JOHNNY RICCO'S
BROOKLYN PIZZA
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★★
District: Food truck
New York-style pizza
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Takeout
Standout Dishes: Rico’s Red; Buff Chic; Pepperoni
When discussing the quality of the pies alone, Johnny Ricco’s Brooklyn Pizza deserves to be in the conversation for the best pizza in Omaha. The slices coming off of this food truck can go pound for pound with any in the city.
Availability is the only aspect that keeps it from being mentioned among Omaha’s pizza titans. The truck is inconsistent with its calendar on social media and its website, making it a bit difficult to track down.
But when I see this truck, I stop and grab some slices, because there’s no way I’m passing up on this brilliant pizza.
Established in 2015, Johnny Ricco’s is headed by Eric “Ricco” Thomas, a man with one of the most fascinating cooking resumes in Omaha. He owned a catering company in New York, worked under celebrity chef Mario Batali (before his career went south), and cooked as a private chef on luxury yachts before joining the Army and serving in Iraq in the early 2000s. After receiving a Purple Heart, Ricco struggled to reintegrate to civilian life in Charlotte, NC.
But when a friend who owned a pizza restaurant in Queens, NY, decided to move, he offered to sell the business to Ricco. Ricco bought it and operated it in Charlotte until his family decided to move back to Omaha. He brought the concept with them, but transformed it into a food truck.
The slices that come off of this truck are unlike any you’ll find in Omaha. First, there’s the size: the slices are about 8-9 inches in diameter, making them nearly as large as entire pies at other Omaha pizzerias.
But what truly makes them stand out is the crispiness of the crust. The bottom of the pizza has great structure; you can pick up one of these enormous triangles with basically zero flop. Each bite elicits an audible crunch loud enough to wake a sleeping baby across the room.
The pie’s exterior is still crispy, but also a little bubbly and has a very pleasant chew and a savory, slightly tangy flavor. The red sauce is tangy and sweeter than most, but in a pleasant manner. And though the cheese is definitely present on these slices, it’s a bit more in the background, creating less grease than the typical Omaha pizza.
Johnny Ricco’s has a stable roster of 6-7 slices and often offers 1-2 specials. Among the regulars:
- Ricco’s Red: the sweetness of the red sauce is cut with fatty, salty pepperoni and chunks of spicy Italian sausage. The basil pesto drizzled atop is heavy on the parmesan, giving bites with it a really nice salty pop.
- Buff Chic (featured in header photo): the marriage of buttery, tangy buffalo sauce and creamy, cooling ranch is a pairing even the best dating apps couldn’t hope to pull off, and the chicken is present in every bite.
- Pepperoni: simple and straightforward, yet absolutely delicious. And the salty discs are present in every bite.
- Blake’s White: an olive oil base gives it a rich, neutral foundation, while gobs of ricotta add a mild sweetness. When dipped in the sidecar of marinara, it’s like elevated cheesy bread.
Great as the everyday slices are, don’t sleep on the specials. For example, the Holy Artichoke takes everything you love about spinach artichoke dip and melds it with New York-style pizza. The base is creamy, garlicky, and salty, balanced by the grilled chicken and milky mozzarella. A drizzle of olive oil adds a brightness to round the slice out.
Because the slices are so large, 1-1.5 is usually enough to satiate. Despite the size, however, they don’t leave you feeling heavy or weighed down.
The menu also has a meatball sub and peppers and sausage sandwich. Whatever you order, try and save a little room for dessert, because the Real Deal Cannoli is aptly named. The crispy fried shell isn’t oily, but has a nice flakiness and a crunch that plays so well off the sweet, smooth ricotta filling inside. Chocolate chips dot the interior for additional texture.
Speed is the name of the game for food trucks, and few are faster than Johnny Ricco’s. They’re constantly cooking new pizzas, which are finished about 90%, then cut into slices. When an order is placed, the slice is refired in the oven and delivered hot and crispy to the customer seconds later.
Johnny Ricco’s can most commonly be found slinging pizza at events around Omaha, such as Junkstock or Midwest Fest. If there are several trucks present, there’s a good chance this long gray eatery is going to be one of them.
Johnny’s Ricco’s hard to seek out because their social media game is inconsistent, but just know this: if you see the truck, you’re going to want to stop. There’s a reason this food truck has been in the game for over a decade. It’s serving some of Omaha’s best pizza, and one bite is all you’ll need to experience the brilliance of the New York slice.