts that cover nearly envelop the top of each slice.
8. Bacon Gouda
Tasty Pizza
The only restaurant on this list to serve individual, 8-inch pies, Tasty Pizza hits a home run with two flavors that should be showcased on more slices: bacon and gouda cheese.
Bacon is inherently delicious and adds a nice texture to the creamy gouda, which balances out the salty pork with a sharp sweetness. These two ingredients dance a flawless tango atop an airy crust.
9. Hamburger
La Casa Pizzeria
This is easily the most controversial entry on the list. A long-standing Omaha staple, La Casa mostly has the support of native Omahans, but many out-of-towners just don’t understand the appeal.
I fall somewhere in the middle, but I think the restaurant deserves credit for the uniqueness of its famous hamburger pizza. Every possible centimeter of the pie is topped with crispy beef. The crust and sauce are just OK, but the punch of the hamburger makes this pie worth a try.
10. Meatball
Tasty Pizza
Most meatball pizzas dice the meat into tiny chunks and sprinkle it over the pie, much as hamburger pizza is treated.
Not Tasty Pizza.
The restaurant cooks enormous meatballs, cuts them in half, and liberally applies them atop the doughy, charred crust. Dollops of mozzarella and sweet, diced cherry tomatoes take up whatever real estate remains. I’m a big fan of meatball pizzas, and this might be the best version I’ve had of the dish.
11. Combo
Orsi’s Italian Bakery & Pizzeria
Orsi’s is vastly different from most of the slices on this list. The restaurant eschews the trendy thin, New York crust and wood-fired ovens for a traditional Sicilian pie. The result is a heavier, yet delicious, piece of pizza.
The dough lacks that brilliant char that a wood-fired cooking process provides, but it manages to remain light and airy. The outer edges of these rectangle-shaped pies are crisp and provide a nice crunch.
Orsi’s liberally applies the toppings, ensuring that each bite gets both meat and vegetables, using several of both. You’ll want to take a nap after housing a few of these slices, but who says pizza-induced slumber is a bad thing?
This is by no means a finalized and comprehensive list. I’ll continue to update it as I try more great slices across Omaha, and I want to hear from you. Email me or tweet @danhoppen to let me know what pizza restaurants and particular slices I need to try.