BRICK OVEN PIZZERIA
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★⭑
District: Aksarben
New York-Style Pizza & Calzones
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout; Vegan Options
Standout Dishes: Pepperoni Calzone; Super Meaty Pizza
The words “gourmet” and “fancy” will seldom be used to describe Brick Oven Pizzeria. This humble hideout tucked into a strip mall just east of Nebraska Furniture Mart is the definition of a dive.
But Brick Oven doesn’t want to be known for its ambience. It’s more than happy to be described as “tasty”, “greasy”, and “beloved.”
Despite its somewhat hidden location, Brick Oven has developed a passionate following . It’s not the most well-known pizzeria in Omaha, but its pies and slices have advocates that ardently swear by it.
The menu contains a dizzying array of options. The restaurant has nearly 60 signature pies and more than 100 toppings to create your own creation. You can order whole pies or single slices; NY or Neapolitan style; thin, hand-tossed, or thick crust.
And that’s just the pizza. Once you add in calzones, strombolis, salads, vegan options, sandwiches, and a host of bar-style appetizers, ordering at the counter becomes a downright difficult task. There’s so much information to take it, and I wonder if Brick Oven might be best served by paring back its offerings a bit.
For all the options, Brick Oven is best known for its NY-style pizza. Cooked to a golden brown, this thin crust has a nice firm, crisp consistency. There no droopage at the center of these slices. The sauce is more tart than sweet, and Brick Oven is careful not to overload its slices with cheese and sauce. This keeps them light and avoids sogginess.
The Cheese Slice is solid in its execution, as the mild mozzarella highlights the crust. The Pepperoni slice is even better, with salty discs adding fat and texture (pro tip: ask for the cup & char pepperonis). Some of the cheese on the slices’ exterior has the tendency to overcook and burn, introducing an unpleasant bitterness, but the slices are overall successful.
If you’re looking for a gooey, cheesier slice, get a pizza with provolone. Many of the specialty pies employ this soft, melty cheese which, along with the mozzarella, adds a richness to the otherwise minimalistic pizza.
Brick Oven’s pies are fine, and they’re an excellent late night option (the restaurant is open until 2AM each night). But in a city full of standout pizza joints, Brick Oven doesn’t reach the top tier.
The calzones, however, are more successful. The crust is baked to a perfect crispiness that encapsulates the innards without muting their flavor. The dough is airy and flavorful, but the real kicker is the cheese. A combination of mozzarella and provolone practically erupts forth when you cut into it, adding a creamy decadence to every bite.
Whatever ingredients you choose to stuff inside are plentiful, and the portion size is huge: this half moon takes up half a pizza tray, more than enough to serve as a meal.
The appetizer menu is an interesting conundrum; while it appears to rely mostly on cheese and pre-prepared ingredients, most of the options have a heartwarming, shameful innocence to them. They’re indulgent and not scratch-made, but they can be delicious.
If you’re a fan of cheesy bread, you’re in luck at Brick Oven, as the restaurant offers several versions of the dairy-forward appetizer. The naming of the Italian Cheese Fries is deceptive, as there are no potatoes to be found in this dish; rather, it’s dough cut into 10 slices. But you’ll forgive Brick Oven for the misleading name as soon as you bite into the spongy, springy bread. The melty 3-cheese blend (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan) oozes everywhere, creating brilliant cheese pulls.
The Garlic Cheese Ropes are essentially the same thing sans cheddar. The dough can be underbaked and borderline raw, an odd sensation with burnt cheese. Both cheese breads come with a cup of marinara that has chunks of tomato but also a hint of tin can taste.
The Oven Roasted Wings lend a nice crispness to the skin, though not as pronounced as you’d find with fried wings. The chicken is perfectly moist and tender, but the Hot Buffalo sauce adds almost no heat. They’re rather bland.
Surprisingly, the Vegan Chicken Tenders are far more successful. While I suspect these came out of a freezer bag, it’s hard to argue with the flavor. They’re crispy, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you they were vegan on a blind taste test. Whatever meat substitute these employ mimics chicken very well, and a dunk in tangy ranch is never a bad move.
Everything about Brick Oven Pizzeria, from its modest exterior to crisp, greasy pizza to simple exterior screams “dive”. The menu is displayed on the wall in marker, and the dining room consists of a bunch of foldout tables, metal chairs, and a station to grab glasses of water and plastic utensils. But you come here for pizza, not a swanky vibe.
And the pizza is solid, if not spectacular. Those searching for a budget-friendly lunch stop or a post-bar haunt could adore this place. But even among by-the-slice joints, there are better options in Omaha.